Nic at Night
John 3:1-21
Intro: Jesus had performed the miracle at Cana and his disciples believed in him. He followed this sign with others as he goes to Jerusalem for the passover. Many believed including many of the Pharisees. Nicodemus seems to have been one of them. Nicodemus was a Pharisee an a member of the ruling Sanhedrin. While Nicodemus has an elementary faith in Jesus, he, like many of the other believing Pharisees, was not ready to give up his place in the Sanhedrin. He knew that if he openly supported Jesus, he would more than likely be expelled from the Sanhedrin in disgrace. Still, Nicodemus wanted to know more about this man Jesus that he had heard so much about. He solves his dilemma of satisfying his curiosity and maintaining secrecy by coming to Jesus at night.
Nicodemus makes three appearances in the Bible, each in the Gospel of John. First, he comes to Jesus by night here in chapter 3. Nicodemus surfaces again in John 7:50-52, when, during a meeting with fellow Sanhedrin council members, he raises a procedural point in Jesus’ favor. Nevertheless, he was still a Pharisee and likely yet unconverted. Nicodemus’ final appearance (John 19:39-42) reveals that the seed Jesus planted by night blossoms in the light of a gloomy day: Nicodemus forsakes his religion by wrapping and burying the crucified body of his Lord. What brought about this transformation from a curious Pharisee to a believer willing to sacrifice everything for Jesus? I believe it began with this visit when Nicodemus comes face to face with Jesus.
Vs. 2 “Rabbi, we know that you have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”
Nicodemus is a diplomat. He begins his conversation with a compliment. He calls Jesus a “Rabbi”which, if he were talking today would say something like “great one” or “master.” He then acknowledges that he, along with other secret disciples (“we”) believed that Jesus has come from God as a teacher. He believes this because of the signs which Jesus has performed. At this point in the Gospel of John, Jesus had performed only one miracle and it was known only to a few. However, Jesus had no doubt performed many other miracles which John did not record. Nicodemus is trying to start the conversation out on a high note. Now, whether Nicodemus really meant what he said or was just making a diplomatic opening, we will never know.
Jesus did not even acknowledge Nicodemus’ statement but went to the main issue that was do doubt on Nidodemus’ mind, how can I be a part of the Messiah’s kingdom. Nicodemus like so many others had a physical idea of the Messiah’s kingdom. That of overthrowing the oppression of Rome and restoring Israel to greatness. Nicodemus wanted to be a part of that kingdom. He wanted Jesus to tell him how. Jesus’ answer however, caught Nicodemus completely off guard. “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’”
Born again? Born Again? Nicodemus is dumbfounded. He had expected perhaps some kind of loyalty oath, or some deed of bravery or perhaps the payment of money. Anything but this!! Nicodemus surprise and astonishment is evident in his response in verse 4, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” Nicodemus was thinking physically and literally and the suggestion of a rebirth was ridiculous in his mind.
While Nicodemus is reeling from his opening salvo, Jesus continues in verses 5 and 6, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” There is some disagreement concerning the meaning of Jesus’ statement here. Some see the demand of being born both of water and the Spirit is a reference to physical birth (water) and spiritual rebirth (Spirit). However, the more logical view is that Jesus is talking about baptism in which we are immersed in water and receive the renewal of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus continues in verses 7 and 8, “Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Jesus attempts to make the concept clearer by using an illustration. He points out to Nicodemus that he believes in the wind even though he has never seen it. He believes the wind exists because of the effects it has on the environment. Likewise, the Spirit cannot be seen but it’s effects on the spiritually reborn will be obvious.
Nicodemus is still confused. He asks in verse 9, “How can these things be?” By this time, Jesus must be shaking his head for he responds, “Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things?” Nicodemus as a Pharisee was one of the most learned men in Israel concerning the things of God. Yet Jesus’ statements have completely baffled him.
In verses 11-12 Jesus chastises Nicodemus and the other Pharisees for their rejection of Jesus. “Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?”
In verses 13-15, Jesus then presents himself to Nicodemus as the Son of God and Savior of mankind. . “No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.” He then tells Nicodemus how he is going to bring about man’s salvation. “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” He closes with what one must do to get into the kingdom and have eternal life. “ . . . so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.”
Verses 16-21, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”
John does not record Nicodemus’ response to Jesus grand statement. John merely says that Jesus went into the land of Judea and continued their ministry. But the impact of Jesus on Nicodemus becomes obvious when we are told in John in John 19:38-39 that Nicodemus was one of the men who took Jesus from the cross, wrapped it and placed it in the empty tomb. Nicodemus had come full circle from a curious Pharisee to a dedicated believer and disciple.
Coming face to face with Jesus is a life changing experience. Nicodemus learned that and so can each one of us if we allow ourselves to go beyond mere curiosity and allow Jesus to penetrate our heart and soul.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
I DO NOT LOVE MY ICE CREAM
I DO NOT LOVE MY ICE CREAM
by David D. Hambleton
I do not love my ice cream
I know, it’s sad to tell.
I do not love my ice cream
But I like it oh, so well.
Ice cream is smooth and creamy
It cools my tongue and mouth
The flavors are just so dreamy
If I lost it I’d probably pout.
I do not love my ice cream
But enjoy it? Yes! I do!
I do not love my ice cream
But, Baby, I love you.
Ice cream is a wonderful thing
All flavors, colors and styles.
What is your favorite kind?
It brings cheer and big bright smiles.
It is made of milk most of the time,
And maybe a bit too much sweet,
But all told it is a healthy snack.
So what’s not to love in this treat?
Love is the problem, abused in this way.
It is not for ice cream or a tart.
Love is a very special word,
And it’s best if we keep it apart.
It gets dragged around through too many normal,
everyday, run-of-the-mill phrases.
When we use it too much, we miss a chance
To say what really the case is.
Love is not for a sunset. “I love those colors.”
Love is not for a play. “Don’t you just love Shakespeare?”
Love is not for dinner. “I just love Mama’s liver and onions.”
Love is not for kidding with. “I married you, I must love you.”
Love is not for a favorite skirt. “I love the way this skirt looks on me. Does it make my backside look big?”
Love is not for a fancy car. “We love our ’68 convertible.”
Love is not for work. “I love being a doctor.”
Love is not an accident. “I think I’m falling in love.”
These feelings are good and they’re right,
But the word is sadly wasted.
Love, done right, is not sentimental.
It is a thing done, not tasted.
It is an action of caring
And making provision for others
An act of selfless sharing
The gifts of God with our brothers
We can do this better;
Love is not for a sunset. “That sunset is beautiful.”
Love is not for a play. “Shakespeare’s wit and wisdom are delightful”
Love is not for dinner. “Mama’s liver and onions are the tastiest!”
Love is not for kidding with. “I married you because I love you.”
Love is not for a favorite skirt. “This skirt really has great color and shape. Does it fit me well?”
Love is not for a fancy car. “Our ’68 convertible is wonderful!”
Love is not for work. “I find my work very fulfilling and look forward to it.”
Love is not for falling in or out of. “I’m becoming very attracted to you.”
That keeps love special
For more important work.
Let’s save it for the best of the best
And keep it out of the muck and the mirk
“I love my husband.”
“I love my country.”
“I love God.”
“I love our family.”
“I love my friends.”
But maybe, “I really like my friends, but I love Pat, who is closer than the others.”
It means a commitment.
To take very good care
Of someone, sometimes better
Than yourself. And, no, it’s not fair.
It is gentle and patient and kind,
It does not envy or boast
It’s not angry and is happy with truth
Of God’s great gifts it’s the most
I save my deepest love for people
And never for faddish trends
My wife, my kids; Mom, Dad and cousins,
Sisters, brothers and a few dear friends;
But I do love others, we’re supposed to, you see.
We are meant to love others as we do ourselves.
But people are more precious than ice cream,
While I like it and a lot of things on life’s shelves,
I do not love my ice cream.
But, I do… love you.
by David D. Hambleton
I do not love my ice cream
I know, it’s sad to tell.
I do not love my ice cream
But I like it oh, so well.
Ice cream is smooth and creamy
It cools my tongue and mouth
The flavors are just so dreamy
If I lost it I’d probably pout.
I do not love my ice cream
But enjoy it? Yes! I do!
I do not love my ice cream
But, Baby, I love you.
Ice cream is a wonderful thing
All flavors, colors and styles.
What is your favorite kind?
It brings cheer and big bright smiles.
It is made of milk most of the time,
And maybe a bit too much sweet,
But all told it is a healthy snack.
So what’s not to love in this treat?
Love is the problem, abused in this way.
It is not for ice cream or a tart.
Love is a very special word,
And it’s best if we keep it apart.
It gets dragged around through too many normal,
everyday, run-of-the-mill phrases.
When we use it too much, we miss a chance
To say what really the case is.
Love is not for a sunset. “I love those colors.”
Love is not for a play. “Don’t you just love Shakespeare?”
Love is not for dinner. “I just love Mama’s liver and onions.”
Love is not for kidding with. “I married you, I must love you.”
Love is not for a favorite skirt. “I love the way this skirt looks on me. Does it make my backside look big?”
Love is not for a fancy car. “We love our ’68 convertible.”
Love is not for work. “I love being a doctor.”
Love is not an accident. “I think I’m falling in love.”
These feelings are good and they’re right,
But the word is sadly wasted.
Love, done right, is not sentimental.
It is a thing done, not tasted.
It is an action of caring
And making provision for others
An act of selfless sharing
The gifts of God with our brothers
We can do this better;
Love is not for a sunset. “That sunset is beautiful.”
Love is not for a play. “Shakespeare’s wit and wisdom are delightful”
Love is not for dinner. “Mama’s liver and onions are the tastiest!”
Love is not for kidding with. “I married you because I love you.”
Love is not for a favorite skirt. “This skirt really has great color and shape. Does it fit me well?”
Love is not for a fancy car. “Our ’68 convertible is wonderful!”
Love is not for work. “I find my work very fulfilling and look forward to it.”
Love is not for falling in or out of. “I’m becoming very attracted to you.”
That keeps love special
For more important work.
Let’s save it for the best of the best
And keep it out of the muck and the mirk
“I love my husband.”
“I love my country.”
“I love God.”
“I love our family.”
“I love my friends.”
But maybe, “I really like my friends, but I love Pat, who is closer than the others.”
It means a commitment.
To take very good care
Of someone, sometimes better
Than yourself. And, no, it’s not fair.
It is gentle and patient and kind,
It does not envy or boast
It’s not angry and is happy with truth
Of God’s great gifts it’s the most
I save my deepest love for people
And never for faddish trends
My wife, my kids; Mom, Dad and cousins,
Sisters, brothers and a few dear friends;
But I do love others, we’re supposed to, you see.
We are meant to love others as we do ourselves.
But people are more precious than ice cream,
While I like it and a lot of things on life’s shelves,
I do not love my ice cream.
But, I do… love you.
Love
The following was a letter written to my pre-adolescent daughter. She had just gotten an emotional jolt in wondering if she actually loved us, her parents, and had the character and self-assurance to tell us about that feeling. I prayed and was inspired to write this, and hope it may inspire or help others. It is a letter written from a Christian daddy to a Christian daughter. My intent is not to offend, but to demonstrate how we love. Herein is an implicit invitation to any and all mankind to explore how God loves, and how we, his people are told to do it. I hope you will find things you desire and can grasp as part of your life.
My wonderful daughter,
Please read this with your Mommy. It has language and ideas with which you’ll need her help. It’s long, so get a drink and settle in because I want to encourage you to do the right thing.
I have spent much time in prayer and study over your declaration to Mommy yesterday. It grieves me that you would have feelings of dislike toward your Mommy and me, but I know those are natural feelings and they’re your feelings so they’re important. Not to make little of your feelings, but you need to know that they’ll come and go. Kind of like your appetite for pancakes. I am extremely proud of you for sharing those feelings. You are truly a courageous girl and I am honored to call you my daughter.
I will always do that, you know. I’ll call you my daughter until they lay me down for my trip to glory. I hope you can find productive ways to express whatever it is that caused you to feel that way. If Mommy or I can be of any help, please let us know.
You may know that when I am troubled, I write. In writing down my thoughts, I can deal with them. They are no longer just nasty notions nicking past my conscious, wakeful mind; but ideas on a page I can dig into deeper and deeper. I’d like to encourage you to try this, or find another way to express and work through life’s questions and quandaries. Sometimes I actually find meaning and I always find comfort in writing. It gives me a chance to be critical of my thoughts, and apply the Standard of the Bible to them.
This evening, I hope my writing will help you. I want to encourage you to feel free to express yourself and let your parents know how you’re feeling. If it is something good, we want to celebrate with you. If it is something you’re not sure about, we want to help you learn how to figure it out. If it is something bad, we want to help you with it. We not only enjoy this, it is one of the things God asks us to do as parents. Don’t ever feel like its something we aren’t ready or wanting to deal with. When it is beyond us (please don’t feel like you need to test this boundary on our behalf…), God is there for us to help us be strong for you.
So, what about you not feeling like you love Mommy and me?
Let us use care with the word Love.
The world tries to tell us about love, but their view is not clear. They not only can’t see the reflection in the mirror; most can’t even see the mirror. They’ve merely heard rumors of a shiny flat thing called a mirror. Their best attempts at defining love are pathetic glimmers of God’s intent, like a blind man encountering and trying to describe an elephant. Depending on where he touched it, it would seem like a tree (leg), a snake (trunk), or a leaf (ear). We Christians must be aware of the confusion with which the evil one attempts to ensnare us. Think about some common mis-definitions of love. Love is defined in society’s best modern dictionaries as a noun meaning affection (I love chocolate pie.), desire (I’d love to spend time with you.), or physical intimacy (Let’s make love.) Too many parts of the common definitions are adult language to bear repeating here.
The world aspires to love (Do something you love!). Sociologists have demonstrated that people require love. You probably don’t have to imagine what happens when love is counterfeited and a replacement is substituted for love in a person’s life. I’ve felt it, and would imagine that most every human being past the age of reason has experienced some demented “counterfeit love”, that is not truly love. Too often we (I) am the perpetrator of this counterfeiting…
Loving altruistically is not in human nature. It is a spiritual expression acted out in the here and now “real” world. (It is important to know that the important part of life is the eternal, spiritual side. This world and all that is of it is doomed. We are but a vapor; and the world is like a blade of grass, here for a season then burned to ash. Loving someone with a true spiritual love from God is one of the only things that will last.) Anthropologists have documented a spiritual nature in every significant human settlement ever discovered. We are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26) and that means we are wired to love. In an attempt to love, the world re-defines the term to somehow become closer to it through whatever makes them happiest. They want the feelings that come from loving, but rather than do the loving, they go straight for the feelings and can’t figure out why it doesn’t work.
It is instructive that society’s dictionary definitions focus on the physical, humanistic nature of this expression. The world uses the word love to express warm fuzzy feelings and sexual activity. Wouldn’t it be convenient for Satan if God could be defined in this way? When (not “if”) the physical or humanistic things called love change; people are hurt, families are broken, society’s moral fiber is broken down. People become disillusioned with God because they associate Him with love, and love (as defined by common society) is unreliable. It is our duty in the fight between good and evil to uphold love for what it truly is. (Ephesians 6:12)
Not that a girl means any harm when she says she loves her kitty, or a married couple making love is displeasing to God. Much the opposite, He is happy with the activities in both cases. We are to enjoy and have dominion over the animals. (Genesis 1:26) He gave husbands and wives the gift of intimacy. (Proverbs 5:18-19 etc.) What is wrong is the semantics – the words with which we express our feelings or sexuality should be tactfully explicit, not a maltreatment of a name of God.
1 John 4:16 says; “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” Shall we join this with the commandment God gave Moses for us, His people, in Exodus 20:7? "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” Enjoy your ice cream. Love God. Have fun with your spouse. Love one another as you love yourself. Don’t fall in love. Decide to love – and do it.
Love, Biblically speaking, is a committed selfless expression (a verb) of caring and providing for the welfare of another. (Corinthians 13) Let’s apply logic. God is love. God, as we learn from scripture, is a constant, never changing being. (Hebrews 13:8) While He experiences emotion - delights in His creation (Psalm 18:19); expresses humor in myriad ways (not the least of which is this writer's vain attempt at expressing His will); was repentant of having created mankind, hence the flood of Noah (Genesis 6:6); Jesus wept when his followers didn't see his ability and desire to raise his friend Lazarus from the dead (John 11:35); He was angry at the money changers in the temple (John 2:15) demonstrating that emotions change.
God (love embodied) is constant and never changing. His emotions change even as ours do, but he is always present, always faithful, always caring, always powerful, always graceful, always merciful, always in control, etc... Humans are created emotional beings, experiencing infatuation, attraction, and desire, (along with dissatisfaction, disillusionment, and even despair) in relationships; but these are emotions, not love. It is not just OK, but essential to the human experience that we emote. We learn to relate our emotions to one another truthfully only through proper study and training. It is an act of self-control, which is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22&23).
You don’t stop loving. If you don’t love someone “any more,” you never did. If you fell out of love, you were never in it; you may have been infatuated or lustful. You may have had a desire for them, you may have needed them, you may have come to rely on them and you may be over that; but if you ever truly loved them you still do. You may feel sorry you’re involved with someone. You may be angry with a situation, a group, or a person – even yourself. You may feel lonely or bereft waiting for someone to respond or do their part. You may feel like you never want to see someone ever again. You may even feel like life would be better if you were independent of someone. These feelings are natural and even healthy, but they are not love. You cannot shut off love any more than you could throw a switch and turn off the sun.
“How do I know if I am in love?” Easy. You decide to do it. Then you realize it is beyond you, a mere mortal, to love any other human being altruistically. Inevitably, you look for what you can get out of a relationship. You tire of an idiosyncrasy, or the boring lack thereof. Then, when you get quiet and still and truly listen to your heart, and you realize you want to do this love thing better. So, after all the self-help books and visits to Sally’s Advanced Togetherness Achieving Nirvana (SATAN) Workshops for Couples, you determine you aren’t worthy of anyone as wonderful as your chosen lover, sabotage your relationship and go off the deep end, drowning your sorrows in endless binges of lemon-flavored iced tea and cheap store-brand cookies and cream ice cream.
Finally, in a lucid moment between goopy scoops, you realize how your belly droops, and you submit yourself to the only source known to mankind strong enough to help you through it. You devote your life to Jesus, wholeheartedly throwing everything you’ve ever done or worked for to the wind, move to some dark jungle off the end of the known world, and love everyone in the world perfectly. OK, that may not be so easy.
While it is true that you will never know God’s strength, interest, and ability to care for you until you submit yourself to Him as Lord and place Him on the throne of your life, He rarely calls new converts to the dark jungle for a mission field. You get at least twenty days… Truthfully, He met me where I was and showed me what I was ready to see of His glory. It wasn’t much, but I was sure impressed. When I was ready, He showed me there were significant missionary activities right in my own work place and sphere of influence to which He’d called me and uniquely gifted me. Every day I have to lay down my pride, meet with God in prayer, and ask meekly for enough strength to love (Great book… “Strength to Love”, a selection of sermons by one of the world’s great authorities on love, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) those whom I’ve been called to husband, father, or fellowship with.
It’s a messy thing, loving people. I should know. I’m one of them – people, I mean. I do stuff that is un-lovely on a regular basis. I do stuff to spite those who love me because they are loving me, just to see if they really do. I get into unpopular situations, and loving me means they go through it with me or associate with me even though I may be a pariah; even if it drops the value of their own stock. Ask the people who love me and they’ll tell you it is true. Only in God can anyone find the strength to love me.
It is a tall order, and one for which we humans are not innately equipped. We were designed and created for it, but somewhere on the way out of Eden we lost that nature, even as we lost our connection with the Creator.
What is this crazy little thing called love?
“1If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing. 4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13
Unique in human experience, only Jesus could demonstrate pure, unadulterated love. The rest of us can only aspire and practice toward the perfect love He demonstrates. His love is our hope. He, who knew no sin, relinquished His divine place in heaven to live among us in the squalor we'd made of this world, died for us in mercy in spite of His desire not to have to drink that cup - in spite of us mocking, torturing, and killing Him (it was not nails, but love, that held Him on that cross), shedding the blood required for our sin, and rose again demonstrating His authority over even death to redeem us as brothers and sisters - co-heirs of the throne of grace, so that we could be free of our sin and the death it brings and know Him and celebrate His victory over evil and be with Him and live for eternity experiencing joy, peace, and perfect love. But I run on, and on... God is love.
So, with that said, let me take issue with your statement that you don’t love Mommy and me. I believe you may be dissatisfied, hurt, feel left out or lonely, or some other unpleasant issue in our relationship. I believe that is a real and important feeling, and we should investigate to find out what is behind it. Did it have anything to do with your brother getting a new bicycle and yours is a couple of years old? Did it have to do with our expecting you to care for the younger kids, do your schoolwork, and help Mommy with the house? We won’t know unless we talk in specific terms about what it is you are feeling. Can we do that?
I also believe that in short order you will feel much more pleasant toward Mommy and me. You will find that whatever is aggravating today may seem tolerable even enjoyable tomorrow or next week, or at least you’ll find ways to get through things that remain distasteful. Sometimes it takes working through this or other problems together, sometimes it just takes spending some time in prayer.
We are a family, and that will not change. Mommy’s and my love for you will not change. The ways we choose to express our love may change, but it is not our love. It is God’s love that He put on our hearts to share with you. It is our first mission as parents to share God in our love with you. Some days that may be snuggly and warm or frisky and tickly. Other days it may be encouragement to reach farther, jump higher, or dig deeper into whatever it is you are doing. Yet other days, it may be booting you in the fanny, correcting your direction, or stopping you altogether from doing something that may hurt you.
All of these are expressions of love, demonstrated by God for us in the Bible. We are going to keep doing them regardless of how much you want to hear or feel each or any of these things. We want to be your best friends, but more than that we want to show you the love of God. We are pretty poor communicators, so please bear with us while we learn. If you ever figure out how to do that well, please tell us. We are supposed to not just tell you, but show you how much God loves you. You don’t have to love us back – though we hope you do. God didn’t require that we love Him first. “We love because he first loved us.” 1John 4:19
I hope this helps you sort out your feelings, and how they differ from love. Please let us know if there is anything we can help you with. Mostly, I hope it helps you know you are loved – always.
I love you
My wonderful daughter,
Please read this with your Mommy. It has language and ideas with which you’ll need her help. It’s long, so get a drink and settle in because I want to encourage you to do the right thing.
I have spent much time in prayer and study over your declaration to Mommy yesterday. It grieves me that you would have feelings of dislike toward your Mommy and me, but I know those are natural feelings and they’re your feelings so they’re important. Not to make little of your feelings, but you need to know that they’ll come and go. Kind of like your appetite for pancakes. I am extremely proud of you for sharing those feelings. You are truly a courageous girl and I am honored to call you my daughter.
I will always do that, you know. I’ll call you my daughter until they lay me down for my trip to glory. I hope you can find productive ways to express whatever it is that caused you to feel that way. If Mommy or I can be of any help, please let us know.
You may know that when I am troubled, I write. In writing down my thoughts, I can deal with them. They are no longer just nasty notions nicking past my conscious, wakeful mind; but ideas on a page I can dig into deeper and deeper. I’d like to encourage you to try this, or find another way to express and work through life’s questions and quandaries. Sometimes I actually find meaning and I always find comfort in writing. It gives me a chance to be critical of my thoughts, and apply the Standard of the Bible to them.
This evening, I hope my writing will help you. I want to encourage you to feel free to express yourself and let your parents know how you’re feeling. If it is something good, we want to celebrate with you. If it is something you’re not sure about, we want to help you learn how to figure it out. If it is something bad, we want to help you with it. We not only enjoy this, it is one of the things God asks us to do as parents. Don’t ever feel like its something we aren’t ready or wanting to deal with. When it is beyond us (please don’t feel like you need to test this boundary on our behalf…), God is there for us to help us be strong for you.
So, what about you not feeling like you love Mommy and me?
Let us use care with the word Love.
The world tries to tell us about love, but their view is not clear. They not only can’t see the reflection in the mirror; most can’t even see the mirror. They’ve merely heard rumors of a shiny flat thing called a mirror. Their best attempts at defining love are pathetic glimmers of God’s intent, like a blind man encountering and trying to describe an elephant. Depending on where he touched it, it would seem like a tree (leg), a snake (trunk), or a leaf (ear). We Christians must be aware of the confusion with which the evil one attempts to ensnare us. Think about some common mis-definitions of love. Love is defined in society’s best modern dictionaries as a noun meaning affection (I love chocolate pie.), desire (I’d love to spend time with you.), or physical intimacy (Let’s make love.) Too many parts of the common definitions are adult language to bear repeating here.
The world aspires to love (Do something you love!). Sociologists have demonstrated that people require love. You probably don’t have to imagine what happens when love is counterfeited and a replacement is substituted for love in a person’s life. I’ve felt it, and would imagine that most every human being past the age of reason has experienced some demented “counterfeit love”, that is not truly love. Too often we (I) am the perpetrator of this counterfeiting…
Loving altruistically is not in human nature. It is a spiritual expression acted out in the here and now “real” world. (It is important to know that the important part of life is the eternal, spiritual side. This world and all that is of it is doomed. We are but a vapor; and the world is like a blade of grass, here for a season then burned to ash. Loving someone with a true spiritual love from God is one of the only things that will last.) Anthropologists have documented a spiritual nature in every significant human settlement ever discovered. We are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26) and that means we are wired to love. In an attempt to love, the world re-defines the term to somehow become closer to it through whatever makes them happiest. They want the feelings that come from loving, but rather than do the loving, they go straight for the feelings and can’t figure out why it doesn’t work.
It is instructive that society’s dictionary definitions focus on the physical, humanistic nature of this expression. The world uses the word love to express warm fuzzy feelings and sexual activity. Wouldn’t it be convenient for Satan if God could be defined in this way? When (not “if”) the physical or humanistic things called love change; people are hurt, families are broken, society’s moral fiber is broken down. People become disillusioned with God because they associate Him with love, and love (as defined by common society) is unreliable. It is our duty in the fight between good and evil to uphold love for what it truly is. (Ephesians 6:12)
Not that a girl means any harm when she says she loves her kitty, or a married couple making love is displeasing to God. Much the opposite, He is happy with the activities in both cases. We are to enjoy and have dominion over the animals. (Genesis 1:26) He gave husbands and wives the gift of intimacy. (Proverbs 5:18-19 etc.) What is wrong is the semantics – the words with which we express our feelings or sexuality should be tactfully explicit, not a maltreatment of a name of God.
1 John 4:16 says; “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” Shall we join this with the commandment God gave Moses for us, His people, in Exodus 20:7? "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” Enjoy your ice cream. Love God. Have fun with your spouse. Love one another as you love yourself. Don’t fall in love. Decide to love – and do it.
Love, Biblically speaking, is a committed selfless expression (a verb) of caring and providing for the welfare of another. (Corinthians 13) Let’s apply logic. God is love. God, as we learn from scripture, is a constant, never changing being. (Hebrews 13:8) While He experiences emotion - delights in His creation (Psalm 18:19); expresses humor in myriad ways (not the least of which is this writer's vain attempt at expressing His will); was repentant of having created mankind, hence the flood of Noah (Genesis 6:6); Jesus wept when his followers didn't see his ability and desire to raise his friend Lazarus from the dead (John 11:35); He was angry at the money changers in the temple (John 2:15) demonstrating that emotions change.
God (love embodied) is constant and never changing. His emotions change even as ours do, but he is always present, always faithful, always caring, always powerful, always graceful, always merciful, always in control, etc... Humans are created emotional beings, experiencing infatuation, attraction, and desire, (along with dissatisfaction, disillusionment, and even despair) in relationships; but these are emotions, not love. It is not just OK, but essential to the human experience that we emote. We learn to relate our emotions to one another truthfully only through proper study and training. It is an act of self-control, which is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22&23).
You don’t stop loving. If you don’t love someone “any more,” you never did. If you fell out of love, you were never in it; you may have been infatuated or lustful. You may have had a desire for them, you may have needed them, you may have come to rely on them and you may be over that; but if you ever truly loved them you still do. You may feel sorry you’re involved with someone. You may be angry with a situation, a group, or a person – even yourself. You may feel lonely or bereft waiting for someone to respond or do their part. You may feel like you never want to see someone ever again. You may even feel like life would be better if you were independent of someone. These feelings are natural and even healthy, but they are not love. You cannot shut off love any more than you could throw a switch and turn off the sun.
“How do I know if I am in love?” Easy. You decide to do it. Then you realize it is beyond you, a mere mortal, to love any other human being altruistically. Inevitably, you look for what you can get out of a relationship. You tire of an idiosyncrasy, or the boring lack thereof. Then, when you get quiet and still and truly listen to your heart, and you realize you want to do this love thing better. So, after all the self-help books and visits to Sally’s Advanced Togetherness Achieving Nirvana (SATAN) Workshops for Couples, you determine you aren’t worthy of anyone as wonderful as your chosen lover, sabotage your relationship and go off the deep end, drowning your sorrows in endless binges of lemon-flavored iced tea and cheap store-brand cookies and cream ice cream.
Finally, in a lucid moment between goopy scoops, you realize how your belly droops, and you submit yourself to the only source known to mankind strong enough to help you through it. You devote your life to Jesus, wholeheartedly throwing everything you’ve ever done or worked for to the wind, move to some dark jungle off the end of the known world, and love everyone in the world perfectly. OK, that may not be so easy.
While it is true that you will never know God’s strength, interest, and ability to care for you until you submit yourself to Him as Lord and place Him on the throne of your life, He rarely calls new converts to the dark jungle for a mission field. You get at least twenty days… Truthfully, He met me where I was and showed me what I was ready to see of His glory. It wasn’t much, but I was sure impressed. When I was ready, He showed me there were significant missionary activities right in my own work place and sphere of influence to which He’d called me and uniquely gifted me. Every day I have to lay down my pride, meet with God in prayer, and ask meekly for enough strength to love (Great book… “Strength to Love”, a selection of sermons by one of the world’s great authorities on love, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) those whom I’ve been called to husband, father, or fellowship with.
It’s a messy thing, loving people. I should know. I’m one of them – people, I mean. I do stuff that is un-lovely on a regular basis. I do stuff to spite those who love me because they are loving me, just to see if they really do. I get into unpopular situations, and loving me means they go through it with me or associate with me even though I may be a pariah; even if it drops the value of their own stock. Ask the people who love me and they’ll tell you it is true. Only in God can anyone find the strength to love me.
It is a tall order, and one for which we humans are not innately equipped. We were designed and created for it, but somewhere on the way out of Eden we lost that nature, even as we lost our connection with the Creator.
What is this crazy little thing called love?
“1If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing. 4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13
Unique in human experience, only Jesus could demonstrate pure, unadulterated love. The rest of us can only aspire and practice toward the perfect love He demonstrates. His love is our hope. He, who knew no sin, relinquished His divine place in heaven to live among us in the squalor we'd made of this world, died for us in mercy in spite of His desire not to have to drink that cup - in spite of us mocking, torturing, and killing Him (it was not nails, but love, that held Him on that cross), shedding the blood required for our sin, and rose again demonstrating His authority over even death to redeem us as brothers and sisters - co-heirs of the throne of grace, so that we could be free of our sin and the death it brings and know Him and celebrate His victory over evil and be with Him and live for eternity experiencing joy, peace, and perfect love. But I run on, and on... God is love.
So, with that said, let me take issue with your statement that you don’t love Mommy and me. I believe you may be dissatisfied, hurt, feel left out or lonely, or some other unpleasant issue in our relationship. I believe that is a real and important feeling, and we should investigate to find out what is behind it. Did it have anything to do with your brother getting a new bicycle and yours is a couple of years old? Did it have to do with our expecting you to care for the younger kids, do your schoolwork, and help Mommy with the house? We won’t know unless we talk in specific terms about what it is you are feeling. Can we do that?
I also believe that in short order you will feel much more pleasant toward Mommy and me. You will find that whatever is aggravating today may seem tolerable even enjoyable tomorrow or next week, or at least you’ll find ways to get through things that remain distasteful. Sometimes it takes working through this or other problems together, sometimes it just takes spending some time in prayer.
We are a family, and that will not change. Mommy’s and my love for you will not change. The ways we choose to express our love may change, but it is not our love. It is God’s love that He put on our hearts to share with you. It is our first mission as parents to share God in our love with you. Some days that may be snuggly and warm or frisky and tickly. Other days it may be encouragement to reach farther, jump higher, or dig deeper into whatever it is you are doing. Yet other days, it may be booting you in the fanny, correcting your direction, or stopping you altogether from doing something that may hurt you.
All of these are expressions of love, demonstrated by God for us in the Bible. We are going to keep doing them regardless of how much you want to hear or feel each or any of these things. We want to be your best friends, but more than that we want to show you the love of God. We are pretty poor communicators, so please bear with us while we learn. If you ever figure out how to do that well, please tell us. We are supposed to not just tell you, but show you how much God loves you. You don’t have to love us back – though we hope you do. God didn’t require that we love Him first. “We love because he first loved us.” 1John 4:19
I hope this helps you sort out your feelings, and how they differ from love. Please let us know if there is anything we can help you with. Mostly, I hope it helps you know you are loved – always.
I love you
POLITICAL FAMILY EMAIL STRING ON OBAMA
Ask to see my give-and-take with just about my entire family (save Mona, God bless her) on our presidential election.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
My Review of Carhartt Canvas Carpenter Pants - Double-Front (For Men)
Originally submitted at Sierra Trading Post
2nds . Carhartt's double-front canvas carpenter pants are made for the working man, with extra thickness along the knees and thighs. Comfortable midweight fabric also has double thickness on rear cuff. Front, back, coin and tool pockets Zip fly with button closure 100% cotton Machine wash, tumb...
Great tools for summer
By Old Salt from Washington, DC on 6/7/2008
Waist: Feels true to size
Inseam: Feels true to length
Pros: Trustworthy, High Quality Material, Versatile Style, Comfortable, Attractive Design
Best Uses: Driving, On-Site Engineering, Office Wear, Casual Wear, Tower Climbing
Describe Yourself: Career, Casual, Classic
I meet and plan with high-powered executives around the Beltway, and in-the-trenches military folks. Any day I can end up in both of those situations and anywhere in-between. These trousers take me there looking and feeling right for the job.
(legalese)
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
What are you going to do with your life?
We have a will, given by God, and we can follow whatever we will in life. We direct our lives by an act of will to pursue our passions – our philosophy. Some folks follow their favorite sport, some a community, some a profession, some a religion, and some a relationship or relationships. Even relationships with our spouse and kids should fall behind that of our self to God. My point cooks down to is, “Thou shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3, Deuteronomy 5:7, Judges 6:10, Hosea 13:4. (You know it is important if it is repeated twice – this one is stated once and then repeated three times. Maybe where we direct our will matters…)
This is not a commandment with an explicit resultant blessing, but paying attention to it pays off great dividends in our relationships. If we make our relationship our god, and follow humanity (boyfriend or girlfriend, spouse, or even our self) more intently than– or to the exclusion of The Lord, we are bound to be let down. In a military spouse context, we can just get beaten down by the separation, the not knowing, and the horrific lies and other disingenuous acts of those around us. Focusing on God helps us rise above all that.
We can, by our will, direct our lives right at another person or persons. Even if the object of our desire reciprocates, we are bound for an intense collision, but what happens after that? We cannot stay in one place, any more than the object of our desires can. We continue on a trajectory that will bring us apart. If they do not reciprocate or even if they only partly do, we are in for a lifetime of pursuit of a human being that will change and let us down. What if one falls in love with one’s-self? I was a young man when I realized I consistently fail to live up to my own standards, let alone God’s; and I was left trying to explain myself to me.
Our children learn from watching us, not so much from what we tell them. If we despise our situation, our spouse, our relationship with God, our self, or even the kids; they’ll know it and that is what they’ll grow into. On the contrary, showing them we are more in love with them than we are with God, our self, or our spouse is detrimental to their development as young believers and young people learning to have a balanced life. We need, wherever our spouses are, to let our kids know we are more committed to God and the spouse than we are to the kids. They need to know God values us more than they do. We are God’s favorite child, not our children’s doormat. We are here to serve, but not to suffer their abuse. They are wired to usurp any and all of our other relationships so that we can serve them. Being made in the image of God, our kids are jealous of our love and will move heaven and earth to co-opt it from wherever else we direct it. I think of my then two-year-old Eliana, who learned to grab my chin and pull my face around to look at her so she knew she had my attention when she wanted to talk to me. It was endearing and delightful, but when I was in prayer or conversation with Cassie, she had to learn to wait for my attention. This is a small metaphor for a concept parents know well about the little tyrants that are their sweet bundles of joy. Could it be that the evil one would even use our beautiful children to rip us from the two other most important relationships we have? How much easier would he use a life of service to the country involving deployments and separation?
God values us much more than even we can. My self-concept and self estimation is much lower than God’s knowledge of what I am and can be. The world sees us as how much we can contribute to a household’s bottom financial line. God sees us as favorite children and agents for redemption of the world through His Son. A well-to-do household cannot redeem a soul. A parent raising a child/children in the way of The Lord is answering their highest calling. (Required reading: “Family Driven Faith” by Voddie Baucham) How important is it to demonstrate to our children that we are as valuable as God sees us?
Only when we focus our lives on an immovable object can we truly focus and go through the winds, waves, rocks, and shoals on any kind of even keel. Ships have the North Star or Southern Cross. We have Jesus. He gives us the momentum and structural integrity to go through whatever life throws at us. Like Peter stepping out of the boat, as long as our eyes are on Him, we can walk on the water and not founder in the storms of life. When I learned that Cassie was committed to a life growing nearer to God, it assured me that we were compatible. For all the differences in our lives, we were both heading in the same direction. It is a geometry lesson like a triangle where the two bottom angles are moving nearer to the top. We would necessarily get closer to each other as we grew nearer to our common goal.
Again and again this has played itself out in our marriage as we let one another down (OK, mostly it is I who lets her down…) and pick up the pieces to get on to the next day together. In our individual commitments to Him, God has carried us over rocky ground and bridges we didn’t think we wanted to cross to the path we now walk together. We have a lovely growing brood of children and anticipate growing closer together yet as we get younger and younger at heart, and longer and longer of tooth. She is more beautiful today than when we met, and much a more delightful conversationalist and companion. I cannot wait to spend each day with her in my arms. That day will come, by the grace of God…
Monday, February 25, 2008
PILATE'S QUESTION - Your opinion, please???
"What is truth?" (John 18:38 - part)
Was Pilate scornfully mocking Jesus, or was he asking a genuine question for which he hoped to find an answer?
Was Pilate scornfully mocking Jesus, or was he asking a genuine question for which he hoped to find an answer?
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
HOW DO YOU TAKE YOURS?
I was turning over the maintenance organization I'd built at the Navy airfield in Rota, Spain. My relief was a gentleman who had married a beautiful local girl, transferred to Italy for a few years, and come back to be near her family. She had dragged him back to Rota, but apparently he was glad it was time for work this Monday because she'd had a rough weekend getting re-acquainted. We chuckled at how difficult it could be dealing with a wife who got what she wanted.
After an hour of file locations, weekly routines, maintenance plans, work project histories and forecasts, and colloquial procedures; he rose at eight and headed for the break room, asking, "How do you take your coffee?"
"Oh, like my little bride," I said, nodding to the picture of my All-American sweetie above the desk, "blonde and sweet." He grinned, winked, and headed off around the corner while I answered an email.
The cup was good, but the next hour was long, and I got up for a stretch and a nine O'clock heater for our cups. On my way out, I asked, "How do you take yours?"
I should have seen his reply coming... "Oh, like MY little bride, dark and bitter!"
After an hour of file locations, weekly routines, maintenance plans, work project histories and forecasts, and colloquial procedures; he rose at eight and headed for the break room, asking, "How do you take your coffee?"
"Oh, like my little bride," I said, nodding to the picture of my All-American sweetie above the desk, "blonde and sweet." He grinned, winked, and headed off around the corner while I answered an email.
The cup was good, but the next hour was long, and I got up for a stretch and a nine O'clock heater for our cups. On my way out, I asked, "How do you take yours?"
I should have seen his reply coming... "Oh, like MY little bride, dark and bitter!"
Saturday, February 2, 2008
CHURCH PAINTING
I was a young man in Clearwater, MN in the late 1970’s. Dad was a welding instructor nine months a year and did well drilling, steel construction, and odd jobs over the summers to augment his income. A teacher’s salary was hardly sufficient for a family with five kids – one in college and four adolescents. We lived pretty much hand-to-mouth most of the time, as did many of our neighbors. Competition was pretty strong for those odd jobs. It was August, and we needed school supplies and clothes and the house payment was due, so I know Dad was stressed.
The local church was in disrepair, and its building was in pretty rough shape as well. That is to say, the congregation was not so large as it once had been, and the remaining faithful had more faith than gold. They did agree finally to spend some trust fund money on a face-lift for the church building. It had been built in the 1920s and painted once since, the last time in the 1950s. The whitewash was wearing mighty thin.
The preacher got the go-ahead from the board and received a very tight budget for the project. Considering that the remaining congregation consisted mostly of octogenarians, using parishioner labor was out of the question, so he let out a request for bids. Unfortunately, they wanted to pay wages similar to what they’d paid the last time this was done. Dad won the contract by banking on my being able to work for little of nothing, and figuring materials very carefully.
We hauled in our gear in Dad’s old dilapidated Dodge pickup, laid ground cloths over the shrubbery and taped off the beautiful stained glass windows with old newspapers. I mixed the white paint carefully so as not to waste a drop. Dad confided in me that we would use thicker paint around the ground to get a good coverage, and we could thin it as we got up high on the peaks and more as we went up the steeple.
I didn’t care for the scheme, but he was my dad, and had a pretty good sense about finishing a job with quality to ensure we would get called back or referred to more work elsewhere, so I trusted him.
The weather called for sunshine all week, so we began painting on the structure, starting at the peaks with a somewhat thin whitewash and mixing it stronger as we reached the ground. We were saving the steeple for the end of the job, and would finish it about Saturday noon, leaving the rest of the day to clean up for church on Sunday.
Friday we set scaffolding around the steeple, fully 70 feet in the sky over the Mississippi River Valley. We felt good about our progress so far and breathed easily for being on track. It was a beautiful evening, but as I began mixing the paint for the next day’s work on the steeple, a cloud came as if out of nowhere. I decided to make all preparations for morning so we could get right to painting and have a chance to get it dried in case that cloud meant a storm.
I realized we were shorter on paint than we’d planned, and told Dad I’d give up my wages to pay for another bucket of paint. He said it was too late on a Friday to get to town for another bucket that evening, and if we went in the morning we’d lose too much of the day to finish the job. He said we’d make it on the paint we had, thinning progressively as we went up the steeple where it would be very hard to see the lack of coverage from the ground.
I protested. Was this not God’s house, after all? And here he was, up high, talking about getting one over on God! I think he was feeling some pressure, because Dad was abnormally curt with me, telling me to mix three pails of paint in graduated thickness. “Now!”
The resounding thunder clap that punctuated the end of his last statement convinced us that we’d best hurry and finish the job before a rain shower came and really messed us up.
At dawn, that cloud was overhead with a menacing dark color that led to a brilliant silver lining as the sun climbed behind it. The painting went well through the first bucket, but coverage was sparse and we had to double- and triple-coat some areas to avoid see-through paint where it was low enough to be noticed. I didn’t say much, but tried to make it as good as possible with the materials I was given.
I had (ingeniously, I though) tied each of the three buckets off to pull up in order. As I raised the second bucket, lightening flashed and thunder pealed loudly overhead. Maybe it was a wind gust, or maybe I flinched, I don’t know, but the bucket caught on a scaffold plank, tipped, and banged on a pole; and half of the paint spilled out. To make matters worse, a big blob of the paint landed smack in the center of the bare metal spot where the pickup’s paint had given up years ago, leaving a large circle of white surrounded by the dark rusted ring on the top of the cab.
Mortified, I clambered down. As I cleaned up the spill on the sidewalk, Dad showed up beside me. I told him he had to let me buy more paint now, but he poured water in the bucket and said we couldn’t waste the time or money, so we’d have to make it work before that cloud thinned all of our work.
As we mixed the bucket-and-a-half we had left into something the consistency of milk, I brooded. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything, but I felt like I was between a rock and a hard place, and I told Dad I didn’t think God would take this well.
Grudgingly, I re-mounted the scaffold and began rolling on the watery whitewash. It took too many coats to get any coverage at all, and we were going through it just too fast.
We had finished about 20 feet of the wide base of the steeple, with the skinny 20 feet to go, and we were about to run out of paint. I felt ready to come to blows with Dad as he told me to take what was left back down for yet another dose of water. I protested that this was not a proper way to treat a church. Dad told me he was calling the shots, and this was the way it was going to be. As he told me to “Get down there,” he teasingly cuffed me on the back of the head and knocked my beat up old black beret into the breeze.
That cloud roiled behind me and wind stiffened blowing past, and I knew I had to comply with my father’s wishes. Dejected, I climbed down, noticing my hat flopping downward on the air, landing upside-down in the center of the paint spot on top of the pickup. The black spot in the center of the circle of white surrounded by the darker pickup roof looked like a WWI Allied Forces airplane fuselage badge. It was a good day for hitting that pickup.
I reached the ground and stared at that bucket of whitewash, feeling for all the world that mixing it down again would be a very, very bad thing. I decided to go recover my hat and try again in a moment. I had almost reached the truck when Dad reached me. He grabbed me by the arm, spun me around, and sent me reeling toward the paint, saying to get the water and get the job done. He was speaking to me, so as I stumbled, I looked back to watch him as he took one step toward me and barked he didn’t care what God thought.
The lightening flash was blinding, leaving an impression on my corneas of Dad’s silhouette with his hair on end and the beam of light from the cloud focused on the cab of the pickup behind him. My hat flipped through the air one direction and the hood of the truck the other way like Tiddley Winks. The deafening crack of thunder and the simultaneous popping of the four truck tires were followed by the crash of the truck’s hood and then a resounding silence.
A very clear, distinct, and deep booming voice came from the cloud, saying, “Repaint, and thin no more!”
The local church was in disrepair, and its building was in pretty rough shape as well. That is to say, the congregation was not so large as it once had been, and the remaining faithful had more faith than gold. They did agree finally to spend some trust fund money on a face-lift for the church building. It had been built in the 1920s and painted once since, the last time in the 1950s. The whitewash was wearing mighty thin.
The preacher got the go-ahead from the board and received a very tight budget for the project. Considering that the remaining congregation consisted mostly of octogenarians, using parishioner labor was out of the question, so he let out a request for bids. Unfortunately, they wanted to pay wages similar to what they’d paid the last time this was done. Dad won the contract by banking on my being able to work for little of nothing, and figuring materials very carefully.
We hauled in our gear in Dad’s old dilapidated Dodge pickup, laid ground cloths over the shrubbery and taped off the beautiful stained glass windows with old newspapers. I mixed the white paint carefully so as not to waste a drop. Dad confided in me that we would use thicker paint around the ground to get a good coverage, and we could thin it as we got up high on the peaks and more as we went up the steeple.
I didn’t care for the scheme, but he was my dad, and had a pretty good sense about finishing a job with quality to ensure we would get called back or referred to more work elsewhere, so I trusted him.
The weather called for sunshine all week, so we began painting on the structure, starting at the peaks with a somewhat thin whitewash and mixing it stronger as we reached the ground. We were saving the steeple for the end of the job, and would finish it about Saturday noon, leaving the rest of the day to clean up for church on Sunday.
Friday we set scaffolding around the steeple, fully 70 feet in the sky over the Mississippi River Valley. We felt good about our progress so far and breathed easily for being on track. It was a beautiful evening, but as I began mixing the paint for the next day’s work on the steeple, a cloud came as if out of nowhere. I decided to make all preparations for morning so we could get right to painting and have a chance to get it dried in case that cloud meant a storm.
I realized we were shorter on paint than we’d planned, and told Dad I’d give up my wages to pay for another bucket of paint. He said it was too late on a Friday to get to town for another bucket that evening, and if we went in the morning we’d lose too much of the day to finish the job. He said we’d make it on the paint we had, thinning progressively as we went up the steeple where it would be very hard to see the lack of coverage from the ground.
I protested. Was this not God’s house, after all? And here he was, up high, talking about getting one over on God! I think he was feeling some pressure, because Dad was abnormally curt with me, telling me to mix three pails of paint in graduated thickness. “Now!”
The resounding thunder clap that punctuated the end of his last statement convinced us that we’d best hurry and finish the job before a rain shower came and really messed us up.
At dawn, that cloud was overhead with a menacing dark color that led to a brilliant silver lining as the sun climbed behind it. The painting went well through the first bucket, but coverage was sparse and we had to double- and triple-coat some areas to avoid see-through paint where it was low enough to be noticed. I didn’t say much, but tried to make it as good as possible with the materials I was given.
I had (ingeniously, I though) tied each of the three buckets off to pull up in order. As I raised the second bucket, lightening flashed and thunder pealed loudly overhead. Maybe it was a wind gust, or maybe I flinched, I don’t know, but the bucket caught on a scaffold plank, tipped, and banged on a pole; and half of the paint spilled out. To make matters worse, a big blob of the paint landed smack in the center of the bare metal spot where the pickup’s paint had given up years ago, leaving a large circle of white surrounded by the dark rusted ring on the top of the cab.
Mortified, I clambered down. As I cleaned up the spill on the sidewalk, Dad showed up beside me. I told him he had to let me buy more paint now, but he poured water in the bucket and said we couldn’t waste the time or money, so we’d have to make it work before that cloud thinned all of our work.
As we mixed the bucket-and-a-half we had left into something the consistency of milk, I brooded. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything, but I felt like I was between a rock and a hard place, and I told Dad I didn’t think God would take this well.
Grudgingly, I re-mounted the scaffold and began rolling on the watery whitewash. It took too many coats to get any coverage at all, and we were going through it just too fast.
We had finished about 20 feet of the wide base of the steeple, with the skinny 20 feet to go, and we were about to run out of paint. I felt ready to come to blows with Dad as he told me to take what was left back down for yet another dose of water. I protested that this was not a proper way to treat a church. Dad told me he was calling the shots, and this was the way it was going to be. As he told me to “Get down there,” he teasingly cuffed me on the back of the head and knocked my beat up old black beret into the breeze.
That cloud roiled behind me and wind stiffened blowing past, and I knew I had to comply with my father’s wishes. Dejected, I climbed down, noticing my hat flopping downward on the air, landing upside-down in the center of the paint spot on top of the pickup. The black spot in the center of the circle of white surrounded by the darker pickup roof looked like a WWI Allied Forces airplane fuselage badge. It was a good day for hitting that pickup.
I reached the ground and stared at that bucket of whitewash, feeling for all the world that mixing it down again would be a very, very bad thing. I decided to go recover my hat and try again in a moment. I had almost reached the truck when Dad reached me. He grabbed me by the arm, spun me around, and sent me reeling toward the paint, saying to get the water and get the job done. He was speaking to me, so as I stumbled, I looked back to watch him as he took one step toward me and barked he didn’t care what God thought.
The lightening flash was blinding, leaving an impression on my corneas of Dad’s silhouette with his hair on end and the beam of light from the cloud focused on the cab of the pickup behind him. My hat flipped through the air one direction and the hood of the truck the other way like Tiddley Winks. The deafening crack of thunder and the simultaneous popping of the four truck tires were followed by the crash of the truck’s hood and then a resounding silence.
A very clear, distinct, and deep booming voice came from the cloud, saying, “Repaint, and thin no more!”
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Global Warming
But on to what I really feel... Global warming is real, but the human cause element is so infinitesimal as to be laughable, were it not for a certain ex-vice president keeping developing nations from the technology and fuel they need to rise out of poverty and starvation, threatening to dismantle the economic engine that gives him mansions and SUVs, flies around in a private jets while telling us to cut down on our carbon emissions (that is breathing, for anyone paying attention to this diatribe), and all the while padding his pockets selling carbon credits. I get visions of Chicken Little yelling, "The sky is falling!!!" and peddling umbrellas.
Why are his "scientific consortium" bailing? Why does the British government now require teachers who want to show Al's big slide show to tell about the glaring untruths inconveniently unearthed in his rhetoric? Why don't they look at the 2000 years of history for which we can trace temperature that demonstrates we are in a normal temperature fluctuation for the planet? Why don't they acknowledge the real cause of warming in our atmosphere - the water vapor - as opposed to the carbon they want to sell credits for? Are any of you buying those things? Why don't they acknowledge that a warmer climate is actually good for the earth's productivity? When the global temperature was up the last time the Vikings tilled Greenland and Iceland, and sailed small craft across the North Atlantic to the Americas. The polar bears even survived, although there were no agenda-driven cherry-picking photographers sniping shots of them rollicking on ice floes, claiming it was evidence of the end of civilization as we know it. By the way, the polar ice cap grew at an unprecedented rate this year, reaching late February mass by mid December. That must be an indicator of global warming...
What is "the best" temperature for the earth, anyway? Is our current temperature keeping us from realizing our potential? In the 1970s the news outlets wanted us to be scared of global cooling. The impending ice age would put glaciers on the Florida Keys. How much of my hard-earned money do you think I should give to Al Gore (who has yet to actually work for a dime in his extravagant life) to protect me from the ice in 30 years?
I drive my Suburban because I need the space for the tools and the all-wheel-drive and large motor to get to the places where I provide protection for our government and national treasures. Wifey will keep on trucking in her Yukon XL, with all of our safe kiddos strapped in the back. When the new CAFE standards hit and all the new cars are made of composite plastic and beer-can-thick aluminum, I'll feel utterly annoyed at the geniuses who perpetrated unsafe vehicles on our society in the name of this hoax called global warming. I will feel bad for families that do not have the foresight or do not have the wherewithal to save solid vehicles made now, when they can make them, to drive in a few years, when they can't. The last time the government did this to Detroit, we lost people on the highways in accidents that shouldn't have bent bumpers. But I will do the maintenance on my real cars so my children can be surrounded by frames of steel and engines that can get us out of a problem without being run over.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2007/01/resisting_global_warming_panic.html
Oil remains king, and will be so for a while. I'll be really glad when we can tap into our own fuel reserves in ANWR, off our coasts, and within our borders; and stop spending petro-dollars buying oil from Marxists and Wahabbi extremists. That will give us time to get hydrogen cells or these new-fangled CISRO batteries or whatever new technology on line.
Why are his "scientific consortium" bailing? Why does the British government now require teachers who want to show Al's big slide show to tell about the glaring untruths inconveniently unearthed in his rhetoric? Why don't they look at the 2000 years of history for which we can trace temperature that demonstrates we are in a normal temperature fluctuation for the planet? Why don't they acknowledge the real cause of warming in our atmosphere - the water vapor - as opposed to the carbon they want to sell credits for? Are any of you buying those things? Why don't they acknowledge that a warmer climate is actually good for the earth's productivity? When the global temperature was up the last time the Vikings tilled Greenland and Iceland, and sailed small craft across the North Atlantic to the Americas. The polar bears even survived, although there were no agenda-driven cherry-picking photographers sniping shots of them rollicking on ice floes, claiming it was evidence of the end of civilization as we know it. By the way, the polar ice cap grew at an unprecedented rate this year, reaching late February mass by mid December. That must be an indicator of global warming...
What is "the best" temperature for the earth, anyway? Is our current temperature keeping us from realizing our potential? In the 1970s the news outlets wanted us to be scared of global cooling. The impending ice age would put glaciers on the Florida Keys. How much of my hard-earned money do you think I should give to Al Gore (who has yet to actually work for a dime in his extravagant life) to protect me from the ice in 30 years?
I drive my Suburban because I need the space for the tools and the all-wheel-drive and large motor to get to the places where I provide protection for our government and national treasures. Wifey will keep on trucking in her Yukon XL, with all of our safe kiddos strapped in the back. When the new CAFE standards hit and all the new cars are made of composite plastic and beer-can-thick aluminum, I'll feel utterly annoyed at the geniuses who perpetrated unsafe vehicles on our society in the name of this hoax called global warming. I will feel bad for families that do not have the foresight or do not have the wherewithal to save solid vehicles made now, when they can make them, to drive in a few years, when they can't. The last time the government did this to Detroit, we lost people on the highways in accidents that shouldn't have bent bumpers. But I will do the maintenance on my real cars so my children can be surrounded by frames of steel and engines that can get us out of a problem without being run over.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2007/01/resisting_global_warming_panic.html
Oil remains king, and will be so for a while. I'll be really glad when we can tap into our own fuel reserves in ANWR, off our coasts, and within our borders; and stop spending petro-dollars buying oil from Marxists and Wahabbi extremists. That will give us time to get hydrogen cells or these new-fangled CISRO batteries or whatever new technology on line.
Tech - thanks Mark
I have my hopes up. I think Detroit will come out with an electric or hybrid that stands on its own - that is, it will just be better than a gas-powered vehicle. I saw an article today about battery technology that is cheaper, runs for more charges, is lighter, packs more of a punch for take-off, and recovers energy from braking and stuff better than the ones they're using now for hybrids. They've just passed the 100,000 mile mark with a vehicle running on these "CSIRO" batteries. http://www.physorg.com/news119803106.html. Thanks neighbor Mark, who passed me the link for a science project.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Blogs are in vogue
I guess it is time to venture into a blog, after watching my beautiful bride (http://cassiesorganizedchaos.blogspot.com/) and our two eldest daughters start communicating wholesale with the world at large, I have decided to follow suit.
My name I borrow from my book, (http://oldsaltweb.com), which is a collection of sailor's stories of which I am very fond. We are a happy, busy family; and you can see more about us at my vanity site, http://hambleton.info
I look forward to sharing photos, essays, prose, and rants here as The Spirit moves me. Please leave comments and visit more than occasionally.
Ciao for now,
David
My name I borrow from my book, (http://oldsaltweb.com), which is a collection of sailor's stories of which I am very fond. We are a happy, busy family; and you can see more about us at my vanity site, http://hambleton.info
I look forward to sharing photos, essays, prose, and rants here as The Spirit moves me. Please leave comments and visit more than occasionally.
Ciao for now,
David
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