Walking with Jesus

Olivia and I met and fell in love attending Beltway Park . Today, Pastor David brought a great message to us about Easter. You should be able to view it here: What's the Big Deal with Easter? It is a reminder of the necessary exclusivity of Christianity. Of course, anyone can become a Christian, but when one is a Christian I do not believe they can faithfully hold to any other faith giving us the access we need to God. Here are some of David's thoughts: "Jesus does not claim to be A way to be rightly related to God or to be a teacher of the way to be right with God. Jesus says that He Himself is THE way to God. He is the embodiment of God's truth, and He is THE means through which we find the life we long to have." "From the very beginning, Jesus and His followers held to a radical notion. The only way for a person to be right with God and have the life he desires is through Jesus. Everything is the Christian faith hinges on one thing: an empty tomb...

Tonight I find myself frustrated for my bride. Despite her weakness lately with Lupus, Olivia worked hard for and participated in a bi-monthly photography competition for her photo club, but the results were not at all what we expected. One leader in the group describes these meetings on his webpage as "Bimonthly competitions ... held in order to help sharpen the club members photography skills." However, it aparently isn't true. What it really seems to be is a competition to see who can travel the furthest and take a photo of something created by someone else (be it a landscape or, in this case, a door). Creativity is shunned. Artistry is minimal. Those without the financial resources to travel or a passion for haystacks, wind generators, and sunsets are practically ignored. I attended one of these competitions recently and noticed a particular lack among the mostly older/semi-retired members to learn anything about being artistic or creative in their photography. The...

Have you ever had the desire to write, to share you views, ideas, insights, and thoughts, without really knowing what it was you wanted to say? There’s so much going on in the world today…so many possible topics…where does one begin? I’ll start in the beginning… “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 These are such wonderfully familiar words, but what do they mean? For one thing, we’re reading a translation. How precise is it? One of the first things I learned in my Hebrew class at Hardin-Simmons was that there is no “the” in the Hebrew of this verse. Most translations include it, except, interesting enough, the English translation done by the Jewish Publication Society, which reads, “When God began to create heaven and Earth—“ There are other translations as well. This one issue aside, the text we generally hear is accurate enough, and the meaning of the text remains virtually unchanged. God preexisted creation and made creation from the sta...

Olivia and I are counting down to our summer travels. She is going to MA to meet our new niece and visit our family there, including the irrepressible Ilona. While she's gone I'll be travelling down memory lane as I sort through my old stuff for our upcoming yard sale. Then, we're on our way to Israel (at last!) to visit friends and see where Jesus walked. When we return, we'll have a little time to work on our home here and then Olivia will be gong back to MA to help Cyndi with the girls while our brother in law is in FL training. I've wanted to write for a couple of days now, but I'm not sure what to say. Therefore, this post will be short and rambling, but HERE, which is also important. I've begun selling things on Amazon , with Olivia's help, and I'm excited about the income. I have a children's book to publish, but I need the up-front money to make it happen. I'm sure I'll let you know more about that later. In the meanwhile, I'...

The following 15 blogs are taken from my MySpace account. I wrote infrequently there, and will eventually cancel the account all together because of the lewd nature of the advertising on that sight. However, some of my thoughts felt tender to me, and I wanted to save them. The next 15 blogs on this sight have been harvested from those pages. I hope you enjoy them. Bryan

When I lived in Hawaii, my dad would take us to the beach almost every weekend. Sometimes we'd go to the big white beach with the coral reef just under the suface of the water. Sometimes we went to the black beach with its lava-rock sands and dark water. Sometimes we'd go to "the toilet bowl" with its cliffs rising high on 3 sides and it's far out reef breaking the ways into gentle ripples as the slushed in and out of the bowl with the tide. And, occationally we'd go to the military beach. This was where I had one of my first solo adventures as a boy. The camp was a converted bunker beach left over from WWII. There were still cinderblock shelters in from the shore, now hidden by brush, where you could have snipped your enemies as they came up the landing. But, other than these the place was very changed. The beach itself was shallow, sometimes only a few feet from the water to the thick bunches of trees that cling to the rocks where sand turns to grass. They f...

Luke 1:54-55: “He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.” There’s a song that comes to my mind at Christmas. It asks a question of the young mother of Jesus, “Mary, did you know?” Did she know that Jesus would walk on water? Did she know that he would give sight to the blind or calm the storm? Did Mary know that the deaf would hear, the dead would live, and the dumb would speak the praises of the Lamb? I can’t say how much Mary knew or didn’t know about the future of the baby in her womb as she traveled with her husband Joseph to Bethlehem over 2000 years ago. But, I can tell you from this Scripture that she understood that Jesus was special, that God was her Savior, and that this child was the answer to hundreds of years of promise and prayer. She knew that Jesus was the Son of God. She recognized that he was a miracle. She believed that he was a big deal. I believe that ...

I've been reflecting a lot lately on what it looks like to be a Christian in America. I wonder if you've ever done that. Have you ever considered how different our Christian culture is from the world, or not different? Have you considered how easily attached our faith becomes to other things or ideas?I have some friends who are in the midst of a conflict because some of them believe that they have the upperhand in the faith. They are "super Christians" because of what they do. This happens a lot, actually. Sometimes our "Christianity +" is about how many chapters you read from the Bible, how you feel about baptism, or whether you have friends who drink or smoke. But, whatever the plus is, it never seems to be loving, and it almost always comes in the form of some sort of work.We have a hard time accepting the fact that we are messed up. We have a hard time accepting God's grace. It's difficult to be so bare before such a holy consumming fire for so l...

The Past: Some of the moments that we look back to are good moments. They are the times when we saw the good sight, did the good deed, rejoiced in another, or felt the thrill of success. Yet, there are other moments. These memories form the dark cloud of our silver lining. They are the times when death came in and there was nothing we could do. They are the times of sorrow, rejection, regret, and mourning. And, more often than we would like to admit, the evil of those moments was our doing. We were the guilty party. We were the one who did wrong. The past is full of remembering and full of remorse. The Future: When we arenft thinking about what has gone on before today, we are often consumed with thoughts of tomorrow. The mystery that lies before us is even more powerful and awe inspiring than the things that have already passed. History may be full of regret, but it is done with. The mistakes of the past are irrevocable. They cannot be undone. But, the opportunities of the future, fo...

It's that time of year again. Families come together. Old members tell old stories to new members. New members try to figure out the old traditions. Young people wait for something exciting to happen. Old people wait for a break in the excitement. Turkeys are carved. Stuffing is stuffed. Tea and Eggnog flow freely. Tensions mount, but so does the grace we have for our loved ones. We travel or are visited. Hopefully we are not alone, and if we are then hopefully we are missed. People who don't excercise all year long run in a charity marathon. People who don't normally get to talk remember that they are friends. And over it all is this title: "Thanksgiving"! It's fun, but it's also a time for reflection. Some people who were here last year are no longer with us. Lives have changed. Children are mysteriously more grown up. Life seems more complicated. Simplicity seems a thing of the past and this day affords us a chance to remember. We remember that everythi...

Here's a thought: The Apostle Peter considered both his own writing (2 Peter 1:15,19) and Paul's writing (2 Peter 3:16) to be Scripture. Do you have that sort of confidence the things you say are pleasing to the Lord?

I saw something today at worship and I'm pondering it, meditating on it, and trying to discover what I am to do with it. I got online today to try and work it out in my mind a little because it's keeping me awake. That's really too bad because it's been weeks since I've had a Sunday afternoon nap, and months since I've had enough sleep. But, if it's from the Lord, I'll take it! The enemy is at work twenty-four hours a day. I think we should take him head-on. As we worshiped this morning I saw a place dedicated to encountering God, a sanctuary among sanctuaries, a locus for seeking God 24/7/365. It was begun with a worship service on a Sunday morning, but when the service ended, the worship didn't. Someone kept playing, singing, praying, teaching, or seeking the Lord there continually. It is impossible that I individually should 'pray without ceasing,' but the primary identity of the body of Christ is not individual. Rather, it is corporate, a...

Olivia and I watch Lost. Last night's episode was particularly disturbing to me. In fact, it kept me up until about 2AM, and my poor, wonderful wife worried and prayed over me because of it. If you haven't seen it, and want to, wait to read this until afterwards. I was disturbed, because the episode ends with two people being mistakenly burried alive. This was my one real fear as a child, stemming from a bad movie choice on the part of one of my baby-sitters. And, at first, this was why I was disturbed. But, as I thought about the episode into the night I realized that the antagonist got what she deserved. She was a murderer, a thief, a liar, and a slut. She callously planned on using a spider to paralyze her boyfriend so she could do "all sorts" of cruel things to him to punish him for steeling from her. Why would I be troubled by her being burried alive? As I read Revelation this morning, I realized why I pitied her. I wasn't really afraid of being burried alive...

I want to invite you to take a moment and really read Psalm 84. 1 How lovely are Your dwelling places, O LORD of hosts! 2 My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the LORD; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. 3 The bird also has found a house, And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, Even Your altars, O LORD of hosts, My King and my God. 4 How blessed are those who dwell in Your house! They are ever praising You. Selah. 5 How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, In whose heart are the highways to Zion! 6 Passing through the valley of Baca they make it a spring; The early rain also covers it with blessings. 7 They go from strength to strength, Every one of them appears before God in Zion. 8 O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah. 9 Behold our shield, O God, And look upon the face of Your anointed. 10 Fo...

I'm meditating on an idea that was birthed in two events: hearing Josh McDowell at Beltway talk about our youth, and hearing John MacArthur on Focus on the Family. We need something in our lives, a purpose, a truth. We need something to fight for, something to live for, and something worth dying for. We, as a nation, need to get our focus on God. Josh talked about how this generation believes in functional truth, and John talked about what it looks like when God abandons a nation from Romans. (Check out the Focus site for the steps: Sexual Revolution, Homo-sexual Revolution, Depraved Mind.) It felt like a call to action, but I didn't know what to do. I prayed, and so far I'm at these three steps: fight, live, die. I want to fight for righteousness, calling sin evil and righteousness good. I want to be a voice for God in my home and in the marketplace, without compromise. I want to live to love God and to love others, even my adversaries. I want to love radically and claim t...

I have a confession to make: I'm not a very good person. I know all of us fail, and all of us sin. I know we all make mistakes and hurt people. We all fall short of the glory of God, yada, yada... I also know myself in particular. I know my heart, my fear, my selfishness, my anger, my hurt, my pride, my uncertainty, my insecurity... I know Bryan, and trust me when I say I'm not a good person. I was created in the image of God. I was born with the potential to glorify Him in every moment, which seems an impossibly lofty goal. This is God's standard. But failing that, as we all have, I also fail to make a good showing of the good I could do. I've made some really bad choices in my life. This week I have been searching them out, going back over 20 years trying to find my motivations, the things that lead me away from being the person I could have been. I can't change those things, but I need to deal with them. The search continues, but so far I've identified three:...

I feel like I have a story in me, and I don't know what it is. I want to write something meaningful (like Eldridge), encompassing (like Tolkien), or creative (like Lewis). I want to create worlds with my words, and describe truth with my thoughts. I want to show God to others through pen and ink (or keyboard and inkjet). I'll bet most of you didn't even know that about me, did you? I want to write, it's the creative part of my being crafted in the image of a creative God. It's like building a communion table, discovering a praise song, or painting a landscape. For my wife, I think it's capturing emotion in the photo of a face or hands in a way that makes people stop and turns their minds toward God. For me, it's words. I like to build and sing and paint, but the thing that would really thrill my soul would be to do all of these things through prose. I do it all the time in my mind, in my dreams, and in my praise. Now, I want to do it for an audience. It'...

I don't like to watch sports on TV. I close the toilet seat (and lid). I trust my wife's judgment. I ask for directions. I think the theory of evolution is ridiculous. I know what color Mauve is. I am willing to change my mind. I think beer is nasty. I don't like Coffee. I believe gluttony is as much sin as homosexuality. I can sew and make the bed. I'd rather read than watch TV. I have a budget. I don't believe being a Christian automatically means being a Republican. I clean up after I shave. I'm comfortable not talking about something I don't know anything about. I don't have to be in control. I don't need to lie to my wife. I know Allah is not the same as YHWH. I don't have to answer my phone just because it rings. I don't care about high school football. I don't have to hide my emotions. I read instructions. I like to cook. I think pornography should be illegal. I hate credit cards. I have a will and life insurance. I don't parti...

This morning I had a day off from work, and was able to spend a little extra time reading my Bible and reflecting on what I found there. I am continually struck by how much truth there is to discover in God's Word. This, to me, is what it means to say that the Word of God is "living and active". One of my passages this morning was 1 Corinthians 8. If you have a Bible handy, read it before you continue. ..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> 1 Corinthians 8 is about eating food sacrificed to idols, but it is about more than that. It is about being like Jesus, so others might know God. Verse 1 includes the idea, "Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies." Now, knowledge is good, but love is better. Knowledge tells me that I am not constrained by the law. I know idols are fake, so I don't have to worry about eating food sacrificed to them. In the same way, I know there is nothing inherently evil about drinking ...

A radical threat must be met by a radical response. In the world we live in, we are engaged in an ideological struggle against a conglomerate of enemies not unlike the Axis of Evil which threatened the free world 70 years ago. They are passionate. They are committed. They should be taken seriously. They are not a joke. They are not unintelligent. They are not cowards. They are not afraid to die for what they believe in. In actuality, many of them desire to die for what they believe in. Many are passionate in a way that should shame the seriousness of our own faith, we who will not even call evil what it is. This struggle is not about the American way of life. It is not about saving the establishment of Christendom. This struggle is about the fulfillment of prophecy and the division of the world between light and dark. It is not about profit margins, gas prices, fast food franchises, or politics as usual. It is not about getting along and discovering the good in all men while denying t...

In Friday's Abilene Reporter (Distorter) News Spiritual Life section was printed an article written by David Briggs of the Religion New Service, which describes itself on its webpage as "the only secular news and photo service devoted to biased coverage of religion and ethics. " RNS also claims its " first priority is to provide intelligent, objective coverage of all religions -- Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Eastern religions and private spirituality ." Olivia and I both plan on writing about this article, as we have had such a great discussion about it, though we found its content terrifying. You can see the article at http://www.reporternews.com/news/2008/mar/06/no-more-questions-of-faith/ The title of the article is " No More Questions of Faith ", but I have more than a few questions after reading it. First, God and Jesus are mentioned nowhere in the article. Second, it assumes that membership in a church makes one a Christian (which it doesn't...

There was an interesting comment on the blog below, "A Political Moment". Please visit it and my response if you're interested. :-)

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations." ~ Jeremiah 1:5 Olivia is part of a group called, NOW I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP, which photographs the much too short lives of so many of our children. Their photos say what the children cannot. Their photos say, "I was here." Their photos say, "Remember me." Please visit her page, read her blog, and watch the video from the Today Show. { http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/23481435#23481435 } Today, I want to talk about a related issue. The children Olivia and other photographers help their families remember and mourn are lost shortly after birth, or die before birth happens. They are the innocent dead. Truly, they are not intentional victims of any wrong doing. Others are not so lucky. In America, we intentionally abort one out of three pregnancies (1.5 million children a year). 95% of those abortions are used as a mean...

303,569,015 303,569,015 303,569,015 That's the estimated population of the United States today. Clinton, McCain, Obama These are the best 3 people we can come up with to choose from to lead the Free World?!? Personally, I voted for Mike Huckabee, and I'm sick in my heart to think that John McCain has won the delegates he needs to secure the candidacy. As for the other two, there isn't two cents worth of difference between them. So, I am, as Sean Hannity says, a "Conservative in Exile" What does that mean? I'll tell you what it means for me: * The Bible is the Word of God. (It was the first textbook in our schools!) * Our founding documents should direct us, not popular opinion. * SIN (adultery, homosexuality, murder, rape, burglary, cheating on your taxes,...) is wrong. * Bigger government is not the answer. * The IRS should be eliminated and replaced with a sales tax (even illegals pay). * Our borders should be controlled. (No Amnesty) * The innocent life of...

From Olivia : "Ready? Set? GO!" Our niece Ilona is one of the cutest toddlers in the world. One of her first tricks when she began talking was that when my sister would say 'ready, set!', she would respond with a long drawn-out 'Gooooooooo!' I heard it on the phone one day and just about fell over from the display of cuteness. Well, in the words on our niece, we are pleased to have a Go! in taking our vision trip to Israel from April 21 through May 7. We are not quite ready or set, but I am sure that part will follow. Since before Bryan and I got married, Israel has been deeply pressed on our hearts. With his previous visits, we hoped and longed for this opportunity to take a vision trip together. We just had to wait for God?s perfect timing, which seems to be now! A vision trip does many things. It allows us to pray about what our specific ties and ministry with Israel will be now that we are married. It will give me, Olivia, opportunity ...