Walking with Jesus

Ok. It's time. I was reading my cousin's blog , where she wrote a very insightful article about child labor and the chocolate industry. I started following links, uncovering the dark side of the largest American chocolatiers and learning more about the situation, when a burden came upon me that this was the day to confront Halloween... again. After all, halloween is chocolate's big season. I know that some people think I'm a little strange to spend so much space fighting against a holiday that the National Retail Federation says 7 out of 10 Americans will participate in this year. I'm sure even most people who fall into the 3 out of 10 think I'm going overboard. Well, grab your life vest, because here we go... Remember, halloween is a 'holiday' (holy day). It is a religious event. It is a day of worship gods who are not YHWH. [ Ephessians 6:12 ] Children are ritually sacrificed (today!) as part of some satanic rituals connected to halloween. Trad

Life is lived moment by moment, by moment; Don't miss yours. Yesterday and Tomorrow are about potential: one lacking and the other unending, but it is Today that matters. Today is as close to eternity as we will ever be as long as we live. Today is when we interact with life. Today is where God speaks to us. And, while all of our days are Today from God's eternal perspective, only the moment we have right now meets Eternity from ours. What are we doing? What are we thinking about? Why are we where we are, when we are, today ? Hebrews (chapter 3 and 4) talks about Today , as an opportunity, a moment to decide. Will we hear God's voice, no matter what other noise is going on? Will we enter His rest, no matter how easy it would be to harden our hearts? Will we know God's ways, even when our hearts want to stray? Will we "exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin"  (3:13) ? Wh

"Then were crucified with him two robbers, one on the right and one on the left...Likewise, the robbers who were crucified with him reproached him." Matthew 27:38,44 "One of the crucified criminals blasphemed him, 'Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself, and us!' But the other rebuked him, saying, 'Don't you fear God? You are under the same judgment. Indeed, we are judged justly, but this man has done nothing wrong.' And he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.' And he said to him, 'I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in Paradise.'" Luke 23:39-43 Then what? What was it like for these two men as they watched Jesus die? Have you ever dared to consider it? Did the one hope and fight off doubt as he struggled for each breath? Did he wonder how many more times he would have to press up on the nails in his ankles before he found relief? Did he laugh at the ridiculousness of fighting to live whe

I had a long weekend this weekend, and I put it to use. We have a secondary building behind our house, and we're trying to improve it. This was a big weekend, because it was the weekend for plumbing and electricity. I really like this sort of work, especially since I don't have to do it all the time. We are building an extra living space, and as I worked I listened to sermons by Don Finto , Asher Intrater , and Brian Wade . And, I was challenged as I worked to focus on God. Normally, I think about the future a lot. I wonder where we'll live in a year. I think about my calling. I plan for tomorrow. I pray for Christ's return. But, this weekend I didn't think much about the years ahead. Rather, I enjoyed each day, knowing I was accomplishing my goals for the day, knowing my Olivia was loving and missing me as she visited with my mom at Possum Kingdom, and knowing that my Heavenly Father is at work even when I'm not worried about it. Now, after the weekend, its tim

Definitions of White Noise: "Any random, collective occurrence of unrelated things. Typically used to refer to a simultaneous collection of sound patterns , which when all occurring at once, sounds similar to static , or a 'hiss'. When considering visual white noise , it is often referred to as 'snow', such as one might see on a television station that isn't playing any current programming." ( Business Dictionary ) "White noise, or white sound as it is sometimes called, is a very therapeutic device for relieving stress, masking annoying sounds, and helping you fall asleep. But, it really isn’t noise at all. It’s actually a ton of different sound frequencies all hitting you at once....White noise has the effect of masking out annoying sounds that might otherwise disturb your sleep. " ( White Noise for Baby ) "A heterogeneous mixture of sound waves extending over a wide frequency range,... a constant background noise ; especially : one tha

Whether patients, doctors, nurses, staff, or visitors, most of the people we've met during this time at the hospital have had three things in common: 1) They are very real. 2) They easily talk about spiritual realities. 3) They are nice people. 1) Here people are real. Being in the hospital has the tendency to push aside the facade of Western culture that delegates the fragility of life to the periphery. Some of these people are here because they or someone they know is getting well, while for others someone is finishing their days with as much grace and dignity as possible. Some are helpers. Some are hurting. Some are coherent. Others are not. Most are kind. Many are easy to talk to. Some are lonely. And, a few are cranky. With the notable exception of the influence of medications, who you are in the hospital is who you really are. 2) Here people talk about faith and God. Every person you meet understands that God is a perfectly acceptable topic for conversation. There are n