Faith Over Football

I love the NFL. It's my favorite sport (although baseball is a close second). My wife knows that come Sunday I will be spending my day of rest camping in front of the TV (with my laptop - fantasy football is my second favorite, um, sport). This, of course, is after having gone to church and eaten brunch. I do have my priorities. But 1:00 PM, 4:00 PM, and 8:00 PM will show as busy on my calendar on Sundays from September to January. Oh yeah, and let's not forget about Mondays and even some Thursdays. I mean, when I hear the Monday Night Football theme song by Hank Williams, Jr., my heart starts racing (although Faith Hill's "Waiting All Day For Sunday Night" theme song for the Sunday night game is growing on me too).

I...Love...Football.

Last year, I had Frank Gore on one of my fantasy football teams. He is the starting running back for the San Fransisco 49ers. He missed some time last year due to injury, so I picked up his back up (handcuff is what we like to call it in fantasy football speak) to spot start while Gore was out. The name of his back up? Glen Coffee. He did really well for me while Gore was out. I started thinking, this rookie is going to make hay one day in the league. At that time, I didn't know much about Glen Coffee. I just needed a running back to start while Gore was injured. As of this week, I know a lot more about him and for good reason. He was a stand out star as the starting running back at Alabama taking the Tide to the SEC title game his Junior year. He rushed for almost 1400 yards that year. He decided to skip his senior year and declare himself eligible for the NFL draft. Money and fame awaited. He got drafted in the third round by the 49ers. He missed out on the Tide winning the national championship in what would have been his senior year of college during his rookie year in the NFL. But, hey, he had the money, right. And it was only a matter of hard work and time for him to hit the lime light. But money wasn't all that he had. He had a burden growing on him daily. That burden had to do with something that took place in Coffee's life during his time with the Crimson Tide in 2007 - he became a Christian and was baptized. Shortly thereafter, he began to accept speaking engagements to share his faith with others through his notoriety as a football star. But that was not enough. He tried faith with football in his life (which is something Tim Tebow of Florida Gator and now Denver Bronco fame is doing even now). But for him, he needed to choose faith over football. In his words, he was "wrestling" with the need to leave football behind - as a 23 year old budding star with even more money and fame surely ahead of him. Instead, he announced his retirement from the NFL this week to pursue "the will of God." He believes that God has another plan for him instead of football, and he is now on the path to pursuing that plan. His first step is to go back to Alabama and finish his undergraduate degree, and then possibly go to graduate school for ministry training. He said, "A lot of people aren't going to understand and realize because they don't have the wisdom to understand. Their eyes aren't open like mine are open. True happiness is glorifying God and glorifying Christ. That's what true happiness is...And for me, that wasn't the NFL. That wasn't where I needed to be." He is now going to pursue some ministry, but he's not yet sure what. He says opportunities will come. He just wants to surrender all and follow Christ.

I have a lot of respect for this type of decision. Yesterday, I got together with some brothers and we talked about this. I asked the question whether it was a tougher decision to leave behind money and fame when you've already had more of it at 23 then most folks get in a lifetime, or to have nothing and make this kind of surrender. It brought up good discussion, and surrendering to God's will for ones life is just as big deal for an all world athlete who has everything than for an unknown man or woman with little to their name. One thing is true, the whole world knows what he did, why he did it, and God is getting the glory. I hope and pray God uses him and protects him in whatever ministry God has for him. And I pray you and I are already pursuing God and His plan for our lives, and, if not, be willing to make the best choice we could ever make in order to do so.

I'm sad I can't draft Glen Coffee for my fantasy team from a football perspective, but from an eternal perspective I'm glad we're on the same team.

Full story: Glen Coffee explains choosing faith over NFL football | al.com

Wanna See Something Scary?

Click here.

I'll give you a hint - it's directly related to the picture below.

This kind of thinking is killing our country and our homes. My wife saw the above picture and laughed. Funny, I had an entirely different response. :) I will write more on this topic later this week, but for now - the web link above and this picture will have to suffice. It's plenty to take in.

"See The Light"

"ah the games that we play
and the price that we pay
for public lies
and secret lives

always consequence
never recompense
the fool will fail and be exposed
the wise will veil and decompose

but no one can hide for very long
for what's wrong with wrong? it's always wrong

we work so hard to be deceptive
but why can't we just be receptive
to striving just as hard
with our being - every part

to have...

an honest heart
an open mind
a humble spirit
a word that's kind
a love that lasts
a faith that holds
a grace that's real
a truth that's bold
with compassion in abundance
with patience that is long
taking time to listen
not scared to sing a song
discover peaceful sleep
and strength to face the day
a quiet place to meditate
to pause, to praise, to pray

why on earth can't this be
a normal way of life?
i guess the answer's not in me
i need to see the Light"

(c) - LMB 6/4/2010

Living A Trash-Free Life

Could you and I live a trash-free life? It can be done, and I can prove it below. I know it's hard to believe, but it's actually not as hard to do as you might think. As with most things in life, it all comes down to choices. Conscious choices. Or, better yet, conscientious choices.

The average person creates an average of 4.5 pounds of trash a day. In America alone, we throw away almost 250 million tons of trash a year - with only 33 percent being recycled. Imagine how much money could be saved and how much better we could treat the earth that God created if we became more determined to not just throw everything away - or, even worse, litter. Imagine the benefit this would have - not just on the environment, but even on the economy. Think about jobs this could create. Renewable energy. The list goes on. Because just about everything can be recycled these days, or even better - re-purposed. One mans trash is truly another mans treasure, and I've written on re-purposing before so I won't revisit that now. But sticking to the idea of recycling - I've noticed week to week (since becoming a home owner in July of 2008) that the recycle bin we put by the road is completely full and our trash bin is almost empty (we actually have two trash bins and seldom use both anymore). It's getting down to one bag of trash every two weeks, and we know even that is too much. Now, there has been some conscious thought put into that concept over the last two plus years, but the good thing is - it has started to become routine. We really don't put much thought into it at all anymore. We recycle as much as we can, but we know there is still room for improvement. I know this because of Amy and Adam Korst of Dallas, Oregon.

The Korst's made a choice to live as trash-free as possible for a whole year. To do so they had to make sure that what they bought could be recycled, or composted (I'm sure I will write more on conscientious purchasing at another time). Then they made sure they recycled as much as they could - almost everything. The end result? Let's just say it could all fit into one medium size box - 75 scraps of trash total. Among the scraps of trash that could not be recycled were eight used razor blades, a burned out light bulb, two Theraflu pouches, and a broken Christmas ornament. This all added up to almost four pounds of trash - for the year. Not the 4.5 pounds of trash the average American generates a day (which is almost 1650 pounds of trash for the year by the way). But they generated four pounds of trash FOR THE YEAR. They are my heroes. And they are an excellent example for all of us.

In recent weeks, we've decided to stop using sandwich bags for lunches and we purchased plastic, washable, reusable lunch bins with separate food compartments in it to take to work every day. We've also stopped getting and using plastic bags from Target and Kroger. We use reusable shopping bags. And we no longer use those same plastic bags for our, um, pets you-know-what - which used to get thrown in the trash bins (poor garbage truck driver!). Instead, we use organic litter that flushes down the commode. OK, OK - that might be information overload. :) But the principle is the same - what decisions and choices can we make in reference to recycling? It's not hard. Call Rumpke or Waste Management, and they'll drop off a huge recycling bin at your house that contains a sticker on it of codes and examples of what can (and should!) be recycled. Then, purchase recyclable products. And do it - RECYCLE. Make your trash bin lonely. It's really not hard, and it's the right thing to do. Remember - you can recycle almost everything! Erin and I are very conscious and determined in this and other areas like this, and we long for the day when having these types of conversations with people doesn't cause them to look at us like we have two heads. We would rather find like-minded individuals who simply care about doing the right thing. And shouldn't that be the Christian response? I'm positive some folks clicked on this thinking I would be writing a spiritual post about ridding our life of sin, but in one sense - that's exactly what I'm doing. Want proof? James 4:17, "To him who knows to do what is good and does not do it - to him it is sin." This certainly qualifies.

How about it? Get a medium sized box and set it aside for those random things that can't be recycled - and do the right thing with all the rest - recycle, recycle, recycle. And you may end up needing to do what we need to do even now - get a second recycle bin!

For more on The Korst's please visit the following article:

Couple lives nearly trash-free for a year - Green House - USATODAY.com

And Now Back To Our Regular Programming...

Sorry I've been away a bit from the old blog. I've been busy (finally) setting up my office/recording studio. It's done! I'm pumped. Anyway, I'll get back on track with the posts you're used to seeing - as well as a new type of post - acoustic demo cuts of songs I am working on. Looking forward to it! Peace. - LMB

On Being Wrong

On a beautiful September Sunday afternoon in 2008 the San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos were battling hard on the NFL gridiron in a back and forth struggle. With less than a minute to go in the game the Broncos had the ball on the Chargers one yard line about to score the potential go ahead touchdown. The Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler dropped back to throw and the ball slipped out of his hands. It bounced off the grass and into the arms of Chargers linebacker Tim Dobbins. The play was ruled an incomplete pass on the field and declared dead because veteran referee Ed Hochuli had blown the whistle. However, instant replay showed that the play was clearly a fumble, but because the whistle had blown NFL rules state that the ball has to be placed at the spot where the ball hit the ground. So Denver retained the ball at the 10 yard line and not long after that they scored a touchdown and a two point conversion to win 39-38. Had Ed Hochuli not blown the whistle prematurely, the replay would have awarded the ball to the Chargers who no doubt would have won the game. Mr. Hochuli had this to say after the game, 

"I'm getting hundreds of e-mails -- hate mail -- but I'm responding to it all," Hochuli wrote to several Chargers fans, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. "People deserve a response. You can rest assured that nothing anyone can say can make me feel worse than I already feel about my mistake on the fumble play. You have no idea … Affecting the outcome of a game is a devastating feeling. Officials strive for perfection -- I failed miserably. Although it does no good to say it, I am very, very sorry." 

Wow.

It takes a man to do that, and no one would question that Mr. Hochuli is a man when they see him in the zebra stripes on Sunday. He is bigger and in better shape than a lot of the athletes he referees. But that's physical appearance. I'm talking about character here. He had the character to admit he was wrong, respond to EVERYONE who sent him all manner of hate mail, and apologize. I was stunned when I read this. This is a man who used to be president of the NFLRA and who now will be graded down thus affecting his ability to earn a lot more money officiating in the playoffs. Yet he took responsibility and did the right thing by admitting he did the wrong thing. There are a lot of lessons to be learned here.

I thought of the above story about Ed Hochuli as I was reading a recent post in the Freakonomics blog in the New York Times. It was a guest post by Kathryn Schulz author of Being Wrong. Here is some of what she has to say, 

"Listening to BP CEO Tony Hayward dodge and duck during last week’s congressional inquiry into the explosion of the Macondo oil well in the Gulf of Mexico, I was struck all over again by our stunning, culture-wide inability to face up to ignorance, failure, and mistakes. That inability is particularly evident up in the power stratosphere, where admissions of error are made rarer by (among other things) threats of litigation, fear of the wrath of voters or shareholders, and a value system that generally prioritizes certainty and ego over curiosity and humility.  But this problem is hardly limited to our political, military, economic and corporate leaders.  On the contrary: our society as a whole has completely neglected to master the art of acknowledging our mistakes.  In fact, we haven’t even mastered the basic skill of saying “I was wrong.” This is a startling deficiency, given the simplicity of the phrase, the ubiquity of error, and the tremendous public service that acknowledging it could provide.  Instead, what we have mastered are two alternatives to admitting our mistakes that serve to highlight exactly how bad we are at doing so.  The first involves a small but strategic addendum: “I was wrong, but…” – a blank we then fill in with wonderfully imaginative explanations for why we weren’t so wrong after all.  The second (infamously deployed by, among others, Richard Nixon regarding Watergate and Ronald Reagan regarding the Iran-Contra affair) is even more telling: we say “mistakes were made.”  As that evergreen locution so concisely demonstrates, all we really know how to do with our errors is not acknowledge them as our own. How do we go about changing that?  It would be nice if we could all just start saying “I was wrong” more openly and readily – but if that’s the end we want, it cannot also be the means to get us there.  (Not to mention that if it were that easy, we’d hear a lot more of those admissions in the first place.)  Cultural shifts aren’t created by wishful thinking, and they aren’t created out of whole cloth, either.  As James Bagian, head of the Veterans Administration’s National Center for Patient Safety, told me, “You don’t change the culture [of denial and blame around error] by saying, ‘Let’s change the culture.’  You change the culture by giving people new tools that actually work.”

In this article the tools they go on to discuss are more motivational and moral rather than spiritual. But for the Christian, we have been given a lot of tools to help us know when we're wrong; to help us admit we're wrong; and to help us not be wrong. We know the tools: the Bible, prayer, the Holy Spirit, the example of Christ, the church - so much! But what are we doing with the tools? How are we using these tools? Here are a couple verses to help get us started in the right direction:

Psalm 119:11 (ESV), "I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."

1 John 1:9 (ESV), "If we confess our sins he (Jesus) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Don't be afraid or too proud to say...

Birds force Kings of Leon from St. Louis stage - CNN.com

I honestly don't know what to say. This brings a whole new meaning to crappy music (although - I think KOL is decent).

Birds force Kings of Leon from St. Louis stage - CNN.com

The GodBlocker

If you're anything like me, you read a ton - news, magazines, books, blogs - whether it be online or the old-fashioned way. A lot of times as I'm catching up on the news, I get tired of seeing the same thing over and over again - the latest Justin Bieber article, or worse - what shocking thing Lady Gaga just did (sad that this qualifies as "Breaking News"). Or else there's the latest failed Bachelor or Bachelorette couple. Or perhaps you're overwhelmed by the constant reporting concerning the BP oil spill or some other real-world news story that you find depressing or annoying. Being a technology geek I love when I come across new technologies that serve a purpose to make life easier or less cluttered. Recently I've read about web developers who have created browser plug-ins that scrub the browser of any and all mention of whatever or whoever you choose. Perhaps the most popular was created as a Firefox application that blocks any and all mention of Justin Bieber (called "Shaved Bieber"). So if you apply that plug-in to your Firefox browser then you can browse the world wide web free of any mention whatsoever of Justin Bieber. I, for one, think that's awesome (hopefully I won't receive any death threats for mentioning that - some people love them some Bieber). The same thing has been done in other ways as well - there is the "Ex-Blocker" which blocks any mention of ones ex - be it girlfriend, boyfriend, spouse, or significant other. And, for that matter, it can be used to block anyone from your browser view. Kind of funny. Kind of sad. But if that wasn't crazy enough, there is also a browser plug-in which allows you to block any and all mention of...God. "GodBlock" is the name of this product, and it is becoming quite popular. In the developers words, it is designed to "hide religious content from impressionable kids." When visiting the web site for this product, you further read the following: 


"GodBlock is a web filter that blocks religious content. It is targeted at parents and schools who wish to protect their kids from the often violent, sexual, and psychologically harmful material in many holy texts, and from being indoctrinated into any religion before they are of the age to make such decisions. When installed properly, GodBlock will test each page that your child visits before it is loaded, looking for passages from holy texts, names of religious figures, and other signs of religious propaganda. If none are found, then your child is allowed to browse freely. In the last century, the United States has seen a resurgence of fundamentalist religion. Fundamentalist Evangelicals, Mormons, Baptists, Muslims, and Jews have held back progress in science, human rights, civil rights, and protecting our environment. How can we reverse this trend and join the rest of the world in the gradual secularization of society and government? Most deeply religious people are born into their religion, but even children raised in a secular household are vulnerable to content on the web. That's why we've produced GodBlock."


There is no question that there are religious extremes that give true Christianity a black eye, and I wouldn't want anyone to be exposed to the hate-mongering and false teaching that exists with such fringe belief systems. But, unfortunately, this blocker will remove ALL mention of God - which includes all that is true and good about him, his nature, and his purposes. In other words - real faith. Now God is certainly bigger than a browser plug-in attempting to completely silence all mention of him to the world wide web audience (which, by the way, one would have to choose to do - this is not a default setting for any web browser). But the mere idea of such a resource speaks to a larger problem that is growing in society, and the web site supporting this product sums it up well, "How can we...join the rest of the world in the gradual secularization of society and government?" To me, that is a great summation of what is taking place all around us today - secular humanism is seeking to block God from everything. Even traditional denominations are desperately trying to move toward a level of tolerance on secular and social issues, even political matters, that removes God and the truth of his word from focus. As I read about this shift, I couldn't help but think about Psalm 14.


Psalm 14:1-5a (ESV)

"The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good. The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread and do not call upon the LORD? There they are in great terror, for God is with the generation of the righteous."

The literal translation of the phrase "there is no God" in verse one is, "No, God." Only a fool would say no to God. Only a fool would say that there is no God. Only a fool would seek to block all mention of God from existence. Throughout history men have tried to destroy God and his word. In A.D. 300 the Roman emperor Diocletian ordered every Bible burned because he thought that by destroying the Scriptures he could destroy God and Christianity. Anyone caught with a Bible would be executed. But just 25 years later, the Roman emperor Constantine ordered that 50 perfect copies of the Bible be made at government expense. The French philosopher Voltaire, a skeptic who destroyed the faith of many people, boasted that within 100 years of his death, the Bible would disappear from the face of the earth. Voltaire died in 1728. The irony of history is that 50 years after his death, the Geneva Bible Society moved into his former house and used the Gutenberg printing press to print thousands of Bibles.

Trying to block God and his word is not a new concept. It has happened before and it will happen again. But perhaps the best answer to individuals who seek to block out God and his word from existence would do well to remember Matthew 24:35, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away."

Reading Recommendation

One of the beautiful things about a "staycation" is all of the reading i can get done! I just finished an excellent book entitled Life of Pi. I highly recommend this amazing story of faith and survival centered on a young Indian boy named Pi who survives a shipwreck on the Pacific Ocean. He is the son of a zoologist and let's just say that zoo animals play largely in this creative work of fiction. One of the better books I've ever read.

When I read I like to note quotes that stand out. Even in this work of fiction there were many quotes that were great. Here is a sampling:

* "The presence of God is the finest of rewards."
* "Evil in the open is but evil from within that has been let out."
* "The main battlefield for good is not the open ground of the public arena but the small clearing of each heart."
* "I have a story to tell that will make you believe in God."
* "Religion is more than rite and ritual. There is what the rite and ritual stand for."
* "I must say a word about fear. It is life's only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life."
* "To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation."
* "If you take two steps toward God, God runs to you."

Staycation

I am looking forward to some much needed down time over the next few days with my family. Fortunately you don't have to travel and spend money to get away. For me, it's as simple as turning off my cell phone and laptop. That will feel glorious this afternoon. My mom and dad are driving up even now from South Carolina. I'll get to see my sister and her family as well. And I have a big (rare) family reunion up north on Saturday. There's nothing like spending time with family and true friends - people who are true and with you through thick and thin - appreciating who you are, what you do, and want to see you grow and succeed - challenging and encouraging at every turn. It' has become surprising to me in the day to day grind how rare that is anymore. Anyway, I will return on Monday. I already have a great deal to write about - including "On Being Wrong" and "The GodBlocker". I will look forward to returning, but I'm not going to think about that now. :)

Peace.

- Lance

Just Do Something

I read this on Google Reader this morning and wanted to pass it along. A good blog and recommended:

Just Do Something

By C.J. Mahaney

7/13/2010 8:23:00 AM

To close out his Next 2010 conference message, “The Church,” Kevin DeYoung gave a list of suggestions for how to be a difference maker in the local church. He said:  

• Find a good local church. 

• Get involved.

• Become a member. 

• Stay there as long as you can. 

• Put away thoughts of a revolution for a while.

• Join the plodding visionaries. 

• Go to church this Sunday and worship in Spirit and truth. 

• Be patient with your leaders. 

• Rejoice when the gospel is faithfully proclaimed.

• Bear with those who hurt you. 

• Give people the benefit of the doubt. 

• Say “hi” to the teenager that no one notices. 

• Welcome the old ladies with the blue hair and the young men with tattoos. 

• Volunteer for the nursery. 

• Attend the congregational meeting. 

• Bring your fried chicken to the potluck like everybody else. 

• Invite a friend. 

• Take a new couple out for coffee. 

• Give to the Christmas offering. 

• Sing like you mean it. 

• Be thankful someone vacuumed the carpet for you. 

• Enjoy the Sundays that “click.” 

• Pray extra hard on the Sundays that don’t. 

• And in all of this, do not despise the days and weeks and years of small things (Zechariah 4:8–10). 

7 Leadership Lessons Learned from Cleveland Cavaliers Owner Dan Gilbert’s Embarrassing Letter about LeBron James | Live Intentionally

Excellent take (IMO) from Living Intentionally about the Cleveland Cavaliers owner's response to Lebron's leaving. Good lessons here.

7 Leadership Lessons Learned from Cleveland Cavaliers Owner Dan Gilbert’s Embarrassing Letter about LeBron James | Live Intentionally

Please, God

Say a prayer. This needs to stop.

New cap, ships could contain Gulf oil leak by Monday - Green House - USATODAY.com

Putting The Fun In Your Friday

People of Walmart the book is coming!

If you're unfamiliar with where this originated from, then check the original blog site out (I'm sure you will bookmark it for your continued viewing pleasure).

You're welcome.

People of Walmart Coming to a Bookstore Near You

Another Great Gmail Addition

Now if they'd only make the Conversation threading OPTIONAL!!!

Gmail finally adds rich text and per-address signatures

Enough Said

“In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.  And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.  Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession- to the praise of his glory.”
- Ephesians 1:11-14 The New International Version 

Help Rebuild Three Schools in Haiti

Recently a good friend of mine was able to go to Haiti to offer aid and support to that devastated country. I would love so much to be able to do that. I followed his blog religiously while he was there (http://thehaitiannation.blogspot.com/). Haiti is in dire need of virtually everything, and it was such a poor country lacking any type of infrastructure to begin with. There are a lot of ministries and agencies doing a great job with relief right now, but there is still so much that needs to be done.

I read Relevant Magazine religiously. I listen to the Relevant Podcast religiously. I listen to the Relevant Drop religiously. I listen to RelevantFM religiously. In short, I love all that the Relevant Media Group does. Right now they are leading an initiative to rebuild three schools in Haiti, and it will only cost $50,000 total to do so. That's only $10 per person if 5,000 people give, and Relevant Magazine has way more subscribers than that. I wanted to pass on the article below for you to consider. Just don't go to Blockbuster or Starbucks a couple of times and give to this opportunity instead. It will be a blessing to you and the people of Haiti.

RELEVANT Magazine - God. Life. Progressive Culture. - Help Rebuild Three Schools in Haiti

Anticipation For The King

At 9 PM EST on Thursday July 8th millions of people will tune in to ESPN to see where "The King" - NBA free agent LeBron James - will play basketball next year. In a broadcast called "The Decision" LeBron will take a one hour time slot to announce which team he has chosen to help him become "the first billion dollar athlete." Apart from the World Cup this has been the most followed and anticipated sports news story in the world. Basically, LeBron has been holding out for the most money and the best chance to win a title. It would appear that LeBron has three choices: 1) Get the most money ever; 2) Get a lot of money and find a team ready to win immediately (which may only be for one year, but it's not a guarantee); or 3) Go to a team and make it his own and make it a winner - thus securing his legend - regardless of whether or not he makes the most money (which he no doubt would anyway). I recently read an interesting article on this very subject on the New York Times Freakonomics blog. It is a good read and worth checking out. For the record MJ did number 3 back in the day with the Bulls, and the money certainly came for him as well as the legend. Certainly LeBron James is a marketing force. But I don't know if he's more interested in the money or in a legend/legacy. He appears to be trying for instant success rather than doing it the old fashioned way (again - ala MJ). All that said, the thing that I think most strikes me about all of this this is the media frenzy and circus that surrounds LeBron James - "The King." The anticipation is palpable. No matter what he decides, I will still enjoy watching him play.

Even as I've followed this story I couldn't help but wonder about another King. Of course the King that I'm referring to is the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible in many places calls him "the King of kings" (Revelation 17:14; Revelation 19:16;). I wonder, do I have as much anticipation for him in my daily life - especially for his return?  


James 5:7-9 says, "Be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!"


1 Peter 4:7 says, "The end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.” 


Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”


Hebrews 10:37 says, “Yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry.”


1 John 2:18 says, “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.”


1 John 2:28 says, “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.”


1 Thessalonians 4:15, 17 says, “We who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord . . . . we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”


Titus 2:11-13 says, "“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”


And there are other texts to consider as well (1 John 3:2; Colossians 3:4; 2 Timothy 4:8; 1 Peter 5:4).


The point is - Christ will return. It is prophesied. It is imminent. But is it anticipated in your life and mine? If so, I certainly hope it blows the anticipation surrounding King James out of the water. 


Even so come Lord Jesus.

Have We Already Forgotten?

I blogged about the oil spill quite a bit in recent weeks, but I confess I have said very little about it in recent days. I have not thought or prayed about this horrible situation as I was not so long ago. The article below highlights that I am not alone. It contains humbling statistics concerning how quickly our short attention spans have moved away from this tragedy on to whatever else is the latest news (like the latest failed Bachelor relationship).

Are We Losing Interest in the Oil Spill? [STATS]

This isn't going away any time soon. How I wish that it were different. How I wish that I could make a difference. For now the best thing I know to do is to continue to raise awareness. Because I'm tired of seeing this:

"The Elusive God Particle"

In my various readings recently - be it scripture or otherwise - I've come across a lot of texts dealing with creation. As a person of faith, I do not wrestle with issues of origins - the universe, the earth, mankind, wildlife, plant life, etc. I have a foundation and a framework tried and true that answers enough questions for me, and when I do not find the answers that I may want I find God's sovereignty is bigger than God's silence on a matter. I find it to be sufficient, because I trust enough of what I do know about God - his character, his name, his existence, his word - to remove all doubt about what I do not know. That is faith according to Hebrews 11:1. Nor do I get upset over scientific or inner-faith debate and dialog over the young earth/old earth argument. In my mind either way is amazing and miraculous (although I lean toward a young earth because of how specific the original language is on the matter). Don't fool yourself - to be an evolutionist in the Darwinian sense requires faith as well. In that way it is quite religious. But it is a religion that, in large part, goes against the teaching of the Bible. And since I believe that faith is a gift from God and not from man, I have faith in God in matters of the physical just as I have faith in God in matters of the spiritual. I do not have that kind of faith in something man-made and man-centered. I know this is a lightning rod topic, but I refuse to fight about it because I think much can be learned through science, and I embrace science. But science has limitations. Faith does not. And it is important to recognize that where science ends faith has to begin. It is also important to recognize that true faith and true science need not and will not contradict.


I was reading recently in the UK's Telegraph about the Large Hadron Collider. If you are not familiar with it let me explain. It is a particle accelerator being used for experimentation taking place right now in Geneva. It is the world's most powerful "atom smasher" which is buried 100 metres under the French-Swiss border. Here scientists are trying to find the "elusive God particle" otherwise known as the 'Higgs boson'. Finding this Higgs boson is the main goal of the LHC. It is a quest to find a subatomic particle which has never been discovered even though this quest is in its fifth decade. It is believed to be the reason why we are all here. Noble laureate Leon Lederman is the one who came up with this theoretical boson ("the God particle"). He believes its discovery could unify our understanding of the universe and help us "know the mind of God" (at least he mentions God). I'm not surprised that this particle has not been found. Genesis teaches that God created all things "ex nihilo" - or, out of nothing. He spoke the worlds into existense. But even if it is found, my faith would not be shattered. Rather, it would be even more affirmed. It would truly be a great triumph for science, but all it would show to me is just one more layer into the depth of God's power to create something as magnificent as our universe and to allow us to discover this. This, in turn, would only serve to give God the glory.


I can't help but think that so many are missing God because they are so consumed with the quest to find his "particle." If one wants to "know the mind of God", one only has to open his word. And in his word he reveals all that is needed to truly know him and his creation. The following are some verses I've read recently on this subject:


Jeremiah 32:17 (ESV) ^"17 Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you."


Psalm 135:5-7, 13 (ESV) ^"5 For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. ⁶ Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps. ⁷ He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses. ¹³ Your name, O LORD, endures forever, your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages."


Psalm 19:1-6 (ESV) ^"1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. ³ There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. ⁴ Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, ⁵ which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. ⁶ Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat."


Romans 1:20 (ESV) ^{20 "}For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." 


A few weeks ago NASA captured the rising sun lighting up the midnight sky. "The International Space Station snapped a particularly beautiful photo of the various layers of our globe's atmosphere with the rising sun peeking out to say hello, while touring over the Greek islands around midnight. NASA's Earth Observatory, which posted the photo, pointed out the polar mesopheric clouds, or 'night-shining' clouds as they called them, which are seen at twilight. Usually the clouds are only lit up by the sun when it's setting, however this particular shot shows the rising sun inking its rays across the low clouds." (image below)


Why would anyone want to find just a particle of God when one can know all of him - through creation; through his son; through his word? I love science, but I love God more. Science is great, but not as great as God. Science is good, but not as good as God. Science is glorious, but not as glorious as God. I would rather spend my next 50 years pursuing him than a particle that most likely does not exist.