New Project

I will no longer be writing to this blog, though it will stay up for the foreseeable future. I was interested in taking my thoughts in a different direction and decided the best way to do that would be to start from scratch. I started a new project called "Faith of our Fathers". You can click on the link to check it out or navigate to it at URL: http://faith4fathers.blogspot.com/.

The Jesse Tree

We have been celebrating Advent at my house this year by reading through “The Jesse Tree”. For those of you unfamiliar with this, The Jesse Tree is 25 is a book with 25 short readings leading up to the Jesus’ birth. Each reading has a symbol associated with it in the form a Christmas ornament. Each night before bed, the kids get to put that night’s ornament on the tree (with Mom’s help of course), while I read the Bible verse and the short story.

While there is nothing ground breaking about the stories, it has served as a good reminder for me of the incredible tapestry of events leading up to the birth of our Savior. I think it is important to remember that Jesus’ story didn’t start on Christmas, or even with the appearance of an angel telling Mary about her pregnancy. Rather, all history conspired towards that one singular event. It is pretty humbling to know, that an infinite God, would take the time to shape history in the most finite of details just to bring us to him through his son.

This realization has changed how I think about the Advent Season. The 25 days of Advent leading up to this Christmas seem trivial in light of 2500 years or so leading up to the First Christmas.

Advent

He sent to earth

a tiny babe.

Out of love,
this gift he gave.

All power rest,

in him disguised.

He looked on us

with human eyes.

Fully man,

yet fully God.

The sea of Gallilie,

he trod.

Yet at this time

of holiday cheer.

We oft forget,

to him draw near.

Wrapped as we are

in worldy concern.

What we can give

verse what we earn.

The gift God gave,

that Christmas day.

Is a gift that we

can 'ner repay.

And so as

Christmas draws near,

Let's all remember

and hold it dear.

A babe, a savior

in a manger.

Rescued us

from sin's grave danger.

Fearless Faith

My kids have a lot to teach me about faith. My youngest in particular is fearless in his faith. He will throw him off the couch, stairs, etc. without hesitation if Dad is there to catch him. His confidence is un-wavering, and while that is sometimes scary- I better be there ready to catch him every time, it is refreshing to see him so trusting.

I was watching a Mickey and the Beanstalk with him the other week and, for those of you haven’t seen it, it opens with a duck (Donald?) telling his companion a cricket (Jimeny?) about fairy tales. As he recounts each tale; with the disclaimer that they are just figamintations of the imagination, the cricket exclaims, “I believe it!” Again I was struck with how faith comes so easily kids.

I think that when we ascribe the faith of a child to their naivety we do them and ourselves a disservice. I’m not saying that kids aren’t naïve; rather what I am saying is that their faith springs from something else. Life hasn’t disappointed them, they haven’t been let down so that’s part of it, but there is something more too. Little kids have very little self consciousness; they don’t weigh out how a particular act will make them appear in the eyes of their peers. Sure, they understand when they are acting goofy they can get a laugh or sad and can get some sympathy, but they don’t do “cool”. That is to say, coolness isn’t a motivating factor in their decision making process and as such has no impact on their faith. That is why they give hugs and kisses freely now, but don’t try for much more than a hi-five when you go to drop them off at their friends as teenagers.

To bring all this stream of consciousness back around: I think there is much to be learned from kids in regards to faith. As a Dad, I will try to take more advantage of the little lessons my kids teach me, and do everything I can foster that faith beyond their childhood years and into their adult lives.

Forcing it at First

Winter is setting in Alaska, forcing the temperature below zero, forcing the moisture out of the air, and forcing endless hours of darkness across the landscape. As I reflected on this the other day, I realized that the desolation stretched across more than just the wintry drifts of the frozen north. Winter has set in on me too; work, school, hobbies, and other commitments have forced Christ into a corner of my life- and I let them.

The long hard winters of Alaska have an effect on all who live here, an affect commonly referred to as SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). It affects each person in different ways and to different extents but, studies show there are ways to combat its effects. Forcing yourself to continue doing the things you enjoyed all summer long like exercise, being outside (for short periods of time given the sub-zero temps), and forcing yourself to go out and socialize rather than secluding yourself when the snow starts flying are all recommended to counteract the effects of SAD. Once you get through the first few weeks of disciplining yourself to go to the gym, get fresh air, and not use the weather as an excuse to sit around the house all day, it becomes a routine and you hardly notice the contributing factors of SAD and in effect become GLAD (Giving Life A Direction- Note: I made this term up and it is in no way based on any medical research).

In light of this research, and for the sake of the extension of this parallel; I am going to start doing much the same in my spiritual life. While I may have to force it at first (much like I had to force myself to sit down and write this 1st post back in 6 months), I hope that I will once again push through the spiritual SAD and become spiritually GLAD.

SIDEBAR: This was indeed a difficult post to write, admitting to yourself that you are not giving Christ the proper priority in life is not easy. Also, interchanging affect and effect while maintaining the proper usages for both is no joke, I'm not sure I got it 100% correct but I think I am in the ball park at least:)
Also, I don't think I have SAD (not much of it anyways), I do have sleepy though. I guess now is the time to catch up on all the sleep I skipped during the 24 hour daylight of summer.

Church Search

Well, we are still looking for a new church in Eagle River. We went back to Community Covenant this Sunday and had a much better experience than the previous visit. The pastor there is doing a sermon series entitled "Raising G rated kids in an R rated world". The topic this week was living with failure, ie: you raise your kids right and they still wind up acting like idiots. The pastor (I forget his name) used text from Judges to draw parallels from God's "parenting" of the Hebrews to our parenting of kids. It was a good message, a little light on reference but pretty heavy on application. They are having their VBS in a couple of weeks, too bad Zeke is still to young.... next year.

What does that mean?

Today's Verse:

The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it. Proverbs 10:22 NLT

This may come as a shock to you all, but I do not know everything. While you have become used to basking in the radiance of my rapier wit and towering intellect here on G.I. Josephus, today will be somewhat of a disappointment.

As I read today's verse I was intrigued by it. The first part of the verse seems pretty self-evident; God's blessings make us rich in a way worldly wealth never will. The second part however is a little bit trickier. Is Solomon telling us that if there is sorrow attached to something that it isn't from God? That doesn't seem right, maybe the message got garbled in the translation (I never liked the NLT anyway).

The Hebrew word translated sorrow here is `etseb עצב:
1) pain, hurt, toil, sorrow, labour, hardship
a) pain
b) hurt, offense
c) toil, hardship
2) vessel, creation, object

While this could possibly convey that the blessings of the Lord come with no labour or toil, that somehow doesn't fit right either. Sure the Lord can bless freely and laboring will not earn you "Lord Loot" (which would be redeemable for cool stuff on a sort of sliding points scale if it existed) but sometimes through laboring you can be blessed. If that isn't it, and blessings from the Lord are sometimes accompanied by sorrow or found in the midst of sorrow, then what is Solomon trying to say?

I read several commentaries on the matter, and still haven't come up with anything conclusive. As near as I can tell, Solomon is saying; the Lord will bless those whom he will bless regardless of circumstance, and those blessings will come irrespective of the toil of those being blessed.

Anyone else have any thoughts on the matter? Post them here and let me know what you think. And look for "Lord Loot" to make an appearance in a future post, its just too good an idea to pass up.