Mom's Words of Wisdom

Pat, Chris and I just returned from a weeklong trip to Ohio to visit my family. It was a wonderful trip back to my roots and I had the opportunity to reconnect with family members I have not seen in years. I intend to devote a posting to this trip later but I wanted to get this one out first.

In a previous posting I indicated that my mother is a wise woman. She has had a lifetime of experiences, both good and bad, that has given her a view of the world that only experience can provide. My mother’s parents immigrated from Italy and she and her eight brothers and sisters had a happy yet simple life with nothing coming easy for them. As you might expect they are a very close family and now, with children, grand children, and great grand children around them, they continue to live simple and happy lives.

I spent the entire week by my mother’s side which gave us the opportunity to talk about countless subjects. As we talked I was intrigued by her perspective on life and took note of several “words of wisdom” that she shared with me during our casual conversations. I want to share some of these with you in hopes that you will think about them and, as you find appropriate, incorporate into your view of the world.

Here they are. Mom’s Words of Wisdom.

The secret is to adjust to what comes your way in life rather than expecting life to adjust to what you want. When you find that you are having trouble adjusting then ask God for help.


Every time you are with someone treat them as if it is the last time you will see them.


Jealousy and envy will make you a very unhappy person.


You have to love yourself before you can love anyone else.


God loves everyone. God doesn't punish you when you do something you shouldn't do. You punish yourself with your guilty conscience and your anger.


Children should honor their parents and parents should honor their children. The best way to honor your parents and your children is to tell them and show them that you love them.


Be nice to them but stay as far away from crazy people as you can.


Don't worry about the little things in life that bother you.


Keep God in your heart and know that He loves you and that He will take care of you.


Think of something every day that makes you laugh.


God hates it when people gossip. There is more damage done by the tongue than anything else.


People would be happier if they just learn to make do with what they have rather than worrying about what they don't have.


And I have to include the following from my Uncle T.  My mother, her older brother and his wife, my mother’s younger brother (Uncle T.), and I were sitting on the porch enjoying the wonderful Ohio summer weather. They were talking about their childhood and how they were able to make do with what they had and how they all worked in order to provide money for the family. My Uncle T. still lives in the house that my Grand Father and all the sons in the family built with their own hands. They all agreed that, looking back, they were probably much happier than they would have been had they had more money as a family and that the simple lives they still live is a blessing to them. Uncle T. then said, “What the heck would I do with a lot of money? That's why I don't play the lottery. With my luck I'd probably win.”

I think what he said is very funny yet very appropriate for their simple and humble life style. And as I think about it, a simple and humble life style is something we may all want to consider pursing.


Matthew 6:25-34 -- ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,* or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ...But strive first for the kingdom of God* and his* righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Micah 6:8 -- He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.


Dear Lord, thank you for the opportunity to visit with my family last week. I found it refreshing and encouraging. I pray that you continue to bless my family - all of the aunts, uncles, cousins, children, grand children and great grand children - and lead them toward living righteous and happy lives.


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Turning to God in Bad Times

Why is it that people tend to put more emphasis upon their relationship with God when things are not working out so well in their lives than when life is good for them? Does God get a little irritated with people when things are going well for them and they tend not to focus a lot of attention on Him? Does God listen to the prayers of those people who come to Him only when they need His help?

Hosea 13:2 -- 'When I fed them, they were satisfied; they were satisfied, and their heart was proud; therefore they forgot me.'

I am ashamed to admit that, even though I had been studying God’s word and working toward building my relationship with God for some time before, once I was diagnosed with cancer my efforts went into high gear. I began to talk more to God. I studied more intensely. I prayed for intervention. In short, I tried to become God’s BFF (Best Friend Forever). I NEEDED HELP!!! So I turned to the Almighty God, seeking his grace.

But why did it take a crisis in my life to motivate me to become so much closer to God than I was? Thinking about this I believe that I was just being stubborn enough to think that I can control my own life. Things were going pretty well up until that point and, well, I was doing it on my own. When I hit upon something that was pretty much out of my control I finally submitted and gave control of my life to God. Up to that point I had a relationship with God but, for lack of a better term, it was a “casual relationship”. Once I hit a crisis that I could not deal with alone I began to pursue an intimate relationship with God.

Proverbs 3:5-8 -- Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be a healing for your flesh and a refreshment for your body.

So when I went to God with my head bowed low and with my hat in my hand, what did God think? Jesus had the following to say about people coming to Him when things are tough.

Matthew 11:28-30 -- ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’

And Peter tells us:

1 Peter 5:7 -- Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.

So there is an open invitation for us to turn to our Lord when we need help. This is good. But is this invitation for everyone? If I had not had at least a casual relationship with God up to my crisis would God have responded to my pleas? Now, if I must say so myself, I think this is a great question. Unfortunately, I do not have a great answer to it other than, “I’m not sure.” God revealed the following to us through the profit Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 17:5-11 -- Thus says the Lord: "Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength, whose hearts turn away from the Lord… Blessed are those who trust in the Lord…"

God is telling us here that if you put all of your trust in yourself or others than you will be cursed while on the other hand if you trust in the Lord you will be blessed. I think what this implies is that if you have no relationship with God at all and, as a last resort, you simply cry out to God for help without knowing if God is even there to hear your cry then no, God will not respond. If, on the other hand, you know and trust God but have resisted turning your life completely over to him up until this point then yes, God will respond. I believe that God will view this final submission to Him very favorably and will do what He needs to do to help you and encourage you to maintain such a relationship with him.

So what happens once the crisis is passed? Well, I believe that is pretty much up to us. We can either turn away from our trust and submission to God and once again put all of our trust in mere flesh until the next crisis. Or, we can continue to build upon our new relationship with God, trusting that He will guide us through our journeys and whatever they may bring. Which of these do you believe is most pleasing to God?

God is Great. God is Good.


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National Blessings

Our nephew Drew is a medical student at the Medical University of South Carolina and he stopped by today for a visit and to tell us about his recent medical mission trip to Uganda in Africa. Drew had many stories to tell about his visit together with many pictures of a beautiful but very poor country.

With some research I discovered that Ugandans have an average daily income of $1.26 and their average life span is a little less than 50 years old. 84% of the population is Christian, primarily made up of Roman Catholics and Anglicans. Although very poor the country is, in fact, becoming more prosperous under the current democratic government and its policies. They appear to be slowly but steadily climbing out their poverty.

Drew told us that the single hospital in the region that he visited was open air, had no running water, very few types of drugs, non-sterile operating rooms with florescent tube lighting (the surgical light broke), and no accommodations for feeding the patients. (The patients’ families provided meals to the patients.) The hospital has a radiology department with an X-ray machine but they have no X-ray film. There are no RNs at the hospital but rather it is staffed by what we would call Nursing Assistants. He also told us that there are only three doctors to provide health care to the population in that particular area which is about a third of the size of South Carolina.

Note: I have not thought this through yet so the following is really nothing more than my ramblings as I think it through. I hope you can follow my thoughts as they unfold.

This is quite a contrast when compared to the availability of high quality health care we enjoy here in the United States. But why? Why are we in the USA blessed with prosperity while Uganda is not? Beyond that, why do some nations appear to be blessed while others appear not to be? I wish I understood why. Does God look down on the earth and pick and choose at random who will be and who will not be blessed with prosperity? I don’t think so. God is righteous and consistent in his judgments. These are not “random” blessings. Does God look at the people in a particular nation and, based upon the general morality and spirituality of the population decide to or not to bless them? Maybe. He certainly made that decision with Sodom and Gomorrah.

Okay, let’s suppose that this is the case. If, in general, the population of a particular nation is worthy of God’s blessings then they will receive it. If not, then they won’t. The following promise from God in Deuteronomy comes close to explaining this.

Deuteronomy 28:1-2 -- If you will only obey the Lord your God, by diligently observing all his commandments that I am commanding you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth; all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the Lord your God:

This command is directed toward the nation of Israel. He is telling them that if they obey his commandments the blessing of prosperity will eventually overtake them. Okay. Uganda is becoming more prosperous over the past couple of decades since they have developed a new democratic government and have become a Christian nation. Remember Uganda a few decades ago and the dictator Edi Amin Dada who ruthlessly ruled Uganda through ethnic cleansing, human rights abuse, and gross economic mismanagement? Quite a contrast between the 1970s and today. Maybe God’s blessings are beginning to “overtake” them.

Well here is a scary thought. What about the United States? Our founding fathers were grounded in Judah Christian values. “Created” equal with certain unalienable rights (given to us by God) and, as a result, we have been blessed as a nation. But what has happened to us here in the USA over recent decades? Prayer taken out of the schools. The Ten Commandments no longer displayed. Christmas trees now called holiday trees because we may offend someone. The separation of church and state (I challenge you to find that in the constitution). And on and on and on. Are we heading in the wrong direction? If we continue this downward spiritual spiral will our blessings begin to fall away? Wow, I had no idea my rambling thoughts would bring me to this point.

I think I will leave it here, give it more thought, and perhaps come back to it later.

Lord, thank you for the blessings you have given the United States. I ask you Lord to continue to bless us, make us a prosperous nation, and help us as a people grow closer to you.


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Took It To The Limit

I am still trying to come to grips with my current health situation. Over the past two months I have had brain surgery to remove a pretty large tumor and have had a couple weeks of whole brain radiation therapy. As a result I have very little strength and nearly no stamina. This is very frustrating to me.

Chris had been at Furman University in Greenville S.C. all this past week attending their Band and Orchestra Camp. This was a week packed full of auditions, classes, private lessons, rehearsals and, at the end of the week, performances. Chris has attended this camp every summer for the past several years and it is something he, Pat and I look forward to. Chris participated in three different bands at the camp this year, the Jazz Ensemble, the Symphony Orchestra and the Wind Symphony Orchestra. Thursday evening the Jazz Ensemble performed and Friday afternoon the Symphony and Wind Symphony performed.

Pat and I decided to travel to Greenville (about a three hour drive) on Thursday, enjoy the Jazz band Thursday evening, spend the night in Greenville, listen to the other bands Friday afternoon, and then return home early Friday evening. Sounds like a quick, easy, and enjoyable trip. Well, not quite. As it turned out, before we left for Furman University on Thursday I spent about three hours at my Medical Oncologist’s getting a couple of bags of fluids in an effort to raise my blood pressure. This was an unexpected visit but we took it in stride. When we finally left the doctors office we headed straight to Greenville. Pat did all the driving and I napped in the car as we traveled but by the time we checked into our hotel in Greenville I was still pretty tired. Very soon after checking in we headed over to the university to watch the Jazz Band. They were great and Chris did a wonderful job.

By the time we got back to the hotel it was nearly 11:00 pm and I was absolutely exhausted. I didn’t sleep well Thursday night and by Friday morning it was pretty obvious that Friday’s activities were out of the question for me. We talked with Chris and told him that we were heading home and skipping Friday’s performances. He understood and assured us that it was fine with him. I felt that I was letting both him and Pat down and became frustrated that we couldn’t be there for him. To add to the frustrations Chris was awarded the “Outstanding Musicians Award” after the performances on Friday and we were not there to see it.

I took it to the limit and could take it no further. Oh well.

Now I know that God has commanded me to endure and let my light shine and I will continue to do just that. I view these past couple of days as just another example (test?) of the things that we must endure and we will. But it still frustrates me.

My mother, God bless her, is a very wise women. (I only wish I realized that when I was a teenager.) She has told me many times over recent years to do what my body tells me to do. If my body says “rest” then I should take its advice and rest. Well, that is what my body was telling me to do and, because of my mother’s advice, I conceded to leaving Greenville without staying for all of the performances and then see the award given to Chris. I believe that, in the long run, it was the best thing to do. And you know, I also believe that God speaks to us in many different ways and I believe that he used my mother and her wisdom to tell me what I should do.

Lord, thank you for your ongoing grace and for guiding us along our journey. You are a mighty God and we will follow you wherever you lead us.


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“Our Armor” - Faith, Hope, and Courage

In April of 2006 I was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma which is a very rare form of cancer. Since it is so rare, very little is known about its causes and its cures. There are only a few renowned sarcoma centers in the country where the most up-to-date treatment protocols are developed, tested, and implemented, one of which is the Sarcoma Center of M.D. Anderson Medical Center in Houston, Texas. During the summer of 2006, once I recovered from surgery to remove the primary tumor, we traveled twice to M.D. Anderson to be evaluated (poked, prodded, pinched, stuck, scanned, etc.) and learn what the best course of treatment might be for me. The objective of the trips was to learn the radiation therapy and the chemotherapy protocol that M.D. Anderson recommended to be the best choice for me and then have my local Radiation and Medical Oncologists follow that protocol. We accomplished our mission and during the following eight months completed the therapies.

To say the least the trip to Houston was, well, interesting. My sister-in-law accompanied my wife and me on the trips (she’s a physician herself so has been a great source of information and support to us. Thanks MK.) and in many ways the time we spent in Houston was sort of like a vacation. Yes, a lot of anxiety, stress, tears, and unanswered questions, but also a lot of fun, laughter, quiet times, and good food. Looking back on it now it was a welcome reprieve from the initial shock of discovering that I had cancer and the recovery from surgery. Basically, we needed the break.

As you might expect there is a gift shop at M.D. Anderson and, as you also might expect, the two women with me spent a lot of time in it sort of browsing around and touching stuff (it’s a gender thing). As they plundered around the shop Patty found some interesting jewelry. They are three flat rings, each with a word inscribed on them. One says “Faith”, one says “Hope”, and one says “Courage”. We each snatched up a set for ourselves. Patty daily wears her set on a chain around her neck. My set is on my key ring so it is always with me in my pocket. Patty calls these rings her armor and you know, I think “armor” is the best possible name for these rings.

Faith

We have unshakable faith in God. Because of our faith in God we are able to free ourselves of the burden of wondering whether or not we will be able to endure the trials thrust upon us. We know God is guiding us through this journey, we trust Him, so will follow Him where he leads us.

Hebrews 11:1, 6 -- Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.) And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.

1 Corinthians 10:13 -- No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.

Hebrews 10:36 -- For you need endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.

Romans 1:16-17 -- For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, ‘The one who is righteous will live by faith.’*

Hope

Most people understand hope as wishful thinking, as in "I hope something will happen." This is not what the Bible means by hope. The Biblical definition of hope is "confident expectation." Hope is a firm assurance regarding things that are unclear and unknown. Hope is a fundamental component of the life of the righteous. (This paragraph was copied from the Internet.)

Our hope (expectation) is that God will continue to guide us through this journey toward doing the work that he wants us to do in order to profit His Kingdom. We trust God and will follow him wherever He leads us. He has commanded me to endure and let my light shine and, with God’s help, I will do just that.

Romans 5:3-5 -- And not only that, but we* also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope..

Romans 8:24-25 -- For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Galatians 5:5 – But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope.

Courage

With our faith in God we have hope that He is leading us toward doing His work and, as a result, we have the courage to endure and push forward. A little anxious about where this journey will take us and yes, admittedly a bit frightened. But we have the courage to overcome our fears.

Joshua 1:9 -- 'I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.’

Deuteronomy 31:6 -- Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the Lord your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.’

1 Chronicles 28:20 -- ‘Be strong and of good courage, and act. Do not be afraid or dismayed; for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.

Isaiah 41:10 -- do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.

1 Corinthians 16:13 -- Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong.

Ephesians 6:10-17 -- Put on the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.


We wear our armor as a constant reminder to us that God is guiding us toward His end and we will courageously follow Him wherever He wants us to go.

Lord, You are a mighty God and through you all things are possible. We thank you for providing us with our faith, hope, and courage to follow you as you guide us through this journey.


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A “Reminder Miracle” Not Asked For

At the end of an earlier posting entitled “Update: God’s Work”, posted on May 31, 2010, I wrote the following on miracles:

I have experienced some miracles that I know God provided to simply let me know that He is there with His hand on our shoulders guiding us, helping us, providing for us. Once I was reading the Bible. At the time my allergies were bothering me and my eyes where fogging up so badly that I couldn’t read. I closed my eyes, and prayed a simple prayer. “Lord, please clear my eyes so I can read your word.” When I opened my eyes I could see clearly. Wow. Another time, I believe it was after the fifth round of Chemo in 2006, I was sitting in my chair and my temperature began to rise. It hit 100 deg and, if it hit 101 we would call the doctor and he would have likely admitted me to the hospital as he had twice done when this happened before. Again, I closed my eyes, and simply prayed, “ Please God, not this time.” I then immediately took my temperature and it had fallen to 99 and then continued to fall to normal.

I have since come to call these types of miracles “Reminder Miracles” because they are an immediate, unquestionable and powerful response from God to me that remind me of His grace and consistent presence in our lives. I have experienced another Reminder Miracle that, interestingly, was not really prayed for. Let me explain.

The Reminder Miracles that I have received in the past were intentionally prayed for. They were a direct answer to a specific prayer for God’s immediate intervention on a specific condition. I consciously try to avoid asking for this type of intervention. My prayers to God for help are usually asking for a more long term solution to a much larger problem or condition that I have no control over such as, “If it be Your will let this cup pass from me and give me the time to finish Your work.” Or, “Lord, please allow the insurance company to approve that claim.” I tend to resist praying for God’s help for minor, day-to-day conditions that, if they persist, have no long-term consequences to my family or me.

Over the past couple of years my hands tend to cramp, sometimes quite painfully. My fingers lock up such that I cannot use them. These cramps tend to last for quite a while and they tend to come and go in succession. I was typing on the computer yesterday and suddenly my right hand cramped, and then my left hand cramped. My first thought was to ask God to relieve the cramps but in an instant decided not to since I knew that the cramps would eventually pass on their own. Quite frankly, I did not want to bother God with such a trivial request. He has more important things to do than relieve my cramps. But in the next instant the cramps immediately stopped and did not return. Wow. I never literally asked, but I received. Was it a coincidence? Maybe, but I like to think not. God has responded to my requests for help before so there is no reason to believe that He had not responded to this one. But I never really asked for help. Well, yes I did. Scripture tells us that God knows our thoughts and receives our heartfelt prayers before we speak them.

Psalm 139:1-2 -- O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away.

1 Peter 5:7 -- Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.

Psalms 94:8-11 -- Understand, O dullest of the people; fools, when will you be wise? He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see? He who disciplines the nations, he who teaches knowledge to humankind, does He not chastise? The Lord knows our thoughts,* that they are but an empty breath.

Luke 11:9-10 -- ‘So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.'

Luke 1:37 -- For nothing will be impossible with God.

From God’s perspective I asked for help because he knows what I am thinking the moment I am thinking it. I didn’t have to “ask” in order to receive. I received a Reminder Miracle without specifically asking for it. Pretty neat. Of course, this also reminds me that God knows my not so good thoughts as well. Hmm.

God is Great. God is Good.


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The Only God

This post is really just a musing on my part after running across a book review I found on the Internet. This review reminded me of a conversation I had one evening with a friend who argued that all of the world’s religions provided a path to heaven if the teachings of that religion were followed. Basically, my friend was saying that god has many faces and many names, but it is still just one god. At the time I only listened to my friend without comment. The following is my opinion now.


Is there really just one god called by different names by people of different religions? Did God set it up so that his teachings of the various religions are just diverse enough to attract people of different persuasions but really they are all worshipping the same god regardless of their religion? Are there many paths to eternal life and it all boils down to whether or not you are a “good” person? So what about non-Christians? Can they get to heaven? Is it that you believe and follow the “Christian” God or you are condemned?

Stephen Prothero’s new book “God Is Not One” is reviewed below. No, I have not read the book but I find the review quite interesting. Please take a few minutes to read the review and then I would like to offer my belief about the “Only” God.

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Book review: 'God Is Not One' by Stephen Prothero
By Thane Rosenbaum, Special to the Los Angeles Times
June 9, 2010
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-book9-20100609,0,6504154.story

In an age in which it has become fashionable to demonize those with whom we disagree, there is still a contradictory impulse to remain politically correct. This is particularly true when it comes to religion.


As Stephen Prothero, religion scholar and author of the bestseller "Religious Literacy," reminds us in his latest book, "God Is Not One," all the preaching about tolerance for other religions is necessary because most people believe in God, and social peace is best achieved when all religions are regarded as essentially the same.


After all, religions seek similar truths; they just have different ways of getting there. And the world is surely safer when rivals aren't fuming and proclaiming, "Our God is greater than yours."


Yet, Prothero argues that these feel-good, all-inclusive notions of religious parity have imperiled the world by ignoring the clashes among religions, and the idiosyncratic ways in which all religions, in fact, differ. Sameness is admittedly seductive, he says, but the blithe belief that all religions share the same values and want the same things is foolishly romantic and unreal.


"No fair-minded scholar wants to perpetuate stereotypes," Prothero writes, "…[b]ut it is time to grow out of the reflex to defend. After 9/11 and the Holocaust, we need to see the world's religions as they really are — in all their gore and glory."


And how different are they?  Christians regard sin as the problem and see salvation as the solution. Muslims define the problem as pride that can only be conquered by submission. Buddhists seek to overcome suffering while Christians regard suffering as ennobling, which is why Christians aren't trying to achieve nirvana. Buddhists, unlike Christians, aren't looking for salvation since they don't believe in sin. Neither do Confucians. And while Jews and Muslims speak of sin, they are not all that interested in salvation from their sins.


And there's more.  Jews believe in one God, Buddhists believe in no God, Hindus believe in many gods. Christ is regarded as a God among Christians, whereas for Muslims, Muhammad is very much a man who achieved perfection as a prophet, political leader, military general and family patriarch. And when it comes to the diversity in denominations among the world's religions, Christianity is king.


Got all that?  Prothero ranks the world's religions (he limits them to eight) in terms of impact. Yes, Christianity is still the largest, and annual sales of the New Testament in the United States alone total $500 million, but Islam is growing faster, and Prothero makes the case that Muhammad ranks higher than Christ in overall importance.


One thing is for certain: In modern times, Islam is in the news far more often. Just ask the creators of "South Park," who were recently threatened by Islamic extremists. With all the lunacy about death threats to British novelists, Danish cartoonists and now American animators, Prothero explains why Muslims simply won't tolerate any mocking of Muhammad — especially in a visual form. For Christians, the body of Christ as God incarnate has a long history in representational art, but in the 1,400-plus years of Islam as a religion and culture, art has been limited to calligraphy and the Arabic letters of the Koran.


For Muslims who have never seen the image of Muhammad re-created in any form, the depiction of their sacred prophet with a bomb on his head, or wearing a bear suit while stashed away in a U-Haul, reaches a form of desecration worthy of, well, yes, a holy war. Note to counterterrorism specialists and neoconservatives: Muslims, especially those who have submitted themselves, unreservedly, to Islam, are not afraid to die. No other religion has more tantalizingly described the seductions of the afterlife than has Islam.


Yes, killings seem to be commanded in the Koran, but the Bible isn't bloodless, either. Yet, curiously, suicide is prohibited under the Koran, and so is mass murder. Suicide bombers have obviously gone a la carte when it comes to Koranic teachings. And jihad has as much to do with the inner struggle to submit to Islam as it does with a holy war.


Throughout this enormously timely, thoughtful and balanced book, Prothero fears a world blinded to the consequences of religious ecstasy, but he is also mindful that religions have been forces for good as well, and that science has shown there to be evolutionary benefits that come from religion: Indeed, belief and practice may be fundamentally human.


It is in this way that Prothero debunks not only the fallacy of religious sameness, but also the "New Atheists" who have, lately, become so pervasive and culturally relevant. Atheism can take on its own religion, one dedicated entirely to disparaging the god-fearing, and, in doing so, become as nasty, hostile and ill-informed as the religious fanatics they so thoroughly condemn.

calendar@latimes.com
Rosenbaum is a novelist, essayist and law professor whose books include the novel "The Golems of Gotham."  Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times
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Okay, that is the review and here is my belief. There is one God, comprised of the Holy Trinity of the Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit. This God is not the god of the Jews, the Muslims, or any other faith. Yes, Jewish people worship Yahweh, who is the Father in the Trinity but they reject the Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, as their savior and have no regard for the Holy Spirit. The Jewish people believe that God is indivisible and thus, in my opinion, they completely miss the point. Muslims worship Allah who is revealed to them through the profit Mohammed. The teachings of Mohammed are entirely different than those of Jesus Christ. In general then, all of the various gods of all of the major religions are different.

I believe that the only true god is the Christian God. I know I know, this sounds pretty severe and close-minded. You may ask me, “How in the heck can you be so sure of yourself? Maybe Allah is the true god and your God is the false one. Ever think of that? Uh?” And my answer back is yes, that I have thought about it. First of all Allah’s teachings contradict those of God the Father and the Son Jesus Christ so I know that they are not the same god. And I have discovered through my personal experiences that the Christian God is indeed alive and well and working toward preparing me for his kingdom. I have provided examples in previous postings of how God has shown Himself to me and I will repeat some of them here.

God is guiding my family toward His will as we continue to battle with cancer. He has provided for us spiritually and financially as we continue his work. What might have become a disaster to my family has become a journey toward salvation.

God has responded to me when I pray and ask Him questions. His responses have successfully guided us along our journey. God has not failed us.

God has shown Himself to me in miracles. Some of these miracles were immediate, measurable, and physical responses to my prayers to Him to intervene on my behalf and I must say they were breath taking.

The Holy Spirit continuously guides me in my daily routine toward building God’s kingdom and has made Himself very evident to me by the outpouring of love and support provided to my family by the Christian community.

My mind is free from the shame and burden of my sins because I have brought them to the Cross of Jesus Christ and asked for and received His forgiveness.

Now, since I know that the teachings of my Christian God are different than those of the gods of other religions and I have personal experience of the power and greatness of my God then the only conclusion I can draw is that my God is the only true God. All other gods are false. (A does not equal B; and A does equal C; then B does not equal C.)

Isaiah 45:5-6 -- I am the Lord, and there is no other; besides me there is no god.

Malachi 3:6 -- For I the Lord do not change…

John 1:1-8 -- In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Matthew 24:35 -- Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

So does this mean that only people who accept our Lord Jesus Christ as their savior can get to heaven? Well, that is a central Christian belief, but I hope not. I do pray that Jesus will judge some non-Christians worthy of Heaven. I offer my humble opinion on this at the end of a posting made on May 31, 2010 entitled “Death, Resurrection, and Eternal Life”. If you are interested please take a look at it.

Lord, thank you for revealing Yourself to me through Your words in the Holy Bible and thank You for softening my heart so that I could let your Son, Jesus Christ, into it. And thank You Lord for providing me and the entire Christian community with the Holy Spirit who guides us and comforts us.


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Fundamental Christianity

As I was writing the posting that will follow this one I discovered something very interesting about myself. I am a Fundamentalist Christian. Now many of you (and I do hope many) who have read my postings and contemplated my views and opinions are probably right now saying, “Well duh. What took you so long to realize that?” Well, quite honestly, I’m not quite sure what took me so long to “come out of the closet”. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I spent the first half of my life in the North as a Roman Catholic and the second half of my life in the South as an Episcopalian. Fundamental Christianity, Roman Catholicism, and Episcopalian just don’t mix very well. Let me share with you a definition of Fundamentalist Christianity copied from the Internet:

"Fundamentalist Christianity, or Christian fundamentalism, can be defined as a movement that arose mainly within British and American Protestantism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by conservative evangelical Christians, who, in a reaction to modernism, actively affirmed a fundamental set of Christian beliefs: 

• The inerrancy of the Bible (the Bible is free of errors),
• Sola Scriptura (all scripture in the Bible is God’s words to us and contains all of the information we need to inherit God’s kingdom),
• The virgin birth of Christ,
• The doctrine of substitutionary atonement (Christ died in our place to redeem us from our sins),
• The bodily resurrection of Jesus, and
• The imminent return of Jesus Christ."

This sure doesn’t sound like anything I picked up in my Catholic Catechism or my Episcopal Sunday School, but this definition really does describe my beliefs. How in the heck did that happen? Reflecting on this I realize that I am living in the Bible Belt of the South, and Christian radio stations have had a huge influence on shaping my beliefs. Before I retired I spent about an hour a day commuting to and from work and would use that hour listening to radio evangelists discuss an untold number of topics. What these fellows have to say, how they argue their points, and how Bible scripture supports their teachings all fell together for me.

In recent years the National Episcopal Church has certainly wandered far from traditional Anglican teaching and is quickly becoming an “all inclusive” church with little regard for the Inerrancy of the Bible and Sola Scriptura. In my opinion the National Episcopal Church has it backwards. It is focusing upon modifying its doctrine to fit current social norms rather than working toward modifying current social norms to fit its doctrine (that is, bringing people closer to Christ).

So how do I come to grips with the fact that I am a Fundamentalist Christian AND an Episcopalian? Well, first of all the National Episcopal Church is “all inclusive” which means that Fundamentalists as well as all other beliefs are welcomed. That’s good. Since I am welcomed in the church then I am free to express my views, have them considered, and let folks make up their own minds about what I have to say. That is very good. What more could I ask for? I belong to a Christian community, made up of a wide range of beliefs that will listen to and consider what I have to say.  (This sounds like pretty fertile ground for a Fundamentalist Christian.)  This is far better than belonging to a church community where everyone believed exactly what I believed. How could I or anyone else learn and grow spiritually from each other in a community like that?

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Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

Subtitle: Is God Playing Fair?

Okay, let me get straight to the point. These past couple of weeks I have found my physical strength declining. I don’t feel bad, just tired. I have no stamina. I can’t do a minor chore around the house without becoming physically drained. Currently I am weaning myself from the high level of steroids I have been taking (under my doctor’s supervision) and I am hoping that this helps. Just having had surgery followed by whole brain radiation therapy probably doesn’t help, but I would have hoped that, by now, the effects from these would be declining. It seems just the opposite. Is this “condition” going to improve or is this the way it will be from now on? I am beginning to have a private pity-party.

When I was first diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma I asked God, “Why me?”. His response was, “Why not you?”. Well, I had no good response to His question. But I still wonder, why me? I thought I had been doing God’s work. For all practical purposes I was a pretty good kind of guy. So why should this be happening to me? Is God not very happy with me? Am I being punished for a past or current sin? Or is it as simple as accepting that, in life, “Stuff Happens”?

Note: I really have not thought this through completely but am just going to ramble on for a while collecting my thoughts. Please bear with me.

Since I was first diagnosed I believed that God has given us this challenge for a reason and that reason is to provide an example to others on how God is guiding us through this journey and how He continues to bless us as we continue our battle. I still believe that. So maybe I am not being punished but rather am being used as an instrument of God’s work. Okay. That I can gladly accept. Okay. My pity-party is over. Thank you Lord. I can accept that something bad is happening to me. But what about other people. Is God intentionally making bad stuff happen to them so that they can do His work? I don’t know. Maybe. What about all of the good people who needlessly die for no good reason other than they happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time or because of the carelessness of a drunken driver or the political war that need not be fought. How are they going to continue to do God’s work?

As I am writing this I have the news on the television and they are currently reporting on the gulf coast oil spill, its impact on the environment and the impact it is having on the area’s fishing and tourism industry. How can God let this happen?

Just why does God let bad things happen to good people anyway? This is an age-old question. Actually, when we ask this question, what we are really asking is, “Is God really playing fair?” Now as to whether or not God is “playing fair” the answer is “Yes”.

Malachi 3:6 -- For I the Lord do not change…

God is consistent. He does not change. He does not change the rules. He is righteous (straight). He is consistent in how he judges.

The whole premise to the question about God letting bad things happen to good people is based upon God’s true definition of “good people”. According to some Theologians, no one is “good”.

Romans 3:9-10 -- What then? Are we any better off?* No, not at all; for we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin, as it is written: ‘There is no one who is righteous, not even one;

Genesis 8:21 -- for the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth

Psalm 143:2 -- Do not enter into judgement with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you.

Okay. If no one is “good”, then bad things don’t happen to good people. We are all bad people so it’s all right that bad things happen to us? I have a really hard time accepting this point of view.

Another point of view about bad things happening to good people is found in the Bible itself in the Book of Job. “So named from Job, its chief character, the book deals with an ageless question, one that is puzzling to every generation - the problem of human suffering, particularly the affliction of the righteous. The reader is given an account of the sufferings of the pious Patriarch Job, of the argument carried on between Job and his friends as to the cause of his sufferings, and finally, of the solution to his difficulty. The book’s principal aim is to refute the popular view that all suffering is the result of sin in the life of the sufferer.” (http://www.holybible.com/resources/KJV_DFND/summary.htm)

Now this I can accept. The Bible tells us, through Job’s story, that all suffering is NOT the result of sin. Okay. Then what is it that results in suffering? If not sin, then what? Here’s what I believe, and I have referred to this in a previous posting (see post: “God’s Laws, Sin, and the Consequences of Sin” posted on May 31, 2010). God does not make bad things happen to us, life itself does. Let me use my personal example.

I have been afflicted with a very rare form of cancer. Why did such a bad thing happen to me? My research on my cancer reveals the following known causes of leiomyosarcoma:

external radiation therapy
Thorotrast [a contrast Xray dye no longer used]
arsenical pesticides and medications
chlorophenols
phenoxy herbicides
dioxin
vinyl chloride
immunosuppressive drugs
alkylating agents
androgen-anabolic steroids
human immunodeficiency virus
human herpes virus type 8
chronically edematous arms after radical mastectomy for breast cancer
Post transplant immunosuppression
thyroid disorders
autoimmune disease
cyclophosphamide

Well, which one of these is the source? I have no idea. I have worked around chemicals most of my career and have most likely had some sort of contact with one or more of those listed above. Let’s just assume that during one of my jobs I got a vinyl chloride molecule up my nose once and, as a result, my cancer evolved. Does that mean that I got cancer just because I was in the wrong place at the wrong time? Probably. But didn’t God place me in that wrong place at the wrong time? Maybe. Why maybe? First of all, it was my decision to be where I was when I was there. I have free will. God made it that way. But I also believe that God has a plan for me. As I have said many times in this collection (and will likely say many times again) God has given us this challenge for a reason and that reason is to provide an example to others on how God is guiding us through this journey and how He continues to bless us as we continue our battle. So did God put me in the situation that resulted in cancer for his own purposes or is God simply taking advantage of a situation that life thrust upon me? I don’t know. In my mind it really doesn’t matter. For whatever reason I have cancer and, as a result, I have a new job, given to me by God in order to advance His kingdom.

1 Corinthians 10:13 -- No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.

Romans 5:3-5 -- And not only that, but we* also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope..

Romans 8:28 -- We know that all things work together for good* for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

So, have I answered the question “Why does God let bad things happen to good people?” No, not really. I think I’ll let people who are much smarter than me wrestle with this question between now and the final coming of our Lord. I’m just not going to worry about it. I trust God and will follow Him wherever He leads me.

Lord, I don’t know how I got my cancer. But Lord, if by having cancer I can better do your work then I will continue to endure and let my light shine as you have instructed me. Your will be done.


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Clutter

As part of our overall effort to realign our priorities and focus some of our attention on the things that matter to us we recently decided to just go ahead and replace the carpeting in the den that should have been replaced ten years ago when we first moved into the house. In our house the den is really the family room. It is where we really go about the business of living. It has all the stuff in it that our family needs or wants to relax, play, watch TV, do some work, and well, just be a family. The family room is full of the stuff of life including computers, musical keyboard, TV, VCR and DVD players, guitar and amplifier, painting table, cat bed, cat toys, telephone, end tables, tables, lamps, treadmill machine, easy chairs, couch, pillows, blankets, saxophones, and gaming counsels. Every horizontal service usually has stuff piled on it for immediate or future use. In short, the family room is usually cluttered. User friendly but cluttered.

This evening we realized that tomorrow afternoon the new carpeting is going to be installed and we needed to clear the room out so the installers could do their work. We decided that this evening we would take everything out except for the essential things we wanted for this evening and the larger pieces of furniture that the installers will remove for a small fee. The essential things will be removed in the morning.

It is now late at night. Pat and Chris are in bed and Honey, the cat, is off somewhere hiding because of the thunderstorm (I’m not sure when she will emerge). Just a short while ago I was sitting here at the computer wanting to write but not sure what I wanted to write about. As my mind wandered I gazed around the room and a strange calm passed over me. It really caught me by surprise but it took only a moment to realize that the room was completely uncluttered and I felt “calm”.

As I thought about it I began to wonder about the “clutter” in my spiritual life. For years now I have pursued with passion knowledge about who God is, what He wants from us, and how to do His work in His Glory. I have studied the words of Jesus and the Apostles to gain a better understanding of how to live a Christian life. I have tried to tie it all together so that perhaps one day it will all make perfect sense to me. Have I cluttered my spiritual journey? Am I so involved in the process of progressing along my spiritual journey that I have lost sight of the calm presence of our mighty God? Yes. I think that I have cluttered my journey. Tonight I am going to be calm.

           Psalm 46:10 -- ‘Be still, and know that I am God!'

Oh yes, tomorrow after the new carpeting is put in all the stuff of family life is coming back into the room. And yes, I will again clutter my thinking with details. But it sure feels good to be calm, at least for a short period of time. I will have to make a habit of occasionally pulling out all of the clutter.



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Realigning Priorities - I Got Married

I should have written this the other day but ran out of time so I’m writing it now. I got married on Monday. Yep. I married, well actually remarried, well, actually reaffirmed our marriage vows with the most wonderful women in the world. Monday, May 31, 2010 was Patty’s and my 24th anniversary. Man how I love this woman. She has been so good to me over the years. She has put up with a lot, tolerated more than she should have to, and yet always was there for me. God truly blessed me by giving her to me as my partner.

For years I had always thought about reaffirming my vow to her. For some reason the 25th anniversary seemed like the appropriate time. After all, a quarter of a century seemed like a good number to acknowledge in such a way. Late last week (while I was still “house bound”, unable to sneak out and find the appropriate anniversary gift) I was sitting on the deck just sort of thinking the situation over when it struck me. I can give her me again! (Lucky woman.) I thought, “You know, why wait until the 25th? Let’s do it now.” I immediately picked up the phone, called our Priest, and talked it over with him. Fortunately he would be able to come to the house the evening or our anniversary and perform the reaffirmation.

My intent was to keep it a secret from her and sort of casually mention it to her when the Priest arrived. Right. She discovered my scheme, well; actually I ended up telling her (I guess I was so excited about it I just had to share it with someone) and she became as excited about it as I was. Only our Priest, Patty, Chris and I attended the ceremony. Chris was our witness. It was simple, sweet, and very, very special.

Actually, when I was on the deck contemplating our upcoming anniversary I began to realize that this just might be our last one. I know, God is great, God is good. Yet realistically speaking there is a pretty good chance that a year from now I might not be around. Well, there is nothing I can do about that but what I can do is what I had always planned to do later, reaffirm our vows. So that is exactly what we did. Perfect.

This cancer we are battling has really slammed things into perspective for us. Some of the things that used to be important to us are now trivial while some of the things that used to be trivial or taken for granted have moved to the front of the “important” line. I know that this sounds really naive, but in many ways this cancer has been a blessing to us.

Our Lawyer Rob has become a very special friend of mine. He told me that his wife had cancer and that the doctors had given her a very short time to live. Of course the initial shock was overwhelming to them but very shortly after her diagnosis they made the conscious decision to, in Rob’s words, “Not sit around waiting for the other shoe to drop”. They would realign their priorities, go on with their lives, and let God decide what would happen and when it would happen. That was years ago and they are still living their lives together. His story had quite an impact on me. Pat and I have now realigned our lives. I believe we are closer now than we have ever been. We are thankful for every day we have together and look forward to many more. We may not get many more days, but we are taking advantage of every day we do have, one at a time, with priorities that really matter. We do not want to waste one day. All of our days are now special to me. I wish I had realigned my priorities years ago. Hey, who knows, maybe in another 24 years when we celebrate our 48th anniversary I can say that I am so happy we realigned our priorities 24 years ago.

God is great, God is good.

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Our Talents From God, Pride, and Humility

Each one of us has things that we do that we are really good at. Things that bring us joy, bring others joy, make us very productive, and, in general, have the capability of profiting God’s Kingdom. As we journey through life we try new things (jobs, hobbies, tasks, etc.) some of which are whimsical, some just passing fancies, some life changing. Some of them we work really hard at but just cannot seem to get it and, as a result we eventually abandon them. Others we try, really do well at it, enjoy it, and it then becomes part of who we are. It becomes part of our “skill set” or “Talents”. We each have a unique set of talents. No two of us are exactly alike. Yes, there are others that have a talent like one of yours, but not like all of yours. As Christians, we are asked to use our unique set of talents to profit God’s Kingdom.

I have been fortunate enough that, over the course of my working career, with a couple of exceptions, I have had jobs that match my talents pretty well. (Interesting how that works out. Thank you Lord.) Like most working people we begin to identify ourselves by what we do at our jobs. We become the job and the job becomes us. It becomes part of who we are. Most of us will continue to do our jobs until we have had enough of it and are able to retire from the job that uses our talents and transition to a life style that uses our talents for other reasons than to earn a living. Hopefully we use them in such a way as to profit God’s Kingdom. Conversely, I have not been fortunate enough to choose to have had enough of the job and transition to a new and desired life style. (No, I’m not going to have a personal pity party. Just the opposite.)

In December of 2009 I found myself in the situation where I had take a leave from work because of my cancer. This was a very difficult thing to do. I was hoping beyond hope that I would be able to return to work and continue my job in the near future but it just wasn’t going to happen. Finally, in May of 2010 I formally took an early retirement and, well, suddenly I don’t have my job anymore. This has been a very difficult transition for me but, with God’s guidance, I believe that I am transitioning and soon will be well established in the new “me” using my talents, hopefully in a way that is pleasing to God.

Where Do These Talents Come From?

Just what determines what our talent set will be? We can’t choose what our talents are. We don’t just sit back early on in our lives, make up a list of the things we want to be really good at, and then just go get good at it. Oh yes, we may make a list of what we want to try to be good at but, as you know, it doesn’t always work out that way. After trying and experiencing enough things we begin to identify what our talent set is and put it to good use, however it is we define “good”. The reality is that we don’t choose our talents, God provided us with our talents when he created us. He knew what He needed from us and wants for us and, since He is God, He was able to form each one of us uniquely to meet His and our needs. Our only task in all of this was to discover what our God given talents are and then put them to good use.

Psalm 22:10 -- On you I was cast from my birth, and since my mother bore me you have been my God.

Psalm 139:13-16 -- For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed.

Isaiah 44:2 -- Thus says the Lord who made you, who formed you in the womb and will help you…

So the things we are really good at we are really good at because God decided He wanted us to be really good at it. When you think about it that way we had very little impact on what we are really good at.

Rush Limbaugh, the politically conservative and very controversial talk radio show host claims that he has “Talent, on loan, from God.” I know many people take this as a boastful, self-absorbed, out of line comment. But you know, he technically is correct. He is very talented at what he does. He is a very good radio talk show host. God has “loaned” him this talent. I’ll let you judge for yourself whether or not he is profiting God’s Kingdom in the way he is using his talent.


Pride

You may think that you have a pretty good set of talents given to you by God and you most likely do (after all, God gave them to you). Yet think about the talents an Archangel might have been given by God. The two well known Archangels, Michael and Gabriel, must be something to behold. And then there was a third, Lucifer, the Morning Star, who thought he had it all. In fact, he thought that he had more than God Himself and, because of his self-righteous pride attempted to put himself above God. Lucifer thought he was who he was because of what he had made himself. He forgot that he is who he is because God created him that way. Lucifer gave himself all of the glory for his abilities and, as a result, did not give God the thanks and the glory for what his abilities were. Big mistake.

Isaiah 14:12-15 -- How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.

I don’t think God thought much of Lucifer’s attitude. God has given us our talents so that we have the capability to do His work. What we do with our talents is up to us and God will judge us based upon how we use our talents.

Matthew 25:14-28 -- "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'  "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' "The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.' "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' "Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.' "His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest" 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Ezekiel 28:17 -- Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings.

We may not consciously want to put ourselves above God as Lucifer did, but we are easily tempted to proudly accept praise from others for what “we” did because, after all, we worked hard to perfect our talents and we do deserve the praise and admiration of others. Right? I don’t think so. By proudly accepting the praise and admiration of others without acknowledging that our accomplishments are a result of the talents God has created us with for His purposes is just like putting ourselves above God. Isn’t selfish pride essentially “self worship”?

Psalms 10:4 -- In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

Proverbs 16:5 -- The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.

1 Corinthians 4:7 -- For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?

Romans 12:3 -- For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

If you want to be proud of something you have accomplished with your God given talents be proud not because of what you have done, be proud that you understand and know God and with that knowledge you successfully used your God given talents to do God’s work. Accept the admiration, but openly acknowledge that the credit goes to God.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 -- ...but let those who boast boast in this, that they understand and know me, that I am the Lord; I act with steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight.

God doesn’t like self-righteous pride. God likes humility. I truly wish that I had discovered this years ago. Lord, forgive me for proudly accepting praise from others without acknowledging that the praise is yours and that I am only your instrument in doing your work.


Humility

I have said many times (and will likely say it many more times) that I am humbled by the number of people who have come to aid and comfort my family during our time of need. What it feels like to be humbled is hard for me to describe but it is feeling meek, lowly, and insufficient while at the same time being so very thankful that someone is joyously giving of themselves to me. Humility is a profound emotion and, as you might expect, has had a profound impact on how I think about myself, how I think about others, and how I think about God.

Compared to God we are all meek, lowly, and insufficient. God joyfully gives of Himself to us so that we are capable to do His work.

Ephesians 2:8-10 -- For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God - not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life

God delights in providing for us, and delights in our good works and our humility.

Micah 6:8 -- He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.

James 4:6 -- But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

1 Peter 5:6 -- Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,

Luke 14:11 -- For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Proverbs 22:4 -- The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.

Psalm 25:9 -- He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.

I have learned to humble myself before my Lord God. He has made me who I am with all of my good points and bad points. I am His creation. Without Him I would be, well, nothing.

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Medical Update: June 1, 2010

It was six weeks ago today that I had my brain surgery to remove the tumor. Yesterday I had a head CAT scan to determine if any tumors had once again begun forming. At the follow-up visit with my Brain Surgeon today (I wonder why he chose brain surgery rather than rocket science) he told me that the scan is clear, that I have recovered well, and that (are you ready for this) I CAN DRIVE AGAIN! Then later in the day I had my LAST DOSE of whole brain radiation therapy! What a wonderful day this has been.

Driving for the first time in over six weeks was a real hoot. I drove to the bank, to the pharmacy, and then back home. I was so cautious I felt like a student driver behind the wheel for the first time. I know I must have frustrated those driving behind me because I was going so slow and taking my time. Hopefully, before long, driving will once again become a “normal” activity.

I continue to pray to God for more time. God continues to answer my prayer with a “yes”. God is Great. God is Good.

Since my surgery and during my recovery my wife has truly been a blessing to me. She patiently took care of my every need, gladly drove me wherever I wanted or needed to go and accompanied me to doctor appointments and treatments. All of this wonderful care packaged in a supportive, patient, and loving attitude. Thank you Patty. God bless you. What would I ever do without you?  Chris certainly did his part.  Whenever he was needed to run an errand, take me somewhere, or do something that Dad would normally do he stepped in and did it.  Thank you Chris and God bless you.  God has certainly blessed me with the family I have.  Thank you Lord.

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