Thursday, July 31, 2008

Christian the Lion's Reunion with His Caregivers

Filed Under: "Echoes of Another World"
------
If you haven't seen this video, well, its simply amazing [with the noteable exception of the cheesey Whitney Houston music that is almost unbearable]....




Admit it, you long for this to be the norm. No matter what you believe, we all know intuitively that this is the way things are supposed to be.

And this is just a glimpse of the promised future of the world.

For more on this story, click here.

Also, check out one of my previous post about "The Lion Whisperer"

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Dang this is Sweet!

2009 Trans Am....


Now, repeat after me....

"I don't need this to be happy."

"I don't need this to be happy."

"I don't need this to be happy."

Now that we've taken care of that little detail, we can continue on.

Seriously, I find myself fascinated by all kinds of technological creations these days mainly because of what it says about our ability to bring forth amazing things from God's good creation.

What I mean is this...think about what the Bible says in the Creation account of Adam and Eve and the charge He gave to them. He gave them this world and charged them to take dominion over it. In other words, they (and we) have the wonderful challenge to bring out all the hidden potential that is embedded in this creation.

Now Adam didn't know about it at the time, but think about all the 'potential' that has been unlocked, discovered, birthed, delivered....


The Guitar. The Piano. The Saxophone.

Delicious wine (and frozen raspberry margaritas from On the Border!)

College football. Baseball fields. Fade-away three pointers.

The personal computer. Wifi. The iPhone. The Internet.

Air travel. Space travel. Catamaran sailing.

Brain surgery. Medicine. Vision enhancement procedures.

Mathematics. Physics. Engineering.

Tex-Mex. Italian. Mom's cooking.

Ceiling fans. Remote controls. Incredibly comfortable couches.

Film. Stories. Inspiration. Watercolor. Photography.

Trans Ams. Corvettes. Mustangs.

And Dr. Pepper


And if you stop to think about it, so much has been discovered and developed in the last 100 years of our history (even in the last 10!). Imagine what still awaits discovery? I wonder which of these will be a part of the New Heavens and New Earth?

So, join me in admiring the 2009 Trans Am. Let's just help each other from thinking we need to have one to be happy.

Happy 11th Birthday, Kevin!!!



My son, Kevin, turned 11 years old just a few days ago. I can't believe how quickly time flies. But it has been an amazing 11 years watching this amazing person grow into the fine young man that you see pictured here.

Kevin is fun, sensitive, and an important part of our family.

We are so proud of you Kevin!!!

Click here for Heather's post.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Purple City


Purple City, originally uploaded by Vincent T Joachim.

As many of you know, we'll be moving to Calgary next year. In the mean time, I have been surfing flickr.com in my spare time (usually after the young ones are in bed) looking for some great photos of the place. Here's an absolutely gorgeous one. Looks cold! [You can see more of photos by this photographer by checking out http://www.vtj.ca.]

I'll be posting cool photos for our friends and family from time to time so you can get a feel for what its like before you come visit us there!

Calgary Sunrise


Calgary Sunrise, originally uploaded by TravLCox.

Beautiful picture of the sunrise of Calgary.

Add this site to your RSS reader

Filed under: "Now, Why Didn't I Think of That?"
-----
I have added a couple of ways to make it easy to subscribe to this site using a RSS reader. I use Google Reader and love it. There are a number out there that allow you to subscribe to blogs and have your reader automatically check for updates instead of having to visit each page you are interested in to see if there has been an update (that is so 2 years ago!).

If you don't know much about this, check out this site explaining RSS subscription in easy language.

My site has two easy ways to subscribe:

#1) If you use Firefox (and really, why wouldn't you?), you should see something like this in the address bar...



...or Safari...



#2) This is on the right side of my blog...



Happy reading!

Batman & Bush Co-Crusaders? Hmmm....

Filed under: "I Never Thought About It From That Perspective"
-----
Here's an interesting opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal by Andrew Klavin comparing the recent Batman Movie, "The Dark Knight" to President George "W" Bush and the war on terror.
"The Dark Knight," then, is a conservative movie about the war on terror. And like another such film, last year's "300," "The Dark Knight" is making a fortune depicting the values and necessities that the Bush administration cannot seem to articulate for beans.

Conversely, time after time, left-wing films about the war on terror -- films like "In The Valley of Elah," "Rendition" and "Redacted" -- which preach moral equivalence and advocate surrender, that disrespect the military and their mission, that seem unable to distinguish the difference between America and Islamo-fascism, have bombed more spectacularly than Operation Shock and Awe.

Why is it then that left-wingers feel free to make their films direct and realistic, whereas Hollywood conservatives have to put on a mask in order to speak what they know to be the truth? Why is it, indeed, that the conservative values that power our defense -- values like morality, faith, self-sacrifice and the nobility of fighting for the right -- only appear in fantasy or comic-inspired films like "300," "Lord of the Rings," "Narnia," "Spiderman 3" and now "The Dark Knight"?

The moment filmmakers take on the problem of Islamic terrorism in realistic films, suddenly those values vanish. The good guys become indistinguishable from the bad guys, and we end up denigrating the very heroes who defend us. Why should this be?

The answers to these questions seem to me to be embedded in the story of "The Dark Knight" itself: Doing what's right is hard, and speaking the truth is dangerous. Many have been abhorred for it, some killed, one crucified.

I haven't seen the film yet, though I want to. I imagine such thoughts will illicit either hearty "Amens" or cause people's blood to boil.

Interesting take, nevertheless.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Teen Pregnancy Glamorous?

Filed under: "Things that Make You go Hmmmm...."
-----
Al Mohler has some thoughts about the recent OK! cover story of now 17 year old Jamie Lynn Spears journey into motherhood with the cover quote, "Being a mom is the best feeling in the world."


Mohler opines, "The OK! magazine cover makes teen motherhood look positively glamorous." Read the rest.

Do you think this sort of thing reflects the culture, shapes the culture, or both?

Granted Mohler's perspective, what else needs to be said?

Saturday, July 26, 2008

"I felt compelled to get on my knees and worship him...."

The Wall Street Journal has an article on Louisiana's governor entitled, "Rebel With a Cause: Bobby Jindal's Spiritual Journey." Jindal has been mentioned as a possible VP candidate for John McCain.

The article reports Jindal's journey from Hinduism to Christianity. A crucial defining point came for him while he was watching a black and white video about the Passion shown during the intermission of an Easter production on the campus of LSU.

"I don't know why I was struck so hard at that moment," said Mr. Jindal. "There was nothing fascinating about this particular video. . . . But watching this depiction of an actor playing Jesus on the cross, it just hit me, harder than I'd ever been hit before," he said. "If that was really the son of God, and he really died for me, then I felt compelled to get on my knees and worship him."

This is a great example of why we say that the Lord Jesus Christ is either of utmost importance or of no importance. What He can't be is of some importance.

[HT]

Friday, July 25, 2008

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Filed under: "Now, Why Didn't I Think of That?"
-----




From here.

Now if you are wondering what in the world I'm talking about, then you need to watch "The Princess Bride." Over, and over again. It's only one of the greatest movies, ever.

You'll never be the same.

And you'll never lack for sermon illustrations! Here's a few classic scenes....




The Story of Inigo Montoya





The Wedding..."Mawaige"





The Battle of Wits


And for you Princess Bride fans, here is a movie trivia quiz....





And now, for a little known fact, both the six-fingered man and Inigo Montoya were trained in the Jedi arts.




Princess Bride Light Saber Battle

Thursday, July 24, 2008

How to Enter Another's Grief

Filed under: "You've Gotta Check This Out"
-----
One of the things that sucks about living in a fallen world is tragedy and the acute sense of knowing that 'things are not supposed to be this way' when death comes intruding into our lives. Perhaps this is no clearer than the death of a young person. To make matters worse, we don't always no what to say. We feel powerless to change anything.


I don't remember how I came across this post surfing the internet, but I came across some fine words by Molly Piper entitled, "What I'd Like For You To Know: The Mother of a Stillborn Child." In this post she gives some excellent advice in the face of unimaginable grief. This is what she wants others to know during her time of grief over her daughter....

I'm exhausted.
I'm a scatterbrain.
I want to talk about her.
I can't grieve on command.
Please ask specific questions.
Please avoid the flippant comfort of hallmark cards.
Remember that there's no timetable.
Please persevere.

Read the whole post here.

Also, check out her post on "How to Help a Grieving Friend."

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Top 25 Sports Programs

Filed under: "I Never Thought about it from that Perspective"
-----

This will interest you sports fans out there. SI.com has devised a scoring system to rank the top 25 division 1 sports programs in the nation over the last two years.

Arizona State tops the list.

My beloved Texas A&M University finished at #11 ahead of t.u. (which came in at #15, ahem. And that's with A&M having a dang sorry football team. It probably didn't help t.u. that A&M's dang sorry football team beat them the last two years in a row! Whoop!).

Biggest surprise for me is that OU was named in the best of the rest.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Batman Arrested in London!

Filed under: "Didn't See That One Coming"
-----
This is just a cool headline on today's Drudge Report.

Cars Don't Define Our Social Status


In a post entitled, "Detaching from Material Possessions a Sign of Emotional and Financial Maturity," Frugal Dad says...
When I finished college I needed a new car, because after all, I was working and earning a salary and I “deserved” it. I leased an SUV, and several years later traded it in on a newer, used Chevy Silverado. Oh, how I loved that truck–sport trim package, V-8, ice-cold air, CD player, great sound system, etc, etc. It also came with a new monthly payment, and an increase to my insurance premium. For a few months I drove that truck and loved it. My grandfather had offered his old truck to drive, but I wanted a “cool truck.”

One day, after writing out the check for the monthly payment, and the increased monthly insurance premium, something hit me like a ton of bricks. I sat there watching my kids play in our backyard, and then looked over at that “new” truck. How much could their futures be improved by taking this $400 a month and applying it to our other debts, and then saving it for their future education? How could I be so selfish.

...I’ve adopted a utilitarian view on automobiles (and other things). They are literally hunks of metal pieced together, set on four tires, and sold to us for the purpose of transportation. Cars don’t define our social status, and are horrible indicators of wealth. Never again will I fall victim to worrying about what others think, or what marketers try to convince me to think.

Good stuff to remember on a number of different fronts...especially the line about cars not defining our social status. Very important as I'm looking to buy a used mini-van in about a month. Especially because what I really want is this.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Give Me Something To Believe In

Filed under: "Didn't See That One Coming" and "Aslan is on the Move"
-----
Pete Wilson, senior pastor of Cross Point Church in Nashville, Tennessee, is reporting on his blog that famed lead guitarist of Poison, C.C. DeVille, has become a Christian and is seeking ways to grow. Pete has been given access to DeVille and is giving him pastoral counsel, etc. (he now calls himself the unofficial pastor to Poison--I'm jealous.)

Check this out...


Guitar Hero from Pete Wilson on Vimeo.

This is pretty cool on a number of fronts. During my high school days, I worshipped rock groups, most notably folks like Def Leppard, Ratt, Motley Crew, Van Halen, etc.,--basically what are now known as 'the hair bands.' My family can verify that my room was basically a shrine. Poison wasn't among the groups that I worshiped, but I did like some of their music such as "Give Me Something To Believe In" and "Every Rose Has It's Thorn" (which I still quote almost weekly).

For a while after my conversion, I had to get away from all this music b/c it represented my rebellion from Christ. Now, I can go back and listen to some of it and actually, really, enjoy it. I know, for some of you that is just too much....

At any rate, pray for C.C. DeVille. This is a huge step he has taken in a very unforgiving arena. And pray for his pastor, too.

[HT]

This Just In...The Pope is [Roman] catholic


Filed under: "Wow, I Had No Idea" and "Didn't See That One Coming"

-----
This just in from MSNBC...The Pope is a Romanist.

Keeping things a buzz in the blogosphere, and goading believers in Jesus Christ from every background, the Pope has come out, once again, saying that Christian churches not connected to Him are not true churches of Jesus Christ (with the exception of the Orthodox folks, so that's good news for them).

So, anything new here? No. The Pope's just doing his job being [Roman] catholic.

The article also reports that,
Father Augustine Di Noia, undersecretary for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said the document did not alter the commitment for ecumenical dialogue, but aimed to assert Catholic identity in those talks.

“The Church is not backtracking on ecumenical commitment,” Di Noia told Vatican radio.

The dictionary defines 'ecumenical' as "promoting or relating to unity among the world's Christian churches." So either we need to change the definition, or to quote Inigo Montoya, "I don't think that word means what you think it means" because if he means that he is committed to unity among all Roman churches, well, good for him, but that's a textbook case of stating the obvious.

Ho-hum.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

45 Days & Counting...

Go ahead, admit it...

...you're getting pumped!

And just in case you were wondering, KansasCity.com reports on Big 12 Coaching salaries...

I wonder which of these schools think they are getting their money's worth...?

Based on my prowess at Gamecube's 2004 College Football, my boys are convinced that I should be the head coach for Texas A&M. I told them that I would even do it for half the amount that they are paying the new coach, to which Justin immediately replied, "Don't take less if they are willing to pay more! I'll take it if you don't want it."

Saturday, July 12, 2008

I am a Christian...Somehow

Filed under: "Note to Self"
-----
"When I Say I Am a Christian" by Carol Wimmer

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'."
I'm whispering "I was lost,
Now I'm found and forgiven."

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
And need His strength to carry on.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
And need God to clean my mess.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible
But, God believes I am worth it.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon His name.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner
Who received Gods grace, somehow!!


Evidently, there are several different versions of this floating around and attributed to different people. Snopes is helping clarify the air (thanks James!).

Friday, July 11, 2008

One Drop of Christ's Blood

Filed under: "Things That Make You Go Hmm..."
-----
Blogger Justin Childers is Cross-eyed.

Summarizing the thoughts of John Bunyan, he asks the question, "Do you see more worth and merit in one drop of Christ's blood to save you, than in all the sins of the world to condemn you?"

[HT]

Mohler's Asking, "Where are Europe's Babies?"

Filed under: "Because it Needs to be Said"
-----
Al Mohler comments upon the thought, "You can't have a country where everybody lives in a nursing home" in a post asking "Where Are Europe's Babies?"

Buy a Pastor on eBay

Filed under: "Didn't See That One Coming"
-----
If you were wanting a pastor, there is one up for sale on eBay. Better hurry: current bid is at $2.25 (+$3000 moving expenses). Looks like you get the wife and kids thrown in as part of the package as well.


P.S. I think this is for real.

[HT]

Monday, July 7, 2008

Thanks for the Memory, Marc

Filed under: "Kids Say the Darndest Things"
-----
My good friend, Marc Corbett, reminded me of a time when our family visited them in Lubbuck, TX, when he and his wife, Amy, were ministering with RUF at Texas Tech. We were all walking on the campus of Tech when the following conversation occurred with my oldest son, then 8 years old....

"Daddy, are the Red Raiders friends with the Aggies?"
"No son, they are rivals."
"THEN, WHY ARE WE EVEN HERE?!?"
"Because we love the Corbetts, son."

Thanks for the memory, Marc. We're definitely raising our kids correctly!

Paul Tripp's New Book "Whiter Than Snow"

Filed under: "You've Gotta Check This Out"
-----
As I'm lying here in bed on the 5th day of a sickness that my wife says is the flu, I'm getting lots of reading done and lots of internet surfing between naps.

I came across a promo of Paul Tripp's new book, "Whiter Than Snow: Meditations on Sin and Mercy." It is a study of David's psalm of repentance, Psalm 51, spread out into 52 devotions.

I'm excited about this b/c (1) I love this Psalm; (2) I need this psalm to give voice to the cries of my soul; & (3) I followed some of these meditations on Tripp's blog so I can't wait to read them in book form.

Here is a video promo:




[HT]

Sunday, July 6, 2008

At the Cross, Jesus met me at my very worst....

"With, and because of, Jesus the Redeemer I am both fully known and completely safe. At the cross, Jesus met me at my very worst. For at that mysterious moment all my toxic envy, all my deceit, all my secret sins, all my ingratitude, all my self-centered neglect and cruelty--everything that is corrupt and twisted about my attitudes and behavior--was exposed to the full heat of God's justice, attached to Jesus, and punished....By fully identifying with all our sin and then being punished for it, Jesus satisfied God's justice."

Charles Drew, A Journey Worth Taking, p. 154

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Run for the Border....

Filed under: "Because It Needs To Be Said"
-----
One of the feeds I have in my Google Reader is "Stuff White People Like." Its a satirical 'mockumentary' type blog poking fun at us white people. One of the listings I busted out laughing on b/c of our life situation was #75: "Threatening to Move to Canada"...
"Often times, white people get frustrated with the state of their country. They do not like the President, or Congress, or the health care system, or the illegal status of Marijuana. Whenever they are presented with a situation that seems unreasonable to them, their first instinct is to threaten to move to Canada.

"For example, if you are watching TV with white people and there is a piece on the news about that they do not agree with, they are likely to declare “ok, that’s it, I’m moving to Canada.”

"Though they will never actually move to Canada, the act of declaring that they are willing to undertake the journey is very symbolic in white culture. It shows that their dedication to their lifestyle and beliefs are so strong, that they would consider packing up their entire lives and moving to a country that is only slightly different to the one they live in now."

And for a humorous note at the end, Stuff White People like note, "Canadian white people threaten to move to Europe."

Let the record show that we love our country and are not moving to Canada because of dissatisfaction, but because of opportunity.

Another Trophy of Grace

Filed Under: "Man is Like a Breath" and "Aslan is on the Move"
-----
Living in Peru sometimes has the effect on me in that I don't always hear the latest news, though I try to keep up with what's going on in the world through the internet. For example, I just found out that Robert Craig "Evel" Knievel died last November of natural causes at the age of 69. I think most people would have thought that the high-flying dare devil would have gone a long time ago through 'unnatural causes.'

I remember as a kid in the 70s being utterly fascinated (1) that someone could actually do the things he could do, and (2) that someone was daring-crazy enough to attempt the things he attempted to do. I have a very vivid memory of playing with my Evel Knievel Scrambal Van out in the driveway on a dark, rainy summer afternoon at my grandparents house in Oklahoma. From a kid's perspective, Evel Knievel was larger than life. Yep, I was a fan.

I read this morning an article in Christianity Today about 'the new day for apologetics' in light of the new challenges of popular atheistic pundits and how folks are being changed by Christians giving good, honest answers about the person and work of Jesus Christ. The article references Lee Stroebel, author of a number of books including, "The Case for Christ." Stroebel speaks of his experience in talking to people about Christ, and one of those people was Evel Knievel who says this book was instrumental in his conversion from atheism to Christianity. Listen to what Stroebel says...

"One of those people was Evel Knievel, the motorcycle daredevil who died in November 2007. Earlier that spring, Knievel called Strobel after a friend gave him a copy of The Case for Christ. Knievel said the book was instrumental in his conversion from atheism to Christianity. Strobel, a motorcycle fanatic since childhood, and Knievel became friends, speaking weekly over the telephone.

"He just transformed in amazing ways," Strobel says. "I know his last interview was with a macho men's magazine, and he broke down crying, talking about his newfound relationship with Christ. He was so grateful. He knew he had lived a very immoral life and regretted that. He told me many times how he wished he could live his life over for God, and yet God reached down in his last days and dragged him into the kingdom. He was so overwhelmed by God's grace. Here was this macho daredevil who became this humble, loving, and sincere follower of Jesus. It was an amazing thing to behold."

Cool story. I look forward to talking with him about his grace story one day and sharing mine with him: two trophies of God's grace.

For memories sake, here is a video of his famous Grand Canyon jump...


Glimpses of Heaven: The Way Things are Supossed to Be

This post is a revisit...

At times, the pain and evil and sadness and brokenness of this world are so evident and so acute that it seems overwhelming. Can we take news of another tragedy? Is there strength to support those loaded down with grief? Will this insanity ever end? Things are not the way they are supposed to be. And so we cry out, "Come Lord Jesus. Come quickly! Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven."

And for those with eyes to see, there are moments of beauty and heroism and sacrifice and intimacy and near perfection that leaves us breathless and longing for more. We see things that give us hope that sin and death do not have the last word. These are foretastes of the answer to our prayers and the longings of our hearts. These are glimpses of the coming day when Heaven and Earth will be one and the Lord Jesus will set everything to right.

I thought about these foretastes when I read this article of "The Lion Whisperer."


The Scriptures give us so many promises to sink our teeth into: The Prince of Peace will one day usher in His Kingdom of Peace in all its fullness. There will be no more harm or killing, no more tears and longing for something else. Only ever-deepening and ever-increasing joy as we live together on God's green earth exploring God's great universe and enjoying creation, each other, and our Creator just the way things are supposed to be.

Our hope is not to escape this world and live as detatched, disembodied entities. God's design is to spread His blessings wherever there is curse. As the hymnist has put it, Jesus has come to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found...

Reconiliation. Redemption. Renewal. Regeneration. Reinvigoration.

...far as the curse is found...

Restoration. Rescue. Recovery. Release. Rejuvenation.

...far as, far as the curse is found....

Replenishment. Rekindling. Repair. Replinishment. Rebirth.

And it all begins with the announcement of the Gospel of the Kingdom: the Lord of Creation took on flesh and lived the life that we should have lived, and died the death we brought upon this world, and He is now risen! Death could not hold Him!

When the Lord Jesus announced that the Kingdom was at hand at the beginning of His ministry, He was saying that "I have come to heal the world." Reconciliation and the forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed to every creature under heaven. The announcement of Good News is to be taken to every corner of this world. And this same Good News tells us that the Return of the King will usher in the full healing of this sin-cursed creation. The wine will flow fully, the healing of the nations will occur, and the increase of His reign and our joy will know no end.



Heaven and Earth will be one.
And that is the way things are supposed to be.


Addendum: Heather--ever the animal & especially the feline lover--says that she wants a white tiger in the New Heavens & Earth. "They're just big kitties," she insists. "And I want one to bury my face in its fur."

Friday, July 4, 2008

A New Blog for New Times

Filed under: "Just Because I Felt Like It"
-----
As I'm entering a new phase of life, I'm starting a new blog aimed primarily to write out the random thoughts and streams of consciousness in my head--whatever strikes me as important in the moment. But even in the blogosphere, you're never alone--even if it is a virtual community of friends, family, & strangers.

The title of the blog comes from the lyrics of song by Canadian folk-rock guitarist Bruce Cockburn, "Lovers in a Dangerous Time." It goes as follows:

Don't the hours grow shorter as the days go by
You never get to stop and open your eyes
One day you're waiting for the sky to fall
And next you're dazzled by the beauty of it all
When you're lovers in a dangerous time
Lovers in a dangerous time

These fragile bodies of touch and taste
This vibrant skin this hair like lace
Spirits open to the thrust of grace
Never a breath you can afford to waste

When you're lovers in a dangerous time
Lovers in a dangerous time
When you're lovers in a dangerous time
Lovers in a dangerous time

When you're lovers in a dangerous time
Sometimes you're made to feel
as if your love's a crime
Nothing worth having comes
without some kind of fight
Got to kick at the darkness till it bleeds daylight


I love that last line. Interestingly, U2 refers to this haunting line in their song, God Part II: "Heard a singer on the radio late last night / He says he's gonna kick the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight."

As a Christian, it is especially meaningful to me. My whole worldview is framed by the thought that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, entered into the darkness of this world, took the worst that the Evil One could throw at Him, drew my sin and the sin of the world upon Himself on the Cross, and endured the judicial wrath of God in my place. Because of Him--His person, His work, His mission, His love--I have been transferred out of the kingdom of darkness and into His kingdom.

And He has entrusted His mission to His followers. We pray, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Things indeed are not the way they are supposed to be. His kingdom has broken into this world, but still awaits its complete fulfillment. So every time we dress the naked, feed the poor, adopt the orphan, take care of the widow, or give a cup of cold water in His name, we are acting 'kingdomly,' that is, we are showing a messed up, broken, narcissistic world that there is hope--the King is coming with healing in His hands. We are here as His ambassadors and heralds announcing the Good News that Jesus is Lord and giving a foretaste of His kind and powerful rule.

So this blog really flows out of this central conviction of the psalmist as he addressed his Creator & Redeemer, "In Your light, we see light" (Psalm 36:9). Or, to put it in the words of CS Lewis, "I believe in Christianity as I believe in the sun; not only because I see it, but because by it, I see everything else." In this blog, you will find my random musings, insights, muddled thinking, reflections on things I'm reading and seeing, etc., as I kick against the darkness till it bleeds daylight.