A wondrous shot of the Nile River Delta population in Egypt...from above...
Blessings, Don
Saturday, June 18, 2011
The Lights of Egypt
Friends,
A wondrous shot of the Nile River Delta population in Egypt...from above...
Blessings, Don
A wondrous shot of the Nile River Delta population in Egypt...from above...
Blessings, Don
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Becoming Like Our King
Friends,
Nathaniel Hawthorne tells the famous story that provides a great example concerning what it is to be Christ-like. A certain people had been so well-governed that when their king died, they determined never to have another until they could find a man that looked and acted just like the dead monarch. To keep his picture before the people, they had a great profile of the king carved on a cliff. For years, a commission of men hunted through the realm for a man that would qualify…but without success. Yet, one day they stopped at a humble cottage at the base of the great stone face to rest and secure food. To their great joy, they found a young man whose face was just the same as that of the monarch on the cliff. Day in and day out, as this simple boy had plowed his little fields and cut his wood, he had gazed up at the wonderful profile that spoke of courage, purity and determination. And day by day, shaped by the thoughts he allowed to dwell in his mind, he became just like the deceased king. We become more like our King Jesus…in our thoughts and actions…by looking to Him day by day.
Blessings, Don
Nathaniel Hawthorne tells the famous story that provides a great example concerning what it is to be Christ-like. A certain people had been so well-governed that when their king died, they determined never to have another until they could find a man that looked and acted just like the dead monarch. To keep his picture before the people, they had a great profile of the king carved on a cliff. For years, a commission of men hunted through the realm for a man that would qualify…but without success. Yet, one day they stopped at a humble cottage at the base of the great stone face to rest and secure food. To their great joy, they found a young man whose face was just the same as that of the monarch on the cliff. Day in and day out, as this simple boy had plowed his little fields and cut his wood, he had gazed up at the wonderful profile that spoke of courage, purity and determination. And day by day, shaped by the thoughts he allowed to dwell in his mind, he became just like the deceased king. We become more like our King Jesus…in our thoughts and actions…by looking to Him day by day.
Blessings, Don
Monday, June 13, 2011
Mavs Are Marvelous
Friends,
I was oh so tempted to want to write about the Dallas Mavericks' run through the NBA playoffs, but just did not want to deliver any kind of kiss of death. So, now is the time to say -- congratulations to Mark Cuban and his team for dispatching the overhyped Miami Heatles. I have to say, there is a certain sweetness and justification to beating the Heat.
For any criticism that Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki has received for shrinking back over the past several years in the playoffs, he answered all of that criticism...and then some...in the 2011 playoffs. Nowitzki absolutely dominated in the playoffs through the first three rounds and finally in the NBA Championship. Of course, Nowitzki had some help...veteran Jason Kidd, dynamic Jason Terry, energetic J.J. Barea and enforcer Shawn Marion, among others, made significant contributions to bring home the hardware to Dallas.
I have to confess that I have had a hard time rooting for the Mavericks since they had not been able to put together a championship run, while in the meantime their nemesis, the Spurs, down the road in San Antonio, have won four championships over the past dozen years or so. Yet, they have earned maximum respect for their efforts in 2011. The monkey is off of their back, and they have gained a new legion of fans...myself included.
Blessings, Don
I was oh so tempted to want to write about the Dallas Mavericks' run through the NBA playoffs, but just did not want to deliver any kind of kiss of death. So, now is the time to say -- congratulations to Mark Cuban and his team for dispatching the overhyped Miami Heatles. I have to say, there is a certain sweetness and justification to beating the Heat.
For any criticism that Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki has received for shrinking back over the past several years in the playoffs, he answered all of that criticism...and then some...in the 2011 playoffs. Nowitzki absolutely dominated in the playoffs through the first three rounds and finally in the NBA Championship. Of course, Nowitzki had some help...veteran Jason Kidd, dynamic Jason Terry, energetic J.J. Barea and enforcer Shawn Marion, among others, made significant contributions to bring home the hardware to Dallas.
I have to confess that I have had a hard time rooting for the Mavericks since they had not been able to put together a championship run, while in the meantime their nemesis, the Spurs, down the road in San Antonio, have won four championships over the past dozen years or so. Yet, they have earned maximum respect for their efforts in 2011. The monkey is off of their back, and they have gained a new legion of fans...myself included.
Blessings, Don
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Ulterior Motives
Friends,
E.J. Englin shares this -- In society we don the faces we think are most appropriate for the life we want lead. We tread lightly where people's sensibilities are concerned. We speak the language others speak. We immolate, we imitate, we contrive…subterfuge is our drink of choice and we imbibe liberally. Everyday situations arise where we want to make our thoughts, feelings, and voices be heard…situations with our family, friends, co-workers, bosses. We want to be up front, we want to be honest, but we realize that honesty isn't always the best policy. How do you tell the people around you that you want them to do something that may be against their better judgment, or against their nature? How do you promote your ideas, without stepping on the toes of someone important to you? It may sound cynical, but beneath the exterior of the person you call friend lies their own goals, their own dreams, their own wishes; wishes that may be at odds with your own.
Ulterior motive as defined by the MSN Encarta dictionary means: a second and underlying motive…often a selfish or dishonorable one. But, it's not always selfish. Your underlying motive may be to get your daughter to stop dating a man who is leading her down the wrong path. Or it may be to help your spouse make a good decision about a car you're not even sure will make it down the block. It could on the surface seem that you are doing things for your own selfish reasons. And, too often, we think we have a better answer than the person we love. It can be very dishonorable, however, when we don't speak our minds and tell the truth, but it can also be disastrous when we do.
Ulterior motives often hide behind the tragic faces we show to the world. They lurk beneath our benign masks…coloring our actions…informing our decisions. Your mom has one when she huffs and puffs about not being able to go to her church function, when you barely have enough money to buy food. After all, if you give her money, it was your idea. Your husband has one when he drops hints that the boys are having a football party the same day as your anniversary. His forlorn face makes you give in when what you really want to do is wring his neck. Your co-worker has one when they complain about staying up all night with the baby, so you offer to take care of their work, even though you're overloaded with your own.
We often believe that saying what we really want appears selfish or immoral, but to this writer it shows a marked disrespect for the person you're dealing with. Asking outright may not get you what you want, but at least you're honest. Telling the truth about what you want may not be rewarding, but it can stop a lot of heartache. Of course, that being said, civilization just could not stand if everyone was honest about their real motives. Having an ulterior motive could be a good thing or a bad thing. It all depends on what you're trying to accomplish and if what you want will benefit you and hurt someone else.
Blessings, Don
E.J. Englin shares this -- In society we don the faces we think are most appropriate for the life we want lead. We tread lightly where people's sensibilities are concerned. We speak the language others speak. We immolate, we imitate, we contrive…subterfuge is our drink of choice and we imbibe liberally. Everyday situations arise where we want to make our thoughts, feelings, and voices be heard…situations with our family, friends, co-workers, bosses. We want to be up front, we want to be honest, but we realize that honesty isn't always the best policy. How do you tell the people around you that you want them to do something that may be against their better judgment, or against their nature? How do you promote your ideas, without stepping on the toes of someone important to you? It may sound cynical, but beneath the exterior of the person you call friend lies their own goals, their own dreams, their own wishes; wishes that may be at odds with your own.
Ulterior motive as defined by the MSN Encarta dictionary means: a second and underlying motive…often a selfish or dishonorable one. But, it's not always selfish. Your underlying motive may be to get your daughter to stop dating a man who is leading her down the wrong path. Or it may be to help your spouse make a good decision about a car you're not even sure will make it down the block. It could on the surface seem that you are doing things for your own selfish reasons. And, too often, we think we have a better answer than the person we love. It can be very dishonorable, however, when we don't speak our minds and tell the truth, but it can also be disastrous when we do.
Ulterior motives often hide behind the tragic faces we show to the world. They lurk beneath our benign masks…coloring our actions…informing our decisions. Your mom has one when she huffs and puffs about not being able to go to her church function, when you barely have enough money to buy food. After all, if you give her money, it was your idea. Your husband has one when he drops hints that the boys are having a football party the same day as your anniversary. His forlorn face makes you give in when what you really want to do is wring his neck. Your co-worker has one when they complain about staying up all night with the baby, so you offer to take care of their work, even though you're overloaded with your own.
We often believe that saying what we really want appears selfish or immoral, but to this writer it shows a marked disrespect for the person you're dealing with. Asking outright may not get you what you want, but at least you're honest. Telling the truth about what you want may not be rewarding, but it can stop a lot of heartache. Of course, that being said, civilization just could not stand if everyone was honest about their real motives. Having an ulterior motive could be a good thing or a bad thing. It all depends on what you're trying to accomplish and if what you want will benefit you and hurt someone else.
Blessings, Don
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Above All Else
Friends,
Here are some thoughts from Edward Fudge's gracEmail...
THE GREATEST HERESY -- Whatever else might be said, I honestly don't believe we'll even begin to move in the right direction until we resolve that loving one another (and everyone else) is a higher priority than proving, protecting and enforcing the rightness of our doctrines. I'm almost certain someone just now had the thought--"Here we go again, compromising correct doctrine in the name of love. More fluffy, post-modern, sentimental garbage!" Was I right?
The thing is, there's absolutely nothing fluffy, post-modern or sentimental about placing love above doctrinal correctness, for this conviction permeates the New Testament! Truth be told, we shouldn't even contrast "love" and "doctrinal correctness" in the first place. We should rather regard the command to love as the most foundational doctrine of the church and thus the most important doctrine to be correct on!
Peter says, "Above all, love each other deeply, for love covers a multitude of sins" (and alleged "heresies"? I Pet. 4:8, cf. Col 3:14). If love is to be placed "above all," then there simply can't be any other command or doctrine or agenda that competes with it for the top position. It must stand on top alone. Paul makes the same point, but even more emphatically, when he tells us it doesn't matter how right we are, how spiritually gifted we are, how intelligent or wise we are, or even how much faith and service we display: if these aren't accompanied by love, they are a noisy gong or clanging cymbal (I Cor 13:1-3). -- Greg Boyd, Christus Victor (May 7, 2011).
Blessings,
Don
Here are some thoughts from Edward Fudge's gracEmail...
THE GREATEST HERESY -- Whatever else might be said, I honestly don't believe we'll even begin to move in the right direction until we resolve that loving one another (and everyone else) is a higher priority than proving, protecting and enforcing the rightness of our doctrines. I'm almost certain someone just now had the thought--"Here we go again, compromising correct doctrine in the name of love. More fluffy, post-modern, sentimental garbage!" Was I right?
The thing is, there's absolutely nothing fluffy, post-modern or sentimental about placing love above doctrinal correctness, for this conviction permeates the New Testament! Truth be told, we shouldn't even contrast "love" and "doctrinal correctness" in the first place. We should rather regard the command to love as the most foundational doctrine of the church and thus the most important doctrine to be correct on!
Peter says, "Above all, love each other deeply, for love covers a multitude of sins" (and alleged "heresies"? I Pet. 4:8, cf. Col 3:14). If love is to be placed "above all," then there simply can't be any other command or doctrine or agenda that competes with it for the top position. It must stand on top alone. Paul makes the same point, but even more emphatically, when he tells us it doesn't matter how right we are, how spiritually gifted we are, how intelligent or wise we are, or even how much faith and service we display: if these aren't accompanied by love, they are a noisy gong or clanging cymbal (I Cor 13:1-3). -- Greg Boyd, Christus Victor (May 7, 2011).
Blessings,
Don
Monday, May 30, 2011
A Fascinating Twist
Friends,
In an interesting twist of fate yesterday, two J.R.s...JR Hildebrand and Dale Earnardt Jr...both lost on the last lap in the two biggest races (scope for Indy...length for Nascar) in motorsports. Both cars' main sponsor is -- the National Guard. The irony is...our National Guard is second to no one...and the same is true for the rest of our armed forces. Happy Memorial Day and God bless our military men and women.
Blessings,
Don
In an interesting twist of fate yesterday, two J.R.s...JR Hildebrand and Dale Earnardt Jr...both lost on the last lap in the two biggest races (scope for Indy...length for Nascar) in motorsports. Both cars' main sponsor is -- the National Guard. The irony is...our National Guard is second to no one...and the same is true for the rest of our armed forces. Happy Memorial Day and God bless our military men and women.
Blessings,
Don
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Winning in Tennis...and in Life
Friends,
A good story to consider...
In the 1975 Masters Tennis Tournament in Stockholm, Sweden, tennis star, Arthur Ashe, was ahead 4-1 in the third and decisive set of his round-robin match with Romanian-born Ilie Nastase. Nastase was sometimes dubbed "Nasty" Nastase for his flamboyant on-court antics. Behind in the match, Nastase went into his act again, stalling and arguing, cursing, taunting, and acting like a madman. Finally, Arthur Ashe put down his racket and walked off the court, saying, "I've had enough. I'm at the point where I'm afraid I'll lose control." "But Arthur," cried the umpire, "You'll default the match." "I don't care," replied Ashe, "I'd rather lose that than my self-respect."
Agreeing that Nastase's unruly behavior had unfairly interrupted the match and driven Ashe to the sidelines, referee Horst Klosterkemper came up with a solution to the fiasco. He announced that Nastase was disqualified. He refused to condone Nastase's bullying tactics and he insisted that Nastase default the match for his unsportsman-like conduct. Arthur Ashe won both in the game of tennis…and in the game of life. He was a person who lived integrity…and it showed. He faced many struggles in his life, but he was respected to the day that he died…and to this day.
Blessings,
Don
A good story to consider...
In the 1975 Masters Tennis Tournament in Stockholm, Sweden, tennis star, Arthur Ashe, was ahead 4-1 in the third and decisive set of his round-robin match with Romanian-born Ilie Nastase. Nastase was sometimes dubbed "Nasty" Nastase for his flamboyant on-court antics. Behind in the match, Nastase went into his act again, stalling and arguing, cursing, taunting, and acting like a madman. Finally, Arthur Ashe put down his racket and walked off the court, saying, "I've had enough. I'm at the point where I'm afraid I'll lose control." "But Arthur," cried the umpire, "You'll default the match." "I don't care," replied Ashe, "I'd rather lose that than my self-respect."
Agreeing that Nastase's unruly behavior had unfairly interrupted the match and driven Ashe to the sidelines, referee Horst Klosterkemper came up with a solution to the fiasco. He announced that Nastase was disqualified. He refused to condone Nastase's bullying tactics and he insisted that Nastase default the match for his unsportsman-like conduct. Arthur Ashe won both in the game of tennis…and in the game of life. He was a person who lived integrity…and it showed. He faced many struggles in his life, but he was respected to the day that he died…and to this day.
Blessings,
Don
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
An Important Message
Friends,
Following is a response to a buddy of mine from my youth concerning the validity and value of the Bible in particular, and thus Christianity in general...I am sharing it here in case it may be a blessing to another.
The Bible is a simple message about the Son of God who came in the flesh, sent by His Father (God), to redeem His people. Some of the adjoining detailed principles and concepts can be challenging -- atonement, baptism, resurrection, Spirit/water/blood, etc...all run deep. What is critical is that...if we believe in the Bible and its transmission, we know that it comes from the hand of the Holy Spirit. He used 40 men over a couple of millennia to record the messages of God. While many men had a hand in the writing...it is necessary to understand that the hand of the Spirit was over them all as they worked. (This is the simplistic view...there is much more to tell...perhaps another time). It's composition is the result of many manuscripts preserved and consistent by nature...the Dead Sea scrolls prove the amazing consistency of the message over at least a thousand years of time, and it actually is consistent (in its writing composition) over the course of thousands of years. The messages found in the Word of God may appear to be contradictory at times, but most are found to complimentary with each other. There are some questions that arise, for certain, but can be discerned with reasonable consistency. All matters pertaining to life and godliness must been considered through the eyes of faith...this is critical. If we do not live with trust in the message as coming from God, then all bets are off.
Blessings,
Don
Following is a response to a buddy of mine from my youth concerning the validity and value of the Bible in particular, and thus Christianity in general...I am sharing it here in case it may be a blessing to another.
The Bible is a simple message about the Son of God who came in the flesh, sent by His Father (God), to redeem His people. Some of the adjoining detailed principles and concepts can be challenging -- atonement, baptism, resurrection, Spirit/water/blood, etc...all run deep. What is critical is that...if we believe in the Bible and its transmission, we know that it comes from the hand of the Holy Spirit. He used 40 men over a couple of millennia to record the messages of God. While many men had a hand in the writing...it is necessary to understand that the hand of the Spirit was over them all as they worked. (This is the simplistic view...there is much more to tell...perhaps another time). It's composition is the result of many manuscripts preserved and consistent by nature...the Dead Sea scrolls prove the amazing consistency of the message over at least a thousand years of time, and it actually is consistent (in its writing composition) over the course of thousands of years. The messages found in the Word of God may appear to be contradictory at times, but most are found to complimentary with each other. There are some questions that arise, for certain, but can be discerned with reasonable consistency. All matters pertaining to life and godliness must been considered through the eyes of faith...this is critical. If we do not live with trust in the message as coming from God, then all bets are off.
Blessings,
Don
Monday, May 23, 2011
God is Under the Bed
Friends,
Kelly Adkins shares this story -- My brother Kevin thinks God lives under his bed. At least that's what I heard him say one night. He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped outside his closed door to listen. "Are you there, God?" he said. "Where are you? Oh, I see -- under the bed." I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Kevin's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humor. I realized for the first time the very different world in which Kevin lives. He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor. Apart from his size…he's 6-foot-2…there are few ways in which he is an adult. He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas, and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.
I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life? He is up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, returning to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed. The only variation in his schedule is laundry days, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child. He does not seem dissatisfied. And Saturdays--oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That's the day that my dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger. "That one's goin' to Chi-car-go!" Kevin shouts as he claps his hands. His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights.
I don't think Kevin knows anything exists outside his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips He doesn't know what it means to be discontent. His life is simple. He will never know the entanglements of wealth or power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats. He recognizes no differences in people, treating each person as an equal and a friend. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be. His hands are diligent. Kevin is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it. He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax. He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others. His heart is pure. He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue. Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God. Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child. Kevin seems to know God -- to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an "educated" person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion. In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity, I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith. It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions. It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap -- I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances -- they all become disabilities when I do not submit them to Christ.
Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn? After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of the Lord. And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed. Kevin won't be surprised at all....
Blessings,
Don
Kelly Adkins shares this story -- My brother Kevin thinks God lives under his bed. At least that's what I heard him say one night. He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped outside his closed door to listen. "Are you there, God?" he said. "Where are you? Oh, I see -- under the bed." I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Kevin's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humor. I realized for the first time the very different world in which Kevin lives. He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor. Apart from his size…he's 6-foot-2…there are few ways in which he is an adult. He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas, and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.
I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life? He is up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, returning to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed. The only variation in his schedule is laundry days, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child. He does not seem dissatisfied. And Saturdays--oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That's the day that my dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger. "That one's goin' to Chi-car-go!" Kevin shouts as he claps his hands. His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights.
I don't think Kevin knows anything exists outside his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips He doesn't know what it means to be discontent. His life is simple. He will never know the entanglements of wealth or power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats. He recognizes no differences in people, treating each person as an equal and a friend. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be. His hands are diligent. Kevin is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it. He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax. He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others. His heart is pure. He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue. Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God. Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child. Kevin seems to know God -- to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an "educated" person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion. In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity, I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith. It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions. It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap -- I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances -- they all become disabilities when I do not submit them to Christ.
Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn? After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of the Lord. And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed. Kevin won't be surprised at all....
Blessings,
Don
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