Not, this post won't address the billionaire running for the Republican nomination, but his line, combined with one from my dad, and my work on excavating our back yard and hauling dirt in a wheelbarrow, all together, have caused me to ponder an important issue of spiritual formation. Complaining.
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Celebrate Our Surrender
A paradox is two contradictory statements when both are true. My preeminent example comes from Jesus, "If you save your life you'll lose it, but if you lose it for my sake you'll save it" (Matthew 16:25). But we need to move back to gain a greater context to understand its significance. In verse 21, Jesus proclaimed that he must die, to which Peter protested vigorously. Jesus then called him Satan, a pretty strong accusation, because he relied on a human perspective rather than a godly one. Jesus then gave the mark of a follower...
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Failure?
With great anticipation, I made a Facebook post last week. Yeah, I skipped the blog post, but my grandson Josh and I were on our way to climb Mt. Whitney, the tallest peak in the lower 48 states. So I put up a pic of our goal, Mt. Whitney, at 14,508 feet. It's above. Under it is Trail Camp, at 12,000 ft. the last stop before Whitney. Understand my eagerness to climb it.
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Working Backward
I'm consumed with returning our yard back to good condition after six years of rental neglect left it overgrown or dead. One task: remove the back lawn and replace it with a brick patio. Rarely for SoCal in June, over 1" of rain fell last weekend, which softened the turf enough to remove easily. Well, easier than if it were hard and dry. So I eagerly started in with a shovel and old muscles and fairly quickly excavated 3/4 of the 600 sq.ft., only to realize I'd created a problem.
Take a close look...
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image by dailymail.co.com
Tightrope
Sometimes I feel like Blondin. In 1858, the French acrobat pictured above stretched a 2" hemp rope from one side of Niagara Falls to the other, and attempted to cross it. One misstep and only death awaited him. People crowded both banks, and the smart money wagered he would fall.
16 years ago, curiosity overcame my values and led me into a year-long struggle with soft core pornography.
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Ride Free
Just after graduating from college, I worked long enough to buy a Honda 350 Scrambler motorcycle and to save a few bucks, and took off for Canada. My only objective: visit a former college roommate who had moved to Kamloops. No other plan, no watch, just a few maps and a little cash. The only time frame: return for the start of grad school in late August.
The primary road above, through the redwoods of northern California, saw a lot of detours. Every intriguing sign, every interesting side road, every wild hair changed the route. 10 states and 2 countries, 30 days and 6,000 miles, and my life changed
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How Far Will You Follow His Will?
Since moving back to our hometown of Temecula three weeks ago, we’ve enjoyed savoring the flavors of local churches. Some pretty large, some pretty small, some in the middle, but the message today at Oakstone Community Church caused me to think. Quite a bit. The text began with 2 Timothy 1:1, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God…” but then the pastor pointed out the difference from Paul’s first letter to Timothy, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the command of God…"
A change of just one word, but with...
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Life--Relentless
Three days ago, the small tan clump in the foreground looked like the abundant and green tower of pampas grass in the background. Then two days ago, it got shaved to a significantly smaller “stump.” But by yesterday, it had begun to grow again. Look carefully, six inch pale green shoots demonstrate the relentlessness of life. I hope the generous application of Round Up will kill the roots, but several doses might be required. Why? Life persistently holds on and typically doesn’t give up easily. I suspect God intentionally ...
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