About the Photo - The Next Big Step

If ever there was a parable in a picture this one would qualify. On a late summer afternoon a longing was fulfilled; a step was taken that had been considered for years but had simply been set aside for reasons of practicality. Maybe it was the testosterone level that was right that day. Maybe it was we knew changes were coming and this might be the last chance for us to do this thing. Maybe it was simply that the light was perfect. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I am now 42 and it had been a whole bunch of years sine I had jumped off a cliff. Or maybe it was the realization that my kids were finally old enough to make up their own minds about doing questionable/dangerous/fun/crazy/memorable things. Whatever the reason we did it.

I jumped first. The fall was exhilarating but my impact with the water was almost debilitating. I pasted a lying smile on my face and groaned out a "Come on! It's great!" My poor entry into the water was no reason to deny others the thrill of leaping from the stony security of the cliff. One after the other they took the leap with a descending "Whooo!," a glorious splash and a concluding fist pumped victoriously into the air with a shout of conquest. It was, and will be forever, a memorable day.

My friend Barry captured this photo of my eldest taking his leap. It is a photo with the potency of poetry. Not only was Jeremy leaping from rock to river, he was also making the leap from family to future. It is his next big step. He seems to be enjoying the journey much like he enjoyed that marvelous day at the river. I hear tales of leaps he's recently taken from a bridge into a river near campus! I suppose that first big step and that first big leap inevitably lead to others quite naturally.

Do I worry? Sure. What parent doesn't? (I can tell you my mother worried enough for all of us on the day the photo was taken!) But my worry is not that he'll get hurt, or that he'll do something stupid - I'm pretty certain that's going to happen along the way. No my worry is, and has always been, that he will be afraid to take the next big step.

So, for Christmas he's getting a framed copy of this perfect parable in a photo to remind him of the joy in taking the next big step. Please don't tell him. I'd like to watch his face as he remembers this unforgettable day.

Big God - little me

Image by jpstanley via Flickr

Big God. little me.

Today I discovered a place of wonder on-line and encourage you to discover it too. Take a virtual trip to a rural hillside and see our cosmic neighborhood. Giga Galaxy Zoom will give you an unprecedented opportunity to see the Milky Way. After your head stops spinning from the magnificence revealed on your little computer screen (you might want to take your laptop outside and hold it up to the night sky---just for effect) take a few moments to marvel at the God who "calls them all by name."

"It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in...Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing." Isaiah 40:22 & 25-26

Big God. little me.

When we lived in the greater Atlanta metro area we missed the night sky. It is largely a wash of light pollution allowing only the brightest of stars to shine through. When we moved to our slice of rural heaven we were stunned by all we had been missing. Wonder was reborn in us as we observed the turning of the universe. We eagerly await Leo's rise in the spring and long for Orion's winter arrival. We never knew Corvus (the Crow) or Bootes (the Shepherd - one of my favorites!) or Auguira (the Charioteer) ever existed before moving to a place where the stars can actually be seen. Lying on our hillside with our eyes lost in the vastness of the night sky we finally understood what David meant when he asked, "When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?" (Ps. 8:3-4)

Big God. little me.

Shepherd Season

For those of you kind enough to invest a few moments dropping by my place here, thank you. It's been one of those season's of shepherding the flock I am privileged to serve which has required much of me in time and effort. It has been my blessing to serve families at their point of need, to prepare messages that serve as spiritual food for souls, and to give gentle and, hopefully, wise counsel through difficult decisions. To quote Paul,

"We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh." (2 Corinthians 4:7-11)

In God's perfect timing I have a long awaited and joy-filled break coming my way in the guise of celebrating my 21st wedding anniversary with my beloved! We will be getting away to the historic and wonderful Kate Shepard House in Mobile this weekend to be treated like royalty by Bill and Wendy and to remember again why we love being in love with each other!

Perhaps a return to the blogosphere will materialize then. Until then this shepherd is lying down in green pastures and enjoying a restoration of the soul.

Lying Down In Green Pastures

This Shepherd will be on vacation with the family this week. Don't look for updates here or anywhere else. I'm taking a break from all things electronic...well, I will have my cell phone in case of emergency but there will be no facebook or twitter updates. I'm probably not responding to SMS messages. I might listen to my voicemail - might not.

Check back next week. I'll tell you about life disconnected. What I'll really be telling you about is life re-connected. Re-connected with the relationships that really matter in this life. Until then, I am outta' here!

God's Good Care

The kids are all off to M-Fuge this week so my beloved and I are enjoying a taste of the empty nest. Our youngest is the farthest and longest from home he's ever been so he approached this week with some trepidation.

I got a phone call from him on Monday (he hasn't yet learned that calling the parental units is no cool - please don't anybody tell him!) He asked me to pray for him as they were getting ready to sign up for their groups and he wanted to be right where God wanted to him to be. I assured him I would pray and reminded him that God already had everything taken care of for him.

Pray I did.

Image by KLuwak via Flickr

Later that evening he called again (whew, nobody has filled him on the parents and cool thing yet) and asked me if I knew a guy named Roger B. In fact I do. It seems that when they were assigned to their various groups youngest just "happened" to be placed in the group with one my college buddies. Coincidence? I'm thinking, no.

God is good in all of His care for us. It is humbling that He is willing to attend to small prayers like this one in light of all the other things happening in the world today.

Papaw's Favorite Poem

My maternal grandfather was a delightful man who regularly walks the halls of my memory. Whether it is the "million-jillion pieces" into which he used to cut my morning toast or the indelible vision of his solitary figure contentedly tending the garden, he is part of the daily fabric of my life. Just this morning my ministry assistant made mention of a pithy phrase from a calendar gracing the kitchen window of our office and it reminded me of Papaw. The phrase was this, "Pessimists are people who need a swift kick in the can'ts." Papaw would have liked this and would have likely launched into a recital of, what I must believe was, his favorite poem, "It Couldn't Be Done" by Edgar Guest. I gladly place it here for your review and my joy-filled remembrance.

It Couldn't Be Done
by
Edgar Guest

Somebody said that it couldn't be done,
But, he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn't" but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so till he'd tried.

So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, as he did it.

Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;
At least no one we know has done it";
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,
And the first thing we knew he'd begun it.

With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you, one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.

But just buckle right in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That cannot be done, and you'll do it

Can This Really Be Happening?

I am with my eldest in Mobile today. He registers for fall classes at the University of Mobile today. This is almost dreamlike. I am not old enough to have a child entering the college years! Admittedly, I am not dealing with all of this very well.

That said, I must say that he and I are having a great time. We stopped by the hospital on the way down to visit with some of the flock that were there and had a funny, and now recurring, experience. We got on the elevator with some total strangers who took one look at us and said to my eldest, "You're his son aren't you. You two look like twins!" We both laughed and I again apologized to him for this. We had sooooo hoped he would look more like his mother! Alas, joyfully, he is without doubt my son.

A Unique Moment of Baptismal Celebration

"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17

Baptism is always a powerful time of celebration, worship, and remembrance for me. I never baptize without remembering my own baptism at the age of 8 years. I vividly recall each detail of that momentous moment. I remember Charles Langston, my pastor, asking if I had placed my faith in Christ Jesus and my affirmative response. I recall him gladly stating that because of my profession of faith he was baptizing me his "little brother" in the name of the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit. I remember being plunged under the water and the thrill of being lifted again from the water. My life has never been the same. I was a believer before I was baptized and this event served to firmly fix this decision in my life.

Sunday morning I had the unusual pleasure of baptizing father and son together. They had both experienced baptism before but it was simply an exercise in getting wet. You see, they were not believers at the time they were first "dunked." The difference on this Sunday was not the quality of the water or the potency of any words this Shepherd spoke (as opposed to the words the pastor who had baptized them spoke), no, the difference was the condition of the heart of these men. On this day they entered these waters as new men; men who had placed their faith firmly and finally in Christ Jesus as their sole hope of salvation. What occurred in these moments of celebration, as they publicly professed their faith to those who were gathered, was a moment filled with spiritual potency and significance for all.

As each man rose from the waters applause erupted through the sanctuary in celebration of God's mighty and mysterious working in these lives. I am humbly grateful for the privilege of being present at such a moment.

A Walk With My Son

This Shepherd had the marvelous joy of taking a long walk with his eldest son last week. Number one son has been backpacking with me since he was five years old and our experiences have been memorable on every occasion. Three days and thirty one miles of unforgettable beauty and uninterrupted time forged memories that will last.

I was poignantly aware this was the last time he and I would take a walk like this. You see, he is graduating from high school this year. Knowing I would soon be sharing him with the rest of the world made every step bitter-sweet. I know he's ready for the adventure, I'm just not ready to send him off on his own yet.

The entire journey took on the air of an extended metaphor in our relationship: I used to carry his stuff for him, after all he was too small to carry it all, this trip he was carrying some of the things I usually carry, lightening my load because I am "getting old." I used to set the pace and encourage him to keep on walking, now I tell him to just go ahead I'll catch up at the next trail junction. I used to stop and point out things of interest to him, now I find myself interested in the things that interest him. The unbridled energy of his youth is now clearly focused and the realization of his strength, physical, emotional, and spiritual, humbles me. He will certainly surpass me

My son has become a man.

I weep tears of pride and sadness and joy and wonder even as I write those simple words. This should be no great surprise; he's been on this journey for 18 years now. I suppose I am simply awed by the realization.

When he walks it is as if the path is all that exists and the entire purpose of being in that moment is taking the next step. He is an intense hiker. I am wondering wanderer. Every sight and sound has the potential to stop me. I sometimes wonder if he, in his youthful strength, is ever awed.

A defining moment came unexpectedly (don't most defining moments?) on the second day. After a long and difficult climb to the ridge top and lunch stop in the sunshine, we came to a section of trail which narrowly followed the spine of the ridge. As I set foot on that narrow way I noticed my son stopped in the trail ahead of me. Unusual for him. I followed his eyes into North Carolina and realized why he had paused. His intensity was stopped in its tracks by beauty. His father was stopped in his tracks by love for his son and thanks to our Father for this moment shared. We exchanged no words. They would have only spoiled the view.

It was a walk with my son. What began as a father and his child taking a walk became a father taking a walk with his son who is a man.

He Made Me Lie Down

The beginning of this new year has been unusually intense for this shepherd and I suppose it caught up with me last week. A personal bout with the flu (a mild case) combined with a daughter who gave it to me (she's so generous!) a son with a fever virus that is going around and another son with a stomach virus turned our house into an infirmary! My Beloved somehow, thankfully, managed to avoid all of the crud-ola and took marvelous care of us all. She is one remarkable woman.

Psalm 23 famously states,

"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul."

I personally experienced being made to lie down last week and, I can say with clarity, a restoration of my soul has occurred. It is good to be in the care of the Great Shepherd.

For those of you who drop by here from time to time here's what to look for in the next few days...

• The Monday Morning Message catch up posts. "The Middles: Stories of Faith in Process' will all be posted here in short order. Gideon, David, Jeremiah, and the church have a story of faith in the middle to tell.
• A great story about perseverance. Paul Rokich's story will make you want to hang in there.
• Some thoughts about purity which have been percolating for a while.

It's good to be back among the living.

Twenty and Counting!

Twenty years ago I said "I do" to this beautiful woman who graces my life with joy and laughter every day. She is a marvelous cook, an unparalleled mother, a natural wit, a well of wisdom, and the one I can't wait to get home to each day. To say I am blessed would fall far short of the mark.

We often laugh out loud at what God must have been thinking when He brought us together.

• I love solitude and silence, she leaves the television on for "background" noise.
  
• I am a constant reader, she reads for survival.
  
• I am a "Good morning God!" person, she is a "Good God, it's morning!" person.
  
• I am self professed nerd, she is a southern lady.
  
• I believe "Gone With the Wind" to be a perfect waste of three hours of film, she thinks it's the greatest movie ever made.

I could go on and on but I'm sure you're developing a picture in your mind. Our lives are rarely dull and our conversations are often punctuated by lively exchanges of ideas. I cannot imagine life any other way!

I am approaching the point at which I will have lived half of my born days with this woman. Funny, but I'm not sure I ever really lived before she came into my life. Sure, I can remember some great moments from my younger years (I had a great childhood!) but they all pale in comparison with the moments I have shared with her. And as I look forward to what lies ahead of us (kids in college, our 2nd honeymoon (aka "empty nest"), daughters and son in law, grandchildren, adventures, etc.) I get that Christmas morning feeling in my stomach. I just can't wait to see what's there for us!

My Beloved, you are truly the treasure of my heart. I thank God for you. Here's to the next twenty and beyond! I can't wait to see what's around the bend!

Monday Morning Message - If This Is the Way You Treat Your Friends...

Eugene Peterson relates a story concerning Teresa of Avila in his engaging volume, Eat This Book. As Teresa is traveling the length and breadth of Spain, in her campaign to reform the Carmelite monasteries, she is one day thrown from her ox cart into a muddy stream. Standing, she shakes her fist at God and quips, "God, if this is the way you treat your friends, no wonder you don't have many!

What happens when God doesn't act like the doting grandfather many believe Him to be? What is our response to be when our life is a litany of suffering rather than a listing of successes? The God that is most often trumpeted from televangelists and the God most often looked for by the masses is a God with little resemblance to the God revealed in scripture. The God of scripture is anything but a doting grandfather or tamed trinket to add to our lives. The God of scripture is not to be trifled with but who, nevertheless, invites us to know, love, and trust Him.

Our church family had the privilege of hearing the story of one man who has encountered this fearsome God and discovered that even in tragedy, maybe especially in tragedy, God shows His all-surpassing greatness. Reggie Jones has experienced numerous heartaches and tragedies in his short life yet he exhibits an unwavering trust in the goodness and faithfulness of God. Beginning with the life-altering accident his younger brother had at age 9 and coming to an experience he had as recently as a year ago, Reggie has grappled with God's designs and purposes for his life. It is evident that God is using him to inspire and encourage others to press on.

Reggie's younger brother Wes, at age 9, fell 25 feet from a tree house and broke his neck paralyzing him for life. This happened one month after Reggie's dad left a lucrative career with IBM to enter the ministry full-time. To say he was angry with God would be an understatement. I immediately thought of Teresa of Avila's statement, "God, if this is the way you treat your friends, no wonder you don't have many!"

But this story does not end with a little boy confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. God had, and has, other things in mind. 20 odd years have passed since that fateful day in the woods of Covington, Georgia when Wes broke his neck, what was to become of him? Both he and his brother Reggie are in demand for speaking engagements across the country and their marvelous story of what God has done in their lives is being told to thousands. Wes now holds the #1 show on GAC network called Unlimited Outdoors and, with Reggie's guidance in marketing, it has incredible potential to reach even greater heights. You can read Wes' story here.




This story alone would be enough to touch the heart of the most hardened but there is more to be told from Reggie's life. The list includes

• a near death experience for he and two hunting partners while duck hunting,
• continuing health issues as a result of this experience,
  
• a daughter he and his wife were told they would never have,
• business partners turning on him after 7 years of unmatched success (Reggie was Recognized as the Young Business Leader of the Year in 2005).

In all of these things Reggie has chosen to look to God and at every turn God has proven Himself faithful. It's not been an easy journey but Reggie finds joy and hope in following God's plan for his life. Reggie states, "I have endured a great many obstacles in my life. But each obstacle I have overcome. It hasn't been easy, but I learned early on from my family to put God in the center of everything, and he wil see us through. God has always provided me with strength beyond measure; His timing has always been perfect, even when it seemed like we were facing the worst." (Triumph Over Tragedy, Reggie Jones)

Monday Morning Message - Gaurd the Gates

Yes, the Monday Morning Message is being posted on a Wednesday...for those of you eagerly awaiting this post I apologize for the wait.

In late 214 b.c. or early 213 b.c. the Roman general Marcellus laid siege to the city of Syracuse. Armed with three legions totaling over 25,000 men, 100 warships, and great numbers of siege engines Marcellus approached the unbreached walls of Syracuse with confidence that this would be a short ordeal. It seemed that Marcellus had calculated everything correctly except for the variable of one man named Archimedes.

Archimedes who was described by Livy as 'that unrivalled observer of the heaven and the stars, even more remarkable as the inventor and engineer of artillery and engines of war' had prepared the city with ingenious anti-siege machines. The Romans were stymied in every attempt by land and sea by these marvelous machines, some of which would literally lift a Roman ship out of the water, shake it, and throw it to its demise against the cliff wall of the port city. What was to be a short endeavor took on an ominous character of desperation leading Plutarch to comment that "The Romans seemed to be fighting against the gods." It seemed the Romans were to be thwarted in their effort to take this prize city until an overture from one of the city leaders of Syracuse changed everything.

One of the three prefects of Syracuse, Moeriscus by name, offered to betray the city for a price. During a diversionary attack by the Romans, which only emboldened the defenders as they saw the futility of the Roman efforts, Moeriscus opened the gates of the city and allowed the attackers to enter uncontested.

I believe much the same thing is happening in many lives today. People with high standards of morality and purity in their lives are allowing their strength to be compromised and, in many cases, defeated because they've not set guards at the gates of their lives. Proverbs 4:23 states "Keep your heart will all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." It doesn't take much poison to ruin a spring, no matter how strong and fresh it is. Once it is polluted it is useless until it cleaned up. We need to actively and aggressively guard the gates of our hearts. Particularly in the areas of what we see and hear.

Job shared with his friends that he had made a covenant with his eyes to not look lustfully on a young woman (Job 31:1). He was guarding the gates of his life because he knew how easily sin could trip, ensnare and, ultimately, enslave him. Job also knew that sin never made good on it's promises. It may be sweet for a season but it always ends with an unsatisfying flavor. We would do well to emulate Job's wise course of action and set a guard over the gates of our lives.

It is amazing to see what was once relegated to the back streets of our cities now parading down main street. Pornography, thanks to the availability, affordability, and anonymity of the internet, has unleashed a sexual beast that threatens the very fabric of society. If you have some time browse through the report given to the U.S. Senate Committee on Judiciary concerning Pornography's Impact On Marriage and the Family. To say it is a sobering evaluation
would be a serious understatement. Unless we guard the gates we will discover not only our lives being deeply affected but we will also see the very society which we treasure being torn apart. de Tocqueville said it well, "If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."

Have we let the enemy in through the gates?

Monday Morning Message - PURE

Ketchup was not always what it is today. In fact it's production history is a horror story waiting for a script. Before the Pure Food & Drug Act of 1906 ketchup producers were known to use coal tar to enhance the red coloring. Yummy, huh? Others utilized leftover concentrated tomato pulp stored in less than ideal circumstances to make the popular condiment in the off-season. Thankfully, you can now put ketchup on your eggs (everybody does this, right?) with confidence that it is really ketchup! Following is the current governmental standard for ketchup.

B.11.014. [S]. Tomato Catsup, Catsup or products whose common names are variants of the word Catsup (Ketchup) shall be the heat processed product made from the juice of red-ripe tomatoes or sound tomato trimmings from which skins and seeds have been removed; shall contain vinegar, salt, seasoning, and a sweetening ingredient; and may contain a Class II preservative, and food color.

Standards like this ensure we are getting what we desire and not some cheap imitation or, worse, perversion of what we were pursuing. In similar fashion God has put standards in place to ensure we get the very best out of life and not some unsatisfying imitation. Jesus stated in John 10:10, "I have come that they might have life and have it abundantly!"

The notion that God desires for us to fully enjoy life comes as a surprise to many. Many believe that God is the "Fun Police" and if anybody is having any fun anywhere, God is sure to show up and put a stop to it. Nothing could be further from the truth. God desires the very best for us. Our problem is we like to disagree with God about such things. So, who's right? A brief rumination on this matter should give a fairly clear answer.

When it comes to the issue of sexuality the Bible is full of stories that address this most fundamental fact of human existence. The Bible talks A LOT about sex and, for the record, God's opinion about sex is that it is "very good." (I offer a hearty, AMEN!) Here are a few stories you might enjoy re-visiting....

• Genesis 3 & 4 - Adam and Eve - naked, no shame, "Now Adam knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain." (Of course he "knew" her! - Bible language is so fun!)
  
• Genesis 17, 18 & 21 - Abraham and Sarah - Abraham is quickly becoming one of my personal heroes in this area! 86 when he has his fist child! 99 when he's circumcised (ouch!) and 100 when he father's Isaac! My favorite scripture line in this story is attributed to Sarah in Gen. 18:12, "So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, 'After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?'" (Apparently yes!)
• 2 Samuel 11, 12 and Psalm 51 - David and Bathsheba - This is a movie waiting for a script. Lust, adultery, political intrigue, murder, and power all in one story.
• Song of Solomon - Can I just say, "WOW!"? To say this gets a little "steamy" is a serious understatement! My favorite is chapter 7 where the husband describes the wife from her toes to her head. Just thinking about this makes me want to head to the house!
• Matthew 5-7 - Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount - If you can't see the "Bridge Out Ahead" signs, don't blame the sign maker for your car winding up in the river.
• 10 out of 13 of the Apostle Paul's letters to the New Testament churches directly address the issue of sexuality. Only Philippians, 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon eschew this topic.

This is only a small sample but I place it here as many are surprised by how much sex is in the Bible. Society has an amazing preoccupation with sex and sexuality. It's evident society is looking for the best sex available but is finding a lot of unsatisfying imitations. In fact, I would propose that society is entirely missing the 'Love Boat' when it comes to sexuality. I present for your consideration the following.

• Cohabitation rates are at an all-time high. (Interesting new moniker, it used to be called "Living in Sin") The 2007 edition of the New Oxford Review, published a report titled, Cohabitation is bad for men, worse for women, and horrible for children, by Dr. A. Patrick Schneider II. Here are a few of his conclusions.
• Relationships are unstable in cohabitation. One-sixth of cohabiting couples stay together for only three years; one in ten survives five or more years.
• Cohabitation brings a greater risk of sexually transmitted diseases, because cohabiting men are four times more likely to be unfaithful that husbands.
• Those who suffer most from cohabitation are the children. The poverty rate among children of cohabiting couples is fivefold greater than the rate among children in married couple households.
• STD's are on the increase. See this 2007 CDC report for a full view and check this recent news report stating that 1 in 4 teen aged girls have a sexually transmitted disease. Many of these are incurable (Congratulations! You now have a new lifelong friend!) and some are deadly.
• Pornography is one of the leading causes of family breakdown. Two-thirds of the divorce lawyers attending a 2002 meeting of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers said excessive interest in online porn contributed to more than half of the divorces they handled that year. They also said pornography had an almost non-existent role in divorce just seven or eight years earlier. (“Is the Internet Bad for Your Marriage? Online Affairs, Pornographic Sites Playing Greater Role in Divorces,” PR Newswire, 14 November 2002.)
• And for one that will nicely turn your stomach, this recent story raises the question of how a 9 year old even knows about such things.
  

Is it possible that some standards in the arena of human sexuality are needed? Is it possible that maybe God, the inventor of sex, knows what He's talking about? The popular perception is that God is out to kill the fun but it's evident that society's spin on sexuality may be fun for a while but I'm pretty certain waking up with AIDS or herpes or dealing with your 7 year old who's been sexually assaulted isn't much fun.

Purity guarantees that we are getting the real thing. Perhaps a return to purity is in order for our society. Here are a few suggestions for today.

1. Recognize the damaging effects of impurity.
2. Repent (turn away) from impure activity.
3. Recommit to a pure lifestyle.
4. Rejoice in God's good plan for purity in your life!

"He who loves purity of heart, and whose speech is gracious, will have the king as his friend." (Prov. 22:11) And just who is this king? "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." (Mt. 5:8) Here's to purity!

A Different View of the Immigration Issue

Don't have time to fully develop this one right now, so I'll offer you a teaser to bring you back in the next day or two...

Imagine what it would be like if 50% of the kids in your local elementary school, or better yet, 50% of the kids on your street had dads (and sometimes moms too) living in another country. This is exactly what we encountered in Guatemala. I never considered the immigration issue from the other side of the Rio Grande. One of the unseen problems this unchecked flow of people from Latin America is causing is the terrible, and unprecedented, stress being placed on the social and familial fabric of those nations.

In one home we encountered a woman who had simply taken in three boys because their Mother and Father had abandoned them and gone to the United States. I'm sorry, but for the life of me I cannot think of anything that would make My Beloved and I leave our three kids. Stunned only begins to touch our reaction. More on this later...

Moving Day

Spent Saturday moving my mother-in-law. It was a physically and emotionally draining day for all of us. This was no simple move. It was a family exercise in grieving. You see, my father-in-law passed away in February and we are still processing what life looks like without him in it. Now it looks like a new house. One that doesn't have any memory of Papa.

It was difficult to pack up the last of the things at the river house and to close that door for the last time. The house may have been emptied of its furnishings but it was terribly crowded with memories (and still is). There was a lot of "I remember when..." happening. There were also a lot of quiet moments no one dared interrupt.

Perhaps the most difficult moment of all was when we came across the contents of Papa's night stand. We just couldn't bring ourselves to go through those personal items. Somehow the place and time were just not right. Grief for another day I suppose. Same furniture. Different place. Wrong time.

It was good for the family to be together on this day. We created the first memories for this new place. We pray it will be the first among many good memories. Welcome home Nana.