Go Wings!

I found myself doing something yesterday that I promised myself I would never do again. I prayed for something completely out of my own selfish desire. I’m sure most of my requests are rather self-centered, but not since the days I prayed that Santa would bring me the die cast Voltron (still selling for over $100 on Ebay over 20 years later!) have my requests been so egocentric. I actually asked God to help the Red Wings win yesterday. Overcome by the intense anxiety brought on by seeing my favorite team losing to what I feel is a rather mediocre hockey team, I was motivated to seek God’s intervention. I use this example not to make this article my own personal confessional, but to lead you to consider the meaning of prayer. The Red Wings lost the game, but I did not loose faith. Maybe a little girl of pure faith from Colorado prayed a little harder than me. Maybe God wanted me to recognize that the purpose of prayer is greater than sports.
Looking at scripture, there are several purposes we find for prayer. John 14:13 states that when our requests are made through Jesus, glory is brought to God. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells us to pray continually to do God’s will. In Act 4:23-31 we find a powerful prayer that resulted in several individuals being filled with the Holy Spirit. They use prayer to praise God and ask him to give them the boldness to be God’s witnesses. In Matthew 9:38, Jesus tells his disciples to ask God to “send out workers into his harvest field.” We are supposed to make our requests known to God. Our continual prayers need to fit our personal needs. We have to also remember to give God the glory and pray that God will give us the desire the serve others and bring people to know him. This is our mission and purpose. It is something that we should never take for granted.

Updown Court

Christmas is the most fascinating time of the year to me. People seem to lean in a couple different directions during this season. The more positive direction is found towards a spirit of giving and love. I feel as though I get a few more smiles than usual from the people working in the places that I shop. This could be because of threats issued by employers, but I’d like to think otherwise. The other direction that individuals appear to lean towards is that of rampant consumerism. We spend ridiculous amounts of our hard earned cash on toys, clothing, body lotions, plastic junipers, and lights that adorn our house from the day after thanksgiving until we get the motivation to remove them.
An article in Esquire (I read a lot of different things on the internet!) listed a few extravagant items one might purchase this holiday season if he or she possessed a billion dollars. The first, Updown Court, is a home in the English countryside with 103 rooms, several pools, a greenhouse, tennis court, stable, etc. It has been for sale for a number of years and even with a drop in real estate prices costs $139 million. One can automate every part of the house from the television volume to the temperature in every room for the low price of $16.5 million. What home would be complete without the world’s largest television, the 103 inches by 102.5 inches Panasonic plasma that will run you $69,995?
James 5 has some pretty strong words against rich oppressors. Now… the Bible doesn’t state that being in a certain tax bracket is an automatic ticket to Hades. However, James 5 warns that physical riches will corrode, rot, and be eaten by moths. The language gets even harsher as the passage continues. I know that for me, it’s easy to become attached to possessions. While we may never be rid of the materialism of the holiday season, we can at least add to the giving, loving, and sharing of the gospel.

Laser Wars!

I have always been a big fan of military technology. Don’t get me wrong here. I don’t support unnecessary wars or needless killing. I simply appreciate that some of the world’s greatest engineers, scientists, physicists, etc. are behind the war machines of the Earth’s nations. Boeing and the US Air Force continue to advance in their creation of an airborne high-energy laser weapon. This laser weapon (a modified 747-400F if that means anything to you) is intended to shoot down missiles flying towards their designated targets. Recently, the system was test fired at the Edwards Air Force Base in California. Performing the test as if shooting at a real target, the laser was fired from the back-mounted generator through a beam control system. The laser exited through a nose-mounted turret and hit a simulated ballistic missile target. The next test will be against a real airborne ballistic missile aimed a children’s playground. I am kidding about the playground part, but it would make for an amazing episode of the show ‘24’.
I know for sure that God has been involved in a few wars. Some of the greatest wars of all time, featured in the Bible, involve thrilling victories against amazing odds. Joel warns of an approaching army. He speaks of great destruction that God will bring to Judah. God tells the nations to “Prepare for war!” (Joel 3:9) They are to beat their “plowshares into swords” and their “pruning hooks into spears”. God wanted his people to know that he “means business”. It is so easy to shove our relationship with God to the back of our list of priorities. Right now, we are officially in a recession. People are losing their jobs as well as their hope. There are a seemingly endless number of influences telling us how to live. Intercept Satan’s missiles before God has to reset your perspective. God shouldn’t have to bring war and destruction to inform us of his existence.

Umbrella Sky

You most likely have never heard of her (I know I didn’t before a few weeks ago), but Marta Dahlig is an amazing artist. Dahlig works with the digital medium of Adobe Photoshop (fancy, high cost art software) and creates strikingly beautiful images. Her work entitled “Umbrella Sky” features a young woman wearing a bold red dress and holding an umbrella. She sits on a rock with the sea as a backdrop, surrounded by floating goldfish. Don’t let the floating gold fish distract you. Trust me when I say the fantastical image is powerful. “Umbrella Sky” was chosen to be placed on the over of “Exotique 3”, a book showcasing some of the most gorgeous digital characters ever created. Not completely satisfied with her work despite this accomplishment, Dahlig recreated the original image. The new version has greater contrast, more character, and new features like a glowing fish traveling though the more detailed water. Where one person might be satisfied with his or her first attempt, Dahlig saw more potential. She could have sat back and absorbed her achievement. Instead, she strove to improve her work and detailed the process so that other artists might see the potential in their own efforts.
I really wish that I had the eyes of God. God is always able to see things as what they could be, and not simply as they are. I heard one individual say that the purpose of church is to show people what they can become through the grace of God. When Jesus first met Simon Peter, he knew that Simon had been impetuous, easily influenced, and cowardly. But, in John 1:42, Jesus says that he “will be called Cephas”. Jesus saw Simon as what he would eventually become, the rock. God saw a shepherd boy David as a king. Looking back in John 1, at verse 1:12, we learn that we have “the right to become children of God”. 2 Peter 1:4 says that we can “participate in the divine nature”. There are many other scriptures that speak of our potential. We are beautiful works of art, created in the image of God. Instead of being merely satisfied with our current state or being too critical of ourselves, we should strive to do great things. No matter how far we’ve come in life, we can always go further. The potential to do so lies in every one of us.

You Thought Boys Have Cooties?

I have to preface this week’s article by stating that my wife is probably the cleanest person I know. Not only does she practice perfect personal hygiene, but she tends to act as a reverse hurricane by leaving a wake of organization and bacteria free surfaces wherever she goes. This is, I digress, a significant contrast to my own filthy habits. I am improving daily (I even received a vacuum from Sara’s parents as a birthday present!), but I don’t think I will ever surpass my wife’s levels of tidiness. We are the competitive equivalent of a 3-year-old wearing water wings and a tube with a ducky head against Michael Phelps. It’s just not going to happen.
That said, I read a very interesting article today that states “Women carry more bacteria than men”. I put the quotes there so you don’t suspect me of paraphrasing. Though I am not skilled in the use of clothing irons and folding clothes might as well be complex origami to me, I carry less of a variety of bacteria than my female associates. Bacteria differ greatly from person to person, but women simply have more than men. Researchers aren’t entirely clear as to why this is the case, though some argue that men have more acidic skin than women. It might also be because of moisturizer and cosmetic product usage, differences in sweat and oil glands, skin thickness, or hormone production. Of 4,742 species of bacteria identified, only 5 were found on every one of the hands in the referenced experiment.
We have to recognize just how different that we are as individuals. No two of us is exactly alike. However, the Bible constantly stresses that we all need to get along. Ephesians 4:1-6 is just one of several passages in the Bible stressing unity. We have to show humility, patience, gentleness, and love in our interactions with others. There are people that we come across who seem to be more trapped in sin and more involved in evil deeds than we are and we judge them. However, we all of sinned and we all have a responsibility to be united in peace. We all have our own bacteria. Let’s wash them off.

Curious Customs

We have the some pretty odd traditions during the holidays. On Easter, the holiday that I thought was intended for celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, has turned in to a radically different character. A large, sentient bunny gives baskets of treats to little children. However, there is a catch. The baskets are full of plastic grass that you find in your vacuum for months to come and the treats are incased in plastic shells and foil. After receiving the baskets, the children have to search for colored eggs that were hidden by the bunny. To top it off, the children are dressed like tiny executives and characters from Little Women and they have to wear these costumes to church. Christmas also tends to leave me dumbfounded. To elevate the memory of the birth of the Christ within our minds, we cut down evergreens and put them in our living rooms. We cover these trees with easily broken glass spheres, statuettes of totally unrelated subjects like gingerbread men and deer, and potentially delicious cookies we turned in to plastic in third grade. Then, we hang large socks from the fireplace mantel and fill them with candy? Really? Last night, we removed the innards of large squashes and carved shapes in to them. Then, we put tiny candles in the squashes and took photographs of them. Do we seem completely insane to the parts of the world that don’t follow these traditions?
Christians have to be different from those who don’t follow Christ and don’t recognize sin as harmful. We really do need to be separate, as stated in 2 Cortinthians 6:17. This doesn’t mean we belong to an exclusive cult where we do whatever we can to exclude outsiders. It means that we have to make major improvements in our lives when we decide to call ourselves Christians. Attending church services is one of our greatest rights but it only serves to bring us together, sharpen us, and give us the opportunity to worship together. Do people know you are a Christian when you exit the building? Are you participating in the same conversations, actions, and thought processes of everyone else or do you reflect the person of Jesus? 1 Thessalonians 5:6 states that we can’t be asleep any longer. We have to be alert. The commands of God and the teachings of Christ aren’t always going to make us the most popular people, but they will make our lives great.

Yes, Another Roller Coaster Illustration

Roller coasters are some of the greatest feats of physics and engineering that man has ever known. They reach incredibly high heights, ludicrous speeds, and perform dazzling maneuvers all while keeping one strapped in with a common seat belt and lap bar that hopefully clicks in to place. A few rides attempt gimmicks such as keeping one standing up, seated with one’s legs flying freely or keeping one’s entire body parallel to the coaster to simulate flying like a super hero. The experience can be exciting, exhilarating, and occasionally a little painful. As well as it worked for Noah, there are some things that should never be made out of wood. While there is enjoyment to be had on a wooden roller coaster, a quick survey tells me that an encounter with a wooden roller coaster is very similar to coming across a group of school bullies or mob enforcers which one is in conflict with. If a major manufacturer started producing wooden cars, you wouldn’t see a lot of people rushing out to purchase one. That’s all I’m saying. As terrified as I was of “thrill rides” up until high school, I enjoy them very much in the present. It not very often that one is taken to heights above 100 feet and rushed forward through loops at speeds above 80 miles per hour. I will take the feeling of weightlessness any time I can get it, even if it does mean waiting an hour or two. I highly recommend that you do the same.
As often as this illustration has been used, I still believe that life can be like a roller coaster. It begins with patience. Colossians 1:11 tells us to persevere and be patient. The ride is full of thrills and excitement. John 10:10 tells us that Jesus came so that our lives can be abundant. We are meant to experience the beauty and joy that God has provided for us. If we really sit and think about it, there is so much for us to enjoy. There is also a fair share or pain in life. In addition to the aforementioned waiting that is required, we all face low points in our lives. We loose loved ones, loose jobs, and see what we think to be opportunity passing us by. In my life of 28 years, 364 days (hint!, hint!), I have been deeply depressed and hopeless at various points in my life. However, I know that I and everyone else must do what we are told to do in Isaiah 40:31. We have to wait on the Lord. Then, we can fly like eagles! We won’t be weary! We will have all the strength that we need! These notions are exciting to me. Just remember that to experience the thrills of life, one has to wait on God and in the meantime, follow his commands.