We Are Pots Made From Clay

I love art formed in a variety of disciplines. Whenever I am traveling, I make a point to stop by as many museums and art galleries as I possibly can. What usually catches my eye more than art placed in a museum is art found in urban settings or contrived in innovative mediums. I am always looking for the next “I wish I’d thought of that” expression of creativity. For instance, when I was playing with my Lego blocks, I’d never envisioned creating life-sized replicas of real world objects or detailed murals from them. Google Nathan Sawaya and be amazed by his constructions. A few weeks ago, I was looking at a Lego advertising campaign that used huge posters on the sides of buildings to make the buildings look they were made of giant Lego blocks.
When doodling with my Etch-a-Sketch, I never thought of making photorealistic portraits of my friends and famous celebrities. Greg and George Vlosich do amazing things with an Etch-a-Sketch. Today, I found a painter who’s medium is unwashed cars. Scott Wade, the artist, is truly gifted with drawing elaborate, shaded works on the windows of filthy automobiles.
I can’t speak for everyone, but I often feel like I have worked myself in to a corner. I get the feeling that I have nothing more to offer the world. I sometimes regret the choices I’ve made to the point that I believe I’ve ruined my life. I tend to look at the relatively young age of 30 (which I am less than a month away from) as the end of the road for me. Passages in Isaiah 29 and 64 refer to us as the clay and God as the potter. The clay isn’t allowed to claim that the potter doesn’t understand it and can’t make anything from it. We are the works of the hands of God. God has given us unlimited potential and plans for us to proper as we use this potential to its fullest.

Getting Out of the Crawl Space

My wife and I are quite grateful for our home. It is easy to take care of and doesn’t require any major renovations. We have plenty of space and use it to entertain guests as often as we can. This is not a complaint (as it isn’t something I personally have to deal with), but my house presents a unique challenge to those installing services such as cable, internet, and home security. My house lacks a basement and its walls are almost entirely brick. Almost every installation technician entering my house experiences some level of frustration. When the first cable guy came to install service at my house, he turned completely white upon first glance at the crawl space beneath the house. A mold inspector had no problems spending time in the crawl space and claimed it to be clean and moisture free. The man installing DirecTV in my home today had a different perspective. While not fearful or completely aggravated, he did say that numerous creepy creatures inhabited the crawl space. Apparently, a nest of beetles attacked him. I apologized profusely feeling awful that this confrontation took place.
A fear of the dark is not always disconnected from reality. A number of dangerous critters become active in and inhabit darkness. Various crimes and other misdeeds take place in the dark. A few verses in Job 24 talk about the rebels and adulterers who “make friends with the terrors of darkness”. In Isaiah 29:15-16, the prophet condemns those who “hide their plans from the Lord”. Those who wish who do wrong attempt to hide their bad choices from those who would condemn or judge them. But, there is no hiding from God. Daniel 2:22 states that God “knows what lies in darkness” and that “light dwells with him”. Rom 13:12 tells us to “put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light”. We don’t have to live in a crawl space with beetles and spiders. We can walk in the light of God, living prosperously without the guilt and shame of sin.

The Source of All Joy

I don’t know if it’s just me that notices this, but there seems to be a general lack of joy among the world’s population. Most of this can be linked to the current state of the economy. (I’m sure you’ve never heard that theory before!) Could it be possible that we don’t experience happiness because we are looking for it in all the wrong places? I will get back to this question in just a few sentences. Until then, I would like to share a few tips for living happier that you may or may not have thought about before.
The first tip is one that I always dread, but have never regretted. One way to live happier is to get more exercise! (I can hear the sighs and groaning as I type this) What you might not about exercise is that it “lowers the body’s levels of cortisol, a hormone associated with stress.” (HowStuffWorks.com) Exercising also produces endorphins, a mood boosting chemical.
One must also learn to accept emotions, whether positive or negative. If you really pay attention to your feelings, you may find that your anger or sadness is related to something as simple as temperature or hunger. You should also learn to accept the feelings of others. It’s acceptable for other people to feel unhappy at times. Trying to understand the source of someone else’s discomfort (and possibly helping them with their problems) can make you happier.
As a final tip, did you know that having pets can make you healthier? The responsibility of having a pet can be tough but it can give one a sense of purpose, companionship, exercise (there it is again!), and general stress relief. As great as these bits of advice may be, true happiness is found in knowing God. Numerous scriptures support this fact, but Jer. 9:23-24 contrasts strength, wisdom, and riches to the understanding of God. Feel free to boast about knowing God, the source of all joy.

Unexplained Mysteries of the Universe

Though modern scientific research is moving along at a rapid rate, explaining many of the mysteries of the universe, there remains a number of natural phenomena that science is unable to explain. One of these is the “Naga Fireballs.” In October, along the Mekong River in Vietnam, tens of thousands of red lights rise from the bottom of the river and are lifted hundreds of feet in to the sky before disappearing. The “Naga Fireballs” haven’t lit any fires or caused any harm. It is theorized that the lights are caused by “fermented sediment in the river” releasing “bubbles of self-immolating gas that rise to the surface and combust.” (Cracked.com) Look the fireballs up on YouTube.
Another odd, unexplained natural act is the appearance of “blue jets and red sprites” above the clouds during a lightning storm. Only visible from space or a plane, these beautiful displays of light are only justified by unproven theories. Another light show has been observed in the skies minutes before major earthquakes. Thought to be gases released by earthquakes and then charged in the air or the result of a disruption of the Earth’s magnetic field, the beautiful displays of light remain a mystery.
For several hundred years, people have reported seeing animals fall from the sky in various placed throughout the world. Frogs and toads rained down in Japan. Worms rained in Louisiana. Fish fell from the sky in Singapore and Rhode Island. Some think waterspouts and tornadoes are responsible, but this doesn’t explain why the rain comes as a specific species. I like that there are still phenomena in the universe that only God can explain. As much as a lack of knowledge and awareness can cause fear and a feeling of insignificance, it can also cause humility and a respect for God’s creation. Rest easy knowing that God even knows the number of hairs on your head (Luke 12:7).

False Psychology

I received my bachelors degree in psychology several years ago. I have to boast about this fact because a bachelors degree in psychology is not worth much more than bragging rights. I worked hard and learned a lot, but I will have to go to graduate school before I can do much of anything in the world of psychology. However, there are a few things I picked up in psychology classes that make for interesting conversations and contradict common thought. Many people fancy themselves to be amateur psychologists without knowing the statistics that can either support or completely negate their opinions.
For instance, did you know that letting your anger out isn’t the best way to deal with your anger? Studies show that expressing your anger, even towards inanimate objects like pillows and stress balls, reinforces your motivation to become angry. Being creatures of habit, we can become addicted to outward expressions of anger. If a pillow or stress isn’t available, one’s habitual anger can be directed any number of completely inappropriate places.
This next idea may seem a little confusing, but stay with me. The concept that simply believing in one’s self will lead to success is a tad backwards. Having confidence in one’s self can be a component of success, but individuals who have an inflated sense of self-worth can become very aggressive when their superiority is questioned. Instead of teaching kids to feel worthier, we should be teaching them the skills that will lead them to pride and success like good social skills and appropriate ways to deal with anger. It is great that this helpful idea as well as others can be found in scripture. The Proverbs alone are full of advice that is supported by several modern studies. God truly knows us best.

Living With Purpose Instead of Anxiety

This past weekend, I performed my very first wedding ceremony. This was no average wedding. This particular wedding joined my wife’s beloved sister and her husband in holy matrimony. After weeks of fearful agonizing, the wedding is over and I think I did fairly well. Again, I discovered that when I divert my self-centered thinking, remove my control, and allow God’s authority to reign, everything works out for the best. I can’t the times I’ve had to learn this lesson and I am certain I will have to learn it again quite a few times before my life is over.
The desire to see specific results in life can be the root of all kinds of evil and negativity. I heard someone summarize anger recently as the result of something that doesn’t take place as one intended. This might seem like an excessively simple definition of anger, but it’s a great one to meditate on (especially in times when anger starts to show its ugly face). Lately, when I find myself getting frustrated, worried, angered, etc., I start to think about my motivation for producing these various emotions. Just like a performer needs to find her character’s motivation to properly convey the character’s emotions, one must determine her own motivation to put one’s thoughts in the proper perspective.
We need to live a purpose and with motivation that comes from God. I wasn’t performing a wedding ceremony to score points with my wife’s family or get to impress the pants off some random strangers. I was fulfilling part of God’s plan for the lives of Sara’s sister and her new spouse. I was being used as an instrument. In 1 Tim, Paul makes Christian behavior personal, relating it to the nature of the church. The next time you find yourself getting upset about a situation you find yourself in or about the outcome of a situation, try to look at your position from God’s perspective.

Leaving Behind the Invaluable

Yesterday I came upon an interesting article that tells the stories of various items thought to be junk that turned out to be valuable artifacts. The most interesting tale, in my opinion, was that of an $800,000 Stradivarius violin. Called “The Duke of Alcantara”, this 267-year-old violin was donated to UCLA. In 1967, the violin was loaned to a member of UCLA’s string quartet (the university must have really trusted this violinist). After stopping to get groceries, the violinist found that his car was left unlocked and the Stradivarius was missing. 27 years later, a violin dealer found himself repairing the Stradivarius. Recognizing its significance, he did some research and found that the Stradivarius was missing from UCLA. The valuable violin was owned by a woman who received it through her divorce settlement. This woman’s ex-husband was given the Stradivarius by an aunt who found it on the side of the freeway in 1967. It appears the UCLA violinist left the violin on top of his car and drove away forgetting it was there.
It’s amazing how much value we attach to certain objects. I know that I would be panic-stricken if I lost my laptop computer. Though I treasure it, I’ve left my computer in places where it could be easily stolen. I tend to do the same thing with my faith and my morality. I’ve not always made the best choices in the people that I associate myself with and how I spend my time. I’ve often found myself in situations that cause me to compromise my representation of Christ. I’ve found myself beginning to doubt God. In 2 Peter 1:1, Peter uses the phrase “precious faith”. 2 Corinthians 5:7 states that “we live by faith”. Several times in scripture our faith is compared to food and water. We can’t live without it! One’s walk with God must be focused and persistent. Faith is not something that should be left behind like a cup of coffee on a car’s roof.