Seven Years

Today, Sarah and I have been married seven years. I am very happy that I have such a good wife who loves me and my children so much.

That's Not the Way I'd Do It

Many times during the Christmas season, we hear the story of Mary and Joseph, Jesus' birth, angels, shepherds, and wise men, but I wonder if we ever stop to think about how unconventional many of the elements of this story are... especially in our own faith. If I wanted to send the Savior to earth, I'm not so sure I would choose to do it like this.

If an unwed mother showed up in church pregnant and she said God caused her pregnancy, I would personally be skeptical. I would think that she was sleeping with her boyfriend, and they weren't being very careful. The Jews of Mary's day would have thought no different than you and me, but the only difference is today we wouldn't take the adulteress woman out back and stone her to death. Mary's unwed pregnancy would have totally been humiliating to her and her family. Not only that but for all of Jesus' life everyone in Nazareth would have look at him as the bastard child. I am not sure I would have chosen to do it like this.

If a king was born, I am not sure I would invite a bunch of underclass citizens and pagans to come to his birthday party. The angels didn't announce Jesus' birth at Herod's house or any of the Pharisees' homes... there is not one Head of State or religious leader at his birth. Instead God invites a bunch of shepherds, which would be the equivalent of inviting nothing but a bunch of illegal emigrant farmhands today. Then pagans from the cult Zoroastlainism come and worship him. Again, I am not sure I would have chosen to do it like this.

I don't think anyone would have chosen to redeemed the world through a child who came from an unwed humiliate mother, whose most important guest at his birth were shepherds, and who was worshiped by pagans. But only a God who starts humanity's redemption like this finishes the story with a crucified and resurrected Savior who redeems humanity to himself.

What makes Christmas so great is a God who would sacrifice his own son to bring a fallen humanity back into relationship with himself... how amazing because I wouldn't have chosen to do it like this but I am certainly glad he did.

Blizzard

As you may know, we are having a blizzard in Wisconsin. We had 7 inches of snow last night, so that has resulted in lots of shoveling.

My father-in-law owns his own business, and like many business owners in the winter, he contracts his snow removal.

This year he changed his snow-removal guy as a favor to a friend's friend...you know, and so this morning the new guy doesn't show up. Paul (my father-in-law) and I spend two hours outside shoveling snow so our customers can get to the door. It wasn't really something either one of us wanted to do, and to say the least, Paul wasn't very happy.

After a couple of hours into it, Paul finally goes in to call this guy and chew some you-know-what out. Come to find out, the guy's wife went into labor early this morning. All of a sudden, I was happy for this guy who had been the cause of my frozen butt. I thought about the joy of being there at my own children's birth and suddenly shoveling a foot of snow seemed like a very small thing.

Four Generations of Simpsons

Thoughts on Parenting... Part II

For all of you who know me, I am not a monetarily rich man, but I am rich in many other ways. I have a great family, a very wonderful wife and children, amazing friends, a job, a place to live, and food to eat. It may seem very simple, but I am very thankful for it. I know that somewhere along the road of the "American Dream" many people lose site of this true wealth.

I contribute most of my success in life to my parents. The reason is they taught me a very valuable principle growing-up. It started from a very young age and underscored every thing else they would teach me. It was the principle of obedience.

Ephesians 6:1-3 says, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 "Honor your father and mother"-- which is the first commandment with a promise-- 3 "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."

I do want my children to obey me, but I don't want them to obey me just because I demand it. I what them to obey me because in their obedience comes a huge blessing. It is the blessing of enjoying a long and healthy life. I know that my desire for Micah and Lydia is the same as every other parent's, that they would have a happy life. If we help our children learn to obey, they have a great chance of reaching this goal.

Thoughts On Parenting.... Part I

Parenting is not as easy as it looks. I have come to realize that I am not nearly as good at it as I'd hoped.

The other day our family was getting ready to leave to go somewhere, I don't even remember where, but somewhere. I asked Micah to put his shoes on, but he was too interested in his own agenda to hear me, so I asked him once again to put on his shoes. Again he did not acknowledge that I had spoken to him, and he continued to play with whatever little toy he had in his hand. Finally I was so angry with him that I yelled, "Micah! Get in there and get your shoes on right this minute before I give you a beating." He immediately breaks into a flood of tears as if I had broken his little spirit in half.

As parents we often love to quote Ephesians 6:1-3, "Children obey your parents, for this is right in the Lord." I thought I would reflect on these couple of verses some other time. That is why this blog is part 1.

The problem is we don't often finish Paul's thought in verse 4. "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."

I find that my anger and impatience often gets the best of me. I am learning that the best way to parent is with firm and clear expectations. I know that I need to discipline my children, but if I want them to become obedient, I need to do the hard work of training and instructing them before I lose my cool. As parents I know that we are on all this same road together.

Christmas Pictures

Waiting

It seems like much of my life this past year has been spent waiting, so I think it was an appropriate topic for my sermon this past Sunday. If you would like to hear it, you can download it from this link.

http://www.highlandcommunitychurch.com/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=48&Itemid=120

I Did It

Sunday night, when we returned home from drill, we were trying to get the kids ready for bed. I laid Micah's clothes out for him and asked him to change into his PJs. I few minutes later he comes into the living room and announced "I did it!" Sarah and I laughed as we complimented him on his great achievement, but then I asked him if he realized his pants were on inside-out. "Yeah dad," he replied, "but the tag is in the back."

A Fog from the Grog

This passed Saturday Sarah and I went to our annual military Dining Out. I had to do the Invocation and Benediction, and we got to sit at the head table. We had three hundred people there. It was a really great event, and Sarah and I had a lot of fun.

Thanks Mom and Dad

Last Tuesday, I went before my Ordination Counsel. In the Evangelical Free Church, like in many denominations I suppose, it takes many years and a lot of hours of study in order to be ordained.

Well, I passed my Ordination Counsel. To help me celebrate, my parents bought me this picture, which I really enjoy. I thought I would say thanks and show it off.

A Measure of Modesty

After a year of intense training to become proficient at the art of pooping, my three year old son Micah has finally gotten the hang of it, but for some reason, he has gained a sense of modesty. He has recently informed Sarah and I that he would prefer that we not help him while he is trying to poop. I personally have no problem with this, because I have a rather sensitive nose. But I have come to realize that his modesty can be somewhat awkward in public, and let me explain.

He will often ask us to step out of the stall as he is taking care of business. After a minute or two of grunting, groaning, and a flush, I will usually see him open the stall door, pants to his ankles in all his glory, proudly boasting of his accomplishment and asking for help with his pants. I usually just smile at the guy staring at us and say, "that ones mine."

So much for modesty.

So I'm Wondering Mr. Dawkins

This morning I was watching Richard Dawkins, one of the world's most publicized atheist, on YouTube. He was speaking on several points from his book God Delusion. I understand that I will never have a chance to debate, or even meet Professor Dawkins for that matter, but if I could, here are a couple of things I would like to ask him about.

Since he and I can agree on the Law of Relativity and that the universe has a beginning, roughly 13 billion years ago according to most physicist and astronomers, why is it more plausible to believe that a universe, that contains such order, could come about out of random chance rather than by a Creator? I don't claim to be an expert in any field of science, and I know that many atheist are very smart, bright, intelligent people. But, I simply don't understand how we can get such order out of supposed chaos.

My second question would be in regards to Christianity, and would be, "how could 12 Jewish men fathom up such a hoax as the resurrection?" To the Jews, the Messiah would come during the last days and set up an earthly kingdom. Why would these 12 men have thought any differently than that? In their minds, when Jesus died that was it. The end of their dreams to see the Messiah come to power would have ended with his death. Why would they then turn around and steal his body and make up a story that he rose from the dead? They would be putting their own lives at great risk for a lie they knew wasn't true, for a story that made no sense in the minds of the Jews, and ultimately would gain them no power or glory to their knowledge. They did not know that Christianity would spread. Because the disciples so adamantly believed and spread the news about Jesus and the resurrection, I am only left with the logical conclusion that these men saw the resurrected Christ. Thus it must be true.

I understand these thoughts are based off the classical Teleological argument and the Argument for the Resurrection. I also know they have been debate many times throughout history, but I believe they are still strong argument for Theist Christianity.

My Little Carpenter

A Salute to the Bean Brewers

Like most homes, my home is filled with the delightful sounds of children, the cries of sadness from one who is not getting their way the joyous giggles of another as they rip up one of my recently written bills. Though my children are one of the greatest joys of my life, it is often very difficult to concentrate when I am at home. So, I often like to go down to my local coffee shop, "Cup of Joe" to study. I have spent hours there the last couple of months working on my ordination paper.

So I would just like to say thanks to "Cuppa Joe's" and all the other coffee shops around the world from all of us bloggers, students, cops, old ladies, and the like that frequent your shops on a weekly basis. Thanks for the smiles, patience, the hours you let us sit there, and most of all the cup of joe.

Thanks

Please Don't Eat Me

I have my ordination counsel on Tuesday. I know that probably doesn't really mean a lot to most people, but for a pastor in the Evangelical Free Church, it is a pretty long and difficult process. To be honest I am pretty nervous about the three hour counsel.

I am sure this very important event in my life is similar to the hundreds of other things that we all worry about in life: children, jobs, health, relationships, family, school, and the list goes on. The truth is all we can do is the very best we can, and when we realize that God is ultimately in control of life, it gives us courage to do the best we can without fear of failure.

Joshua 1:9 Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

A Bad Rap

My family and I went out to New Jersey this past weekend to interview for a Pastor position. I heard before I went out to the Northeast that the people there are rude and always in a hurry, but I found quite the opposite. People are very down-to-earth and nice. I think they, like other regions in the United States, are incorrectly stereotyped.

The trip went very well, and I hope to see them again.

Welcome

Since this is my first post and I know no one is reading it, I would like to welcome everyone who is not reading it. To all you non-readers not reading it I hope you enjoy not reading this blog. I hope you non-readers of my blog will one day become readers, so welcome all you non-readers.