Irony is so ironic

This past week, I took a vacation - I left to go skiing for a week. When I left, I was so looking forward to 7 straight days of swooshing down the slopes - oh, it was going to be a dream come true. But, when I got there, the resort hill was closed, except for one run. Aaaarrrrggghhh!! It stayed like that until the day I left when the normally 7 hour drive home took over 10 because it was SNOWING the whole time!!!
But, it turned out for good - God always has a Way of doing that! A good friend gave me a book to read: John Eldredge's Wild at Heart. What an amazing book!! Get it! Read it! Let the words on those pages awaken your heart and inspire you to truly live. I also got to spend some time with my dad and his family.

I am forever learning how important relationships are to life; in fact, I would almost say that they are really the only thing worth living for. And, I only qualify that statement with the word 'almost' because I know that I don't know everything; otherwise, I would say that relationships are truly the only thing worth living for.
You see, it's the only thing God is doing. Everything He does is purposed to draw us deeper in relationship with Himself. And, ultimately it is that relationship with Him that is what makes anything matter at all.
Until I began to realize this, I lived an empty life. But, now, even in the toughest of circumstances, I know that everything is Good because He has promised to me (and everyone else) that He works everything out for Good. Even the struggles are wrought with meaning, now!
There is no escaping a relationship with God. Even if you don't believe, or don't pursue Him, He pursues you - He relates to you. He's created everything, He still operates the world, He is in control - no matter how much it seems otherwise.
So if God is all about relationships, wouldn't it make sense that relationships are the ultimate worth in this life? I pray that the Lord will awaken in all of our hearts the desire to pursue all of our relationships in all the fullness He has called them to be.

Merry Christmas!

Seinfeld episode #57

Are there any Seinfeld fans out there? I love the show! It's actually the reason why I don't watch a lot of TV anymore - when it went off the air, I pretty much stopped finding anything interesting (tho, I hear I can catch reruns several times a day, if I wanted to!).

I often find many times in my life that fit well with different goings on in the TV show Seinfeld; and, today, it was episode #57 - The Outing....
One of my best friends and I often go out for dinner on Tues. nights, as was the case tonight. We usually pick a comfortable place where we can enjoy good food, receive good service, in a relaxin atmosphere - tonight that was Joey Tomatoes. When we sat down, our waitress began asking us some odd questions - normally not the questions you'd ask a couple of guys. It was after she brought our drinks and further inquired about our lives that I realized, she thought we were a couple!! "Not that there's anything wrong with that."
It bothered me at first, but I eventually got over the fact that it doesn't really matter what she thinks. I even confronted her at the end of the meal - she denied her assumption, of course. It was easy to tell she was trying to cover-up afterward, with an increase in attention, but we knew!

This incident reminded me about the last time I was mistaken for an homosexual ("Not that there's anything wrong with that!"). I was in high school, and was actually approached by another man. It freaked me out, completely. I think it shook me pretty hard b/c I remember asking my friends quite frequently if I looked gay.
Then there was this time when I was in university... I had recently broken up with a long-time girl friend; but, pretty much kept going out doing what I would normally do - except w. one of my guy friends. Our friends all joked that we were gay, but it was all in jest. However, through many different circumstances, I began to not find women attractive. I thought, "Maybe I am gay?!" Thankfully, that phase passed, and am fully confident in my heterosexuality.
Or am I? I mean, I did feel uncomfortable tonight when our waitress thought my friend & I were gay. Sure, it ended up being funny - funny enough that I want to share the laughs with the world (or anyone who reads this goofy blog, anyway) - but, there were those moments when I was feeling insecure. I guess something else we're gonna have to work on w. the Lord. LOL!

Merry Christmas all!

To Blave

Ever seen The Princess Bride? It's a great movie! So funny, and so romantic. One of my favorite parts is when Inigo and Fezzik take The Man In Black (no, not Johnny Cash) to Miracle Max, and try to buy the Man's resurrection - well, it's not a true resurrection b/c he's only mostly dead. Now, even though True Love is the Noble Cause of the movie, it's not really what wins out in this resurrection ceremony - True Love isn't the reason why Max does the miracle.

God uses everything for good - even in the movies. You see, Miracle Max only agreed to do the miracle after he heard that Westley (Man In Black) would embarrass Humperdink (watch the movie if you're not tracking). Revenge was the motivation that won out here. But, in the end, it really was True Love that triumphed.
And I see that quite often in my life. There are many actions and motivations that are not pure, or "Right", however, somehow - some way - God brings good out of it. This is the wonder and mystery of God - of Love. He always gives, He always uplifts and calls forth the best.

It's so easy to become cynical in this world. Everywhere we look we see the effects of a fallen world. But, if that's what we see, we don't see the Truth. Jesus died to redeem the fallen Creation. He rose from the grave to conquer death - once and for ALL. Whether you believe the Evangelical Gospel (you have to accept Christ's gift of life) or the Grace Gospel (He died, we're all saved, and there's nothing we can do or not do to undo it), the earth is spiritually redeemed. See, Man is the only Creation with a will; therefore, everything's else is surely redeemed. The world is redeemed!
If you're feeling cynical about this world, ask God to show it to you through His eyes. Let Him transform you by renewing your mind - ask Him to open the eyes of your heart to allow you to see a Holy Creation. It is a wonderful gift to see things from His perspective - even in a very limited sense. If we allow Him, He will expand our ability to comprehend His ways and His view.

Other people's mistakes

How do you deal with other people's mistakes that directly affect you? I just lost a client at work b/c another department continually messed up. Now, it's not a huge deal - it'll just cost me $30 or so - but, things like this happen all the time. Usually, we're just making excuses, trying to absolve ourselves of responsibility for when things go awry; but, there are times when other people's mistakes do affect us directly.
Actually, I feel like repremanding this other people, and remind them of how often these mistakes happen, but that won't accomplish anything. It'll just make them feel crappy, which really doesn't help anyone. I would like to see a better job done, tho; so, what can I do to help them?
How do I avoid my natural reaction to lash-out? Well, it's quite easy right now b/c the Lord is revealing to me much of the darkness of my soul, and am realizing how often my actions have caused others actual pain, not just a lost dollar. God's shown me much grace in my life, the least I can do is extend grace to others.
Now, before you get all, "how like Jesus..." - I am not being like Him at all. Jesus extends grace freely, I only do it b/c I see ppl as just as deserving as myself. Jesus never needed grace - He never missed the mark. Maybe someday I will extend grace w/o thinking of my own fallen state - give grace just for the sake of giving grace; but, until then, I pray that the Lord will continue to work in me. Freely, I have received grace - freely, I should give it.

Come Down!

If you haven't hear every song on Kevin Prosch's Palanquin album, I think you may be missing out. If you know me, ask to borrow it from me; if you don't, find a way to purchase it - there are a few online bookstores that carry it (try Friends of the Bridegroom in the US and Fresh Fire in Canada).
Kevin's lyrics are so honest, as he shares the pain he feels of living in this fallen world, yet being in love with Jesus. In such a time as this, I totally relate to many of these songs of brokenness and hope. Here, I'm sharing the lyrics from a song that describes my soulish struggle over the last while:

Come Down

Into my hands, have come many things
You should be disappointed, for I have wasted most of these
My innocence and youth - I poured them out like water
And to think to You that I am, God, still worth saving from the fire.

Come down and meet with me
You make my day so sweet
Inflame my soul, Oh God
With a cry for purity

Like horses that are yoked to the chariots of kings
Hook me up to Your heart, to Your heart God, never to be free

Too many compromises to get me through the day
Help me make the choices - sometimes I am afraid
When I'm deaf to everything, but the cry of my own pain
Give me the grace to trust you - I cannot walk away
Don't disappoint me God, not while I am... not while I am trusting You again!

If I fall down in darkness, and this weakness comes to me
Hold Your scepter out to come banging on Your Door... I'm banging on Your Door!!

Come down from the top of that mountain,
Rise up from the bottom of the sea!
I empty out the pockets of my life
With nothing to bring, but my iniquities

I can't wait to lay my head down upon Your breast, God
I want to see Your face - kiss the nail marks in Your hands
People think You're just some image from a time so long ago
Not the God that I believe in, who rearranged my world
'Cause the death and resurrection of Your Beloved Son
And the mystery of the Cross and the power of His Blood
You change the things about me I cannot change myself
And, You love me in my sin - You're the God of all my help

And, in my darkest hour, if weakness comes to me
Hold the scepter out to come banging on Your Door... I'm banging on Your Door!

Come down from the top of that mountain
Rise up from the bottom of the sea
I empty out the pockets of my life
With nothing to bring, but my iniquities

Come down, Oh Heavenly Fountain
Rise up on the inside of me!
I empty out the pockets of my life
With nothing to bring but my iniquities

I worship you, Lord!!


This song always reminds me that, though I live in a fallen state, He is ALWAYS there to lead, to guide, to love! He NEVER leaves us, nor forsakes us. Like Esther, when she approached the king when she really shouldn't have - in fact, according to the law, she should have been killed for approaching him - he extended his scepter in mercy, actually longing for some time with his beloved bride. This is the mercy our King extends to us! When we don't deserve to approach Him, He extends His mercy, inviting us to approach Him with boldness!!
How wonderful is our Christ?!!