The Rationalist

The optimist says, "The glass is half full."
The pessimist says, "The glass is half empty."
The rationalist says, "This glass is twice as big as it needs to be."

- from Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar  by Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klien

Two Totally Different YouTube Videos

Amsterdam Sinfonietta plays in KLM 747

RSA Animate - Drive by Dan Pink

None Before

"It is necessary that that which hath a beginning must have some cause, some author that gave it a beginning, but God never had a beginning; there was none before him, and therefore none that gave him his being. He thanks no one for his being; doth not, nor ever did depend upon any for it, but receives his being from himself, and depends alone on himself. Neither doth he thank anyone for anything he enjoys: his power, his wisdom, his excellency, his glory, his honor, and authority are his own, and received from none other."

- Jonathan Edwards, Works 10, 419.

Mr. Memorization

-noun. the act of committing to memory.

 

Me: Will I not lose my mind?

Mr. Memorization: Is learning my only end?

Me: What is your other end?

Mr. Memorization: By me the wax of truth languidly drips into the heart.

Mr. Meditation

-noun. continued or extended thought; reflection; contemplation.

Mr. Meditation: It has been a long time. Where have you been?

Me: Avoiding you.

Mr. Meditation: Why? I can help you.

Me: Help me? How?

Mr. Meditation: By exposing truths long trodden upon by the clog of familiarity.

Mr. Liturgy

-noun. a form of public worship; ritual.

 

Me: I have heard of your insincerity?

Mr. Liturgy: You, having neglected me entirely?

Me: Well, not me personally. My fathers feared staleness.

Mr. Liturgy: In turn, demeaning language, they brought disgrace and shame.

Mr. Invocation

-noun. a form of prayer invoking God's presence.

Me: Is it acceptable to enjoy you for your sake?

Mr. Invocation: No, for I am nothing but a billhook cutting the weed of vapidity.

Me: Then, why must I employ you?

Mr. Invocation: Because the weed grows deep in the soil of your heart.

What Are You Then?

A quote from The Confessions of St. Augustine:

"What art Thou then, my God? What, but the Lord God?... Most hightest, most good, most potent, most omnipotent, most merciful, yet most just; most hidden, yet most present, most beautiful, yet most strong; stable, yet incomprehensible; unchangeable, yet all-changing; never new, never old; all-renewing, and bringing age upon the proud, and they know it not; ever working, ever at rest; still gathering, yet nothing lacking; supporting, filling, and overspreading; creating, nourishing, and maturing; seeking, yet having all things. Thou lovest, without passion; art jealous, without anxiety..."

- p. 3

Ineffably Good, Beautiful, and Loving Beyond Human Comprehension

A quote from Jonathan Edwards: A Life by George M. Marsden. 

"A crude interpretation of Jonathan's experience might suggest that his vision of God was a cosmic projection of his father. While there is always a grain of truth in such reductionist observations, the essence of the matter is nearly the opposite. So long as Jonathan's God was substantially a projection of his father or of other human analogies, he could not believe. If God were simply a cosmic version of the greatest imaginable human, God would still be by human standards a capricious and unreasonable tyrant, the father whose love turned out to be petty control, harsh judgments, tenderness mixed with fits of anger, unyielding disciplines, and punishments. In fact, it was only when Jonathan's vision expanded to appreciate that the triune God who controlled this vast universe must be ineffably good, beautiful, and loving beyond human comprehension that he could lose himself in God."

- pp. 42-43

Just a few thoughts...

1. I've been watching a music video every morning while I eat breakfast. The song and footage drill home that you will waste your life unless Christ is in the center. That re-enforced by Isaiah 43:11 and Psalm 33: 13-17 has opened my eyes to other functional saviors in my life. Saviors like clothes (if only I had that shirt or style), money (if I had money then I would be secure), relationship (if I had a girlfriend...), job (if I had the perfect job, I would be happy), etc. God whispers, "No, I, yes I, am the Lord, and there is no other Savior." I have confessed many times this week that I have failed by putting my trust in something or someone other than Jesus.

2. I am thankful for where I am. Its easy to wish I was somewhere else or in different circumstances, but I don't want that. Not now. I want to live here, where I am right now, living for Christ. Not neglecting the future, but living simply. Dr. Doran calls it daily simple devotion to Christ. I have to have that.

3. Integrity. I am not sure what it means, but I want it more than any other quality, and I think I lack it more than any other quality. Please God.

If anything I am writing this to myself. Still, I hope someone finds it encouraging.

Easier Not To Pray

Praying exposes how self-preoccupied we are and uncovers our doubts. It was easier on our faith not to pray. After only a few minutes, our prayer is in shambles. Barely out of the starting gate, we collapse on the sidelines—cynical, guilty, and hopeless."

-pg. 15 A Praying Life, Paul E. Miller.

4 Truths

From James 4:13-17

1. Our confidence is not in our plans, but in God.

2. Since we understand only God knows the future, we seek Him above all else.

3. Life is short, so don't waste it.

4. Bringing your plans before God, submitting them to His will, reveals a dependent heart.

All I Need (I Didn't Catch Her Name)

By Randall Goodgame / Mighty Molecule Music

Did not catch her name
Did not catch her tears
but they hit me like a train
When her story hit my ears
Mother of eight sons
Father off to war
Got no home address
Just bricks on a dirt floor
Jesus is all I need

Tiny plot of land
Corn stored up in piles
The years it doesn't rain
They just stay hungry for a while
With no fatted calf to kill
She made a feast of cuy and corn
She said, "Who else knew my name
Before the day that I was born?
Jesus is all I need
Jesus is all I need."

She bragged about her boys
How they're growin' into men
How they learned to praise the Lord
Old Style Ecuadorian
But to buy the new guitar
we had to sell the swine
See, my boys go to school on a foreign angel's dime.
This world calls me poor
I bore my babies on this floor
But he always provides
Sure as the sun will rise.
So I sing Him songs of praise
'Cause I know He keeps me in His gaze."

Rain fell from the sky
We raced back to the van
Tears in the eyes
Of this poor, forgetful man
Mother of eight sons
She knows the peace of God
Lord, help me learn to lean
On thy staff and thy rod
Jesus is all I need

Grace

Laura Story

My heart is so proud
My mind is so unfocused
I see the things You do through me
As great things I have done
And now You gently break me
Then lovingly You take me
And hold me as my Father
And mold me as my Maker

I ask you, "How many times will you pick me up
When I keep on letting you down?
And each time I will fall short of Your glory
How far will forgiveness abound?"
And you answer, " My child, I love you.
And as long as you're seeking My face,
You'll walk in the pow'r of My daily sufficient grace."

At times I may grow weak
And feel a bit discouraged
knowing that someone, somewhere
could do a better job.
For who am I to serve You?
I know I don't deserve You.
And that's the part
that burns in my heart
and keeps me hanging on.

You are so patient with me, Lord.

As I walk with You
I'm learning
What Your grace really means
The price that I could never pay
Was paid at Calvary
So, instead of trying to repay You
I'm learning to simply obey You
By giving up my life to You
For all that You've given to me

"My child, I love you. And as long as you're seeking My face, You'll walk in the pow'r of My daily sufficient grace."

Faith To Be Strong

Preformed by Andrew Peterson

Give us faith to be strong
Father, we are so weak
Our bodies are fragile and weary
As we stagger and stumble to walk where you lead
Give us faith to be strong

Give us faith to be strong
Give us strength to be faithful
This life is not long, but it's hard
Give us grace to go on
Make us willing and able
Lord, give us faith to be strong

Give us peace when we're torn
Mend us up when we break
This flesh can be wounded and shaking
When there's much too much trouble for one heart to take
Give us peace when we're torn

Give us faith to be strong
Give us strength to be faithful
This life is not long, but it's hard
Give us grace to go on
Make us willing and able
Lord, give us faith to be strong

Give us hearts to find hope
Father, we cannot see
How the sorrow we feel can bring freedom
And as hard as we try, Lord, it's hard to believe
So, give us hearts to find hope

Give us faith to be strong
Give us strength to be faithful
This life is not long, but it's hard
Give us grace to go on
Make us willing and able
Lord, give us faith to be strong

Give us peace when we're torn
Give us faith, faith to be strong

Satisfy - A Prayer

by Mike Donehey, Jason Ingram, Phillip LaRue

Before the sun has touched the sky
Colors bursting from Your eyes
Before the flood of the morning light
Before the earth has felt Your heat
Before I stand up to my feet
Before I begin to feel this weak

Satisfy me Lord, Oh Oh
Satisfy me Lord, Oh Oh
I'm begging You, to help me see
You're all I want, You're all I need
Oh, satisfy me Lord

When the day is closing in
Like the stars in the night I am falling
Into the pull of the earth and it's affection
In me, oh lord, can you create
A pure heart cuz I'm afraid
That I just might run back to the things I hate

Satisfy me Lord, Oh Oh
Satisfy me Lord, Oh Oh
Yeah, I'm begging You, to help me see
You're all I want, You're all I need
Oh, satisfy me Lord

You're beautiful, You're beautiful
You're more than all this world can give
You're beautiful, You're beautiful
You're love is all I need to live
You're beautiful, You're beautiful
You're more than all this world can give
You're beautiful, more beautiful
You're love is all I need to live

I am planning on posting lyrics every Monday morning for the month of Febuary.

99 Balloons and No, Mr. President

Two videos (one from Igniter Media and the other from John Piper) revealing the sanctity of life and the deterioration of one of America's core values: Life. Abortion is to the 21st Century what slavery/racism was to the 19th (except arguably worse).

99 Balloons from Igniter Media on Vimeo.

Two Quick Ones

1. I find this YouTube video amazingly straightforward for even Fox News. Don't get me wrong. I'm thrilled, and he has a point. Check it out here. (HT: James Grant)

2. Reading in Genesis 4, I thought of a strange question. Who did Cain marry? Where did she come from? Was it his sister?  "Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch," vs. 17.

New Year Goals

Here are a few goals for this next year (2010). These are two categories of many.

• Mental Goals:

1. Read 10 Books - This may sound like small, but I am a slow reader and would rather maintain than speed read.

2. Read 15 Pages A Day (Jan-May) - Objective sub-goal of the above.

3. Play the Guitar (15 mins/day)

 

• Financial Goals:

1. Give to Church Monthly

2. Develop a Budget (and hopefully live by it) - Deadline Jan. 31

3. Buy a Car

4. Open a Roth IRA

 

7 of 13 Goals for the New Year!

A Praying Life

On my birthday I received a book, which I have been slowly reading since. Its a book on prayer. So I wanted to leave a few quotes on my blog to remind me of the powerful points made in this book. Here are a couple:

"If God is sovereign, then he is in control of all the details of my life. If he is loving, then he is going to be shaping the details of my life for my good. If is all-wise, then he's not going to do everything I want, because I don't know what I need. If he is patient, then he is going to take time to do all this. When we put all these things together—God’s sovereignty, love, wisdom, and patience—we have a divine story."

- A Praying Life, p. 22

"Unanswered prayers create some of the tensions in the story God is weaving in our lives."

- A Praying Life, p. 22