tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224778672024-03-07T00:22:24.804-05:00>>juxtapositions<<opposites reactScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03278088071752405589noreply@blogger.comBlogger411125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22477867.post-81690875901569034732022-01-05T09:35:00.002-05:002022-01-05T09:35:24.501-05:00I expect too much from my heart<p>I expect too much from my heart</p><p>I got a new one, sure - but the flesh remains, tempting, wandering and leading me astray. </p><p>My culture says to "follow my heart;" but my God calls it deceitful and wicked - that's why I need Him.</p><p>I expect it to feel the right things, to believe the Truth that His grace is sufficient, have faith that His grace abounds... not to continue to condemn itself. Not still. Not now. </p><p>It desires and does what I do not want to do - indeed the very things I hate. Being boastful...and spiteful... vindictive and shallow.</p><p>Why does it continue to wander away and seek other lovers when it has tasted of the goodness of God and His love?</p><p>Why isn't it steadfast in hope?</p><p>Why isn't it faithful in love, persevering in prayer, seeking God and His grace?</p><p>Why is it anxious & downcast, lustful & selfish, disobedient & distrusting?</p><p>Why does it continue seeking muddy puddles & slop when it can have a vacation by the sea & abundant feast?</p><p>Why?</p><p>Because I still need God. I need Him to remind me and my heart of His love, His grace, His faithfulness.</p><p>I need Him to be the strength of my heart & portion forever. I need Him to cleanse me and recreate my heart again within me. </p><p>I need Jesus, the <a href="https://justsupposeajuxtapose.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-bible-and-our-hearts.html" target="_blank">heart of God</a> to fill my heart with His presence, His love, His forgiveness.</p><p>I need Him to be my heart, because mine is failing me. It always will. That's why He had to come.</p>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03278088071752405589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22477867.post-11240628848057661992022-01-04T16:59:00.004-05:002022-01-04T16:59:55.669-05:00The Bible and our Hearts<p>The Gospel message that I believe is one of the heart of God pursuing the hearts of people. Let me share what I mean.</p><p>Scripture speaks in the language of the heart, both for man and God. In fact, the heart is mentioned over 800 times. God speaks of our heart being the wellspring of life in Proverbs, so we should guard it. He condemns the Israelites for being hardhearted, full of pride and sin, not moldable or influenced by Him. He also says through His prophets that our hearts are deceitful, wicked and sick, who can understand them? God is even described right before He sends the flood as being grieved in his heart in Genesis at creating man since we had wandered so far away. The Psalms are full of the language of the heart as well. David, the man after God's own heart is there pouring out his emotions, desires & longings - asking God to search His heart, restore it, clean it, make it steadfast again. Finally when Jesus came in the New Testament, he spoke this way as well, condemning the self-righteous for praying in showy ways while their hearts are distant from God. And he longs for those weary of heart & soul to come to him and find rest. Then in the Garden of Gethsemane, He pours out His heart in the same way that the Psalmists did, saying how his desires conflict with God's but then commanding His soul to submit to God's will.</p><p>As a <a href="https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/type-4">Type 4 on the Enneagram</a>, I really resonate with this emotional heart-level language. My type of person is often (too) preoccupied with my emotions and feelings (although I've found <a href="https://justsupposeajuxtapose.blogspot.com/2015/07/inside-out-and-human-heart.html" target="_blank">healthier ways</a> to process them lately) trying to get my heart to feel certain things or act a certain way. I<span style="background-color: white;"> relate </span>with the hymn writer who says "Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love," because that is my experience - my heart wanders away to lesser lovers. I think Calvin was right, our hearts are idol factories, created to worship God and if we're not, we're worshiping something or someone else. We can't not worship - it's what we were created to do.</p><p>Several years back I went to Africa on a mission trip, living among an unreached people group, the Marense. I was there nearly 10 weeks, learning the language, befriending the people, eating their food and living among them. A lot about that trip impacted me, but perhaps that which did the most was how the people in these small, poor villages spoke from their hearts, literally. They often said "my heart is happy" or "my heart is sad" giving their reaction to specific events in their lives or in greeting people. Even though most of them were lost, the fact that they spoke this way struck me because it was authentic and honest, true to the way God created us in His own image with living, bleeding, emoting hearts. I came back inspired to speak the same way in America. I did not do that very well at all - but as I reflect on that way of speaking now, I want to seek to do it in my life now. I want to speak from the heart and to hearts in our culture where although eternity is still <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes%203%3A11&version=NIV">set in people's hearts</a>, they are preoccupied with things that do not satisfy those deepest longings in their hearts.</p><p>Here is an image that has helped me as I've wrestled with my own heart. Imagine a tee-pee, the old Native American tent made out of animal skin and wooden posts. The posts have to be positioned in just the right way to keep the tent standing so people can live inside - otherwise is crumples to the ground. I imagine my heart as this teepee, and each post is an idol. I'm trying mightily to keep it standing, with one post propping it up being my work, seeking to perform perfectly there. As that posts slips, I grab the entertainment one seeking to escape into a story outside myself. And if that one doesn't work, then I try my productivity post - if I can at least accomplish something then I'll have worth. Then I may try the family/kids idol post or the ministry post, doing good for God - but they don't "work" either. Only the posts of the True God can sustain my heart and keep it standing. Throughout this I'm doing exactly what the verse in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jonah%202%3A8&version=NIV">Jonah 2:8 says</a>, clinging to worthless idols at the cost of enjoying God's love for me. May I allow God not merely to temporarily prop up but truly sustain my heart - make his love the s<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+73%3A26&version=NIV">trength of my heart & portion forever.</a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgd_m0tALj3K7iglSNuUgOkeAmv9VW7rQpe8OOr14bnXQ1tp-MPLgKrKfP9RXntnXxGrROIR7RrzOOlkXN6eu1zXfEnvgXl_l9buCvAIoz5gOjMxoi1yYcu-tYfI2S40wK1Q3OJGKHlYSe8TizDgWrcEzCqGVannACEWeNDtdhmnHOWBhTqyJs=s306" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="300" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgd_m0tALj3K7iglSNuUgOkeAmv9VW7rQpe8OOr14bnXQ1tp-MPLgKrKfP9RXntnXxGrROIR7RrzOOlkXN6eu1zXfEnvgXl_l9buCvAIoz5gOjMxoi1yYcu-tYfI2S40wK1Q3OJGKHlYSe8TizDgWrcEzCqGVannACEWeNDtdhmnHOWBhTqyJs" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>I don't know if you can relate to this, whether you sense your heart wandering away from God to other lovers. But something else that has helped me is realizing that God in sending His Son to earth, sent his very Heart to us. He is the image of the invisible God, showing us how God acts, as a servant, humble, forgiving and showing mercy and love not to the best & well-positioned of society, but to the sinners, lowly and weak. In His pursuit of our broken hearts God took the most extreme measure - He broke his Heart on the Cross. The sin that breaks our hearts broke Jesus' body there as He was sacrificed to pay the penalty due us, drawing His heart near to us in order to draw our hearts back to Him. May we continue to offer up our broken hearts to Him, the sacrifice <a href="https://biblehub.com/psalms/51-17.htm">He desires</a>. But we can also remember that even "<a href="https://biblehub.com/1_john/3-20.htm">if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything."</a></p><p>May Your Heart be Glad in His Loving Heart for You!</p>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03278088071752405589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22477867.post-77438391161632985512021-12-26T22:34:00.000-05:002021-12-26T22:34:13.503-05:00Mangers and Bethlehem<p>First off, it is truly sad that I haven't written on here in over 3 years! That definitely correlates with being at my current job which is more demanding, allowing for less free time to write. But I'm currently on paternity leave from said job and am making it a goal to write as able - as long as I'm not needed to help with the kids.</p><p>What's inspired me to log in to write today? Well, it's some items I've learned in the past week on the significance of mangers and the place of Jesus' birth: Bethlehem. I've known for some time that Bethlehem means "House of Bread" which is significant in that Jesus said he was the "Bread of Life." This ties also to the Passover meal and its New Covenant revamping: Communion. [And also harkens back to manna in the desert]. But what I also learned this week is that Bethlehem has another name, per the prophecy in Micah 5:2 - Ephrathah which means "Fruitful." What is more fruitful in God's orchestrated providence than the birth of his begotten Son which produced eternal life for all his followers? That's cool to think about!</p><p>This was not the most significant thing I learned about Bethlehem though. I also learned that it was known for its shepherding and raising sheep - perhaps the terrain was ideal for this, I don't know. But more specifically, these shepherds were tending the sheep that would eventually become the sacrifices for the annual Passover festival in Jerusalem. Some 260,000 spotless 1-year-old lambs were needed for this festival every Spring and Bethlehem's fields and its sheep supplied them. It was 5 miles south of Jerusalem- a distance by which the lambs had to be procured within per the law -- and the priests had a special relationship with the shepherds. They supplied them with special cloths to swaddle the newborn lambs in when they were born so they could inspect them to determine if they were suitable for sacrifice. Sound familiar?! It gets even cooler according to <a href="https://www.dawsoncreekmirror.ca/opinion/sacrificial-lambs-and-swaddling-cloths-3506428">what I found </a>-- that they laid those lambs in mangers until they could be inspected by the priests.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpJLeKDOAHpgYTflOMQzquPteRiYgsGhB-ozdJGNP3_ycPwKv4TSAN0P07EW8t8iqqkMJVfNDL9LmEfBm23DAxznouSPNM0ALCJtOIPdoDdiaH5fun_jLvz7XDCKghHT3h6Sv56pekrs0WENow-2G0Quszjs3C_ktrYMRmzZgIZOGLM4QB_ik=s1600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1117" data-original-width="1600" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpJLeKDOAHpgYTflOMQzquPteRiYgsGhB-ozdJGNP3_ycPwKv4TSAN0P07EW8t8iqqkMJVfNDL9LmEfBm23DAxznouSPNM0ALCJtOIPdoDdiaH5fun_jLvz7XDCKghHT3h6Sv56pekrs0WENow-2G0Quszjs3C_ktrYMRmzZgIZOGLM4QB_ik=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">One of the stone mangers, more likely what Jesus was placed in verses the wooden ones we see in our nativity sets. These were built out of limestone, the same stone used for foundations of buildings in Biblical times - also profound to consider.</span></div><p>Now, if this is true, (and lots of posts <a href="https://www.1517.org/articles/debunking-popular-christmastime-myths-temple-shepherds-migdal-eder-and-swaddling-lambs">say it is not</a>) then it would point directly to Jesus' true purpose, his sacrificial death, even at his original arrival at his birth. And it's good & proper to think about that at Christmas. That while the circumstances of his coming are humble themselves, also considering the purpose for which He came, to die on a cross a death we deserved to rescue us from sin and darkness - and that the God of the universe did this - that's the ultimate humiliating act. And it is sure to illicit praise from our hearts if we consider it deeply enough.</p><p>These have been some of my thoughts this Christmas season. Considering the shepherds in the fields, how this may have struck them and also pointed them to their purpose in the Story; whether they were shepherds of Passover Lambs or not, they were still of lowly means to receive news of such magnitude. Watching The Chosen's Christmas specials also brought a lot of this home, how the shepherds reacted to the heavenly hosts singing; their interaction with Joseph & Mary in the stable as well as with the priests ahead of the festivals. But something else also made this much more real this Christmas. This happened back on December 9th when our son Isaac was born. This is our first son and it's been so special to have a baby boy to snuggle with during this season when we consider the Christ-child coming too as a baby boy. That has also been humbling to consider, that he set aside his glory to endure birth and a simple, peasant childhood and life all to express the Love the God has for his children. Glory to God in the Highest, indeed!!</p><p>Merry Christmas!</p>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03278088071752405589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22477867.post-74692449880683378092018-07-03T12:41:00.003-04:002018-07-03T12:47:56.046-04:00Birth and Death<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt;">Certain life events break through the mundane of the day-to-day to remind us we are eternal beings, created for eternity with a significance to match. When we experience them, we are reminded of both the fleeting nature of life as well as its weightiness - and if we're fortunate we learn from them and change. Two such events earlier this year, barely a month apart, did just that for me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt;">The first was the birth of my second daughter on January 5th. After a busy couple of days she arrived in a whirlwind at Northside Atlanta at around 9:30 and it took my breath away just like the birth of my first daughter. It really is miraculous - hearing them cry for the first time, seeing them blink at their first view of light, locking eyes for the first time - and it is as if time stands still. You breathe in, breathe out and try to savor these first few moments of life. Something that had changed since the birth of our first daughter was that the hospital had implemented a new "golden hour" where you can bond with your child with no interruption for the first hour. We had tried to do this last time to no avail - so we were happy to get to read a book to her (Where the Wild Things Are) and cuddle some. In those moments we tried to take in the weight of bringing another precious life into the world -- the weight of showing them life, love, grace and the meaning of it all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt;">A little over a month later I was in another hospital room, this time visiting my wife's grandfather. After a couple of falls and a visit to rehab he was dealing with a myriad of infections and had ended up in a hospital close to our house. With family in town and a newborn at home, I had not had a chance to visit him yet - so I ventured over during nap time on Sunday, Feb 11th. When I arrived he was laying in bed, mouth agape looking towards the ceiling; his oldest daughter sat by the bed on the phone. After tapping his arm and speaking to him, I had a funny feeling. He had not been responsive the last few days, but... then his daughter hung up the phone and checked him. "I think we lost him, Scott" she said to me. Indeed, he had passed moments before I came in the room. We embraced and stood in shock - even though he was 92 and very sick, everything about death is unnatural to the human soul. We let the nurse know, called family, and tried to deal with the reality that he was gone now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt;">I don't recall ever being in the room when (or right after) someone had died. It shook me because, as I said, it's unnatural. We were made as eternal beings, created for life and we live most of our days under the delusion that we'll live forever. But death is a reality, we all will die one day - as hard to believe as it may be. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">I went on a retreat the month after Grandpa died with some good friends and the subject we studied was the value in contemplating our own deaths. My friend <a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">David</a> had read a book recently that had helped him explore this. I actually helped him prepare some of the material that we studied, so I thought more on this in the days leading up to the retreat as well. He had us read an awesome </span><span style="color: #420178; font-size: 16pt;"><a href="http://www.mbird.com/2017/08/architects-madmen-and-ernest-beckers-the-denial-of-death/">article</a> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">that summarized the book (</span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Denial-Death-Ernest-Becker/dp/0684832402/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1530097365&sr=1-1&keywords=denial+of+death"><span style="color: #420178; font-size: 16pt;">The Denial of Death</span></a><span style="font-size: 16pt;">) the premise being that we are all driven by a fear of death, seeking immortality through living lives of impact, meaning or even showing our significance through what we can destroy. I recounted to my friends my experience the previous month, and how even literally staring death in the face, it was still hard to believe. It was a beneficial weekend to sit in nature, consider the finitude of life and be with friends. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt;">That would normally be enough examples for a tidy post, but this is my blog and I have more, so I'm going to keep writing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt;">In May I finally watched the movie Dr. Strange. It's a fascinating film with stunning visuals - its mind-bending production style reminded me of <i>Inception</i>. As with many super hero films, it was chock-full of life lessons and the ultimate meaning of it all. In one pivotal scene, a main character "The Ancient One" who up to this point (spoiler alert) has been immortal is now facing her death. She shares the following thoughts:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Couldn't have said it better myself. And this thought is echoed in Scripture:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. </span></i><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> Psalm 90:12</span></i><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt;">The fact that we are not immortal makes us make the days count for something more- to invest in relationships, be kind to one another, focus on the intangibles of life that give it deeper meaning rather than building our own kingdoms and accumulating more stuff. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Later in May I got the chance to meet one of my creative heroes, Damon Lindelof, one of the creators and producers of </span></span><i style="font-size: 16pt;">Lost</i><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">. A bit of a story how I did - I was an extra on his latest creative endeavor which is being shot here in Georgia - and between takes I was near him and asked him a silly question about the famous polarizing finale of that show. He laughed it off which I </span><span style="font-size: 21.33333396911621px;">expected him to do, and went on his way - but I was satisfied. Since then I've been reading more about him online - what inspires him, his creative process, and the back story to his projects. I've been listening to podcast interviews and even re-watching some of my favorite episodes of Lost (Season 3 Finale, The Constant, anyone?)</span></span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">. In one of <a href="https://relevantmagazine.com/feature/the-end-is-always-near-for-damon-lindelof/" target="_blank">those interviews</a>, he echoed this thought about the </span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 21.33333396911621px;">intensity of emotions in experiencing death and birth in life:</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit;"><i>“I’m 43 years old now, and that’s right at the point in life you start attending just as many christenings as funerals,” he says. “I’ve now seen the grand layout of life. I lost my own father; I am a father … I’m really curious about what I’m supposed to do while I’m here on the planet, and I’m really curious about whether or not this is it. I want to explore that curiosity in the stories that I tell, and I want those stories to be populated by characters who are preoccupied by those ideas. </i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Because it’s very profound, death: It’s the most emotionally intense experience. I had the occasion to be present when my son was born, and I was also in the room when my father died. Those events were equally profound and stunning and amazing. I don’t know how I write about anything other than these two things ever again.”</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I don't know if I'd say that's where I am - that everything I create will be in this vein - but I can relate to the profundity of these experiences. They impacted me and for the better. In all of these experiences this year, I've learned that left to ourselves we cannot handle the weight of life and death by themselves - we need God to help us appropriate the lessons and truly "teach us to number our days." Our feeble hearts' natural bent is to make it about ourselves and continue to live the lie that we're immortal. But God meets our hearts with what we need -- meaning through being about Him and His glory, making sense of our story in light of His. </span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=22477867" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt;">I'll leave you with this final thought from Thomas Merton shared with me again from my friend, David:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.5pt;"><i>“If, at the moment of our death, death comes to us as an unwelcome stranger, it will be because Christ also has been to us an unwelcome stranger. For when death comes, Christ comes also, bringing us the everlasting life which He has bought for us by His own death. Those who love true life, therefore, frequently think about their death. Their life is full of a silence that is an anticipated victory over death. Silence, indeed, makes death our servant and even our friend. Thoughts and prayers that grow up out of the silent thought of death are like trees growing where there is no water. They are strong thoughts, that overcome passion and desire. They turn the face of our soul, in constant desire, toward the face of Christ.”</i></span><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03278088071752405589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22477867.post-38424175213584186192018-05-24T11:12:00.002-04:002018-05-24T11:12:49.919-04:00More thoughts on raceAs I've thought on my previous post, I realized I left some things out in this journey over the last few years. One significant occasions was getting to visit the new Smithsonian <a href="https://nmaahc.si.edu/" target="_blank">National Museum of African American History and Culture</a> last summer in Washington DC. In a 3 hour visit (and I could've probably spent 3 more) to the beautiful building, I walked through the history of blacks in our country. I ventured through the hull of a slave ship, and sat in a train car. I walked through a slave cabin and parked it at a lunch counter. It's a fully immersive experience that does an excellent job of capturing the emotion and impact that racial tension and injustice have had on our country since before its' founding. Each exhibit by itself is striking, but taken together it definitely elicits a response.<br />
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(A lot of moving quotes are displayed throughout the museum, so I took a lot of pictures with my new camera)</div>
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One portion that was especially moving was the section on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmett_Till" target="_blank">Emmett Till</a>, the 14-year-old boy who was lynched in Mississippi by white men in 1955. In the museum, they have a casket viewing set up with music playing from his funeral - and visitors from the museum can shuffle through as if they are at his funeral that hot August day. Like I said, it's moving and it's easy to see through this experience how this event - and the decision by his mother to print his battered picture in the newspaper - was one of the key catalysts for the Civil Rights Movement.<br />
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While a good portion of the museum is history- the 4 floors underground - it's not all history per se. There are several floors above ground, each dedicated to a different significant part of American culture which blacks have contributed to - like music, spots and so on. As I ventured through the whole museum and got overwhelmed by all the content (I'm the kind of museum visitor that likes to read every plague! luckily I was by myself, not dragging my family through) I was struck by how few of these people I had never even heard of. Granted, I'm a white guy that grew up in the South, but there were so many names! I started to make a list in my phone so that I could go later and read about each of them. <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/dudley-randall" target="_blank">Dudley Randall</a>. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Rowland" target="_blank">Dick Rowland</a>. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottobah_Cugoano" target="_blank">Ottobah Cugoano</a>. I left the museum that day with a list of about 30 names and events to look up later and learn more.<br />
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Another moving portion of the museum for me was on the bottom floor. This was in the section that talked about the early roots of slavery in our country, the slave trade and our founding. One of the glaring problems with our history is that one of our Founding Documents - the Declaration of Independence - states all men are "created equal" but this was written by a slave holder, Thomas Jefferson. How would the museum deal with this reality? I wondered - turns out in a very compelling way. When you leave the section about the slave trade and turn the corner, you see a statue of Jefferson and up on the wall behind him the words he penned in the DoI. But between those words and his statue are 600 bricks stacked around him, each one representing a slave that he owned. The image is stark, and in a glance you get the paradox, the juxtaposition of this freedom-loving Founding Father who also owned slaves.<br />
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This is the history we as a country must reckon with. We cannot deny this paradox as we have been inclined to do. As the Baldwin quote above says, we carry our understanding of history with us - it's always present in all we do. So we must reckon with it; it's controlling us whether we understand it or not. This museum helps us do this.<br />
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The final section of the museum is moving as well - a picture is below. This is a reflective fountain and pool with MLK quotes along the wall. It's a perfect place to think on all you've experienced and how it will change how you live from this point on. I recommend visiting this museum if you get a chance!<br />
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I'll end with a few additional resources that I did not include in the previous post.<br />
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<a href="http://www.espn.com/30for30/ojsimpsonmadeinamerica/" target="_blank">OJ Made in America</a> - This came out a couple of years ago, and my wife and I were riveted by it. Partly because we remember the trial happening in the 90s (I used to watch some of the coverage after school each day), and partly because of how this documentary tells this story of how the trial unfolded in the context of race in America at the time. Fascinating to see how OJ Simpson, a man proud of his connection to and admiration by white America became a symbol for Black America because of the Rodney King riots, police brutality, his history and more. Check it out if you haven't already.<br />
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<a href="https://www.npr.org/podcasts/528752250/74-seconds" target="_blank">74 seconds</a> - I listened to this podcast recently about the Philando Castille police shooting in Minnesota. Well done and enlightening, I recommend this Pulitzer Prize winning podcast.<br />
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<a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80149821" target="_blank">The Rachel Divide</a> - A Netflix documentary on the former head of NAACP in Washington state, Rachel Dolezal, who was white but posed at black. Interesting look into the why of her story - and discussion on whether "transracial" is a thing. Worth a watch.<br />
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Finally, haven't experienced these yet, but while I'm talking about museums, I'm hoping to visit a few news ones soon. A couple in Montgomery, AL - the <a href="https://museumandmemorial.eji.org/museum" target="_blank">Legacy Museum and Memorial</a> which seeks to tell the story of the history of injustice in American from slavery, lynchings and racial segregation. And then a new one in Jackson, MS - the <a href="https://www.neh.gov/humanities/2018/winter/feature/new-museums-confront-mississippi-history-coming-terms-tragedies-celebrating-triumphs" target="_blank">Mississippi Civil Right Museum</a> where Mississippi confronts its tattered history on race. Now if I could only find someone to go with me - don't think I can take a toddler and 5 month old!<br />
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Happy to hear your own experiences with race - just comment here!Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03278088071752405589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22477867.post-10298116218102373452018-05-02T11:43:00.002-04:002018-05-02T11:43:53.657-04:00My Personal Journey with RaceI've been on my own personal journey with racial issues the last 5-7 years and have learned quite a bit. Not sure I can say I'm "woke" persay, but definitely more aware than I used to be. Growing up as a southern white male I was pretty unaware of my biases and racial prejudices; or if I was aware I didn't necessarily think they were wrong. But I've recently discovered even if I wasn't southern, or white, or male, or had ANY racial biases, just living in America with the systems we have and our collective history then racism would be a part of my everyday life. It's like the air we breath - and I'm just realizing that.<br />
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Again, as a white guy, part of the privileged race in America, I've had the luxury of not even thinking about race most of my life. American society is set up to reward me for all that effort I put in to being born white. Education (from preschool to postgrad), the judicial system, prisons, government "handouts" (Housing initiatives during the New Deal, GI Bill, etc.), media, entertainment, career, and more all work to my advantage. So I'm only aware of race when someone "not white" enters into my frame of reference, and I've been conditioned to think they are "less than" because they are not white. This isn't necessarily the product of my family, or any one thing, but rather society in general and the thrust of (mostly American) history that has moved in this direction.<br />
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That is part of what I've learned on this journey, but I should go back to what led to this journey in the first place. You may think it's all of the racial conversations we've been having as a country - what with Ferguson, and Charleston, and Charlottesville, and....Trump. And while each of those and more have been a contributing factor to continuing the journey, it's not why it started. It started in a very personal way. In August of 2011 (I think?) my mother mentioned that she had recently discovered that we have a black relative. My widowed great-grandfather had had a relationship with one of his married farm hands in south Georgia and had two children - a daughter and son 8 years apart. The son had died, but the daughter was still living - now almost 80 - about 5 minutes from our family land. The realization that my grandmother, who passed away in 2001, had a half sister about 20 years younger than her and she was black - and we were just discovering it - to say it shook me to my core would be an understatement.<br />
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Beyond asking the natural questions like who is she, what was the nature of her relationship with my family, this is what I asked: Why did it shake me so? For one, my grandmother was probably the person I was closest to in my life growing up. So the fact that she had a half-sister and I didn't know it was both thrilling and disturbing. Thrilling because this is a connection to someone who meant so much to me that died a decade previously - but disturbing because had she known yet kept it from us? The other glaring reality of why it had shaken me was the fact that this person was the result of infidelity (the mother was married) and she was African-American. I felt shame about this - although I was not aware of the nature of this relationship it didn't seem to be on the up-and-up. But I had to face this hard reality: Was I ashamed to be related to a black person? When it came down to it, yes I was.<br />
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Coming to grips with this was tough - not just this discovery of this person, but the latent racism that abided in my heart. Why was it there? Sure I could blame it on a Southern upbringing, the culture that comes with that, relatives that used the n-word, and the like. But plain and simple it was (and is) sin. My heart is always looking for ways to prop myself up, build my kingdom, and feeling superior over other people because of race, abilities, or other reasons is a common way my pride manifests itself.<br />
It took months to come to grips with this, through many conversations and some prayer - but once I had, I was ready to meet this "new" relative. Meeting her and getting to know her is a post for another day. But suffice it to that this journey has been so impactful and changed me because it became personal for me. God is always after our hearts; once He got mine involved by introducing me to a new relative, the journey to change could begin.<br />
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I'd like to end with some resources that have helped me in this journey over the last few years.<br />
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<b>My Church </b>- They hosted some lunch and learns a year ago on racial reconciliation where we watched videos by <a href="https://www.christianbook.com/oneness-embraced-reconciliation-kingdom-stronger-together/tony-evans/9780802412669/pd/412669?dv=%7Bdevice%7D&en=google&event=SHOP&kw=academic-0-20%7C412669&p=1179710&kw=&mt=&dv=c&event=PPCSRC&p=1018818&gclid=CjwKCAjww6XXBRByEiwAM-ZUIG066LF60mvyAvNu2Uiw6eo1EbR2HPF7wuacSw-FWIamYH0QTiRF8hoCGS4QAvD_BwE" target="_blank">Tony Evans</a> and discussed implications for our lives. What I learned from this time was that it's not enough to just have a few black (or Asian or Indian) friends - that's not going to change the systems that cause most of the problems. But those relationships are a start - they get your heart involved and as you engage help you understand non-white perspectives. The next step though is leveraging your influence and privilege to change the systems (justice, policing, educations, and more) that are adversely impacting minorities. The church also recently did a sermon series on this topic and hosted an awesome panel on the issue - you can view it <a href="https://www.perimeter.org/pages/worship/worship-service-information/worship-service-information/pages/greater-love-panels/#panel2" target="_blank">here</a> and it's worth the 2 hours. <br />
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<b>Podcasts</b> - Several have been very helpful, but a couple to highlight are The Liturgists <a href="http://www.theliturgists.com/podcast/2016/3/29/episode-34-black-and-white-racism-in-america" target="_blank">Racism </a>episode - and then Scene On Radio's "<a href="http://podcast.cdsporch.org/seeing-white/" target="_blank">Seeing White</a>" series. Both were profound in shaping my understanding of how pervasive racism within our systems really is.<br />
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<b>Books</b> - There are several that have helped, and more I plan to read. But I'm working my way through <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Under-Our-Skin-Getting-Frustrations/dp/149641330X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1525275778&sr=1-1&keywords=under+our+skin+benjamin+watson" target="_blank">Under Our Skin</a> by Benjamin Watson and have <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stamped-Beginning-Definitive-History-National/dp/1568585985" target="_blank">Stamped from the Beginning </a>on it's way from Amazon.<br />
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Stay tuned to the blog for more on this journey.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03278088071752405589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22477867.post-34786008197432012022018-04-24T23:02:00.001-04:002018-04-24T23:02:50.355-04:00Daddy to GirlsWhat does it mean to be a Daddy to girls?<br />
Lots of pink and purple and tying pig tails with curls.<br />
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Coordinating bows with outfits is a must,<br />
And when they look cute, making a fuss.<br />
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You baby the stuffed animals and put them to bed,<br />
Take care when they're sick and make sure they are fed.<br />
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You kiss every boo-boo with gentleness and care<br />
Make sure they feel comforted that Daddy is there.<br />
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Tea parties and doll time are definitely the norm,<br />
But so are sand castles and fishing with worms.<br />
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There are lots of feelings and a fair share of tears<br />
But you get to be their protector against all sorts of fears.<br />
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Is raising girls that much different than boys?<br />
Both have their challenges and own set of joys.<br />
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From my vantage point, the greatest difference I suppose<br />
As a Father to daughters there's the love that you know<br />
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The tight hugs that you get and sweet kisses, too;<br />
The soft voice saying, "Daddy, I love you."<br />
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With 2 girls two and under, it maybe too early to say<br />
But my hunch is this affection will only grow with each day.<br />
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One thing's for sure, they are gifts from above<br />
And I cherish the chance to raise them in love.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03278088071752405589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22477867.post-76912110897653534742017-12-17T14:26:00.000-05:002017-12-17T14:26:40.826-05:00The Detours Are By DesignThis morning the sermon was on Matthew 2 and the wise men that came from the East years after his birth following a star to see Jesus. I've heard this story hundreds of time, but learned several new things this morning. One was the name given to them - the Magi - denotes those who study stars among other things and it survives in todays words "magic" and "magician" - I never knew that! Also, something I had known but not considered was that these men came a great distance by foot to see Jesus and worship him - over 1,000 miles. That's why they didn't come right at Jesus' birth, but likely 1-2 years later.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKK_lf1pOURpi3IJIa927JhENARmt0W1QX2C26T77I5ils-WJIGK-__abwlsgIJloApBBuGoowd8REKYzin8fjKUUrSHEpSvO9xlryVj14zlhc-SoQoxY17VGS_5ueIYOmHXj6Q/s1600/EOTC-history3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKK_lf1pOURpi3IJIa927JhENARmt0W1QX2C26T77I5ils-WJIGK-__abwlsgIJloApBBuGoowd8REKYzin8fjKUUrSHEpSvO9xlryVj14zlhc-SoQoxY17VGS_5ueIYOmHXj6Q/s320/EOTC-history3.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
As we read the scripture, I noticed something else. The star originally leads them to Jerusalem. Then they let Herod know why they are there; and ask around to find out where Jesus is and the scribes let them know the prophets foretold Bethlehem. They head out to Bethlehem and THEN the star reappears - Behold! - and leads them the rest of the way. As I noticed this, I started to think - why didn't star lead them to Bethlehem right away? Wasn't that the point of their journey, to find Jesus? So why the "detour" to Jerusalem first? Was the star mistaken at first and then remembered once the scribes shared the prophecy of old with the wise men? If I were one of the wise men, these were questions I would have been asking...<br />
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It was good to remember the reason for the visit to Jerusalem - that this was not a mistake, but rather part of God's Sovereign plan. Maybe it was to include Herod and his wicked ways in the story, or highlight how the Scribes knew where Jesus was to be born, but weren't looking for him despite the wise men's insights. We don't know. But we do know this is how God intended it and that the star was not lost.<br />
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I found this comforting this morning, because I often struggle with whether I have missed God's "Plan A" for my life. My soul aches with past regrets of missed opportunities, while I look at the life (read-mostly career) I have and feel that I've settled. But as this story reminds us and many more passages call out, the detours are by design. He had written every day of our life in His book before we were born. Perhaps now I'm in Jerusalem, asking around to involve other necessary characters - and the star will reappear soon. And it's good to remember that God's more interested in my growth in Him wherever I am in my journey than in the fulfillment of my ambitions and dreams. The Magi prove instructive in this regard as well, motivated by worship of the King. May I worship and grow in Love of God as I walk on my designed journey every day.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03278088071752405589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22477867.post-58363472364629558442017-06-29T12:45:00.002-04:002017-06-29T12:45:22.686-04:00The GospelI listened to an excellent <a href="https://perimeter-files.s3.amazonaws.com/podcasts/1726.mp3" target="_blank">sermon</a> this morning that was preached at my church last weekend. We were out of town so I was catching up on what I missed. In it the guest preacher, Julius Kim continues in our current series, The Upside Down Kingdom, explaining how what Jesus lays out in the Sermon on the Mount is only possible by believing in who He is and His Gospel. I wanted to recount a few points here because, if you're like me, it's always good to be reminded of the Gospel.<br />
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He focused on the popular and often misunderstood text of <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/niv/mat/5/1/s_934001" target="_blank">Matthew 5:38-48</a> - featuring such hallmarks of Christian thinking like "Turn the Other Cheek" and "Love your Enemies." He explained how those listening at that time would hear this teaching much differently that our modern American ears do. When they heard about a slap on the right cheek, they pictured a back-handed slap from an enemy, the height of dishonor. And going an extra mile referred to the most hated Roman law by the Jews in which any Roman could order them to carry a burden a mile on a whim. The cloak reference also carried much more weight than a shirt for covering - including familial and inheritance implications.<br />
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So what does all this mean? That Jesus is saying a lot more than "Grin and bear it" like I was often taught growing up. It's radical what He's saying - double what's expected of you, don't react like the world, love and pray for those who hate you, give up your inheritance for your enemies and don't defend yourself. Be perfect. Yes, He's getting at breaking the cycle of the world's way - but it's more than that. If we really understand what He's saying, it's impossible. (Dwight is right, but in a different way...) We cannot truly love our enemies from the heart, praying for them, walking that extra mile and giving them our cloak unless...<br />
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Unless, we understand and believe that that's what Jesus has done for us. That changes us. Julius brought it back beautifully in the sermon to the Gospel, jumping ahead to <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/niv/mat/27/1/s_956001" target="_blank">Matthew 27</a> showing how Jesus turned the other cheek as the soldiers beat His innocent flesh. He gave up His cloak and shirt as they stripped Him bear, casting lots for His clothes. He walked an extra mile carrying the cross, and finally prayed for His enemies while they nailed Him to that same Cross. This is the Gospel, and it's worth remembering today.<br />
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Jesus calls us to a higher, impossible standard of unconditional love and forgiveness in a world of hate and retribution. He calls us to perfect love. But how do we attain that? By understanding how he perfectly loved us, His enemies, and now indwells us empowering us to love in the same way. To read the Sermon on the Mount and interpret it as "Man up - grab your bootstraps, and do this!" is to believe a flawed American gospel which relies on self rather than Christ. But the True Gospel is good news - that we can't do it, He did it all, and we can trust Him to do the impossible through us.<br />
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Those that truly get this ancient sermon understand that Christ in the only one that fulfills the new law, too. Seeing how perfectly He has loved us and abiding in this Truth transforms us and empowers us to love in the same impossible way.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03278088071752405589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22477867.post-30049011083749321792017-04-21T00:11:00.001-04:002017-04-21T00:11:50.940-04:00Tale as Old as Time...Dear Internet,<br />
<br />
It's been a little while, but I felt inspired to write tonight because I went with my bride to see the live-action version of <i>Beauty and the Beast</i>. We had grandparent babysitters, a 9-year-anniversary of our first date to celebrate, so it was the perfect night to go. I was not disappointed. I grew up with the animated Disney films, and although The Lion King was my favorite, I remember really enjoying the story of two unlikely lovers. Why did I like this remake?<br />
<br />
<b>The Script </b>- They kept the main story in tact, but enhanced it with some emotional backstory, pithy one-liners, and a few new characters. It's rare when this many changes are made and it still works - but it did in this case.<br />
<br />
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<b>The Design </b>- from the set, to the costumes, to the entire <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mise-en-sc%C3%A8ne" target="_blank">mis-en-scene</a> it all contributes to a breathtaking spectacle. The Beast's castle was awesome - and so was Belle's village. I did find the Be Our Guest scene a bit too overwhelming with too much color. It struck me how much they sought to capture the beauty of the animated film even though it was live-action. With the color, and the vibrant scenery, and flowers, the hair and make-up even -- all the details were in place to give the feel and flare of the original animated feature. This helped the believability of the computer-animated parts--which is quite a few since many of the characters are entirely CGI; as opposed to the distraction they were in the little bit of <i>The Jungle Book</i> that I could stand to watch. The entire effect made me wonder quite a few times "How did they even film this?" It was movie magic - and it worked.<br />
<br />
<b>New songs - </b>I'm a sucker for a good musical, being a singer and actor myself - but the only thing I enjoy more than a musical I know, is one I know with new songs that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lByktzXZmAk" target="_blank">fit</a> right in with the original. The movie had only a few new songs - but they were great new melodies that drove the plot and shared crucial character points. The one that I enjoyed most was a simple melody that Belle's father sings, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZkNgfvBdY8" target="_blank">How Does a Moment Last Forever.</a>" It has great lyrics and rifts on the theme of the original story of the timelessness of true love.<br />
<br />
Lastly, the <b>Casting </b>I thought was spot on. Josh Gad was awesome and perfect for that role. Emma Watson looked the part and acted it excellently. Even the bit parts were well-played. I appreciate the diversity of the cast as well. I didn't know Audra McDonald was in it until she arrived on screen - so it was treat to hear her voice.<br />
<br />
That's all - aside from some over-the-topness in Be Our Guest (which the original was too come to think of it) I really enjoyed it and recommend it.<br />
<br />Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03278088071752405589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22477867.post-31678034979695519372017-02-27T21:56:00.000-05:002017-02-27T21:56:28.272-05:00An Imitation Game<i>"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children." Eph 5:1</i><br />
<br />
I am a father now. This happened a little over a year ago when my daughter, Elise arrived in this world. This event (and the days since) certainly changed my life, more than I could expect or prepare for. The days leading up her birth I was acting like I normally do leading into a major life-change (I'm not a big fan of them) - with a low level of anxiety as I frantically tried to learn as much as I could to prepare. But once she arrived, and we got a few days at home under our belts, I was pleasantly surprised with how natural fatherhood came to me. I know, I know - I've got the easy role in this as my wife has juggled work, caring for her and most of the feeding times. But this is still a major life change -- but like most I've feared, it has brought much more good than bad - and wasn't nearly worth the level of worry I had.<br />
<br />
For those of you that are parents, and specifically fathers, you know that the second half of the first year is a lot more fun than the first half. The first 6 months you really are just serving your wife as she does the bulk of the care. The child is a "blob of need" as a friend of mine has described infants - and the father can't meet most of those needs. But once you hit 6 months the child is smiling more, responding, babbling back and just generally more interactive as the days go on. Our daughter started clapping around 8 months, and started crawling the next week. All of this activity as I mentioned just equates to more fun for the father. You can contribute and interact more and ultimately start to bond much more with your child.<br />
<br />
Lately something Elise has been doing that's been especially enjoyable is imitating me. Whether it's babbling or even saying certain words, flicking her tongue back and forth, moving her hands like me or making spitting noises with her lips after me, she seems to be constantly imitating me. When she does, it brings me a lot of joy just to see her copy me and be so pleased with herself that she is.<br />
<br />
As I thought about this imitation game we play, the above verse came to mind where Paul admonishes us to be imitators of God. God as our Father receives this same type of joy in just seeing us seek to be like Him. But until I looked it up a few minutes ago and read the second half of the verse, I didn't realize what a perfect depiction it is of this. Because my daughter knows she is loved by me, and feels safe she wants to please me and be like me; so she imitates me. As we grow deeper in our awareness of God's love and care for us, and we get to know His ways more we seek to please Him by imitating Him. The life and faith lessons in parenthood really are bountiful.<br />
<br />
Now, may I live a life before my daughter that is <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+4%3A9" target="_blank">worth imitating</a>!Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03278088071752405589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22477867.post-40017972008722144462017-01-25T21:38:00.001-05:002017-01-25T21:38:58.680-05:00Living as a Christian in the age of TrumpWell, here we are. Whether we like it or not, last Friday Donald John Trump was elected as the 45th President of the United States. This despite losing the popular vote, and saying <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-to-live-under-an-unqualified-president" target="_blank">everything and more </a>to reveal his insecurity, lack of character and leadership qualification, or that he has the moral fortitude to bind the wounds of a deeply divided country. I don't think he has taken the high road ever in his life...<br />
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<br />
I was a #NeverTrump-er ... Can you tell? Why? Beyond him not being conservative, or having no voting record to reveal his true views, or his immoral treatment of women, it mainly came down to character. I love this country too much to see it become the embarrassment of the world, which I was afraid would happen if we handed the keys over to a 70-year-old child like Trump.<br />
<br />
But the people have spoken, so now what? How should we now live? Especially as followers of Christ?<br />
<br />
First off, we must be conscious of those closest to us.<br />
As I've wrestled with this reality over the last few weeks, I've noticed a concerning trend. Friends and neighbors, even family have seemed distant after I've expressed my concerns about Trump on social media. There seems to be a belief that being anti-Trump means you were pro-Hillary, who was for Planned Parenthood, against religious freedom, and would've put a crazy liberal on the Supreme Court. But objectively I wish we could all agree that Trump wasn't the easiest candidate to get behind, especially for conservative Republicans. I never could stomach it, and I live in a traditionally Red state so didn't felt it mattered as much. So I voted 3rd party. Rather vote for what I want and not get it, than vote for what I didn't want and get it.<br />
<br />
But other conservatives who I love and trust were more concerned about the known commodity (or calamity) that is the Clintons and decided to roll the dice with Trump. I need to respect that and be okay with it. After all, he is President so I should wish him well; the alternative is to desire ill for our country.<br />
<br />
In this realm of relationships and politics I've been wondering a few things though:<br />
Does getting engrained in politics make me more loving?<br />
Does watching the news make me more loving?<br />
Is winning a political argument on social media a good way to express God's love?<br />
<br />
I really don't see how any of this makes me more Christlike. If anything it pushes people away, makes you label them and vice versa so there's no room for conversation. I don't think we should total abdicate any responsibility to be politically involved. We just need to do it in a balanced way and guard it from consuming our conversations and relationships.*<br />
<br />
Next is obvious, but as a Christian we should pray for this President and his administration. I am reading Ezra now - and a theme in the <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/niv/ezr/1/1/s_404001" target="_blank">first chapter</a> is that God moves in the hearts of leaders and his people to do what He desires. That has given me great hope these last few days as I've heard all the crazy things Trump is saying and doing. I know that God still moves in the hearts of those in power, that "He guides it wherever He pleases" like a stream of water in His hand as <a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/21-1.htm" target="_blank">Proverbs 21:1</a> tells us. I am praying to that end for President Trump.<br />
<br />
Lastly, we - as <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-to-live-under-an-unqualified-president" target="_blank">Piper wrote</a> - should focus first on God's kingdom, the lost in this country and around the world rather than get discouraged by Trump's dysfunction. We cannot win lost souls if we are distracted by civilian affairs.<br />
<br />
So how are you processing all of this? Agree with where I've landed? I'm definitely still processing it all - so am open to your comments to learn more. Leave one here for me.<br />
<br />
One last thing. I am really concerned about the misinformation Trump and his team are disseminating. Last weekend KellyAnne Conway uttered the phrase "<a href="http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/22/media/alternative-facts-donald-trump/index.html?mc_cid=fec2ecacf6&mc_eid=2fcd035d21" target="_blank">alternative facts</a>" to explain why Trump believes more people attended his inauguration than numbers and pictures (read: REALITY) show. Leaders seeking to make people question the reality they see is stuff right out of Orwell's <i>1984</i>. As believers in absolute Truth, we must advocate for the importance of it in all realms - and fight against leaders deceiving the masses. How? May God help us all.<br />
<br />
*For many, their political involvement doesn't go beyond voting - and they abdicate their Christian responsibility of daily love and action because they voted for someone who will do it instead. This is another post - but I am not saying we shouldn't be politically involved. I know certain policies have real impact and our Christian beliefs call us to act for justice however we can. I'm merely pointing out that too often our political action is at the expense of relationships.<br />
<br />Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03278088071752405589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22477867.post-12245707589482201582016-12-23T15:49:00.001-05:002016-12-23T15:49:18.777-05:00Life in MomentsThe last several months as I've watched my daughter grow and change in her short 10 months of life, I've been reminded of this truth. Life happens in moments - through small, incremental, indecipherable changes. Our fast-paced, always-in-a-hurry, efficiency-as-king world tries to tell us otherwise; but this is, I believe, an eternal truth. Change happens slowly. It's the way the world works.<br />
<br />
As I drove to work this fall - perhaps my favorite season in Atlanta - I took special intention to notice a few particular trees along the way. I observed how their leaves changed from day to day, from bright beautiful oranges and yellows one day to drab browns and rusty reds a few days later. Each day I tried to observe how they had changed from the day before. Each day it was slight, but I could definitely tell - and more so than if I had just driven past not taking notice. Change in our lives is often so slight, we miss it unless we stop and observe it.<br />
<br />
I've seen this especially this year in watching my daughter grow. As I watch her play now, pulling up some and saying a few words, giggling and pouting when she doesn't get her way - it's hard for me to remember what she looked like just a few short months ago, unable to crawl or sit up. Then I look back at pictures of her and can't believe the change. How did it happen? I see her every day... but I didn't notice <i>all</i> the changes. Her eyelashes getting longer; her hair growing in very thick on the sides after being nearly entirely rubbed off through her sleeping patterns; her growing proficiency with her hands as she plays with toys and books...<br />
<br />
Actually I guess I have noticed a lot of the changes... because I've tried to stop and observe.<br />
<br />
Our world around us presses in and seeks to deceive us about this truth. "You should be further along"... "Speed up your maturity - you should be leading others by now"... "It shouldn't take this long to get it" These phrases and more echo in our heads, trying to prod us along no matter the realm - career, spiritual walk, our marriage. But these things take awhile, and the fact that they do - that life is a process - is part of the beauty of it.<br />
<br />
I took an intro to screenwriting class this summer through continuing ed at a local university. One thing the professor highlighted was that people watch movies because they like to observe a character undergoing a major transformation, or making a huge decision. Why? Because we long for that immediate change in our own lives. But watching these stories we think it can happen in a quicker way for us - but that's deception. Sure it works in a 1.5 hr long film.* But if we seek that for ourselves we get trapped in the deceit of high expectations - of ourselves, and those around us demanding microwaved change when our Maker is playing the long game.<br />
<br />
I feel I've spent a lot of my life resisting this truth and asking why this is the way things are. My pride and desire to be in control want to speed things up so I can get some glory. But resisting this truth is futile. There are plenty of reasons why slow and steady wins this race. It breeds patience in us, causes us to be humble, and makes us generally more pleasant people to be around - unhurried and savoring the rich things life is made of.<br />
<br />
This next year I want to embrace this truth more fully - slow down and savor rather than strive for speedy change. Sure daily discipline and slowing down may not be as flashy, but it's the way our Father designed this world. What's that saying... How do you eat an elephant?<br />
<br />
<h4>
*<span style="font-weight: normal;">Truth be told, even with characters in movies there are only one or two major changes or decisions- while the rest of the story is made up of small, indecipherable changes as well. The point of a scene is for one or two characters to undergo some slight change.</span></h4>
Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03278088071752405589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22477867.post-36154708951310981762016-09-22T15:54:00.000-04:002016-09-22T15:54:29.296-04:00Writing is a lot like fishing.<div class="MsoNormal">
Writing is a lot like fishing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You’re doing something, but it doesn’t always seem
worthwhile.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It can feel like you’re just passing the time. It takes a
lot of set up, a lot of gear, and a lot of training, but no matter how much you
invest there’s no guarantee that you’ll catch anything – no guarantee that
you’ll feed your family through your efforts. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ideas, like fish are illusive.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Who knows where they come from?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes you get lucky and you haul in a whole boatful.
Sometimes you’re teased with a bunch of bites but none take the bait. But when
they do bite you must focus and be dedicated to set the hook and reel it in…
we’ve all had the experience of The One that Got Away.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
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Yes, writing like fishing can seem fruitless; either can
seem pointless many mornings when you wake up before dawn to get everything
ready. But you got to keep casting, keep throwing the line in, keep looking for
the hot spot in the water because you’ll never know when the Big One will take
a bite. Then all those outings yielding empty nets and lost bait will seem
worth it. Both exercises have tremendous payoffs…<o:p></o:p></div>
Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03278088071752405589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22477867.post-50558994253587522112016-06-30T18:25:00.000-04:002016-06-30T18:25:08.381-04:00Birthday postIt is today. As a coworker said, it's the beginning of my last year in a desirable demographic, so reap the benefits while I can (we work in advertising). After this year, the random mailers I get will be for back pain pills and other "old people" products (ironically enough I'm dealing with a good bit of back pain today). Anyway, I usually get pretty reflective on my birthday. What am I doing? How am I living my life? Am I achieving my goals? Do I have goals? This birthday I've done that less - partly due to what I wrote about last week, that I need to trust God is not wasting anything in my life. But also partly due to a realization- reminder really - this week. Life is lived in the mundane, ordinary, small moments - not in huge, epic ones. We desire that because in our human nature we are bent towards being the center of our universe, desiring to be important and do big things. These desires for significance and impact are good - but in the fall they were thwarted to skew much smaller, fueling only our pride and building our own kingdom rather than our Father's.<br />
<br />
This pride has been evident in my life in my tendency to view it as if it was a movie and I was the main character. I love film and storytelling in general, and as an actor I look for the drama in life, and not always for good. Part of this is my personality as well being a bit of a romantic. I remember telling a friend in high school about how I sometimes view life as a film about me, with all friends and family serving as supporting characters in the epic tale that unfolded. Now I was a Christian at the time and I believed God had a role too - but not the main one. He was also serving to achieve my ends and help me fulfill my dreams. I shared this and saw no issue with viewing life this way. But his response was one I needed to hear. "I think that's a very selfish way to view life." Huh? I hadn't thought of it that way. After all I wanted good things for the supporting characters that played their roles faithfully- and me achieving my desires would do great things for the world around me. As I've grown older and seen more of my pride, his words have rung even truer. How can you love others if they exist to serve your ends? How can you think of others as more significant than yourself if you're playing the leading role? Yes, it's hard to be like Christ - who came to serve rather than be served, and didn't <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/phl/2/1/s_1105006" target="_blank">consider equality with God</a> as something to be grasped - when you place yourself and your wants and desires at the center of it all.<br />
<br />
I think everyone struggles with this on some level. Maybe you don't view life as a movie about you - but you grapple with getting on the throne of your life, even (or especially) if you're a Christian. We all still have our flesh that wants to call the shots; but God calls us to die and let His Spirit live through us. But the reason I brought up this propensity for viewing life as a movie about me, is that I am daily on the search for that significant, epic event. The meet-cute. The apple cart turning over. The climactic, romantic scene in the park with the perfectly spoken dialogue and swelling overture in the background. But God doesn't work like that. He moves in mysterious ways - through poopy diapers, or a data entry job; a simple hug and "How was your day" conversation, or emptying the dishwasher for your wife. He still speaks in a still, small voice and if we're looking for the clashing thunderstrike we may miss it. No, life isn't a movie - and that's a good thing.<br />
<br />
This is true of all relationships. Think about it. They are forged through time - just normal, seemingly insignificant moments - accumulated over time into memories and deep bonds; not through ginormous events with perfectly timed soundtracks. As a new father I can attest to this. Life with my daughter is lived day by day through mundane actions of serving her. I'm home with her today - my job graciously gives me the day off for my birthday - so I have fed her, changed her diaper, woken her up from her nap, talked to her and entertained her. My most cherished memories in her life so far are not the big first moments (aside from birth, there haven't been many yet) but rather the small, special moments: that smirk she gives me when she wakes up, or sees me for the first time when I come home from work; her little coos before bedtime; our laughter making faces in the mirror at each other before bath time. These are the special moments - and not one of them would make it into a blockbuster script.<br />
<br />
So how is this making me less reflective this birthday? I may be tempted to evaluate again based on what I've accomplished and the impact I'm making from my vantage point. But remembering life is lived in the mundane and being faithful in the small things gives me hope and guides me forward. Should I still have big goals and desire significance? Sure - but this is helping me temper my expectations that those big moments will be few and far between. The story God is writing is made up of many still, small moments that are much more significant. I want to do more - but in doing less and simply obeying and being faithful in what He's called me to each day, I'm making an impact and being used for His glory. What's more significant than that?Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03278088071752405589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22477867.post-41194312060636739662016-06-21T16:35:00.003-04:002016-06-21T16:35:59.361-04:00Nothing is wasted.
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Do I really believe that? My mind and
theology may say 'yes' but my actions and thereby my heart say 'no.'
Whether it be regretting missed opportunities and years in
less-than-fulfilling jobs or getting upset that my time was not
useful and I wasn't as productive as I intended, being frustrated
with wasted time has bubbled up to the surface a lot for me recently.
How do we spend our lives?
Through time. And if we don't feel our time is being well spent on a
macro level via career, pursuit of dreams et cetera then on the micro
level in the day to day when we have to redo work or our time
investment isn't appreciated, we'll be frustrated as well. Now, like
I said I know on paper God wastes nothing. All things work together
for good, every day is written for us before we live them and so on
and so forth. But I do not live like I believe that. It
appears day in and day out lots of things happen for no purpose and
it looks like we're not being refined and it feels like our life's
work is unimportant – but therein lies the problem: I'm walking by
sight/feeling and not by faith.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I was thinking on this the other day
after I got particularly frustrated – angry, really that I didn't
feel my time had been well-spent. I had worked several hours on a
project, went to re-save it and the program crashed – and I lost
all of my work, nearly half a day's worth. I was livid. As I dwelt on
it that night I wondered why I had gotten so mad about it. “Scott,
you made work and productivity an idol again – that's what went
wrong. Time to repent ” I told myself; and yes, that was true. And
I thought on the truth that my time is not my own – I was bought
with a price. God is directing my days and times as he wished. But
the most hopeful thought I had?
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>God is wasteful. </b>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now I know that is not a very reformed
thought – what with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limited_atonement" target="_blank">limited atonement</a> and all. But I believe the
Holy Spirit whispered this truth to me and it brought me freedom.
What do I mean by this? That in His nature being Love He is generous
as He lavishly pours His grace and mercy on us to an excessive,
abundant degree. As I've stewed on this the last couple of days
several bible passages has confirmed this idea that God is wasteful.
Like the first chapter of Ephesians – throughout God's glorious
grace is lavishing us, raising us from the dead, forgiving and
redeeming us. It is active, purposeful, intentional and generous.
Then think about Jesus' parable of the prodigal son – God as the
Father runs down the road, kills the fatted calf, clothes the son
with the finest robe and throws an extravagant party. The Good
Samaritan is another example. I just heard an awesome sermon on this
– and in it the preacher made the connection that Jesus is the
ultimate Good Samaritan – that it's really a story about Him. He
takes us in our half-dead state, binds up our wounds, and takes care
of us – then effectively writes a “blank check” to the
innkeeper to spend whatever necessary to meet our needs.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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We could go on for quite a while with
other displays of extravagant love in the Bible, some showcasing extravagant love back to God, like with the woman and the alabaster jar.
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In all of this God is teaching us an
important lesson about love. It's costly, sacrificial and if you're
measuring it you're doing it wrong. By it's nature of being truly
unconditional, it means we cannot think in terms of love being
effective or rewarded or even acknowledged. It just must be given.
That is at the heart of God's nature as well – because <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/niv/1jo/4/8/s_1163008" target="_blank">He is love,</a>
He <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/niv/jhn/3/16/s_1000016" target="_blank">gives</a>. And the fact that His love is so
extravagant and not tempered when we are painfully aware of how
undeserved it truly is – that's what makes it so powerful. Yes, part of our problem is we are often
looking at this in human terms; we want to see the ROI on our
efforts. When it comes to God's economy we prefer to quote “You
reap what you sow” rather than “forgive 77 x 7 times.” </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>God's
extravagance is purposeful.</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
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But we can take heart that in God's
seeming wastefulness, nothing is truly wasted. His love and all actions towards us that come out of it are with intention and serve their purpose. If we're looking at this in human terms you could very
well argue that God becoming human was wasteful. Jesus leaving the
throne of heaven, becoming a frail, weak and needy baby – born not
in glory or with proper recognition but off the beaten path. Then He
lives life in obscurity, gains minimal notoriety for his miracles and
the ruckus He causes with the religious folks. And then He dies a
criminal's death on a cross – what a waste! Yes, we would have
written the story differently. But God clearly had a purpose in all
of this – allowing what He hates to accomplish what He loves. He
spared no expense to show us His love, and this spilling of Jesus'
blood was worth it to display His grace to a lost world. The resurrection </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So back to my day-to-day. What does my "wasted time" mean in God's economy? For one, I cannot judge what
God is up to because it often doesn't make sense in human terms. His ways
are not our ways. He truly uses the foolish things to shame the
wise. So despite how things look, I must cling to these truths and continue to trust Him. I can also trust that He is not wasting these seemingly futile times as opportunities to build character in me. And the fact that He is wasteful but with purpose can make me a better lover of people - using seemingly futile, wasteful tasks as practice to free me up to be extravagant in my love of others without thought of effectiveness. May I walk by His spirit and strive to love like Him more and more. When I do, nothing I do will be wasted. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
What do you think? Is God wasteful?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03278088071752405589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22477867.post-87523552248422020032016-03-26T22:08:00.001-04:002016-03-26T22:12:48.178-04:00On the ElectionBeen meaning to write on here recently, but we've been a bit preoccupied. Our daughter arrived the middle of last month and we've been having a good time figuring out how to be parents. It's a fun process.<br />
<br />
What's not been a fun process has been watching this current election. Well it was fun, until about a week ago when my candidate Marco Rubio dropped out. I was really excited about his candidacy for several reasons, not least of which was his ability to win in November. But this wasn't his year because it was the year of fear-mongering and personal attacks, as Marco pointed out <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFNU84MTwJQ">in his concession speech</a> (in which he quoted the Bible throughout). Yep, you know who I'm talking about: Orangey Entertainer. This billionaire, 1-percenter, reality TV star of a candidate who most of his adult life was a Democrat is now on his way to winning the Republican nomination and perhaps the presidency. It'd be hilarious if it wasn't so downright frightening.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8YjF43Stj_CkXIMksxLA2XXx36Fg4vkb2mdCfIqVaETrn04o1f_xhKcTP42v02sAgMhr0vdeqvtd7f2qoB8Sxw8nwd3xln55V9tkaNVFLztkPqGLPYaq0sXU_UYAn2nPgaZqUA/s1600/orangey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8YjF43Stj_CkXIMksxLA2XXx36Fg4vkb2mdCfIqVaETrn04o1f_xhKcTP42v02sAgMhr0vdeqvtd7f2qoB8Sxw8nwd3xln55V9tkaNVFLztkPqGLPYaq0sXU_UYAn2nPgaZqUA/s320/orangey.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
It started out funny to me - the off-the-cuff intro speech full of racial slurs in front of a crowd that was mostly paid extras; the hokey tagline; the pie-in-the-sky not-thought-through "policies." He had to be kidding, right?! But then the primaries started, he got votes and started hauling in delegates and here we are.<br />
<br />
To recap, Orangey is winning the Republican nomination despite the following:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>His comments about Mexicans, women, American Muslims, John McCain.</li>
<li>Not disavowing the KKK's endorsement (that's right-the KKK for crying out loud)</li>
<li>His ties to the Clintons</li>
<li>He's pro-choice</li>
<li>"Two" Corinthians </li>
<li>"Foreign advisors?! I talk to myself because I have a very good brain."</li>
<li>His bullying of journalists and anyone who disagrees with him; re: protesters "Punch 'em in the face" (Bill of Rights, anyone?!)</li>
<li>Sarah Palin </li>
<li>"We love the poorly educated."</li>
<li>He's making a joke of our whole democratic system</li>
</ul>
<br />
Over and over in spite of these "gaffs" --or maybe even because of them - he's proven to be Teflon. His poll numbers and delegate counts only rise.<br />
<br />
HOW IS THIS HAPPENING?!<br />
<br />
For a while it truly baffled me- but as I've thought about it and read a lot I'm no longer surprised. Orangey has tapped into the innate human tendency to give our attention to whatever grabs it. And the more shiny the object, the harder it is for us to look away. It doesn't matter if it is worth our attention or not.<br />
<br />
I thought enough of America would at least consider what he's saying and how off-base it is. But it seems this urge to watch-- and here it's the most entertaining thing that we give the most attention to-<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white;">-</span></span> surpasses even our common sense. Now I'm not discounting the legit concerns people have - they are fed up with do-nothing Washington, scared about terrorism, rattled by the rapid change our country has undergone these past few years. But is handing the keys over to a petty, insecure, and unqualified leader the right way to handle it?!<br />
<br />
Now, I'm going to try to stop rambling and make a few key points that I think explain further how we got here:<br />
<br />
First, I think Orangey is gaining the most votes because he's <b>Gaining the Most Attention. </b>Perhaps you--like me-- have thought there were enough sensible voters who would check their fears, consider what's at stake and not vote for him. But psychology says otherwise. The "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mere-exposure_effect" target="_blank">mere-exposure effect</a>" says that just being exposed to something, or someone, eventually causes us to like them. "A statistical analysis of voting patterns found that a candidate's exposure has a strong effect on the number of votes they receive, distinct from the popularity of the policies." Yep - we're just that dumb! And we all know this exposure of Orangey has not been through advertising, but just news. He is a champ at owning a news cycle, testing the limits of 'any press is good press.' Our current cocktail of around-the-clock news + social media click bait has proven to be a perfect storm for constant exposure for him. This constant exposure (valuing nearly <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/16/upshot/measuring-donald-trumps-mammoth-advantage-in-free-media.html?_r=0" target="_blank">$2B</a> in free coverage) rarely on substantive issues but instead on some lewd comment he makes - translates to votes. It's science!*<br />
<br />
Secondly, Orangey is leading because the <b>News Media is a Business.</b> Several <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/how-america-made-donald-trump-unstoppable-20160224" target="_blank">people</a> have made this point, including Trevor Noah in <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2016/03/22/trevor_noah_mocks_the_donald_trump_media_circus_on_the_daily_show_video.html" target="_blank">this segment</a>. But I think the Fourth Estate has really failed us here. Yes, he boosts ratings which translates into major ad dollars - but aren't they supposed to help the public vet these candidates, and give us balanced coverage of all of them? Maybe they are having editorial meetings and considering what coverage is best for the public - but at the end of the day they are businesses (and struggling ones at that when it comes to newspapers, magazines and radio stations) so they have to go with what garners clicks and sells papes. They aren't all listener-supported NPR.<br />
<br />
Lastly, I think we are here because <b>We have Made Politics Entertainment</b>. First through the news - to fill 24 hours and compete with the other cable networks they have to report the craziest, most outlandish stuff- ie. all of Orangey's speeches live. But then also with recent TV shows, the Presidency and intrigue around it have become the source material for some of our most popular ones: <i>Scandal, House of Cards, </i>and <i>Veep</i> to name a few. The rise of these shows created the moment for Orangey to take the scene, and he's done so well. Plus we are in a time when we can overindulge in our desire to be entertained via binge watching. Is it any wonder that the entire election has become a constant media circus with a former reality TV star at the center? Can we even distinguish between entertainment and reality anymore? We haven't tempered our basest desires, and exercised our better judgment - so here we are. We deserve him.<br />
<br />
So that's my assessment - take it or leave it. Thanks for reading!<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />*His whole campaign could be a case study in the value of press/PR/media coverage over paid advertising. It has honestly made me question my career in advertising - as the candidates who spend the most on TV ads gain little ground through it and end up dropping out first.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03278088071752405589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22477867.post-83111584351682918392015-12-31T11:41:00.001-05:002015-12-31T11:41:47.370-05:00Endings and BeginningsThe year is coming to a close. I always stop and reflect this time of year, not just because a new year is about to begin, but also because it is my half birthday today - a great time for a mid-year check-in. How am I living my life? Am I accomplishing all that I want to do? What have I done this past year? As I look back, this year has a good bit of highlights. Back in January I bought a truck and not just any truck, but a 2003 Toyota Tacoma. This is a truck that I've wanted since high school. So when my Camry crapped out last December, I decided it was time. I've been really pleased with it, and the lower gas prices this year have certainly helped.<br />
<br />
Another high point for me was getting back on stage. In early February I auditioned for a part in a musical at a community theater I've heard a lot of great things about. I got the part - the most serious role in a show-within-a-show whodunit, <i>Curtains</i>. I played Aaron Fox, a quasi-romantic lead (never played that type of role before) and got to sing an awesome song, act with a stellar scene partner, and make a lot of new friends. The best part was - my role required very minimum dancing! It really was fulfilling to get back on stage and use some of my gifts again.<br />
<br />
Writing - It has been an okay year on that front. You can see the infrequency of the blog, but I did this summer log 1,500 minutes writing through a challenge an author I follow put on. I worked on various writing projects with that time, including making up a 12 week curriculum for my Bible study which we went through this fall. It was satisfying to use those gifts and in a way that positively impacted others and their walk with God.<br />
<br />
Another huge accomplishment as I look back over the year is my involvement with CrossFit. I wrote some about that on my <a href="http://www.goodmediaideas.com/" target="_blank">work blog</a> - but it really has been a great experience. I've done more than I thought I could do, gotten stronger and seen great results - although in the couple of months I took off I did gain back a few pounds. I need to start that diet! The best things about it are the challenge as well as the camaraderie of the work outs makes it enjoyable so I actually want to go.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcCRVPd5UoMehljWX0pVWQD7tkv62ZPM-mpSq6JP2ayiNNi_5EiK68G6hPf0PzDvIXAU5M3otiBOvuJnk0R62vx4MS8skTqHQRmPtLm0Y6LOCpuP06qBytbNAAhAXlNBqpg6IXA/s1600/IMG_8757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcCRVPd5UoMehljWX0pVWQD7tkv62ZPM-mpSq6JP2ayiNNi_5EiK68G6hPf0PzDvIXAU5M3otiBOvuJnk0R62vx4MS8skTqHQRmPtLm0Y6LOCpuP06qBytbNAAhAXlNBqpg6IXA/s320/IMG_8757.JPG" width="240" /></a>Lastly, another significant milestone this year is that we got pregnant. We found out at the beginning of the summer and it has been an exciting journey. All in all it has been a pretty easy pregnancy for Rachel; she was nauseous some at the beginning but never sick and has just had some hip pain off and on. We found out in September that we are having a girl which has been even more exciting. It is what we both wanted and we're having fun getting ready for her. No names yet, but hopefully we'll narrow that down soon! Mostly we are just indescribably thankful for this gift. We learned in the process of getting pregnant that we are not in control, and that has continued to be the lesson through pregnancy. I hear that's a pretty handy thing to keep in mind in parenting, too. We'll see. (The picture here is of us on our babymoon in North Ga in Nov - we're at Tallulah Gorge here)<br />
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Other than that there is not much to report on the work front. More business as usual there, although I did work on a lot of smaller projects early in the year which was a challenge. I tend to wrestle with wanting my work to be significant but have learned that <i>how</i> I go about doing it- no matter how small the task- makes it significant. Through other challenges I've learned again and again that I will always be frustrated if I tie my worth up in it. I was designed instead to worship God through my work. No matter the job that will always be true.<br />
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2016 will no doubt be a significant year. As Rachel and I talk about how life will look different - which, how can we know what to expect? - we do look forward to life getting simpler. Now I know a crying infant and sleepless nights are not most people's definition of simpler. But by simpler I mean a clarity of priorities, and a lot more freedom to say no. Our time will be limited so it will have to be used wisely. That can only be a good thing. Plus we are of course looking forward to being parents and all the new experiences and emotions that brings. Hope you and yours have a great new year!Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03278088071752405589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22477867.post-78346912257816854902015-12-21T16:07:00.001-05:002015-12-21T16:07:52.319-05:00Steve Harvey, failure, and perfectionismIf you were online last night, you probably heard about Steve Harvey's debacle at the end of the Miss Universe pageant. At the critical moment - that moment "we've all been waiting for" - he accidentally announced the first runner up as the winner; and then didn't catch his mistake for what seemed like an eternity on live television, over a minute! I was not watching, but quickly saw it online and read up on it. It seemed to make for a very awkward moment on TV, asking the young woman who had just been announced as winner to give her crown over to the <i>true </i>winner.<br />
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If you were online today you've no doubt seen more memes and gifs about this as well as perspectives on who is to blame. (My favorite is "<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-bad-design-wrecked-steve-harveys-universe-eric-thomas?published=t" target="_blank">bad design</a>" due to the poor layout of the card Harvey was reading from). But I came across this perspective from Desiring God about how this incident feeds the "failure culture" we live in - where we're obsessed with people that make huge gaffs, especially celebrities. It distracts us from our own shortcomings and makes us feel better about them. These failures seem even worse because at the same time our culture demands and expects perfection at every turn. This was my favorite quote from the post:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #3a3c3f; font-family: 'Adelle W02 Light', Adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27.2000007629395px;">"Our countless failures against God deserve death and come from deep within our nature. We sin because we are sinners, and we will never reach perfection because we are finite. And we can never make up for our imperfections in the past. But Jesus gives us something better than a second chance; he becomes our substitute (</span><a class="rtBibleRef" data-purpose="bible-reference" data-reference="2 Cor 5.21" data-version="esv" href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/2%20Cor%205.21" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #3a3c3f; font-family: 'Adelle W02 Light', Adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 27.2000007629395px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">2 Corinthians 5:21</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #3a3c3f; font-family: 'Adelle W02 Light', Adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 27.2000007629395px;">). Now, instead of finding joy in our own mythical perfection, we can find joy in Jesus’s grace when we mess up."</span></blockquote>
I've been thinking about some of this recently as I know I am a perfectionist. Perhaps not to the extreme that other people are, but I definitely am one. It shows up mostly in self-righteousness and pride - and then conversely frustration when I don't meet the high expectations I put on myself. I know with a kid on the way my apple-cart is definitely about to get over turned countless times every day. As I seek to "get ready" for parenting I'm realizing the only preparation I really need is a deeper understanding and belief in the gospel - that I fail, Christ is perfect where I can never be, and I need his grace more than I realize. Then as I receive and cherish that grace, I can offer it to my daughter who will no doubt try my patience on occasion :). But the grace offered to me from my Father, I can offer to my child when she fails. May I not pursue perfection, but rather faith to believe in the one who has made me perfect. Help my unbelief!<br />
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<br />Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03278088071752405589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22477867.post-26729838774446860542015-12-01T08:22:00.002-05:002015-12-01T08:22:37.088-05:00Race in American HistoryI'm reading a great book on American history called <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Race-Reunion-Civil-American-Memory/dp/0674008197" target="_blank">Race and Reunion - The Civil War in American Memory</a>. </i>It is all about the collective memory of a country - how a culture recalls or doesn't recall certain key events in its history and the political and societal implications of that memory. The obvious subject of this book is slavery and how during Reconstruction the soldiers, politicians and others from both sides began to recount different versions of events to better serve their narrative and vain-glory. Memory serves a purpose, and in many cases the blight of the cause of slavery and suppression of another race were written out of the story completely. As the author argues, and I tend to agree, unless we grapple with the hard realities that came out of this era we cannot experience full reconciliation and healing, namely as it relates to race. I think these re-written memories and white-washed histories are at the root of a lot of the racial tension we still experience in our country today.<br />
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From the book:<br />
<i>"Myths are the deeply encoded stories from history that acquire with time a symbolic power in a culture. In Mythologies (1957), Roland Barthes suggests that myths are clusters of ideas and values that have lost 'the memory that they were ever made.' Indeed, Barthes might have had in mind the Civil War veterans' obsession with detail and their quest for recognition through reminiscence when he wrote that myth 'organizes a world which is without contradictions because it is without depth, a world ... wallowing in the evident ... a blissful clarity: things appear to mean something by themselves.' As veterans of both sides aged, the differences in their remembrance of cause, while still evident and necessary in acts of commemoration, could not hold back their own and the culture's need to cultivate the mutual ties in soldiers' memory. The national reunion required a cessation of talk about causation and consequence, and therefore about race. The lifeblood of reunion was the mutuality of soldiers' sacrifice in a land where the rhetoric and reality of emancipation and racial equality occupied only the margins of history."</i><br />
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I think we would all agree that these issues of race remain in the margins. Yes, current events have been bringing them to light but we still struggle to respond in a healthy way and get to the deeper issues at play. We still respond in fear or disgust, defensiveness or pride, soapboxing our stance and talking past each other. There is too little true engagement or conversation within the context of relationships whether we are talking about Ferguson, Chicago, Baltimore, or Syrian refugees. I'm afraid, too <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/08/27/okay-this-trump-thing-isn-t-funny-anymore.html" target="_blank">Donald Trump's presidential campaign</a> is just furthering this long, sad pattern of hateful rhetoric and reacting out of fear instead of understanding. <br />
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How do we engage? How as Christians do we respond? I do think the answer lies on the relational level, starting to have open honest conversations with people of other races about how we feel about these issues. Within that seeking to find common ground which there is plenty of when we think in terms of the Gospel. We all are sinners in need of forgiveness offered through the blood of Christ. We must offer that forgiveness and grace towards one another as we seek to engage because we are bound to offend one another.* This approach is in line with what Benjamin Watson, NFL player turned racial advocate, has laid out in his book, <a href="http://underourskinbook.com/" target="_blank">Under Our Skin</a>. I say that, but I have not read it yet :)- but I did watch <a href="http://underourskinbook.com/tgcwebcast/" target="_blank">this video</a> about it which I highly recommend. Doing nothing is not an option. Time does not heal all wounds - that's a stupid cliche. Some wounds must be brought into the light, exposed and discussed or they will continue to fester and boil as we keep seeing in cities all across our country. May God have mercy as we seek to honor Him through racial reconciliation.<br />
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*In fact, I think that's a main reason we do not even talk because we are paralyzed about saying the wrong thing, see Missouri University president - but that situation also proves that inaction is still action.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03278088071752405589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22477867.post-58090391376389121782015-11-29T15:19:00.000-05:002015-11-29T15:19:12.636-05:00HopeToday is the first Sunday of Advent. The theme of this Sunday is Hope, which despite being at various churches through the years that light the Advent candle, I don't recall this first Sunday being about hope. But it is; and it resonates especially this year, and this week. I've read and thought a bit over the last few days about hope.<br />
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Yesterday a friend shared on Facebook a story about a miscarriage she had recently experienced. This daughter that she lost already had the middle name Hope, and she shared a devotional she had written a year earlier about hope. For the Christian, it is the anchor of our souls, a certain thing, more than just a wish. But something she said really stuck with me. She said she has become convinced of that truth that hope is certain and a real comfort <i>because</i> she has suffered. This is actually her sixth miscarriage. She has been hurting and suffered greatly in her life, and has needed that unseen hope to be a sure thing; and she has experienced it as so in those moments of her greatest need. <br />
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This is true of us all. When we suffer, hope is a comfort. When we grieve, that unseen hope of the coming new heavens and new earth fill us with a sure expectancy. We can call to mind like Jeremiah, the "<a href="http://www.wilcomoore.com/blog/2015/11/28/hope" target="_blank">Weeping Prophet</a>" who spoke of intense suffering by the hand of God, that "the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, and his mercies never come to an end," therefore we can "have hope." We see this hope is active, and we can be active in our response to it.<br />
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It has been good to think on this as I begin the Advent season. This Christmas is already different as my wife and I wait in hopeful expectancy for our daughter that will be coming in early February. Hope is growing as we wait; and we've already waited a long time having had some difficulty getting pregnant. There were some ballet dancers on stage this morning in the service at church, six young women probably 14- or 15-years-old. I thought as I have a few times since we've known we're having a girl that this will be my life--dance recitals, twirly dresses, and hair bows. That thought actually excites me! But I also know this anticipation I feel of a life to come is a mere glimpse of the sure eternal hope we have coming for us as we wait for Christ to come back. May we all place our hope there this Advent season.<br />
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<i>"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us...For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." Romans 8:18, 24-25</i>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03278088071752405589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22477867.post-89506064439066104352015-11-08T18:43:00.000-05:002015-11-08T18:43:14.963-05:00The way of the KingdomThere is a way that seems right in the world - ambition, drive, bootstrapping your way to success. We do this the best in America, jumping on the "Achievatron" at an early age - making sure our kids all get a trophy whether they deserve one or not. This way is all about the show, flashiness, looking better than you are, faking it until you make it. The spoils are for those with the most drive, achieving success with little consideration of the sacrifice to get there, or whether it was worth it...<div>
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But there is another way, another kingdom. This one is subtle, mundane, less tangible... yet more tangible at the same time. Juxtaposed to the kingdom of advance, this upside-down kingdom commends self-sacrifice, humility, service at the cost of advancement. The leader imagines this kingdom as teeny-tiny seeds, a hole in the ground, a bit of leaven in a huge vat of flour. Not flashy, not quick or immediate - but effective in producing its goal. For those in this kingdom, their decisions seem foolish in the eyes of the world, like self-sabotage to one's career or platform of influence. But this kingdom's fruits are deeper and internal with its effects much longer lasting.</div>
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Both kingdoms present ways of flourishing, but with contrary definitions of that flourishing and very different ways to get there.</div>
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Which kingdom will you choose?</div>
Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03278088071752405589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22477867.post-57066465440816968922015-08-08T12:24:00.001-04:002015-08-08T12:24:59.730-04:00Darkness and LightThis summer I have watched and re-watched some excellent TV shows and movies. One that I started back in the winter was <i>True Detective.</i> I finished it this summer, and what a journey it was. It definitely had its dark hard-to-watch moments, especially the final episode, but the last 15 minutes were some of the best television I have ever seen. Don't want to give any spoilers here, but it is almost impossible not to, so if you haven't seen the show, you should probably stop now.<br />
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In that final episode, after Matthew McConaughey's character Rust and Woody Harrelson's character Marty have been pursuing an open case for awhile, they finally close in on solving it. In the course of that, though they both get injured, Rust more so and he ends up in the hospital. The beauty of the show I think is the development of these two characters and their relationship - which is complex with lots of layers. They go through a lot in the 17 years the show covers. It is structured as a flashback for the first half of the season then we pick up with them in modern day. You see them both change a lot, but at the core they each represent different worldviews. Rust a nihilist, fatalist "we're-all-just-atoms-and-matter"-type of thinker and Marty much more of a moralist I suppose, although it doesn't necessarily show up in his behavior except for the guilt that he feels. Rust is who he is, and Marty wants to change. This interplay between these two worldviews is fascinating to watch and the show does it well. So by this final episode we are watching to see how they play out, and there is quite a twist.<br />
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Without giving too much away, Rust the outspoken nonbeliever tells Marty on a walk outside the hospital about an overwhelming almost divine encounter he had. Hearing this hardened character that up until now has resisted any notion of the eternal be humbled by love was quite powerful. You also see the importance of this relationship to each of these characters, despite all they have been through, their differences and even how they have hurt one another. After Rust shares this experience and starts to break down, Marty tries to comfort him in a very male way by changing the subject:<br />
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<strong>Marty: </strong>“Didn’t you tell me one time, dinner once, maybe, about how you used to ... you used to make up stories about the stars?”</div>
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<strong>Rust: </strong>“Yeah, that was in Alaska, under the night skies.”</div>
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<strong>Marty: </strong>“Yeah, you used to lay there and look up, at the stars?”</div>
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<strong>Rust: </strong>“Yeah, I think you remember how I never watched the TV until I was 17, so there wasn’t much to do up there but walk around, explore, and...”</div>
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<strong>Marty: </strong>“And look up at the stars and make up stories. Like what?”</div>
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<strong>Rust: </strong>“I tell you Marty I been up in that room looking out those windows every night here just thinking, it’s just one story. The oldest.”</div>
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<strong>Marty: </strong>“What’s that?”</div>
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<strong>Rust: </strong>“Light versus dark.”</div>
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<strong>Marty:</strong> “Well, I know we ain’t in Alaska, but it appears to me that the dark has a lot more territory.”</div>
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<strong>Rust:</strong> “Yeah, you’re right about that.”</div>
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<em>Rust insists that Marty help him leave the hospital, and Marty agrees. As they head to the car, Rust makes one final point to his former partner. </em></div>
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<strong>Rust:</strong> “You’re looking at it wrong, the sky thing.”</div>
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<strong>Marty:</strong> “How’s that?”</div>
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<strong>Rust:</strong> “Well, once there was only dark. You ask me, the light’s winning.”</div>
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I realize that a lot of this doesn't make sense unless you've seen the show. And if you have, it is even more powerful because of the power of this relationship. I really feel one of the main twists of the show is that it was about Marty and Rust the whole time. This scene and its simple powerful dialogue really brings that home. I also love this theme of light verses dark and the light winning - especially coming from Rust and knowing all of the darkness they have seen. And connecting it all to Story and the great narrative of history- <a href="http://justsupposeajuxtapose.blogspot.com/2015/06/god-of-every-story.html" target="_blank">I always love that</a>. It's a beautiful ending to an awesome show.<br />
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This final piece of dialogue reminded me of a speech from something I re-watched this summer - <i>Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. </i>We watched it when we were at the beach a few weeks ago. In the final scene, after it looks like evil has won, Samwise gives a moving speech to encourage his friend Frodo who sounds like he's going to give up:<br />
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<i>"It's like in the great stories Mr. Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn't want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end it's only a passing thing this shadow, even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines it'll shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you, that meant something even if you were too small to understand why. But I think Mr. Frodo, I do understand, I know now folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going because they were holding on to something.</i></div>
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<i>Frodo: What are we holding onto, Sam?</i></div>
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<i>Sam: That there's some good in the world, Mr. Frodo, and it's worth fighting for."</i></div>
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Again - Story, light ultimately conquering the darkness no matter how much it seems like darkness is winning. Maybe this is the ultimate Story as Rust implies - a Narrative weaving its way through all of the stories of our lives....</div>
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"The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it"Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03278088071752405589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22477867.post-81370581220373082342015-08-01T18:34:00.001-04:002015-08-01T18:34:26.419-04:00The War of Art<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally reading a book that an artist friend recommended a
couple of years ago. It is called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The War
of Art</i> by Steven Pressfield. It’s all about the very real Resistance we
experience when we try to put pen to paper, note to page, when we try to
transfer inspiration into creation. (It is not lost on me that I put off
reading this book for 2 years). He paints the picture that this Resistance is a
universal Force not unique to the artists’ experience. Rather, it is a negative
force, an enemy energy we all experience when we try to advance in a better
pursuit whether that be a new business venture, workout plan, or relationship. In
spiritual terms it is the truth that the Spirit is willing, but the flesh is
weak -- that we reap what we sow. And in scientific terms the law of inertia –
a body at rest wants to stay at rest, and a body in motion will stay in motion.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1b6luVaGGWXYuHnusp8k_NFwF8KaboJXNvto8IQlEf8bG9iozYSvm1MNo-KKJ5KkIskbig58ieqiF2aL6TWwvd3OHq3WUB_M25BYAvxZSu1W8D3ysRJB-oefEQSqEXuxYrFhOQQ/s1600/war-of-art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1b6luVaGGWXYuHnusp8k_NFwF8KaboJXNvto8IQlEf8bG9iozYSvm1MNo-KKJ5KkIskbig58ieqiF2aL6TWwvd3OHq3WUB_M25BYAvxZSu1W8D3ysRJB-oefEQSqEXuxYrFhOQQ/s320/war-of-art.jpg" width="199" /></a></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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Here’s one of the passages I read today.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Resistance is
Infallible<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Like a magnetized
needle floating on a surface of oil, Resistance will unfailingly point to true
North—meaning that calling or action it most wants to stop us from doing. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We can use this. We
can use it as a compass. We can navigate by Resistance, letting it guide us to
that calling or action that we must follow before all others. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rule of thumb: The
more important a call or action is to our soul’s evolution, the more Resistance
we will feel toward pursuing it.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Very true, eh? Doesn’t your soul resonate with this Truth?
Aren’t you aware in your deepest core what you are called to do right now, and
how all other things in life seem to be fighting against it? Thinking in these
terms keeps us alert, aware of the enemy and how we must fight to conquer it,
to do the hard work and fulfill our purpose.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Another awesome thing about reading this right now, is that
my older brother just started reading it as well. We had an encouraging conversation
about it the other day and the Truths we are learning from it. We talked about the
many forms Resistance takes in our lives – philosophizing about what we should
do, second guessing the work, not wanting to overspiritualize things, self-doubt
and self-pity and many other emotions. As spiritual or as carnal as they all may
be, they are all Resistance if they keep us from doing the work. It is good to
recognize this.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I feel myself moving. Momentum is building<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- but the desire, the inertia must not all be
built up by me. Rather, I must keep moving, stay disciplined, do the work, and
the fulfillment and accomplishment will come. I must move. I must sow.
Resistance is lurking, in the shadows and sometimes in the light. But I have
the tools and the means to conquer it. I must move forward, conquer it and lay
hold of my life’s purpose.</div>
Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03278088071752405589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22477867.post-17650362228001912382015-07-26T14:31:00.001-04:002015-07-26T14:31:35.387-04:00WordsI am often struck by the power of words. To heal, to hurt, to lift up, mobilize, empower. Ideas travel through them. They are the constructs of internal worlds, psyches, fantasies. Imaginations are empowered by them, and new possibilities embedded within them. Yes - language speaks, and when accompanied with a booming, crisp voice it can communicate so much and strengthen one to their core. <br />
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But as powerful as words are, I have been equally struck lately with how much they fall short. In given moments of tenderness and emotion, language fails us. When the heart hurts, or even is elated, words are so woefully inadequate to express what is felt within. We can try, but our trying exasperates words' frailty. It is here that we realize there is a language of the heart, a look, a human connection- often unspoken- empowered by God and His spirit that must communicate on our behalf and fill in the gaps.<br />
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His Word never fails. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03278088071752405589noreply@blogger.com0