Phillip and Amanda are an item. Second marriage for him, first for her. Two kids together. Christians. Raising the family. Paying the bills. Doing life.
And they’re both exhausted. It’s more a case of life doing them.
Phillip, as mentioned here, is nearing 40 and finds himself yearning for a return to more structure and discipline that kept him in shape, both spiritually and physically.
Amanda, as mentioned here finds herself choking emotionally and desperate for some sort of life-energizing change.
They each have a sincere faith in God and are committed to each other. They each are mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted.
They need to hear the voice of God in a fresh way.
They both, but especially Phillip, need to go back to the basics.
They both, but especially Amanda, need a change in scenery, starting with that internal scenery we call vision.
And they both are on the cusp of something new and exciting.
According to the experts in global culture, setting aside specific countries or tribes, you belong to one of 10 primary social groups: Anglo, Germanic, Latin European, African, Eastern European, Middle Eastern, Confucian, Southeast Asian, Latin American, and Nordic.
One in 10 – that alone makes you pretty statistically insignificant.
Broadly speaking, again setting aside the ever-increasing labels for new “communities” springing up, three genders have been formally recognized at a government level somewhere in the world – male, female, and transgender. Factor that into the previous set of distinctions, and move over – now you’re one in 30. [click to continue…]
Christmas 2004. I’m pretty sure it was the last time I made the trek to Deer Bluff. Pictures were the thing this year, and one day Joel wanted to go to Deer Bluff to take some. It was nice to be back there, this place near the family farm that has always captured my imagination.
At one point I was up on top of the bluff and Joel was down below taking pictures of the initials carved in the stone near the small cave. Meandering through the volcanic rock and fallen branches, I tripped over a log and fell with a thud on my stomach and shoulder. I also hit some sort of piece of wood, and cut a couple of plugs out of my fingers.
The fingers were the ugliest, but the shoulder was the greatest concern. Lying there, I wondered if something had been broken. Later, my biggest fear was that I had torn my rotator cuff. Finally, a year later, the MRI showed I had shredded the tendons in my shoulder and yes, I would need surgery.
Awesome. So that’s what a stumbling block is. And I was right in the middle of a stumbling zone. [click to continue…]
I expected to learn some things and be reminded of some things when I made my first trip to Thailand. I was not disappointed. To put an exclamation point on our trip, here are some things I learned along the way…
You may think you know what humidity is, but you’re wrong.
My wife had one unending childhood adventure.
Churches everywhere are made up of humans, with human needs, human potential, and human flaws.
Pastors may not speak the same language, but the leadership issues they face are the same worldwide.
This just in – apparently the Bible Belt is still buckled. That according to a recent Gallup survey, as reported by World Net Daily. Americans are still largely religious, but some states have more than others. The Gallup telephone poll of 355,334 adults asked the question, “Is religion an important part of your daily life?” Nationwide, 65% said yes.
But in the Deep South, my ancestral home, the numbers are much higher. Mississippians and Alabamians lead the list, with 85% and 82%, respectively, answering yes to Mr. Gallup. You can find your state by the color-coded categories below. The darker the green, the higher the response. Some states have a very religious culture, while others are decidedly secular.
Wow. There you have it. And all this time I thought we were in a state of massive decline and increasing irrelevance. With nearly two-thirds of Americans turning the pages while we say “Amen,” I guess we can invest in those church bonds after all.
Sorry. Don’t mean to rain on the celebration, but I don’t think I’m buyin’. Not in the secular belts. Not in the Bible Belt, either. [click to continue…]
First a little Burger King spoofing fun, then a modest little reminder that religion killed Jesus…
Until Jesus returns, we will always have to face the difference between man-made religion and authentic relationship with Christ.
But isn’t religion a good thing? Nope. Religious people killed Jesus. And the “infidels.” And those they labeled heretics. And the Anabaptists. And suspected witches. And a few churches I know.
Religion is different than relationship. Religion is man’s search for God. Relationship is God’s search for man.
You may think you know what humidity is, but you’re wrong.
It’s amazing the trust you can gain with a sincere smile. 