Our Charlie Brown Christmas Tree...

Blistering Cold...

It could be a stretch... then again...

Our Costco Trip tonight:
Noticed that the signs in Hayden showed all single digit temps, then recalled that the van has this temp thing above the rear view mirror. So, from Hayden to Home, here is a list of varying degrees...

Hayden 1°
Garwood 0°
Chilco -5°
Silverwood -16° **
Athol -13°
Careywood 2°
Cocolalla -6°
Dufort 0°
Home 2°

**This is the coldest that I aver recall seeing registered on a thermometer, and it lasted for a few miles. The temperature dropped so fast that the panels and windows of the van were popping loudly. I slowed down for fear that the elastomer seal on the windshield may have frozen and the noises I was hearing might be the sound of that seal breaking because it was no longer flexible. Some of it might have been ice breaking away too, but the road was no rougher, no blowing snow or anything to explain it - just the cold. It was loud and unnerving and then the temperature climbed again, only moving a few degrees at a time - no scary popping noises after that either.

Do You See What I See?

If you are reading this, then it is likely that you are a friend or family member, and it is more than likely that you are very familiar with the Christmas story. Perhaps, as with myself, we can be too familiar. Every year, Christmas programs, meals, gatherings and the rest all meet in a perfect storm of laughter and love and burn out. The busy schedules, the hectic sometime frantic stuff does not go unnoticed by anyone. This year we have a bit more on our minds as some of our friends and neighbors survive mortgage foreclosures, perhaps bankruptcies, or lay-offs and dwindling finances. I pray constantly as I think of these things, and it has gotten personal this year already, with my own company having to make major adjustments to survive an uncertain market. Change is upon us this Christmas. It may not be good change.

Sometimes, while I sleep, some theme from the day(s) before will play in my head with the quality and repetition of a CD player on "Repeat". Tonight's theme was the song, "Do You See What I See?" It is a good song – not about that mushy, light stuff that many of the more modern Christmas songs jingle about. It speaks of the Star that came at the time of the Christ-child, fulfilling prophecy.

When I first awoke, I did not think much about this, but as I had to step out on the cold, snowy deck to get more firewood, I became a bit more awake; so from the unusual combination of drowsiness and adrenaline, came a somewhat different angle on the meanings that are described in some way in this tune. The first that occurred to me was the fulfilling of prophecy in the birth of the Messiah, who was sent to free His people from their sins. Hundred of prophesies foretold of Him, and many of them were fulfilled just in His coming – Emmanuel – God with us.

I don't want to retell the story, because it is readily available to you in the first chapters of Matthew and Luke. This morning, though, the star mentioned in the song brought a different light on things… (Get it? "…different light…) The nation of Israel at the time of His birth was occupied by Rome. The Jews longed for their freedom and looked hopefully for the coming King, who they were told would free them. There were Pharisees and Sadducees and priests who were allowed by the Romans to do some amount of the governing. There were lots of poor people. There were lots of sick and lame people. I imagine there were a few wealthy people too. All of them were looking for the coming Messiah spoken of by the prophets for hundreds of years.

We know from the story that the star shown brightly when Jesus was born, and that the Wise Men came from very far away to worship Him. And we also read that God sent angels to tell shepherds of it, "Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth, peace, good will toward men…"

Peace, good will toward men… Hmmm… It may nearly be impossible to imagine the many ways that each of us might personalize that and construct our own image of earthly peace and good will. The Jews of that time certainly must have done that, because most of them, excluding the shepherds that the angels told, didn't seem to have noticed His arrival. Yet, the Magi came from the East, following only a star to honor Him. Apparently, the King that the Jews had in their minds was not a poor baby born in "low estate". Apparently, their imagination did not conceive of the true meaning of many prophecies concerning their King. Yet, we have shepherds and wise men who did figure it out.

Shepherds and wise men… What a contrast! The shepherds were not bad men, I am sure, they were poor though. The Magi were presumably very wealthy and educated on the other hand. So, it occurs to me this morning, in the particular fashion that even familiar things can, that the star was visible to all, shepherds, wise men, Pharisees, Sadducees, wealthy, poor, rulers and subjects. Although all had some idea of their own about what Christ would be, but relatively few had the faith to recognize Him at His birth.

This did not change much with His maturity. Later, we read that though He healed the sick and the lame, even raised one man from the dead, they killed Him. Likely, for some it was jealousy and rebellion, but for all that participated, there was certain blindness to God's plan to save men from sin. They had hope, though. I would say that it was rather misplaced hope in some image of a conquering king however, and not in a humble servant.

With this in mind, what am I expecting this Christmas? Am I missing anything that has been made obvious?

I doubt that I would have noticed the Messiah like the Magi without the benefit of my parents' and my church's teachings. I doubt that any of us will see angels proclaim much to us this Christmas, either. At least not heavenly kinds of angels. So, my challenge this morning is to look for God this Christmas? He has come and He is among us already, though perhaps not in the ways that you would expect. But more than that, He will be returning one day to rule and reign as the conquering King of Heaven and Earth.

I hope that you will consider what the Christ means? Sin and bondage, Hopelessness and Fear need not hold us captive any longer. We have hope in Christ – eternal hope, that is based upon His work to change our hearts and lives as only He can.

30 Second Commute

There is a certain amount of discretion to be shown... ...and today, I pulled out the Lappy and am getting to work. Not planning to take a chance, and grateful for a job that is somewhat mobile.

30 second Commute - Virtual Work!

Commuting

I hear the word and think of California, Seattle or Chicago first, then I think gratefully of my own commute to work. I often wish I had a camera along – like the Lancinator – and post some beautiful pictures here now that I blog.

 

Think Bill Murray in that old movie, "What About Bob", I blog! I'm a blogger!.

 

I love to catch up with everybody – after the kiddos are in bed and things are calm. What a great deal! It just means that you all have to keep up too – and me.

 

Which brings me back to this morning... I can't recall a more perfect looking morning. I slept in accidentally, so the sun was out. But the river from at least where Dufort meets it, was frozen all the way across and nearly to the round house on the point. (Most of you know where I mean… for the rest that is a few miles.) This requires near or below zero temperatures and I can't recall seeing it do this so early in the season. Anyway, the sun, the snow, the ice, and, where there was open water, the steam… Remarkable.

 

I was energized. Mostly I was energized by the sights, but some of it was cold inside the car – it never did really warm up. Some of the excitement was also the result of trying to drive on ice while looking at the beauty of Idaho.

 

The coffee tasted good at work too.

Global Warming, Er… Climate Change

Those of you whom have met me long enough to talk about the weather ought to be well aware of my opinion about the money-making, power stealing, circus formerly know as Global Warming. The last two years being cooler than predicted and the last two winters being slightly um…. …winteryererer has changed the term to "Climate Change". FYI – the "science" behind it is a little premature, even if you only believe that the Earth is 8-10,000 years. In my opinion, if the Earth is older, then the amount of data that now exists becomes even more anecdotal…

 

Based on this logic, I propose a new theory. Since last year was colder than the year before, and it looks like this winter is colder yet, let's dig up news stories from 1974 or so and generate public fear about the coming ice age. We can petition the government and universities for grants to do endless studies that propagate both our evidence and our expert opinions while paying ourselves salaries – from inside our nice, warm homes
offices laboratories. If anyone of us is smart-looking enough, we can talk about our opinions TV and how the weather will change our lives forever, unless we can find a way to get every one to stop driving SUV's. (The pollution from these vehicles is blocking the sunlight that is desperately needed to warm the Earth, and provide energy for plants, etc.) I think there could be a book deal in here somewhere too!

 

So, how 'bout it? We would have to jump on this… I see that the lack of solar activity is at its 30 year low again, so it is only going to keep warming, over the next 15 years before it cycles back downward again.

 

I just got in from bringing wood to the house. This piece started to seem a little more arid as I wrote and as my brain thawed back out. But then little humor (very little) can be a nice reprieve from time to time…

 

Seriously, I love this weather. I thank God every day it is cold like this because he has faithfully provided me with firewood from all sorts of people over the years. As I tear into the pile, I remember where that log came from and think of the friends, family, neighbors and even some that I hadn't met before who offered me wood from some pile or another or a truck to get it here. I am mildly concerned that ½ of a cord a day will leave us a little short though… J

Surf's up, dude… (Might need to add coffee to the thaw routine…)

Seasons of Winter

So, it is 3:39 AM. I have been rattling around since shortly after 2 AM, concerning myself with the weather and the fire. The wind picked up and seems to have shifted for good from south to north. The snow picked up too. So, I stoked the fire and opened my Bible to where I left off before bed. Matthew 6. Hmmm… One of a few of my life passages, yet I am not yet fully convinced that I have it down. My wife might smirk at that understatement. I certainly don't have this down to a science due to my fretting… "Do not worry…" it says.

 

I think I did not used to worry. But then I think that I also used to jump off of cliffs at Green Bay too. I remember the day that I last looked over the edge and thought to myself, "Why am I doing this?" and walked away, never again tempted to prove my manhood in that manner. Something changed in me. Perhaps it is the natural inclination of wisdom, or it could be age – less testosterone, greater fear of heights, etc. I know that some of it is the natural progression of things, you know, "Old-Guy stuff." We get beat up a bit as we go along. We learn that we are indeed "vincible," that ignorance is not a part of the armor that protects us, and that wisdom and prudence sometimes look a lot like cowardice to some. But worry? Hmmm…

 

I have been thinking about that a lot lately. The economy is on the skids. I hear through the news daily how the gears are grinding down throughout the nation and I grow more frustrated at the ignorance and folly that seems to be in charge. I see people who have mandated stupidity blaming greedy CEO's and greed for the problems. I think to myself (what I understand may be attributed to Oprah or to Rush), "There is nothing so expensive as ignorance…". There is plenty of blame to go around, but as winter sets in, I sit by my warm fire and ponder just how long will this take and how deep will it get? Is it worry? To some extent it certainly is. Is it prudence, to some extent, yes.

 

I chide myself on the worry topic all the time, but no amount of chiding and self-yelling can fix sin. We are not told, "Try not to worry," after all; but we are instead commanded. "Do not worry" – just as we are commanded to go into all the world and preach the Gospel. It is not a suggestion intended to make us feel better, so when I worry, when we worry, it is sin. OK, so I have done the whole honesty thing, now what? I am not cured. I still have a lot on my mind. My prayers are filled with questions and not answers, mostly one-sided conversations that never seem to end and though I eventually find peace and do sleep, eventually worry returns.

 

Is it lack of faith? After all, if I had faith, would I not be able to move mountains? If I had faith that God would fix the economy and a thousand other things, then yes, faith might be just the thing. The problem is, it is partly my faith that is troubling me. You see, I am reasonably certain that calamity does not come without a reason. Amos, Job and some other examples come to mind here. Some great examples also come from the Pilgrims and also the Old Testament Israelites. We see repeatedly where people forget God and He brings some measure of judgment on them. You see, I believe that God is in the business of redeeming the lost, and healing the sick. The problem is that we don't think that we are lost or sick; so, I am concerned that there is no easy way out of this. I think that we need a serious time of national examination, confession and revitalization of our hearts toward the things of God. I simply worry that this is not in the cards, to put in pagan terms. I think we have had a series of warnings, and now I see us simply applying our best human fixes to things (money, mostly) that require moral and spiritual renewal.

 

That brings me back to Matthew 6, which I enjoy reading by the fire, at 2 AM. And Matthew 7. And similar passages in Luke, though I stay in Matthew most. Anyway, Matthew 5 through 7 are part of the famous Sermon on the Mount, so it is good to read the entirety together. Tonight, (this morning) I read though 7 and beyond and something made more sense. Putting it into words makes it seem a little bit simple, especially since it has been taking a while for me to put it into words in the first place; but there is a concept in there where Jesus Himself says, "…do not cast your pearls before swine…". I have a MacArthur study Bible, and though I often try to be spiritually macho and just "let the Spirit lead me" as I read, tonight (this morning) I read the notes on this. He points out that Jesus did not heal the unbelievers. I thought, "What?!" It never even occurred to me like that before. Sure, He says to them things like, "…your faith has made you whole…" and scolds them in other places for having so little faith too, but… …If He cured someone, wouldn't they believe then? Obviously not.

 

In these same passages, Jesus says that He came to those who needed Him. The Pharisees did not need Him, for instance. After all, they were sons of Abraham and teachers of the Law. "Hmmm…" I say. This is part of what the Lord is constantly doing – trying to warn, trying to point out how much we need Him, trying to give us mercy. Yet we, even in the Church, have a nasty habit of believing that we are OK.

 

This last part ties in to some previous posts/comments that lead to this: I cannot, no matter how hard I try, conjure up a little more faith. The Bible says, "…faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God…". So, it is imperative that we be rooted, grounded, thoroughly immersed in it so that, in times of trouble (or not) we can first recognize our need, then repent of sin, then tell others how much they need God and how much He loves them. God will not cast His pearls before swine. He wants people to come to a place of need, and belief in Him.

 

There is another idea in Matthew 6 that we need to remember: He causes it to rain on both the just and the unjust. He knows when the sparrow falls. He clothes even the most common flower in beauty that men have failed to match with their finest cloth. He is capable of taking care of each of His own, and has promised this. In fact, He tells us to ask for everything from our daily bread to, well, "anything" to put it literally. I know that we are in troubled times. I know that there are a lot of things to be "concerned about", but I know that God has our concerns in mind. Why? Two reasons that I can think of: 1) He is our Father and He is crazy about us; 2) He wants us to focus on kingdom things – like feeding His sheep and telling others about His love. Oh yeah, one more reason – 'cause He says so over and over.

 

So, my worry sin? I will probably keep falling from time to time because I still have that sin nature on this side of Heaven; but I intend to keep falling back into Scripture and I continually find that great, familiar peace of knowing that God has a purpose and a plan. While I am still truly grieving the state of things – especially our great nation and those who are suffering – I look forward to seeing God work too. In the meantime I pray that we see the need.

I am praying for an early spiritual spring…

References: Amos 3 thru 4; 6:1-6; 8:5-8; 9:13-15; Matthew 5-10;

Vow of Poverty?

Yes, I have not been active on the blog thing lately. Or is that no…?

I have been mostly busy with a work-related project and just have not had time to work through anything for this.

But there is a thought that I have been tossing around… so, catch! Maybe you can toss it back if you don't like it…

Last month I mentioned the Dominicans and the Jesuits. I guess the story really stuck with me. They took a vow of poverty, and dedicated themselves to serving the Lord and sharing the love of Christ. Some of them left relative comfort to do this. This kind of ministry is not for everyone but could be for anyone, and it still exists today. We see it in the lives of missionaries who are invested almost entirely in the Kingdom, not in worldly wealth.

So, we know this, but what does it mean to us – why write about this?

I was particularly impressed with the spread(s) that I found before us at Thanksgiving. On the big first meal, I ate a sample of most of the dishes that I hadn't had before (and some mashed potatoes), and that was all. I had no room left for turkey… I was pleasantly full.

This made me think of those monks… and pilgrims… and people all around the present world who regularly go without. (Not trying to start some kind of guilt trip, just me thinking…)

Is there any relation between thankfulness and the monks? I don't know if there was before now, but in my thinking there seems to be a bit of a link.

I have to align my attitude on occasion because I get attached to things here so easily. They aren't mine, I know. Just a steward… So, the whole vow of poverty is not such a long jump any longer. The true disciple holds "his" blessings with an open hand.

So, one way to think of it? I have, as a Christian, taken a vow of poverty, and as I mature and obey, I learn to invest God's blessings into those around me.

This is why I love the Holidays – it starts with Thanksgiving and it ends on a resolution…