Enough

"I've had ENOUGH!"

"It's enough…"

"It's not enough…"

"It's NEVER enough!"

On an on… There are a lot of ways to think of "enough". I am looking at "enough" as it relates to finances… Why? Because I've had ENOUGH! I've had enough of the lies and the chains that I chose to believe… I did the deed. It is nobody else's fault. "I signed up for the ride…" and I intend to do everything I can to convince you that it is not worth it.

Speaking of enough… do you have enough? With regard to wealth I want to share this passage in Ecclesiastes 5

Ecclesiastes 5:10-18 (New International Version)

10 Whoever loves money never has money enough;
whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.
This too is meaningless.

So, have you found "enough", or like the verse above, are you on a wild goose chase? I suspect that if you are anything like me, you have never met a paycheck that you just couldn't quite spend… or a great deal that you could walk away from. I suspect that like me, you never quite found that the next new toy was actually "enough?" It got home and we had fun, the toy and I for about five minutes?

Well, that's how I used to be. I found another way to "enough" that is healthy. It started when I realized that the crazy dude on the radio was right and I knew I was not obeying Scripture.

"…The borrower is servant to the lender…" Now, I know that it is a Scripture and I knew it before, but I never really heard it like that – ENOUGH!!! Enough spending, debt, slavery… my desires had turned my finances, our finances, into an unwieldy, unyielding maze of chains and fetters. Enough of this idea that I can justify spending without a plan. Enough of the arguments. Enough of the fights. Yell it at yourself, "ENOUGH!!!!" and you might get how fed up I had gotten.

I convinced my wife to go to a session with the crazy dude in Spokane… with about 3,000 people just like us. She came with no small amount of coaxing from me, but I think that I finally convinced her with a promise to stop with the "Dave says…" and the brow-beating. (Guys, Scriptures, even with the best of intentions, must be presented differently than the way I did it…) For five hours, Dave talked to us about life and money, re-aligning our thinking and giving us a glimmer of hope. We sat in the car for a moment, and looking at each other knew that we could do this. We'd had ENOUGH…

That was May 2003 if I recall. We were both working, and were barely making the bills from month to month. We could not breathe financially and the stress from this was eating our marriage alive. I know that the process that we went through after that night was not only marriage strengthening. Within three years we had survived a number of $1,200 unexpected expenses, had two babies, gone down to one income and paid off well in excess of $18,000 of credit card, auto and student loans.

There is a process that works, and then there is "normal". Normal in our culture is broke. Normal in our culture says, "…but I need…" Normal is as much mortgage payment as you can afford. Normal is two weeks of unemployment from financial disaster.

Proverbs 14:12 (New International Version)

12 There is a way that seems right to a man,
but in the end it leads to death.

So, if normal is broke, what got into me to allow myself to violate God's own word?! I knew that I shouldn't. I knew the Bible said to stay out of debt… What was the deal with that!

The blunt answer is that I had simply ignored the Godly input of teachers, the admonitions of my parents and the very word of God itself… Easier to see it that way now than then, because then it seemed like the only option at the time. The car needed fixed, so I put the charge on my account. I could pay off the newer car in a couple months, what's a few dollars of interest? One transaction at a time, I justified the debt, like the story of boiling the frog slowly; I nearly destroyed our financial and married future by trusting my own senses, all the while slowly adding stress to everything.

You may think that debt is OK. You may not think it has a strangle hold on you, that you are different in this case or that, but my friend, this is exactly how "normal" now has the same meaning as broke. It is not OK. Your good credit score is not God's answer to your prayers. Your credit card is not an emergency fund, it is a temptation waiting to catch you at a weak moment.

I have news for you if you think you are different: Like the first taste of beer, the first hit of weed, nobody really thinks that he or she is going to be an addict – a slave to their own passions. Yet, while the numbers for alcohol alone are staggering, they pale in comparison to the financial disasters that have destroyed homes and lives.

Finances are said to be the number one reason for divorce in first marriages. Larry Burkett wrote in one of his books that he believed that it was because the young married kids want to live at the comfort level that they grew up and left - just like their parents live. The only thing is... ...it took their parents thirty years to get there.

Money, finances are not the trouble - these are tools - it is the mistakes, immaturity and indiscipline that hurts us. We think that getting stuff will bring joy and happiness, so we sacrifice our freedom one transaction at a time. Marriages and families are being ruined on the alter of stuff... ...more bluntly the debt, the sacrifice that we make to get that stuff.

Proverbs 6

Warnings Against Folly

1 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor,
if you have struck hands in pledge for another,

2 if you have been trapped by what you said,
ensnared by the words of your mouth,

3 then do this, my son, to free yourself,
since you have fallen into your neighbor's hands:
Go and humble yourself;
press your plea with your neighbor!

4 Allow no sleep to your eyes,
no slumber to your eyelids.

5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,
like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

One of Dave's most invigorating rants is based on the passage shown above. RUN… Run like your life depends upon it!!!

The next verse begins to delve into diligence and hard work, saving for the future. Why? Because that rainy day fund will become necessary not "if" but "when" it rains. People that I talk to sometimes mention a credit card that they keep for emergencies like it is some little exotic pet that they keep in a cage just for emergencies… It is a snake that will bite you, get rid of the thing! Get your own emergency fund… Save something from your paycheck while you can. Then when the paycheck doesn't come in you have a mortgage payment or two and some grocery money while you work on the next job.

Proverbs 22:3 (New International Version)

3 A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge,
but the simple keep going and suffer for it.

I shudder to think what God would have to say about someone like me, who having been warned, just hid my eyes from the danger!

Proverbs 21:20 (New International Version)

20 In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil,
but a foolish man devours all he has.

Ohhhh… There I am again. Do you see it? I was the foolish man.

I spent every dime. No savings. I gave my tithe, usually, but the Bible pretty much says I was STUPID because I spent ALL of the rest. I should have been able to live on what God gave me and been able to give too.

This is not where I get to enter some kind of faith excuse. This is not where I get to say that I gave away what I might have otherwise saved. It doesn't work that way. But if I am faithful to take care of the resources that God gives me, guess what?

He has more. I am convinced that He wants to give it to His kids, but if He did that, then most of us would ruin ourselves with it. He tells us repeatedly that He will take care of us - might I add "perfectly?" The question is, "Are the troubles that we suffer of our own making?"

If so, then, "That's not 'good enough!'" It's not good enough that we manage to tithe but not save. Truly, God is faithful and as we show ourselves faithful in little, He will provide as necessary, but don't expect God to bless mismanagement. I have faith - faith that God will turn up the heat just enough to help you recognize the importance of diligence in your finances. There will be both fat and lean times, so prepare for them insofar as He blesses you to do so. He says it over and over and over again… "The prudent man sees danger afar off and prepares for it..."

Are you now struggling to get everything paid? Commit to Him your daily bread, then make a true accounting of your income and your expenses. Take responsibility to be a good steward of what you do have. I trust that as with us, the heart that is committed to Him and His ways will find that He is Enough. This is where enough and contentment live together. This is where financial madness turns to peaceful, resolute, passionate and decisive action.

Dave, the crazy dude on the radio, says all the time, "Personal finances are %80 personal..." That means that if you want a change in your finances, then you will have to change your "personal."

It is enough. Enough debt. Enough heartache. Enough arguing. And though there will be difficulties, there is a God who wants to be your Enough while you take on whatever hurdle is in your path.

Philippians 1:6 is a favorite of mine… "…he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Commit your ways to Him (Proverbs 3:5-6) and He will carry you. Verse after verse, passage after passage the Bible is more real to me all the time. As I honor His word in things that I find in it, He is faithful to provide the means. That is how faith works.

I hope that I haven't hurt any feelings because that isn't my goal here. I made some nearly tragic errors. I hope to convey to anyone reading the importance of sticking to the word of God – however they might feel otherwise.

The way to start digging out of a hole is first to "stop digging deeper." If you are the paramedic type, then you know the importance of "stop the bleeding". Commit yourself to balancing the budget and the checking account. Commit mutually to your spouse to cut the credit cards, to spend only with cash. Pay the priorities first – Food, shelter, gas, and on down until the money is gone. Save a small emergency fund today. Pay only minimums until that is up to something acceptable – Dave recommends $1,000. I think that up to $2,000 might sometimes be useful for some people, but we did the $1,000 and somehow came up with the rest whenever those unexpected things came up.

Start now. Start by writing down your expenses in order of priority. If you need to make a change, then you and your spouse make time to decide how to move the money around to fit again. Then, start over again on the next check. Every single time that you get paid, you do it again. Will it be tough? Yes. Will you fall off the budget wagon? Yes. The question that you can only answer is whether your enough is enough to get you to pick yourself back up and get back on...

I went into more detail on how to set this up earlier and I will share more on how we got this to work, but start with this and you will probably find that there is Enough there – maybe even more than you thought. Please feel free to call us or email if you like. I am not a counselor, but we can have a cup of coffee and I can show you how we do things…

In the meantime, remember the lillies of the field... Your Heavenly Father cares for you, and He has a plan for you and your family. If you are struggling, then keep reading and re-reading Matthew 6 - memorize it and live it. One day at a time, one decision at a time commit things to the Lord in prayer.

God Bless!

Overview of the Dave Plan...

I don't even need to write much...

Dave - a good summary

This is absolutely imperative to understand... If you get nothing else regarding money, GET THIS!

Dave on de-mystifying debt...

No matter how hard I try, I cannot relay this concept this well...

Bughhhget...

"I know that I need to to do it... ..but ugh!"

I left the morning before with all sorts of intentions, not unlike the valiant knight with brandished sword; but I came home with tarnished armor, my helmet in my hand, my sword dragging behind me on the ground. I was ready for my recliner - not to sit at the desk and do battle with more numbers.

Well, I know that procrastination did get the best of me from time to time, but the end of it came down to my own maturity. I had to step up, or better yet, grow up. I took a lot of inspiration from The Dave Ramsey show, grateful to hear callers who were worse-off than me, others who were better off, and still others in pretty much the same place - and I realized that the difference between the callers who had done things right and those who were like me was entirely audible. Fridays on Dave's show became very good for me. On Fridays, crazy excited people call in to yell, "I am debt freeeeee!!!!"

There is a difference between that crazy, jubilant scream, and my own look what the cat drug in appearance coming up the walk. In order to get through the debt, we had to stop the poor spending habits, and that required a real, written plan that my wife and I could both agree.

It isn't some mystic or scientific ordeal to arrange a good budget. You can do it with any piece of paper and a pencil - maybe a calculator for those of us who need a little mathematical verification. A good budget is one that takes care of the priorities first, then works its way down the list in descending priority. I recommend this form or something like this...

I mimicked the same thing in an Excel document that we still use. It works well for us because we set it up for us, but if you want to take a swing at it let me know and I will send that to you to take a gander...

Dave and Crown both have budgeting software that you can also purchase. I just don't recommend getting bogged down with anything if you are just beginning a budget.

Don't get crazy on the details. Don't over-extend your spouse's attention span when you have it done. Don't get absorbed in some software financial program. Just put it together, then go over it when you're done in about a ten minute meeting with Honey. You make it, your spouse vetoes, you revise, then you present it again - until you have a plan. I know, it sounds simple... but this is where our money fights really ended. We both held each other to the plan that we both agreed to stick to.

Start with the essentials. Every good financial planner that I listen to will advise this.

Give/Save - if you put these at the bottom, they will never get funded. Give your offering as you are led. Save until you have a small emergency fund (we did the $1000 "Baby Emergency Fund") put away in a saving account. (Do this by paying minimums on all debts until you have it funded.)

Start with the Rent or the House payment - on time, or ahead of time.

Food - I was surprised at how much we were spending on food. And I was disappointed to learn that there was rarely a shortcut in this category. On the other hand, my wife is a great bargain hunter and we have found ways to manage this category really well. Our total spending in this now averages around $400/mo. but we went for a while at $300/mo. (Eating out had to end for a while, however, and does not belong in this category at all, but somewhere nearer the end...)

Auto/Repair/Gas - I tend to lump these together a bit. If you have a car payment, then be sure to keep making those payments - it gets you to work. I hope to explore the car thing another day, but do check out the link on the sidebar... We have had to make a number of adjustments to the gas part - essentially it doubled twice since the time we started. We include oil changes and minor repairs here as well.

Medical - you can bet that this will happen if you have kids, so put some money here. (Keep in mind that though you plan to save for the emergency, you can plan for prescriptions and deductibles.)

Once you have covered your necessities, then add lines for the creditors. When you run out of money, then you are done. Will they like this, no. I have to say that God helped us to make all the minimums throughout our payoff.

Continue to put every expense family into the budget. Be sure to include money that you will spend - even though it isn't a real category. We found that having $10/check for each of us to spend however we wanted made sticking to the rest of it easier.

In this way, you spend everything on paper, every time you get paid. This worked very well for us, and we still follow it.

This is just the basic budget concept. If you have a sporadic income, then you will need to focus on another concept, which is to pay the minimums, but save the leftovers so that you have something to draw from later. People who are on commission - such as realtors or self-employed business owners - will most likely have to do this. Save the leftovers so that you have a few months of expenses covered, then pay off the debts.

Here are some free forms from the Dave Ramsey site...

If you have an unexpected or overlooked expense come up, then you and your spouse both decide what other category suffers. Never use the credit card. Stay away from the drive-thru and avoid spending with your debit card for planned purchases. I think this is another subject to cover, but we use the debit for gas and cash for everything else. Occasionally, like tonight, I will stop to get a few things from the store for dinner with the gas account debit card, but this too could be planned for in cash. It is way too easy to blow the budget with that little piece of convenience.

On a future post, I hope to point out some possible areas that you might be over-extended, and may be able to curb some of that for some relief in the budget.

Until then, God Bless.

You Can't Take it with You...

You have to know that the title of this excursion in literary sacrilege must have some meaning - I mean, Ryan would not post something that is proverbial, so mundane, so cliche - there it is, the word I could not find... ...cliche.

Normally, I would advise myself to avoid the kinds of things that turn the average listening ear away while they finish the thought before you complete the sentence... It just isn't that interesting.

The title of this post is both. It is something cliche and it is also the title of an old movie that I had the rare treat of thoroughly enjoying. Better yet, it is a great movie to get the old nogin going on the subject of money, wealth, and life.

There is corny-ness, humor, life lessons, black-and-white (read no HD), a somewhat predictable plot, my favorite actor, Jimmy Stewart, directed by Frank Capra, and even a few of the other cast from It's a Wonderful Life - which all adds up to a great flick that I can whole-heartedly recommend for a night of... well how about just a night off.

I have heard a few too many headlines lately that include "financial", "crisis", "meltdown" and other economic profanities, so I quit looking at them. I quit watching the news a long time ago. I might open an email with a link to a story, but likely not lately.

It isn't completely the head in the sand trick. It's more a matter of refusing to participate in the madness. And that's where this movie has a great theme. Think of it as "Meet the Robinsons" combined with "It's a Wonderful Life". My cheeks hurt from smiling... ...and these days, smiles mean a lot.

So, take a few minutes to pop up some corn so you can really relish the corny humor and take a night to beat back the gloom with a light hearted reminder of the big things.

While you are busy doing that, I will work on the next subject - budgeting... ewwwww.

I <heart> Money?

Those of you who know the old adage and who know me probably have knitted brow regarding the title of this post… No need to fear, however, I have not lost my ever-lovin'-mind. Yet. Arguable at times, but not yet. :-)

I started blogging with a lot of ideas and I guess I backed away from some of them because I feel like my whole life is one big conversation regarding things and stuff, finances and relationships, as they are taught Biblically. I am not totally sure that I want people to think of me as the single-topic preacher type, and I definitely don't want to seem critical or harsh to anyone regarding this sensitive and personal topic. So, I hope that by posting some things here I can point out some Biblical principles, and, Lord-willing, the things I say will not be taken offensively because I am not giving them to anyone in particular. Just stuff that I have learned personally through experience and listening to people who I believe follow and teach Biblically…

The title above is sort of like admitting you are an alcoholic or something. You have been hiding the truth for years from your church, your friends, your pastor, your spouse and yourself? The situation has come to a head, perhaps, and the awful, private truth has now become obvious to the entire world. The repo man came last week and took the car. The Bank laughs when you ask for a mortgage. You can't look the offering plate in the eyes, so you sort of glance askance as you gingerly (and quickly) hand it off.

Maybe you aren't there – yet. Maybe the problems are still lurking in the privacy of your checkbook, but you feel the weight of the debt while the headlines are blaring certain doom, and you are feeling the fear, the oppression of your past choices ominously looming over your head like a thunder cloud before the storm.

Then again, maybe you aren't all that deeply concerned. Things are OK, but I know I should be better with my money. Perhaps you just want to do well as a steward of God's blessings, giving, investing…

Or, maybe you have been cruising along and the handles on your finances got shorter with a pay cut. Whatever the circumstances, the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, seeking and following His advice. And that starts with a little honest confession, "Hello, my name is Ryan, and I like stuff…"

There are a lot of opinions regarding financial matters, but there are a few common but false assumptions that I would like to tackle with a few firm principles. I hope to generate some healthy thinking.

The first bad assumption that I see is that money is bad, dangerous or sinful. To some, the oft repeated phrase is misquoted as, "…money is the root of all evil…". With this phrase, we explain corporate greed, corruption of all sorts and burglaries in many forms. But it is wrongly quoted that money is the source and reason for them… The Bible, from where the saying originated instead says:

1 Timothy 6:10 (New International Version)

10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

It is from this text that I keep my heart attitude aligned to God and His Word. It is not the money itsefelf, but the love of money that I have to mind. And there is a very good reason that it says this in this way. When we are emotionally attached to anything, then we are then tempted to make rash decisions that feel good at the moment, but ignore God's own word. Money is a great example to demonstrate this kind of root problem, because we all have the emotional attachments to it to one degree or another. It provides perceived security, perceived joy, perceived status, and in it we easily place our trust – even though we ironically print right on it, "In God we trust!"

For some of us the last 30 years has been a financial inebriation. We think that because we have all sorts of things and stuff, we have things figured out; and now, with the markets melting down, jobs in decline, and headlines that rub salt in every wound, we have a national, monster hangover. We the people have been drinking the wine of wealth, securing our futures in the things of this world, haven't we? It was a nice time while it lasted, huh? As with alcohol, there is a subliminal deceit that having enough things and stuff, is satisfying and plain fun. Just as with alcohol some of us are more susceptible than others to be intoxicated and addicted to it, while others are relatively unaffected by it.

How are you? Are you still drunk? Are you hung over? Are you OK? Why? Do you know someone else who is doing things right and winning?

I hope to explore these and some related ideas, and, as we look at these things, I think that we will find that there is a proper, Biblical perspective that will bring true peace, true joy and real satisfaction. Today though, you need to consider where you place your trust – what's the bottom line?

God truly desires to bless His children. He knows that things and stuff can be a problem for His kids too. It can be a problem both ways - not to have it at all and be hungry, or to have it and cause ourselves many griefs.

For His faithfulness to us I live most often in Matthew 6: 19-33. He takes care of the birds and the lillies, knows the number of hairs on my head, so He will take care of me.

All good things come from Him… and He gives perfectly:

James 1:17 (New International Version)

17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

But He does not give equally – He gives as liberally as is good for His kids. He has a purpose for each and I hope to dig into that later, but the summary is that He will only give as much as we are capable of being faithful using, according to the measure of our character.

Financial stress is destructive. It is the usually the result of our own bad behavior and we will be looking at that, but today please understand that God has the best plans for us. He has given us a great deal in His Word which will not leave us in stress – if we honor it. He is continually shaping us to His image, teaching, testing and forming our hearts to be like His. He is a giver, indeed The Giver. He does not give from a limited resource, nor does He give with debt either to Himself or us. He gives freely. As destructive as financial stresses are, the real source of stress is sin, whether financial or otherwise.

If you are overwhelmed with life, I want you to understand something very important. God loves you and gave His Son so that you could know peace in your heart, eternal peace that you have never experienced unless you have been forgiven your debt of sin. You see, we owe a debt for sin that can only be paid by death. How serious is this debt? It is not even repayable by you or me because we ourselves have sinned, so our own life cannot serve as payment. God has a plan though. He sent His Son, Jesus, to live a perfect human life, to pay an infinite human debt, from the only infinite source, which is God himself. There is a place to start now, "…my name is __________, and I have sinned…"

He has provided a way to take care of the ultimate debt through His Son's own sacrifice. To get to true freedom, you have to start with the most important things…

1 John 1:9 (New International Version)

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

There is real hope, real help and real solution that we will continue discover, both spiritually and financially… As Dave Ramsey closes out every broadcast, "There's only one way to true financial peace and that's to walk daily with the Prince of Peace, Christ Jesus."

So, hang on, there may be a little turbulence ahead, so let's figure out the seatbelts, OK?

One engineer's solution to birdstrikes

I recommend Amphibious (with wheels) floats - a little more expensive though.

Heritage...

This month has held a lot of significance for me. Today, we was the the fulfilled prophecy of Martin Luther King Jr. in that an African-American was elected President of the United States. Today marks 45 years since then... ...but from my vantage it is a wonder that such a thing has not earlier happened.

I might have rather seen such a thing happen to Condi Rice or to Clarence Thomas, or perhaps even Colin Powell; but I am sure that Mr. Obama will answer well his duties as well as any politician, and I hope and daily pray that he does better, and exceeds my expectations.

Add to these events the significance of many citizens supporting, honoring and remembering this month the ideals of human life, and my heart is both heavy and committed to big things... ...perhaps things that I am not talented enough to write about.

We have a great heritage in this country. It has been at times the most morally upright, God-honoring nation that the world has seen, yet today we are in crisis both morally and economically. I need not list the litany of calamities to show the results. I have to believe that our heritage has been forgotten.

What is a heritage? One dictionary meaning is that it is something possessed by birthright or birth... But the kind of heritage that we have must be passed down carefully and purposely.

For example, stories to the kids gives them depth and roots to you or to Grandma, etc. I want my kids to understand what things were like when I grew up, when Grandpa grew up, and when George Washington crossed the Potomac. But I also would not want my kids to exclude themselves from being a part of our present community, preferring to isolate themselves to only our family. Somehow, our heritage has been given little attention... ...and the moral patriot is the outcast today.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men..."
(Declaration of Independence)

The Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the Battle for Civil Rights - these were costly times for the patriots and their families. Abraham Lincoln, dedicated to the notion of a unified nation, was largely unpopular throughout his Presidency, and through pictures we can watch the tall man from Illinois visibly erode under the burden of war and difficulty. History, it seems has been a rare friend to one of our most notable heroes. I do not see that the men we celebrate for their work actually pursued much happiness - the times required sacrifice and backbone and they stood there sometimes rather alone.

There is a dangerous teaching being floated today, maybe even pushed on us in many ways, that a life that is inconvenient or burdensome to others should be ended in some "humane" way. They use terms like "quality of life," or "contributing members of society" to vaguely quantify something that until recently was decided by God and protected sacrificially by the able.

I pray that our nation's values for human life will exceed our perceptions of color, age or of individual contribution to society. Human life is unique in all of Creation and in all its forms because God the Creator made men in His image. Our founding fathers recognized this and eloquently staked their lives on these principles. I am afraid that our "need" for economic relief in the form of health care, banking, or some other issue will be sold at the cost of our heritage.

I want to believe that the principles and values that the United States were founded upon can be resurrected.

I remember how proud I was to hear Reagan speak proudly and deeply of this nation and I miss him every time I hear another politician make another u-turn, or read another scandalous headline. In the meantime, I pray for our leaders and our President in this difficult time. Most of all, I pray that we will remember our Creator and honor Him by valuing life - life that only He can create.

As a father to three wonderful little girls, I am continually wounded as I see our country teaching itself to dishonor the gift of life by taking it away from the defenseless and the invalid. We now think that there is a sophisticated argument to offer assisted suicide to the ill, instead of offering hope and a fight - whatever the cost to ourselves. This is not sophisticated, but instead it is crude, to use a nicer term, selfish and short-sighted.

So, yes we need to honor our heritage - the one in which all men are created equal... The one that does not qualify that right to anything beyond basic humanity - created in the image of God Himself.

The Artiste

My family is remarkably creative. We have many photographers with a range of favorite subjects. We have musicians too, and at least one ballerina, as well as a joker or two. Lately, a number of us have taken to the blogging thing, and I have to admit, I was slow to even consider joining that whole thing.

I watched my wife watching others' photography sites and I visited CAD blogs to learn my trade better, and, over time, I sort of started having ideas of my own. Of course I think I used up all my ideas in about a week. Bottom line, I didn't presume that I had anything interesting enough for anyone to read. But I like to write. And I like to think "out loud." Well, that's the selfish side.

I have been promoting this blogging thing to all the nay-sayers and the uninitiated as well because I love the flexibility to visit friends and family – most often at times when it would be rude to make a phone call, and after the kiddos are in bed. In a world where normal is a ten hour day, chores and kids, this is a great place to get to know people around me in a way that I couldn't otherwise. I have come to appreciate the artists and the thinkers in the circle of bloggers.

So, what I thought was a fad has become something of a hobby, but more than the normal hobby for me. My normal hobby is fishing or fly-tying, which is good for getting away from things by oneself for some thought, prayer, or contemplation of the relaxing sort; but that hobby is pretty hard to accommodate, and it is rather solitary, except on the rare weekend trip. But maybe it is something else too…

I thought of my high-school days when I drew and painted and I think it reminds me a little of that too. When I have a thought I sit down in my recliner and start rambling, roughing out the shape of the idea with large, but obscure ideas that hopefully will become a rendered image someday. Sometimes, it is much, much less complicated than that too – simply a notable link to something or another.

Well, I guess that is where I have landed on this subject. I have one of the best commutes in the world, and I have seen almost daily the kinds of views that most people see only on the periodic vacation. We have an Artiste for a Father, and it runs in the family. Our Father loves music, creativity, worship, but most of all, us. We are made in His image, so it is in our genetic disposition not only to accomplish tasks and to achieve goals, but to do it with style and beauty – like He would, and how He would like it done.

So, whether in word or deed, doing it all in the name of the Lord Jesus… (my paraphrase, Colossians 3: 16,17)