What I Am Reading

These days, books from three genres lay on my desk or night table (or in my kindle):

History
On China by Henry Kissinger
Baghdad Without A Map by Tony Horwitz

Christianity
The Prophet and The Presidents by Gilbert Valentine
Where Are We Going by Jan Paulson
Primal by Mark Batterson

Leadership
Failure of Nerve by Edwin Friedman

Santa Rosa SDA Church Thanksgiving outreach

Don't Buy It Day

Today should be Don’t Buy It Day. Instead of giving in to the pressure and consumerism of Black Friday, I would suggest you choose to not buy all those things you do not need, and instead choose to give some of that extra money to help others.

Today, I was driving by City Hall in Santa Rosa and noticed that the Occupy Movement seemed to be taking a thanksgiving break. There are a lot less tents there than last week. Not long Occupy was rallalying the troops to participate in an international day of non-consumption. See, even non-Christians see where that road leads.

I think a Don’t Buy It Day can be an exciting and creative way to live out the message of Jesus. It is really an act of fasting and of saying “No!” to mammon (the Aramaic word for money, wealth and greed). Jesus invites his followers to both of these practices. In Matthew 6:24 Jesus tells us that “You cannot serve God and mammon.” Jesus’ words resonate a Don’t Buy It Day.

On the other hand, I am told that when Black Friday profits plummet, who takes the hit? The employees, not the CEOs. If seasonal sales are low, then companies are less likely to hire those extra holiday helpers. This is the Catch 22 of the economy. We are told that the only way out of debt is to spend more. The only way to economic recovery is to shop. Do you remember President George W. Bush’s advice after 9/11? He told America to go shopping!

So … what do we do? Here’s the conclusion I have come to…We need to be very careful how and on what we spend our money. Ask yourself, do I need it or can I go without it? Decide to focus on people and spending time building the relationships that mean most to you and you are most thankful for.
Happy Holidays!

Reflections

The Penn State scandal has been all over the news these last few days and has me shaking my head. How is it that we have gotten so deviant as a society? I guess it should be no surprise. In the post-Christian post-modern world there is no absolute right or wrong, there is no standard of truth or right way. Values are determined by how a person thinks or how he feels. So, I guess it should be no surprise that people do what they want to do.

Christianity says the Bible is God's Word and standard to live our lives by and something that can keep us civilized. It also points us to the truth, the way...to life.

Fyodor Dostoevsky by Peter Leithart

Fyodor Dostoevsky by Peter Leithart is another biography in the Christian Encounter Series published by Thomas Nelson. Since Dostoevsky is one of my favorite authors, I really enjoyed this book.

In this book, Leithart spends the first part of the book chronicling the life of one of the greatest writers, not only in Russian history, but in the world.  He outlines the events in Dostoevsky's life starting with his strict upbringing by a disciplinarian father, and his relationship and love for his loving mother. Leithart also spends quite a bit of time describing Dostoevsky’s work with the socialists and his subsequent imprisonment in Siberian labor camps…and how his near execution that was called off at the last second. This experienced greatly influenced his writings. 

Leithart talks of Dostoevsky’s conversion to Christianity and that how because of the devotion of the wife of one of the other prisoners (who chose to share in her husband's punishment rather than be separated from him) gives his a new picture of God. Dostoevsky struggles with the concept of grace and his effort to overcome his own sinful nature, and comes to the conclusion that his only option is to fall at the feet of Christ begging for mercy. Again, here we gain an insight to the ideas and characters that make up the colorful and exciting novels Dostoevsky wrote. When I read a novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky, I feel as though I'm stepping into a whirlwind. Now I understand it is because this emotional, unstable, epileptic man's life was a whirlwind all the way down to his untimely death at the age of fifty-nine.

I have thoroughly enjoyed Dostoevsky’s writings specifically, The Brothers Karamasov, Crime and Punishment, and The Idiot, and this book added to the enjoyment of those books as it gives insight to the man behind the words.

If you are a fan of this influential Russian author's work, you will love this book

Visit to Palau

As most of you know, I just spent twelve days in Palau. Four days were used up in travel time. While there, I did a week of prayer at both the Koror SDA Elementary school and Palau Mission Academy. I ended the week by giving the Sabbath sermon at the Koror Seventh-day Adventist church.

Two days were fun days. My daughter, Chelsea, who is serving as a student missionary there for the year, just got here scuba diving certification, and I have been certified since 1989. So, we had a chance to do some diving together. Palau is one of the best places to do this in the world.

The two dive sites were the Ulong Channel and Siaes Corner, an awesome wall dive. Below are a couple of pictures of the sites.

LIFE IN THE 1500'S

Found this...thought you'd enjoy it...

The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the1500s:

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence, the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children…last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, Don't throw the baby out with the Bath water.

Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof.  When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying, “It's raining cats and dogs.”

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house.. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, dirt poor.

The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entranceway. Hence the saying a thresh hold. 

Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the upper crust.

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of holding a wake. 

England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift.) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be, saved by the bell or was considered a ...dead ringer..

And that's the truth...Now, whoever said History was boring!

Not Enough Time

Constitution Day

Tomorrow, on Constituion Day, September 17, 2011, we have invited the veterans of our community to come to worship with us and to recieve honor and thanks...and to our barbecue after church. What an opportunity to represent Jesus well!

And, it should be fun! I believe food, fun, and fellowhip...lead to faith. My hope is that as a church community we will do our best to develop relationships with those who come.

Tomorrow, I will share some thoughts on the similarities between the sacrifice made by our veterans with the sacrifice made by our God.

“Greater love has no one than this: than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

Football Teams Quiz

Let me know how you did in the comments setion...

1. 7 squared = 49ers
2. Soldier insects - Giants
3. Hostile attackers - Raiders
4. Streakers are this -  Bears
5. Varieties of iron - Steelers
6. Suntanned bodies - Browns
7. Indian brigade - Redskins
8. I.O.U’s - Bills
9. Toy baby with fin arms -Dolphins
10. Tired out runners - Panthers
11. Lubricators - Oilers
12. Rodeo horses - Broncos
13. Six shooters - Colts
14. Opposite of ewes - Rams
15. Class of boy scouts - Eagles
16. American gauchos - Cowboys
17. Fundamental rules - Cardinals
18. Credit card users - Chargers
19. Indian leaders - Chiefs
20. Loaders - Packers
21. King of the beasts - Lions
22. Used to be a girl - Bengals
23. $1 for corn - Buccaneers
24. 747 - Jets

Week of Prayer

I am excited to have the opportunity to do a Week of Prayer in Palau where my daughter, Chelsea, is spending a year as a student missionary. I will be leaving September 28th and returning October 10th.

Biblical Illiteracy

Americans revere the Bible--but, by and large, they don't read it. And because they don't read it, we have become a nation of biblical illiterates. How bad is it? Researchers tell us that it's worse than most could imagine.

     Fewer than half of all adults can name the four gospels.

     Many Christians cannot identify more than two or three of the disciples.

     According to data from the Barna Research Group, 70 percent of Americans can't name even five of the Ten Commandments. "No wonder people break the Ten Commandments all the time. They don't know what they are," said George Barna, president of the firm.

The bottom line? Increasingly, America is biblically illiterate.

     According to 82 percent of Americans, "God helps those who help themselves," is a Bible verse.

     A Barna poll indicated that at least 12 percent of adults believe that Joan of Arc was Noah's wife.

     Another survey of graduating high school seniors revealed that over 50 percent thought that Sodom and Gomorrah were husband and wife.

     A considerable number of respondents to one poll indicated that the Sermon on the Mount was preached by Billy Graham.

We are in big trouble. As the nation's civic conversation is stripped of all biblical references and content, Americans increasingly live in a Scripture-free public space. Confusion and ignorance of the Bible's content should be assumed in post-Christian America. The larger scandal is biblical ignorance among Christians. Choose whichever statistic or survey you like, the general pattern is the same. America's Christians know less and less about the Bible. It shows.

Recovery starts at home. Parents are to be the first and most important educators of their own children, diligently teaching them the Word of God. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) God assigned parents this non-negotiable responsibility, and children must see their Christian parents as teachers and fellow students of God's Word.

What are you doing to remedy the problem?

Keeping up with Chelsea

You can follow my daughter, Chelsea, on her blog, Adventures in Palau at http://chelseaaguilera.blogspot.com/

Book Review: Enemies from the Heart by Andy Stanely

“Enemies of the Heart” by Andy Stanley is a republishing of “It Came From Within,” written a few years ago. The book are thoughts from a sermon series preached around that time.

In Enemies of the Heart Andy focuses in on four emotions that seem to constantly overtake us in our lives: guilt, anger, greed, and jealousy. He goes in depth why a person has a tendency to give in to these four emotions. It is all rooted in our hearts. The things that we say or do actually come from deep inside of us. They come from our hearts. We just filter them most of the time.

The four emotions: guilt, anger, greed, and jealously can the most detrimental to our hearts. Andy gives excellent, practical advice on bringing those emotions out of us so we can confront them. By bringing our guilt out in the open, answering anger with forgiveness, letting generosity stamp out greed, and using celebration to curb jealousy we can overcome these enemies of the heart.

In the last part of the book Andy takes time to discuss lust. He explains that we were created to lust. It has a place within our marriages to be directed at our spouse. This is an issue that we are usually encouraged to stamp out of our hearts. Andy tells us it is an emotion to be managed within marriage.

If you are someone who might be struggling with any of these issues, this book is highly recommended.

Kayaking Rescue

Just recently, I saw this TV show about this British kayaker who capsized in heavy seas off southern England a few years ago.

Mark Ashton-Smith,  a 33 year old a lecturer at Cambridge University, knew he was in serious trouble  when he fell into the ice cold water. He clung to his upturned kayak in treacherous seas off the Isle of Wight.

Fortunately, he had a phone with him, but his immediate thought wasn’t to call nearby emergency services, which were only a mile or two away. Instead, he decided on something different. He told the reporters, “I spent several minutes racking my brains to think of someone who could help and could only come up with my sister and my dad.”
His father Alan Pimm-Smith was training British troops in Dubai 3500 miles away when he got the call from his son. Without any delay, the father called the Coast Guard nearest to his son. Within 12 minutes, a helicopter was dispatched and Mark was rescued.

As I thought about this, here is what came to mind...No matter what kind of troubles you may face, you can always count on God, your heavenly Father, to help you. You call on him and he will help you!