Have mercy...

A man, supported by leaders of several foreign nations (who do not have the best interests of our country, not to mention the Gospel, in mind) has just been elected president of our country. A man who does not recognize the inalienable rights of the pre-born. A man who sat (uncritically?) under the teachings of liberation theology. I respect the man, and respect what he represents to his race (though in my eyes, this is not at all about race). It ought to be about issues, and suitability / experience, both of which I believe made him the inferior candidate.

May we as a people learn from what I believe will be the growing probability of impending judgement. Our greed as a people (regardless of race, political affiliation, and even creed), our desire to do what is right in our own eyes, our shallowness of critical discussion of issues ("why not decide the election by who can put on the best advertisements?") ...

Father, may You have mercy.

The Apostle's Creed

This past Sunday, April 6, I had the wonderful opportunity to present my first sermon at our church. It was an interesting topic for a non-creedal guy: The Apostle's Creed! What a joy it was to share.

If you'd like to hear the sermon, please access my 'public' folder on my xDrive. Please note that you will be prompted to sign-in or create a free AOL account. This is the best method of publishing the sermon that I could rapidly devise (our church does not publish mp3 files).

Life, Contentment, and Hot Chocolate

A friend sent this today; a good picture of contentment in life.

A group of graduates, well-established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives.

Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups - porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain-looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: "Notice that all the nice-looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases, it is just more expensive, and in some cases, even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups. And then you began eying each other's cups.

“Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us. God makes the hot chocolate; man chooses the cups. The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have.”

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. And enjoy your hot chocolate.

The Mighty Casey Has Struck Out...

I am not one to rub salt on open wounds, but in light of our culture in Wisconsin, particularly today after our 'beloved' Green Bay Packers have fallen one game short, I cannot help but think of the old refrain...

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright,
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and little children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville — mighty Casey has struck out.


There's always next year. :)

See Casey At Bat

1 of every 13 children an orphan?

Yes, that is the statistic. Check it out at the Adopted By Christ blog.