Random Signage II

The gem was taken in Germany. The translation is: "Foodstuffs are grown in the meadows and fields."

Reflections on Lamb Season

It's lambing season on the King farm. Forgive me for sounding like a girl, but...Aren't they cute? Baby lambs would make any person's heart melt. In fact, I'm convinced this is a guaranteed way to usher in world peace. Let's bring the Israelis and the Palestinians to the negotiating table and let some baby lambs run loose in the room. Inevitably everyone will become all emotional and sentimental, thereby ensuring generations of lasting peace.

Reflections on Lloyd-Jones

So, I came across some writings of a Welsh revivalist named Martyn Lloyd-Jones. I had never heard of him before, but some of the stuff that I read was so relevant and poignant. He died about 25 years ago after having led the evangelical movement in Wales and England. After reading some snippets I think I'm going to have to pick up more of him. Here's one quote that floored me:

The glory of the gospel is that when the Church is absolutely different from the world, she invariably attracts it. It is then that the world is made to listen to her message, though it may hate it at first. That is how revival comes. That must also be true of us as individuals. It should not be our ambition to be as much like everybody else as we can, though we happen to be Christian, but rather to be as different from everybody who is not a Christian as we can possibly be. Our ambition should be to be like Christ, the more like Him the better, and the more like Him we become, the more we shall be unlike everybody who is not a Christian.

Reflections on Reds Depression

I hate the Cincinnati Reds. Kathi and I went to the Reds-Indians game up at Jacob's Field last night. During the top half of the second inning, the Reds notched four runs thanks in part to a Ryan Freel triple. For a brief moment, I was happy to be a Reds fan. Then, in the bottom half of the inning, they gave up six runs to the Indians offense. It was pathetic.

As I watched Kyle Lohse self-destruct (1 1/3 innings, 5 earned runs), I started to consider abandoning my life-long allegiance to the Reds in favor of a team that is a little less heart-breaking. Perhaps the Indians? Heck, I could be a Yankees fan, and then I know I would be rooting for a winning team. But, I decided that I just couldn't leave'em. I'll continue to watch them with tears in my eyes.

Random Signage I

We saw this sign in Sandusky last weekend. Not really sure what eschatalogical system they're trying to endorse through this sign.

Anyway, I'm starting a new post category today called Random Signage. Basically, it's something I can post whenever there's nothing going on thereby avoiding the cries of hypocrisy that arose after my recent absence. It'll include strange and random signs that I've encountered. It'll be funny, trust me.

Reflections on Twenty-Nine

Happy Birthday to me! Yesterday was the big 29, and Kathi and I went down to Columbus to celebrate with the Surface's and the Flora's They took us out to a BBQ joint in Gahanna called Hoggy's (yeah, isn't that awesome). We ate meat, reminisced, and laughed, and good times were had by all. We ended up staying up late looking at old college pictures.

With all the nostalgia that was happening last night, all of us were struck with the uncomfortable notion that we are all getting old! It has been more than 10 years since we all left home to go to college, and it all went by like a vapor. In the blink of an eye we'll be reminiscing ten years from now about how our 30's seemed to pass so quickly. Looking back at all those pictures I want time to slow down somehow.

The other notion that was on the minds of both Kathi and I was whether we'd still be close to all of our college friends in ten years. I have no doubt that Brian and I will be in a nursing home together someday, and I look forward to the day when we can take our kids to visit Uncle Randy and Aunt Sarah. But, other than those two couples, I barely have any contact with the people I was so close to just a few years back. It makes me really sad.

Reflections on the Pres-tones

A big congratulations to Gabe & Brooke Preston on their marriage yesterday. God bless you all the days of your life. It was a great wedding for the simple fact that it was a virtual who's who of awesome Ohio University Alum. Kathi and I were both really excited to see so many college friends.

Happy Mother's Day

"My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it."
-Mark Twain

To all those mothers out there (including a special one in particular), you've truly made us into the men and women we are today. I love you, mom!

Reflections on Graduation

I didn't realize it until yesterday, but I graduate today from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School! I'm now a Master of Arts in Religion with the full certification and titles that brings. So, you ask, why aren't you in Chicago right now receiving your recognition? Two words: In Absentia. I actually finished classes back in December, but couldn't graduate then because of a paperwork snafu. So, I really didn't want to bother with all of the hassle of a commencement ceremony.

Reflections on God's Majesty

I've been leading a Bible study at our church for the past several weeks, and recently we discussed the majesty of God. We've been coming to realize just how weak our vision of God and His holiness really is. The verse we studied was the commissioning of the prophet Isaiah in chapter 6:

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.
And they were calling to one another:
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory."

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."

Wow! I mean, come on! When was the last time any of us had such a reaction to the presence of God Almighty? It's amazing how much we have created a nice, tame God who is cuddly and soft. The reality is that God is awesome and mighty. No wonder our worship and our Christian lives have been flabby and weak.

Now I have no idea how we can return to right thoughts about God. I do know that this tame version of God is the essence of idolatry - the worship of a false image of God. Lord, help us.

Reflections on Bill's Messiah Complex

Kathi and I were at the library the other checking our email and browsing some books. Kathi decided to check out Culture Warrior by Bill O'Reilly for her dad. Now, I'm not a big Factor guy, but I spent the rest of the afternoon reading through the entire book. It was interesting to say the least. He's basically saying that there is a war going on in America right now where certain "far left" elements in society are attempting to hijack our country and turn it into a socialist atheist state.

Now, I will give it to Bill that he does see a shift in our culture away from our tradition as a nation with a Judeo-Christian ethos (not a Christian nation mind you - we were never a "Christian nation" - but that's another conversation) to a more secular society. But, it seems kind of weird that Bill has set himself up as the standard barer of the fight to bring values back to America. It seemed a little self-righteous.

It got me thinking though. I know that America will come and go, and that what is happening in our society has been happening in countries since the Roman Empire. But, culture can be redeemed. There is still hope that our society will turn back to God, and I think that many Christians (especially younger Christians) believe that it's either not worth the effort or we should just build our defenses and wait for the parousia. But, Jesus can transform peoples as well as people. Bill is no Jesus Christ.

Reflections on Dieting

So, about a week ago, Kathi and I decided to go on a diet. I saw how my dad and step mom had lost some weight on their diet and we got inspired. We're trying to do a low carb/good carb diet - cutting out most of our carbohydrates including all sugars, bread, pasta, rice, etc. We've only been eating some whole grain stuff. This means lots of meat, veggies, and dairy.

The diet was cool for about 2 days, at which point I started really craving Nacho Cheese Doritos. For the past week, I've been hungry all the time. It's amazing how much of our regular diet is all of those filling carbs. Anyway, I feel the diet degrading pretty quickly...I had a sandwich at lunch today. At the very least though, it has helped Kathi and I realize how much junk we do eat and how we can go about simply making better decisions.

Reflections on Sheep Sheering

This suburban kid got to experience another farm adventure this weekend. In case you don't know, my in-laws raise sheep at their farm in Carroll County, Ohio. Actually, it's not really profitable as a business (both of Kathi's parents are retired teachers) but they keep about dozen sheep as a hobby. Anyway, this weekend was sheering day for the sheep. Kathi's dad hired a sheep sheerer to come to the farm in order to shave them down to their skivvies, and I got to help. Don't get too excited. Basically, my job was to help wrangle the sheep from their pen to the sheerer who then did his job. Regardless, it was an adventure. They are very uncooperative animals.