Welcome, May!

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The past few weeks have been stressful. Training new employees, dealing with difficult customers, not sleeping well, not exercising (I’ve gained 20 pounds in the last two years), getting through family drama (two life-threatening events in the same day, 2000 miles apart: my dad’s heart attack in NM and a 9 year grandchild starting the rest of his life with Type 1 Diabetes) . . .  My CrossFit lifestyle withered into oblivion when I lost my job at the University in 2020, as Covid got going. Deep depression brought me to a standstill as I took a few months to try to reset. Since then, my physical status has been on steady decline. Now my daily schedule looks something like this: Work 3-11 pm (on a good day), Go to bed at 4 am, get up between 10:30 am and noon, get booted up and go back to work. If I get one day off a week I’m fortunate. At least I don’t have to work all night for now. That was the worst.  So I haven’t had time or energy to do much, even read, much less write. And since my

Awash in White

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Ever stop by one of those sunglass places and try on different colored lenses? Those silver-grey tinted ones sort make everything look overcast. Some yellow lenses seem to liven, sharpen the scenery. Red-tinted lenses make everything look red, and blue-colored lenses make everything look cartoon-ish (to me, at least).

"South Pacific" is considered to be one of the greatest musicals of all time; but, the 1958 film is the version everyone loves to hate. The musical sequences of the film already help lift the story out of the harsh realities of WWII, but the director thought he would assist the fantasy by filming the musical sequences through filtered lenses. When the studio got the film, they sharpened the lens colors so the entire musical sequences are presented in nearly other-worldly colors: brilliant yellows, soft oranges, deep blues, tense greens, etc.





Yes, when you look through a colored glass, everything is awash in that color.

When we stand before God, having broken His moral laws, no measure of good can color the wickedness we have done against Him. He cannot simply say we are clear and let us go.

When we repent of our sin and "put on" the Lord Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin and rose again, God looks at us through Christ our Savior. Instead of the seeing the darkness of our sin, God sees the white holiness of His Son through His shed blood.

"'Come now, and let us reason together,' says the LORD, 'Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.'" (Isaiah 1:18)

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July 2004 I went to Kenya, Africa to speak in two Pastor’s Conferences on the subject of Man, Sin and Salvation. At the end of each day I left just over an hour for questions (half the time were questions touching the subject of my lectures, and the other half for “open questions”; that is, people could ask anything). For the next few weeks, I will be sharing the questions that were asked of me, and my answers—and believe me when I say these people really know how to think! Question from Kenya #1: “Men and women who saw God in the Bible: Why did they not all die?” [“ But He said, ‘You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live! ’” (Exodus 33:20) was the basis of the student’s question]. Answer: First, consider those who did see God—how did they respond when they saw Him? They were instantly aware of their sinfulness, and God’s holiness and righteousness (to name a few. And notice also that each responded in an attitude of worship, bowing down): Abraham built altars, wors
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Finished Reading: “De origine et situ Germanorum [On the Origin and Situation of the Germans]”

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  “In the day of battle, it is scandalous to the Prince to be surpassed in feats of bravery, scandalous to his followers to fail in matching the bravery of the Prince. But it is infamy during life, and indelible reproach, to return alive from a battle where their Prince was slain. To preserve their Prince, to defend him, and to ascribe to his glory all their own valorous deeds, is the sum and most sacred part of their oath. The Princes fight for victory; for the Prince his followers fight. . . .  In the place of pay, they are supplied with a daily table and repasts; though grossly prepared, yet very profuse. For maintaining such liberality and munificence, a fund is furnished by continual wars and plunder. Nor could you so easily persuade them to cultivate the ground, or to await the return of the seasons and produce of the year, as to provoke the foe and to risk wounds and death: since stupid and spiritless they account it, to acquire by their sweat what they can gain by their blood.”
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