Head-dibs

Sort of a strange phrase, isn’t it: “over to unawareness.” It means to moving from “awareness” to “unawareness.” We do it all the time, but we like to use the word “forget.” Have you ever thought about what the “forget” actually means? We commonly agree on “failing to remember,” and we use the word to signify the act of not remembering. The word “forget” is actually a compound word (remember those from grade school?). The first word “for-” is the Old English term meaning “opposite” or “away.” The second (“-get”) is also Old English for, well, “get” or “grasp.” Combine “for” and “get” and we have “un-grasp.” This is what it means to forget. Orwell would be proud. Is forgetting intentional or accidental? Perhaps the latter is the most common—who would intentionally forget? Is it even possible? Why do we fail to keep hold of things we are supposed to remember yet lose our grasp on things we are supposed to keep? Why do we so easily recall our regrets and have nearly no catalog of ou...

Ready for Christmas? When we were school children, we looked forward to being out of school and getting presents. Now we are grown and we groan, looking forward to time off of work—not much, but any amount is deeply anticipated. But really, why are you looking forward to Christmas? Most of us readily vocalize the Christo-centricity of the holiday, but why long for this particular day? Is it because of a memory, a smell, feel, sound, or sight? Is it because we like to see Ralphie in that pink bunny suit all day long? Fa-ra-ra-ra-ra ra-ra ra-ra! Sure we love to hear Linus recite, but we are so familiar with the events in Bethlehem that unlike Mary, we do not ponder these things in our heart. When was the last time we stopped everything in order to truly understand? Instead of rockin’ around the Christmas tree, how about a quiet “sit and think” about Christmas for a while? Why did God step into time and space as a helpless infant in a village so obscure that even the gospel writers h...

Justin Martyr (100 - 165 A.D.), an early apologist for the Christian faith, wrote in Discourse to the Greeks , "These have conquered me – the divinity of the instruction, and the power of the Word: for as a skilled serpent-charmer lures the terrible reptile from his den and causes it to flee, so the Word drives the fearful passions of our sensual nature from the very recesses of the soul; first driving forth lust, through which every ill is begotten – hatreds, strife, envy, emulations, anger, and such like. Lust being once banished, the soul becomes calm and serene. And being set free it returns to Him who made it. For it is fit that it be restored to that state whence it departed, whence every soul was or is." The theology of war (James 4:1-4) helps us understand that lust is the driving force behind the nations casting off the rule of God. This is not a lust limited to sexual immorality and can include lust for power, wealth, and kingdoms (to name a few). Lust is a complete...

One of our children had taken a keen interest in meteorology and at one point, was very careful to spend an exceptional amount of time each day watching the Weather Channel. A recent conversation touched down on the subject of tornadoes and warning systems, in which our brilliant child made the point that if a quick escape from the house were necessary, an extra pair of underwear would be the most important item to take along. One of our other children quickly demanded to know the reason for the choice, to which came the reply, "because if a tornado were to come close enough for me to leave, I would need to change my pants." About three years ago or so, we did have to leave our house under threat of a tornado. Since we were living in a mobile home, we felt that was the best choice. Years before while living in another state, a tornado touched down about a mile behind us and we saw first-hand what happens to homes and trees. When we were under the threat again, we did not...

"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." So reads the Declaration of Independence, signed on July 4, 1776. Members of the American Colonies were declaring themselves free from British rule, free to make their own decisions, free to buy and sell as they wished, and free to make their own laws and impose justice as they saw fit. The important document ends thus: " And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our Sacred Honor ." What stirring words! No doubt much thought, and even prayer, went into the writing of them. Our early fathers believed in the all-powerful God and we can be thankful that our nation was founded by men who read their Bibles and put Scriptural principles into pra...

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” I didn’t know who he was, but he came highly recommended and was received with great flare and panache. He came to guide our church through a Sunday School Revival one Spring. I remember distinctly the first message he preached on Isaiah 54:2, “ Enlarge the place of your tent; stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not; lengthen your cords and strengthen your pegs .” That message really impacted me back in 1988. And I remember telling him so. His response, “stick with me this week and you will learn more than you will ever learn in Bible College or Seminary.” And He was right. One of the great things he said that week concerned the life of the local church that I have personalized and applied to my own life; after all, as Spurgeon says, it begins with me. He said, “there are three ways to look at the church [my life]: it grows, maintains, or dies. And ...