24 May 2006

Alive...

So I get to walk across this bridge every morning. It gives me time to kinda clear my head before jumping into the work day. Sometimes I listen to music. Other times I listen to all the muted sounds coming from Harrisburg. But almost everyday I take my eyes off the path directly in front of me and consider the beauty of the sun, the sky, the clouds, the breeze, the river, or two geese floating in the river with a bunch of little new-borns lagging behind as they learn the art of paddling in the calm stillness of the Susquehanna.

Just yesterday morning I was reminded that my Creator is alive and working, as evidenced by the chill of the early spring morning and the warmth of the individual rays of sunlight that embraced me. This juxtaposition reminded me of the musings of this one Jewish man who had the nerve to make the claim that humanity would only find true life in death.

It's a claim I ponder nearly every day of my life...

It's a claim that has changed my life...

It's good stuff to think about while crossing a bridge...

19 May 2006

Stay Sharp!

The DaVinci Code opens in theatres today amidst much talk from both the Hollywood crowds (as happens with any blockbuster) and the Christian community (as happens with any blockbuster that happens to touch on the fundamentals of their faith).

Before jumping into the heart of this post, I encourage you to read a previous post of mine on the general topic of profanity and blasphemy in some of the music and literature that I consider to be among my favorites, which briefly addresses The DaVinci Code. For those of you short on time, here's the digest version: I believe that what I consume is a matter of personal conviction from the Living God based on where I'm at in my spiritual journey. As such, I'm not a big fan of blanket statements from those in authority telling all Christians across the nation to avoid a certain book or movie.

Given this, it shouldn't come as a surprise that I implore Christians leaders to refrain from supporting widespread boycotts of the film. More importantly, I plead with fellow Christians to exercise caution and avoid jumping on misinformed, judgmental bandwagons that are merely cloaked in Christianity.

Leonardo da Vinci is credited with making the following comment about maintaining mental sharpness: "Iron rusts from disuse; stagnant water loses its purity and in cold weather becomes frozen; even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind."

What's the state of your mind today? Exercised it lately? Or do you continue to exclusively feed at the breast of a select group of Christian leaders -- either local or national? Read Hebrews 5:13-14. I'm pretty sure that passage points to the fact that the Christian life is about personally growing in knowledge so that we can learn to choose the right path. Our lives shouldn't be about others choosing for us, and then forcing those choices on us under the guise of "proper Christian living". I sincerely believe that if you truly seek the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind, He will bless you with knowledge that will equip you to make your own life choices. Free your mind of the status quo, ask God for direction and pray for Spirit-led decisions. Stay sharp!

Oh yeah, back to The DaVinci Code...I highly recommend the novel and I'm looking forward to seeing the film -- it's fictional entertainment at its best! And don't even get me started on the topic of "protecting" non-believers from being exposed to the fictional elements portrayed in the novel/film that contradict Biblical truths. Instead, let's focus our time and energy on praying for all non-believers, including the guy who will walk into a Hindu temple tonight and discover something there that is initially alluring to his soul. Or the teenage girl who is so caught up in the lies of this world concerning beauty that she literally starves herself to be thin.

10 May 2006

I'd rather be standing here...

Most of you know that I'm just burried at work (and in life) right now. And I'm not complaining, I just wanted to check in quick and sorta explain my lack of e-conversation lately. I'm working on this big litigation project at work involving spent mushroom substrate, which is basically the unusable waste soil that is left over after mushrooms are harvested from the ground. So essentially, I'm standing knee-deep in this stuff! Let's just say I'd rather be standing beside this guy!