New Under The Sun?

You've heard it before "There is nothing new under the sun" This comes from the pen of one much wiser than I. However, I had a revelation. if you will, of a new perspective on that age-old quote form the book of Ecclesiastes. 


We find ourselves in a universe that has order.  We have worked very hard as a race to establish and define this order.  The law of gravity, and Bernoulli'a principle along with aerodynamics and mechanical engineering have brought about he era of man-made flying machines.  However, these laws and principles already existed before they were written down.  Things stuck to the earth before Newton took an apple to the head.  And the wind could suck the air out of a cave just as well before Bernoulli applied his fluid pressure principle to pumps as now.


What I'm getting at is that even our most advanced discoveries are not of things new but discoveries of that which has existed for some time.  Ice melts when the temperature reaches above 32 degrees F.  When a new super conductor is made and it moves energy or information faster than ever before it's still not new, for those elements in that configuration will act that way weather we put it together or something in creation did without human intervention.  


So what! I gotta kind of agree with that sentiment.  But when we see life as something being uncovered rather than created our whole outlook and energy can be different.  I mean, who doesn't like to open a new present.  But few people if any are anxious to venture out into the unknown just for the sake of moving on in life.


Mystery is a great motivator, it seems though we each have a different sense of which mysteries are important.  Some excell at one thing and others fill their hobby time win something else.  Each person has their passions - but I find it much more intriguing to consider that all that exists is already there - ours is just to uncover it or remember again where it came from.  Everything is just a great big pile of potential waiting to be unlocked.  We don't have to be impressive to excel just inquisitive.


So here's to discovery in all aspects of life.  There is more to uncover and much to learn --- Don't Stop!

Affliction? What Affliction?

Have the slightest inconvenience and we are heard to speak out and be outraged at the injustice.  Drive to slow in front of me, cause me extra work, make a mess for me to clean up, cost me more money than I think I ought to put out.  These great "afflictions" have been known to illicit reactions from me ranging from mock outrage, to frustrated acclimation, to outright anger.

But nothing I experience comes anywhere in the vicinity of the affliction that Christ faced.  His affliction was to be abandoned at the height of perfect suffering, both physically and spiritually, by one whose comfort and relationship he had existed in from before  time itself had been created.  He endured beating and torture few men lived through and the weight of the world's sin had blemished his eternally perfect self and now he was alone.  In spite of this we find that "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth" Isa 53:7 (NIV).

I know not affliction on any real level.  For the most part our afflictions are slight inconveniences.  At least they are, if you value things that cannot be seen over things that we can grasp hold of only for a moment.  In truth if we take a Biblical view of our sufferings and troubles we quickly find they are opportunities to grow, minister, share, and develop character.

In the previos chapter to his description of Christ's demeanor in his suffering Isaiah, the prophet, proclaims that we should "Burst into songs of joy" in the midst of our ruin(52:9) because our God is redeeming us.  Our ruin is also our salvation!

Affliction? What affliction is this that points to a salvation that is available no where else, in no one else and not by the work of our own hands.  We have no affliction no true affliction at all, except the stubbornness of our souls that pridefully clings to our afflictions as problems and our 'ability' to overcome them on our own.

Tim Hawkins Comedian - Polictical Commentator

Comedy is funny because is gives us new perspectives on what we already know.  Found this to be too close to the truth to laugh.

Singing off... for a bit.

I won't be posting anything here on Why in WY for the next week or so.  I'm part of a team of people headed to the Dominican Republic as our church begins a holistic development project with the community of Sierra Prieta.  I encourage you to find out more about our trip and the community by following the link below.  I/we will also be attempting to update the Cornerstone C2C Update (internet access permitting) while we are gone.  Look daily, starting this weekend, for updates, insights and pictures.

Connect to Cornerstone C2C Here

And from the Romanian Judge...

Just watch and consider how you can take advantage of this incredible perspective offered by Pastor Francis Chan.  Thanks to Steve and Cara for turning me on to this:



Living life in fear is no life at all.  And living in fear when we have the greatest security and opportunity in the world is a disgrace - it is pure hypocrisy.

"You of little faith, why are you so afraid?"  Matthew 6:28 Jesus speaking.

Don't just consider the clever point - Do Something about it.

Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.  James 4:17

So what are you going to do?


WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?


What are you going to do?

What are we really getting?

Have you bought any light bulbs lately? We just moved into a different house and have been replacing lots of light bulbs. I noticed something interesting on the packaging.
This was supposed to be a 75 watt bulb but look, it only uses 67 watts. I thought this is pretty cool, a regular round bulb that puts out white light and it's saving me money by using less energy. I thought that the green movement had finally given me something besides unnecessary higher prices. But my ever inquiring mind wuoldn't rest untill I looked over the rest of the package on these energy saver bulbs. Guess what I found.

We weren't getting more light for less energy! Nope! Less energy = less light.

Of course they did explain in the small print but few people do read it. I can't help but feel a little bit taken advantage of.

We are all susceptible to the emotional cry of getting something for nothing. But every time it is false hope and a dissatisfying reward.

Greg, you're making too much of this, you say. Well maybe I am, as it relates to light bulbs.

When someone replaces something we're used to then we expect it will be of equal or greater value. If the 75 watt has been replaced by the 67 watt then (my mind says) we should be getting just as much light with less energy. It happens to us in all parts of our life. Even McDonald's hamburgers have gotten smaller. It happens in relationship as Facebook and social networking sights overwhelm us with 'friends' who we never see or connect with by voice or in person. It's all more for less.

The problems really come when we do it to ourselves. More stuff in a day but less stuff done right. Quick morning devotions out of a handy 3 min. book. But what of the time and discipline it takes to delve into the Word and discover the character of God as the Holy Spirit reveals the truth of the Scriptures. When we look closely at the bargains and time savers we're offered, we often find that the new fangled thing isn't what we hoped it would be.

A relationship is never a new fangled thing! You can't boil it down. Relationships take work, investment, diligence and emotion.

Don't settle for a relationship with less 'lumen's' than is right. Go all out don't hold back.

Always with a hand out

I heard part of an interview of former Senator Allen Simpson the other day. He said that the reason he retired from government service was that everyone “came to me with their hand out.” He said that people from every group came to him wanting the government to give something, cut taxes grant money, add to this or that budget, add a service or pay for a service... He said that there was no segment of the population that he represented that hadn’t approached him looking for something more from the government.

I have some very clear thoughts about the role of government but this makes me think of something much more significant. Do I approach God this same way in my prayers? When I look to him I too often have my hand out asking for something. Health, safety, money, direction, relief in relational strife… my lists can go on forever. Too often, my prayers say “please, thank you and I’m sorry” they are all about me. When I see God as only the big “vending machine” in the sky," I dishonor his love, authority and wisdom, among other things.

He does tell us to bring our burdens to him, and when teaching us to pray Jesus did include a point where we should ask God to provide our needs and forgive our sins. However, my needs – daily sustenance, shelter and clothing – are all provided so easily in our culture that I don’t wonder for them. My prayer life needs to change from all about me to all about him. He didn’t desire relationship with me so I could get stuff, for me or for others.

Neal & Judy Brower have written a short book called Discover the Life. They suggest praying in 4 categories or with 4 awareness’s. The first is to give God glory – that is to admire and adore him. We just need to recognize who he is. It’s too easy to think of God in the same way we think of ourselves and of others. I put him in a human shaped box with Super Powers. But his is so much more, and I need to be reminded of that more often than I like to admit.

The second thing is to give God honor, that is to recognize his absolute authority and put him above all things with my words and thoughts. So many times my prayers suggest that God is subject to the same things that I am subject to. He does as he pleases without consulting me, the laws of physics or even relational barriers that I can’t or won’t get around. It is about trusting God in all things not just the things I’m comfortable with him adjusting. It is about choosing God and recognizing his supreme authority over all things, especially the details of my life.

Giving God thanks is the 3^rd practice of prayer. They explain this as celebrating what God means to us. Praying not so much “Thank you for a safe trip”, but “Thank you God for being at work in me and in all things.” When we thank God for just stuff - food, money, health success -we are not honoring him so much as appreciating the gifts he has given, even elevating the gifts above him. Our focus needs to be on that which can never be taken away, will never fail and never spoil. Our attention, even in giving thanks for blessings, has to focus on who he is and will always be regardless of the durability of a gift.

The final aspect the Brower’s address is that of requests. This is where our perspective on God’s authority is revealed. It is in requests that we reveal our desires. Are we desiring his plan, purpose and direction or merely our comfort. They suggest that the way to pray for a sickness is to say “God, please have your way in this illness.” Another example they put forth is “God, help me to see my money, time, health, home, family, job, activities, etc. as mostly about helping people find Jesus.”

I think the challenge of this is not to see life as something to be shaped into my vision. We need to live in such a way that we recognize that our lives are best when we try to fit them in around what God is already working to do to reveal his Glory, honor and completeness to others. It’s not about getting God to fix my life so it’s how I want it, but about adjusting my life so it lines up in the middle of where God already is.

What we believe comes out in how we think and speak and act. To believe in an all supreme God is to recognize that the things we encounter are part of his great plan to demonstrate his love and greatness to all people, and to help us to be more like him. God is much more concerned about our growth than our comfort.

We Keep Looking the Wrong Way

My 3 year old daughter just asked me "Daddy, when will I be big." I answered you'll be big when you are older than your 16 year old Cousin." She replied, "But when will I get big."

"Everyday a little bigger, but just have fun being small while you're small and have fun being big when you are big."

Now in reality I wasn't going for the profound. I just wanted her to quit pestering me for a bit. Great dad huh? But really I also wanted her to not strain so hard for the future and enjoy the present.

Whether we look to the future with anticipation or with fear Jesus make clear that too much anxiety about the future is a waste. In Matthew 6:34 he states "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

When we look with great anticipation and excitement we often miss the enjoyment available in the day to day things. Sure the future holds much to look forward to, be it a vacation, time with one we care about or the end of a project or even the greatest anticipation found by those who reach the end of their life with faith in the God of the Bible. But too often people can get caught up in the looking forward and trample the flowers of the present.

In the same way when dread and anxiety are our common friends we spend too much time worrying about the dangers of the future. Dangers that most often never materialize. It is a rare occurrence for worry to carry with it a justification in the reality we find once we have arrived.

I easily find myself looking forward to my upcoming trip to the Dominican Republic to begin a C2C partnership with the community of Sierra Prieta. The excitement of a travel to a new place, new challenges and the promise of many adventures all the greater because of the pioneering nature of our trip, easily distract me from the now of my life. The now of spending time with my kids and enjoying time with my wife or even relishing a challenging sale at work.

Surely we cannot turn a blind eye to the future but we must not be so absorbed in it that the present is found to be insignificant and without value. When Jesus proclaimed "...the kingdom of Heaven is at hand ." He was/is offering the greatest thing in life as a reality for now not a promise for a far distant future.

An glance to the horizon with a hard look around, that, I believe, is the way to live.

For more information about C2C partnerships go to www.fh.org or www.cornerstonepowell.com.

Like kissing your wife and kids

This concept has been running through my mind all day – I guess that’s how it works for a blogger but since this is my first post I’ll work my way into the whole thing.

As I was kissing my beautiful wife and my kids good bye this morning to head out the door to work (a little late again sorry Terry) it impressed me that despite the mundane repetitive nature of the good bye ritual it was valuable to our relationships. To tell my family I loved them and to express it physically to each as I left for a day at work is important to our relationships. I’m not a great fan of doing things for the sake of tradition or out of blind habit but this little ritual reinforces the very real and unforced moments that define our closeness.

Now I believe that my relationship with my wife could be incredibly healthy and vibrant even if we reduced the morning ritual to a quick good bye hollered back through the door. And my children don’t wonder at my love for them if they are yet in bed when I leave the house and utter not a sound to them. But the reverse is not true. If the only relational connection we had was a hurried hug and kiss and “I love you” our relationships would lack much. No honest talks of fears and dreams, no cuddling on the couch, no working on projects and sharing natural thoughts, not inside jokes and unstoppable laughter. Without these & many more building blocks of relationship the ritual at the door is valueless, yet in that context of fuller relationship the ritual at the door is comforting.

So what, is this not obvious? Yes, and no! When I consider my life as a follower of Christ, one who strives to draw close to him and to emulate his values, desires and actions, I see that too often I do little more to draw near in relationship than the spiritual equivalent of kissing my wife and kids good bye. A quick prayer at a meal, and uttered cry for help in tough times, the giving of minimal amounts of money to God’s work, a glance in the direction of a Bible and a word of Biblical direction pushed upon my kids as it is convenient to me, these and many more surface level Christian activities are meaningless with out the real deal.

The real deal is time of connection, mindful of his constant presence and unending love. Indulging in Bible reading to get closer looks at his character and actions upon the earth. Prayer times of unforced sharing and listening, generosity that extends beyond what anyone can see. True life change followed by desire to draw close. A comfort level with communicating in prayer that comes only when the one who is sought is more valuable for who his is than what we hope he will do.