Just got a report from my wife who stated that my father saw the house and that it appears to have very little water damage, and that all of the water damage was limited to 4 inches in the basement. I get there tonight and hope to see for myself.
'til then
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Wet and Wild, but not fun
I have been on tenterhooks all day since my wife contacted me this morning to alert me to the fact that the Susquehanna river was in the process of rising. Thank God for cell phones! We have been talking all day about the situation as she and our kids have been visiting with my parents across the street from the rising river. In recent memory the river has never risen to the point where my parents' house was ever at risk, but things were looking ominous by midmorning and they began to plan for evacuation. This is no simple task since this is the week for annual cousin's camp at Mom and Dad's where all their grandkids come to spend time together and learn important life lessons from Grandma and Grandpa. Suddenly it became an important question of getting away from the river safely. I don't have all of the details, but I am informed that sometime early in the afternoon every family member's minivan was corralled into service and all 10 grandkids were evacuated with mothers from my parents' house and relocated to my older sister's house in Hallstead, PA. When the final vehicle left it looked like the flooring of the one story house was being covered with the basement already being filled with water. I suspect that a majority of the house will be a loss if only because of mold. Thank God that everyone escaped safely with a minimum of panic. I have never been more proud of my wife as I am in this moment when she kept her head and was able to calmly carry our children and their belongings into our van to escape the rising waters. The plan has always been for me to fly up there tomorrow to drive them back home here in Alabama, but we never anticipated that this difficult series of events would complicate everything. I am just glad that I will be able to get up there soon to help them cope with the situation.
Pray, please, for our neighbors and friends.
Pray, please, for our neighbors and friends.
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Happy Father's Day
So I woke this morning to my six-year-old son asking what I wanted for breakfast in bed. At 6:30 am I wanted sleep and he respected my wishes by going to his mother's side of the bed and asking repeatedly what I should have for my breakfast in bed. Thus I really did not get my wish.
It's really fine, because it is the spirit of the thing that counts and I think he is the sweetest boy I have ever met. I did finally rouse enough to get him and his sisters breakfast, and I ate with them at the table. No crumbs in bed for me. I enjoy so much just the fact of being a father that I really could not tell much difference this day in how I felt (with the exception of the neat gifts I received!). We had fun today, and a minimum of fatherly correction was needed by my wonderful little ones. Of course one of the top gifts today was the 1:32 scale WWII era German tank that my son gave me. You can never have too many toys!
It's really fine, because it is the spirit of the thing that counts and I think he is the sweetest boy I have ever met. I did finally rouse enough to get him and his sisters breakfast, and I ate with them at the table. No crumbs in bed for me. I enjoy so much just the fact of being a father that I really could not tell much difference this day in how I felt (with the exception of the neat gifts I received!). We had fun today, and a minimum of fatherly correction was needed by my wonderful little ones. Of course one of the top gifts today was the 1:32 scale WWII era German tank that my son gave me. You can never have too many toys!
Counting Character
Just recently I listened to a man at Church teach a Sunday School lesson on the bumper sticker ''Character does count''. The basic point of the lesson was that our popular culture does not encourage good character but glorifies bad morality. The teacher argued that good character is not the result of circumstances, but that circumstances reveal the quality of our character. This idea is not new to me and I tend to agree with it, but the teacher went further to point out that good character was limited by the company it keeps. He made a point of explaining how listening to ''bad" music and watching movies that contain sex and violence limit one's ability to develop or maintain good character. I have qualms about this belief, but my major concern is what naturally followed in this man's logic. Our teacher's conclusion included the observation that good character is essential to an obedient walk with God. In other words in order to be a good Christian one must have good character.
At first glance this idea seems reasonable, but a deeper look reveals a mistaken view that leads to legalism. Let's start by looking at the history of that bumper sticker which became popular in response to the presidential campaign slogan of the 1990s ‘‘It’s the economy stupid." Our slogan as Christians became ''Character Does Count" because the focus on economy disregarded the moral weaknesses of the Clinton administration. We believe that money is well below morality in importance, and wanted our leaders to be moral examples for our nation.
What, then, is character if it is so important? As I inferred above, character walks hand in hand with morality. In other words my character is the sum of my moral convictions. As wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn says it, character is “the inherent complex of attributes that determine a persons moral and ethical actions and reactions.” If someone were to say that I was an example of biblical character it is usually meant that I live by scripturally guided moral convictions. A man who is known for biblical character is a man who can be counted on to do the right thing according to God's Word no matter who is watching or not watching. Character is important because it is what guides us in who we should include in our cultural influences. I want to see a man or woman of Godly character leading in my family, church, city, state, and country, and I want a woman or man of Godly character teaching my children in school or church. When choosing associates in friendship and business I look for people who exemplify Godly character. Remember that ICorinthians 15:33 tells us that ''bad company corrupts good morals."
I also want to be a person of the kind of character that will be a welcome associate of other people with godly character. It is for that reason that the Sunday school lesson caught my attention, but our teacher made a critical error in understanding the source of good character for the Christian. Our teacher followed the same pattern that I have heard all my life of giving examples of people who made good choices and exhibited good character in obscure settings. They did the right thing when no one would have noticed if they had done nothing at all. I want to be that kind of person, and it is intuitive that in order to be a person of good character I need to spend as much time as possible exposing myself to things that would encourage good character, but by focusing on this aspect of character alone our teacher left out the essential aspect of Christian character that sets us apart from all other religions that focus on developing strong morality- the Holy Spirit and a changed heart.
I remember reading Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography as a boy and thinking about his process of developing good character by making charts and lists and using them to create habits that would make him a better man over time. I remember discussing this with my father and we decided that Benjamin Franklin was a man of good character, but then the question was asked would he be in Heaven? The answer from Scripture is that Mr. Franklin is doomed if he relied on his good character to attain God’s favor. There is only one way to God through Jesus and His work on the cross (John 14:6). ICorinthians 15:32 points out the futility of relying on good character to attain to God’s favor and Heaven. In the above passage Paul asks what benefit martyrdom has if we do not gain eternal life through Christ’s resurrection, and the answer is none. Ephesians 2:8-9 is more explicit stating that we are saved through faith in Christ’s work and not our own works.
Stated simply, good character will not get us to Heaven, but does it have eternal value? The answer is a resounding yes. Jesus made it clear that character matters in His various teachings. Of course one only has to remember the Ten Commandments to remember what God expects of His people, but it also important to remember that under Christ the definition of good character is actually focused on something other than conduct. A quick reading through Romans 8 will remind us of that. The power of God in a man or woman is not found in the rules that they obey, but a life lived under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Compare the fruit of the Spirit (Galations 5:22-23) with the basic attitudes you would expect in someone with good character. This is a gift of God through the work of the Holy Spirit in changing a sinful man or woman’s heart.
God’s work in a heart totally committed to Him will naturally result in good character. So I make my final response to the idea that our teacher articulated that good character is essential in order to have a good walk with God. Good character for the Christian is the result of a life lived in a close walk with God. If I lack good character it is not really because I listen to bad music or watch violent and sex-filled movies, but because I am not open to the Holy Spirit’s guidance. If I lack good character I should even question whether I have truly followed the Spirit’s call and had my heart changed. I have been in the legalistic process of creating good character in myself by limiting my access to the world, but then became so afraid of the taints of the world that I became useless in evangelism and too exhausted to hear the gentle guidance of the Holy Spirit. This may be good character in one sense, but it misses the ultimate point.
I close this essay by admitting to the same frustration as expressed by our teacher in the fact that our American Christian society seems like it cares more about looking like the world than pursuing Godly character. I see that we are allowing ourselves to be corrupted by bad company, but I don’t think this situation calls for redoubled effort in attaining good character. What we really need is intense soul searching to see if each of us is obeying the call of the Holy Spirit instead of the siren call of the world. To be truthful, I don’t want good character. I really want my character to be Jesus’ character. That doesn’t come from harder work, but from allowing God to conform me to Christ’s image (Romans 12:1-2). I therefore recommend that we avoid creating lists of movies and songs to boycott and focus on what is true, right, and honorable (Philippians 4:8). The rest will follow.
At first glance this idea seems reasonable, but a deeper look reveals a mistaken view that leads to legalism. Let's start by looking at the history of that bumper sticker which became popular in response to the presidential campaign slogan of the 1990s ‘‘It’s the economy stupid." Our slogan as Christians became ''Character Does Count" because the focus on economy disregarded the moral weaknesses of the Clinton administration. We believe that money is well below morality in importance, and wanted our leaders to be moral examples for our nation.
What, then, is character if it is so important? As I inferred above, character walks hand in hand with morality. In other words my character is the sum of my moral convictions. As wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn says it, character is “the inherent complex of attributes that determine a persons moral and ethical actions and reactions.” If someone were to say that I was an example of biblical character it is usually meant that I live by scripturally guided moral convictions. A man who is known for biblical character is a man who can be counted on to do the right thing according to God's Word no matter who is watching or not watching. Character is important because it is what guides us in who we should include in our cultural influences. I want to see a man or woman of Godly character leading in my family, church, city, state, and country, and I want a woman or man of Godly character teaching my children in school or church. When choosing associates in friendship and business I look for people who exemplify Godly character. Remember that ICorinthians 15:33 tells us that ''bad company corrupts good morals."
I also want to be a person of the kind of character that will be a welcome associate of other people with godly character. It is for that reason that the Sunday school lesson caught my attention, but our teacher made a critical error in understanding the source of good character for the Christian. Our teacher followed the same pattern that I have heard all my life of giving examples of people who made good choices and exhibited good character in obscure settings. They did the right thing when no one would have noticed if they had done nothing at all. I want to be that kind of person, and it is intuitive that in order to be a person of good character I need to spend as much time as possible exposing myself to things that would encourage good character, but by focusing on this aspect of character alone our teacher left out the essential aspect of Christian character that sets us apart from all other religions that focus on developing strong morality- the Holy Spirit and a changed heart.
I remember reading Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography as a boy and thinking about his process of developing good character by making charts and lists and using them to create habits that would make him a better man over time. I remember discussing this with my father and we decided that Benjamin Franklin was a man of good character, but then the question was asked would he be in Heaven? The answer from Scripture is that Mr. Franklin is doomed if he relied on his good character to attain God’s favor. There is only one way to God through Jesus and His work on the cross (John 14:6). ICorinthians 15:32 points out the futility of relying on good character to attain to God’s favor and Heaven. In the above passage Paul asks what benefit martyrdom has if we do not gain eternal life through Christ’s resurrection, and the answer is none. Ephesians 2:8-9 is more explicit stating that we are saved through faith in Christ’s work and not our own works.
Stated simply, good character will not get us to Heaven, but does it have eternal value? The answer is a resounding yes. Jesus made it clear that character matters in His various teachings. Of course one only has to remember the Ten Commandments to remember what God expects of His people, but it also important to remember that under Christ the definition of good character is actually focused on something other than conduct. A quick reading through Romans 8 will remind us of that. The power of God in a man or woman is not found in the rules that they obey, but a life lived under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Compare the fruit of the Spirit (Galations 5:22-23) with the basic attitudes you would expect in someone with good character. This is a gift of God through the work of the Holy Spirit in changing a sinful man or woman’s heart.
God’s work in a heart totally committed to Him will naturally result in good character. So I make my final response to the idea that our teacher articulated that good character is essential in order to have a good walk with God. Good character for the Christian is the result of a life lived in a close walk with God. If I lack good character it is not really because I listen to bad music or watch violent and sex-filled movies, but because I am not open to the Holy Spirit’s guidance. If I lack good character I should even question whether I have truly followed the Spirit’s call and had my heart changed. I have been in the legalistic process of creating good character in myself by limiting my access to the world, but then became so afraid of the taints of the world that I became useless in evangelism and too exhausted to hear the gentle guidance of the Holy Spirit. This may be good character in one sense, but it misses the ultimate point.
I close this essay by admitting to the same frustration as expressed by our teacher in the fact that our American Christian society seems like it cares more about looking like the world than pursuing Godly character. I see that we are allowing ourselves to be corrupted by bad company, but I don’t think this situation calls for redoubled effort in attaining good character. What we really need is intense soul searching to see if each of us is obeying the call of the Holy Spirit instead of the siren call of the world. To be truthful, I don’t want good character. I really want my character to be Jesus’ character. That doesn’t come from harder work, but from allowing God to conform me to Christ’s image (Romans 12:1-2). I therefore recommend that we avoid creating lists of movies and songs to boycott and focus on what is true, right, and honorable (Philippians 4:8). The rest will follow.
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Busy Saturday
So I finally arose this AM to give my kids their breakfast of waffles and then showered in preparation for another sweat-soaked day today in the sunny South. My son's highlight today was meeting the Burmese Pythons that are cared for by the Birmingham Zoo. It seems that once every year they make a big deal out of measuring their big snakes with the "help" of customers (also known as "guests"). It doesn't matter to my son that we spent 30 minutes in the sweltering heat, or that he wasn't chosen to help hold one of the two BIG snakes (one Burmese python and one anaconda), but that he was able to touch a couple of the snakes shown on stage and talk to a real vet from the zoo. Oh, and he made a big deal about being with me (which was my favorite part too (not being with myself, silly, but being alone with my son)).
While we men were at the zoo, my girls were with Mommy meeting Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Cinderella, the Fairy God Mother, and Prince Charming at the Hoover Library. The pictures were cute of the girls with Prince Charming and the Fairy God Mother, but my favorite part of the excursion were the cards of autographs that the girls carried home with the signatures of the princesses and Prince Charming. This obviously was geared for little ones with the so-called signatures printed by hand rather than in cursive, but the best part was that Prince Charming did the typical male thing and signed in style and simplicity with "P.C.". Nonetheless, my girls were thrilled. My Sarah Bug held her little silk rose from Prince Charming all afternoon.
Another highlight was visiting with some friends from Church at a supper club, and the kids were able to swim (though my little Bug didn't feel safe in the pool and chose to the utilize the trampoline all evening).
By the way, if you are in the Homewood area of Central Alabama and would like some good hardy angelfish, we just unloaded 12 of them at Ed's Pet World (another favorite place of ours).
So Milo has been taken out, Gorgeous has fed the fish, and so she and I are off to take our nightly repose...
While we men were at the zoo, my girls were with Mommy meeting Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Cinderella, the Fairy God Mother, and Prince Charming at the Hoover Library. The pictures were cute of the girls with Prince Charming and the Fairy God Mother, but my favorite part of the excursion were the cards of autographs that the girls carried home with the signatures of the princesses and Prince Charming. This obviously was geared for little ones with the so-called signatures printed by hand rather than in cursive, but the best part was that Prince Charming did the typical male thing and signed in style and simplicity with "P.C.". Nonetheless, my girls were thrilled. My Sarah Bug held her little silk rose from Prince Charming all afternoon.
Another highlight was visiting with some friends from Church at a supper club, and the kids were able to swim (though my little Bug didn't feel safe in the pool and chose to the utilize the trampoline all evening).
By the way, if you are in the Homewood area of Central Alabama and would like some good hardy angelfish, we just unloaded 12 of them at Ed's Pet World (another favorite place of ours).
So Milo has been taken out, Gorgeous has fed the fish, and so she and I are off to take our nightly repose...
Monday, June 12, 2006
let's try this again
Just looked at my first blog post and I must admit it is cool, even though I know that it only means that there is another fad to which I am giving in. I figure that I might as well do it now since I hear that blogging will be obsolete in the near future.
Stay tuned for future rambling from this noob.
Stay tuned for future rambling from this noob.
this morning (actually yesterday morning)
So this morning I find myself in bed in a happy little stupor, seemingly unable to awaken in time to make it to the early service this morning @ church. This fact did not bother my children, but my son was intensely dismayed that he did not receive his breakfast at his desired time (6:30am). When he came to my side of the bed to demand his meal there was a mumbled ''go out and let me sleep". He is very obedient, but also wanted his breakfast. As I fell asleep I heard some quiet conversation among my three little ones and moments later I was startled awake by a loudly performed and obviously rehearsed conversation outside my door. "Daddy and Mommy are sleeping way too late today. I am hungry aren't you?!"
This is, I think, a good example of obeying the letter of the law but willfully ignoring the spirit of my directive. I know from experience that if I feed my offspring at 6:30 am they will nibble a few bites and demand something more at 9:00 am. With this thought in mind I knew my children were not really suffering. I dozed oft and on through several of these performances until my son started to send the girls into my room bearing his message. My three-year-old came in saying something that sounded more like my son than her. It was at this moment I realized the leadership skills my son has developed. I eventually did reward his efforts with breakfast at 8:15am, but I remain impressed that he was able to recruit his sisters into such a well organized operation.
This is, I think, a good example of obeying the letter of the law but willfully ignoring the spirit of my directive. I know from experience that if I feed my offspring at 6:30 am they will nibble a few bites and demand something more at 9:00 am. With this thought in mind I knew my children were not really suffering. I dozed oft and on through several of these performances until my son started to send the girls into my room bearing his message. My three-year-old came in saying something that sounded more like my son than her. It was at this moment I realized the leadership skills my son has developed. I eventually did reward his efforts with breakfast at 8:15am, but I remain impressed that he was able to recruit his sisters into such a well organized operation.
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