Holiday time

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and looking forward to Christmas. I am reminded of God's grace for all people, in that He provides not only the air we breath, but life itself. Our bodies are miracles in themselves, sustained by God's general grace. I am truly thankful for this, and find that my contentment is not in the things of this physical world, but in knowing, and being known by Him. I hope this year, as you celebrate Christmas with giving to your loved ones, that you give yourself to Christ's will. It is the greatest gift that you could give to anyone: doing the works of God that He has prepared beforehand, that you should walk in them.

Deonne and I attended a wedding in Dallas on Friday, and then went to the Kimbell Art Museum on Saturday to view the Chicago collection of Impressionist painting. We really enjoyed viewing the paintings from Monet to Van Gogh. I especially liked the early impressionist paintings. I discovered the work of the painter Monet described as really inspiring him, as being my favorite, based on the one painting of his I viewed. He is the Dutch painter, Johan Barthold Jongkind.

But what I was really was impressed with was not in the museum, but in a conservatory we visited after the museum. We went to the Botanical Gardens in Fort Worth.We explored a tropical rain forest contained in a glass conservatory. The variety, size, and diversity of plants were amazing. All of it living artwork of God. Wow.

Life is an adventure

Life can be described as an adventure. So when something unexpected happens, there should be no surprise, only a realization that life is not static. I recently was let go from a design firm I had been working at for over 2 years. It is a great place to work, but I had a feeling that it was time to move on. God graciously helped me along, since I do not initiate job changes very well. So the parting was mutual and cordial. Now I am faced with continuing in the design field, or make the jump into ministry. I will be graduating from Dallas Theological Seminary in the Spring. There are a lot of options in the design field here in Austin, but until I start looking in the ministry field, I do not know what is available. In any case, I know God will direct me if I follow him obediently. That is what I am trying to do. Life is an adventure, designed by God.

No do-overs

Yesterday (Sunday Aug. 24), we had a breakfast taco brunch in our adult learning class. I put a few questions up on the white board for those around the table to answer if they ran out of conversation. The last question asked, "What would you "do-over" in your life if you could?" I thought-provoking question, I thought. Well, the people around the table where I sat at did not like the question at all. They argued that if they were able to change something back in their lives, it would change everything. One person put it succinctly. She said she would not be in a (good) place now if she had not gone through the difficult time in the recent past. She would not have learned what she now uses in her life, her career! She is absolutely right.

What we go through in life affects us in ways we could not have learned otherwise. God uses all that we experience for good, equipping us to help and encourage others.

What does a true Christian believe, part 1

There are many who call themselves Christian. They use all the correct words, and may even act like they are believers, but when you understand what they believe, you are left wondering? Fortunately, God knows who are his and who are not his. There are some basic truths that true believers in Christ universally believe, though I think most of us do not reflect on these truths in such a way so as to communicate the truth plainly to others. One of these truths, or doctrines and they are known theologically, is concerning the person of Christ. Is he man or is he God? Here is a definition comprised by the early church explaining that Jesus Christ is fully man and fully God:

“He is perfect in godhead and perfect in manhood, truly God and truly man, of a reasonable soul and body, consubstantial with us as to His manhood, in all things like unto us, without sin;” Taken from Chalcedon Creed

If a person believes Jesus was a good man, that person is mistaken. If a person believes Jesus is God, and not man, that person is also mistaken. Jesus has (then, now, and forever) two natures in one person. Only in this way could he deliver salvation to us who believe in his sacrifice.

Friends

These last 3 weeks have gone by like a whirlwind. My youngest son was married, and then 2 weeks later we were all on a plane to California to attend my niece's wedding. Our family (8 of us) enjoyed a mini vacation while out there. Having returned back to Austin, we are now just catching our breath.
I was able to reconnect with some old friends. What a great reunion. I realize now how much these friends I have not seen in years really mean to me. This last month has reminded me how much I need others, a reminder of how the body of Christ works. We cannot live in isolation. I hope to be a better communicator, taking the pains to keep in touch with those who I call friend.

Worship

I had a great day in my History of Doctrine class today. There was a lot of material we covered, and at the end I felt like concepts I held about some areas of Christian life were de-constructed and then reconstructed in Scriptural truth. In one area, we discussed the nature true worship. The following thoughts are what I understand worship to be.

True worship

• is not the music. It is not the music time
  
• is not the generation of emotional feelings
• is not just a part of the Church's Sunday morning service

True worship is sacrifice to God. Therefore, true Christian worship is our response to God for the salvation He has given us by His grace, and involves

• the complete Sunday morning service of singing hymns of praise, being taught the Scripture, encouraging one another in fellowship and service, and financial giving to God as the body of Christ.
  
• during the week, the giving of our time, talent, treasures for building up of the community of God, and in proclaiming the truth to the lost.
  

Ultimately, the greatest act of worship is giving our cold glass of water to a thirsty person.

Welcome

This is the first entry. I am very excited to finally get this blog up and running. Besides comments, I plan to put on reference links to web pages I find helpful, and some articles of interest that either I have written, or an author that I find especially insightful. You may even find some quotes from a variety of sources that I think are encouraging.