We had a very nice Christmas, relatively quiet, lots of food, fun, games. Santa been berry berry good to me…. he didn’t cost me an arm and a leg for one thing!

On a serious note, and don’t let this one concern you too much, for I think we’ll be OK when all the dust settles–although I am looking for a good parent support group to help us through this–my kids have taken a turn in a direction that “scares” me.

This is a clear case of peer influence here. I should have seen this coming, what with the kind of crowd they have fallen in with, the ominous looking symbols on their laptops should have been warning enough….. My sons went and bought one of “those” computers. You know, the one with the fruit logo on it that has a little ‘bite’ taken out of it. Yes!! One of *those* !! ah!!!! I am so ashamed!! I was in shock! Were did I go wrong?!? I should have talked with them more about market share, industry standards, the beauty of DLLs….. My wife and I sat up all night talking about what in the world went wrong. Big help she was. She actually said “maybe this isn’t so bad. Maybe it’s for the good…” What!! uuggg! Leave to an end-user to say something like that.

Don’t panic, Brent. Deep breaths, think happy thoughts…. You can handle this…. But to have that thing in my own home!!! I never thought I would ever see such a day!

I think they were brain washed by all those cute “Hi, I’m a Mac” commercials. I have seriously considered whisking them off to a de-programming type camp for kids who have fallen into the ‘fruity computer’ cult.

“OK campers, today we’re going to learn the complete history of DOS. Let’s start by a discussion of a topic that is my personal favorite, and I’m sure it will be yours as well. Open Volume One of your manuals to HIMEM.SYS “

But on the other hand, the thing is kinda cute. And it really does work right out of the box. And the GUI is slick! And it runs FinalCut (video editing app) really well. And viruses, what viruses? So, I compromised a little, but just a little mind you.

The conversation with my kids went something like this:

“There, it’s on our home network. Are you happy? And just remember, I did this under duress. Just as soon as we can find a shelter for that thing, it’s out of here. Don’t give me that look, like ‘dad, we know you’re not that mean’! And DON’T feed it your video games or we’ll never get rid of it! For heaven’s sakes, stop touching it and moving the mouse around. You want to get some germ or something? Yes, I see the pretty icons. Yes, it’s cute. No, you can’t sleep with it at night–and get if off that desk! Great! Now look at it, all snuggled in. Oh, OK. One night on your desk, but that’s it. Tomorrow I call the “useless computer” shelter. Tomorrow, I mean it. No, I won’t pet it. Well, just this once, but… uh, oh, ….(wow, this is amazing, very user friendly)…… but, but… tomorrow it’s outa here. Tomorrow, I tell you!”

Alright, alright, I admit it. After all this time, we still have that “thing” in our home. But what was I to do? The kids bonded with it immediately (and it with them, I’m sure). I even caught my wife sitting next to it, petting it and talking to it. The confounded woman even let it check her email! “No, honey… don’t… oh! don’t teach it to fetch… now look what it’s doing…. it made a cute flyer for your mom’s group.” ggggrrrRR!! “Why don’t you just give it some warm milk!? And stop telling me that it’s purring.”

Looks like I’m stuck with that cunning little beast forever. I admit that it’s grown on me too, but just a little. I did poke around in it some, checking its config files and whatever its version of Regedit is, but somehow, I lost interest in “checking under the hood.” I got caught up in just using it, I guess. It is a very pleasant experience. It edits videos extremely well, and the graphics program rocks! And, lo and behold! It does the kids homework assignments quite well too! Word processing–no problem. They can even use the “powerpoint” app and the spreadsheet if they want. The clever little sprite even gets along with my PCs just fine, they play nice on the network and share files and everything.

I still draw the blinds when they turn it on, though. And how in the world am I going to tell my parents? It was tough enough for my Dad when I bought a “foreign” car, but now a non IBM compatible computer in my home? He might start talking like Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof: “let out one little thread, where will it end? where will it end? …… TRADITION!!” As you may recall, Tevye fought a losing battle to keep their family’s traditions. I think I just lost a battle as well.

And yet, I wonder. I am starting to think that a little “diversity” in our home’s computing environment is not such a bad thing after all. Mind you, I’m not ready to allow one of those things in my computer room. But I have been reading up on them, and experimenting with ours a little. I’ve begun to ask some questions, and I have even met with some “Lovers of the Fruit like computer” zealots. Pretty reasonable people, actually. Mind you, I won’t be making a public profession of “faith” any time soon (I think for “baptism” they take you to a public hotspot like StarBucks or something, but I’m not sure). On the other hand, I did sit in on some of their investigative forums called “We got questions, and they’re BIGGIES.” I think I will sign up for one of their seeker small groups.

And I picked up that book by a former IBM Compatible guru called “The Case for iMacs.” He talks about how intelligently designed they are and how life is more fulfilling with them, and the peace of mind and sense of purpose that he has found, and all that sort of stuff. But, to his credit, I’m actually getting answers to some of my questions.

I don’t know, maybe I’ll cross the line some day. But for now, there’s too many questions. It’s all so new, so radical. I just wasn’t raised that way. PCs are my friends. I have spent my entire career being devoted to them. I’m not ready to turn my back on them, not yet anyway. And speaking of friends, what would all of my I.T. peers say? Would they understand? Would they still accept me? Would they get the wrong idea and think that I’m just out to convert them too?

Still, what I have experienced so far is rather amazing. I must continue down this path, seeking answers to my computing questions. So many of my beliefs have been turned upside down. I need to sort this out. I’ll keep you posted.

Here I am, sitting Caraboo’s. Down the street my car is getting an oil change. I have my Blackberry and a Bluetooth keyboard.THis is the worst keyboard I have ever used in my life! FOr one thing, it’s a fold up keybord and it won’t lay flat. It teeter-totters from the qwert side to the yuiop side. Going from the – a – key to the ” key is a real joy, like my right and left hand are in a competition to keep their side on the table. THen ther is the fact that I press a key and it may or may not wok. Er, work….

But if you are a word junky you take what you can get. Hard to get a writer’s buzz off of the Moosehead beer of keyboards, though. Maybe this is how down and outers feel when they are sifting through ash trays looking for cigarette butts.

No, this probably more like Lance Armstrong trying to ride my son’s bike: very cramped, knocking his knees into the miss aligned handlebars, gears that don’t work, funky sounding brakes — but by golly, I”m gonna hit the road! Ride or die!

But on to the joy of the moment: Cool music from the speaker in the corner, the Ansel Adams like picture abve me iis so impressive, black and white photo of snow capped mountains, clouds casting a shadow over one of th peeks, crisp, clean, very interesting shades of light. (You know, I Can’t keep back spacing and correcting this cantankerous kb. The little beast is constantly messing wiith me. If Triger ever gav Roy Rogers this mch trouble, he would have been shot. THere it goes again! What is so hard about yielding up the letter u ???? Blah! Deal with it, reader.

Back to my ramble. I just feel so good to be out of my home offie for a littl while. Walkng around town, sitting here at C’s feeling rather artsy and not at all corporate. I love it.

I am in no hurry to leave.

I hear two businessmen near me, talking biz-talk. Poor fellows, it all seems so important to them, so challenging, and well, like it really matters. I’m temptd to say to them ‘something’s wrong with you, really” but they wouldnt undrstand-even if thy saw Finding Nemo…

Somebody has to do that stuff, I know. Glad it’s them. But why me, though? Why do I have endure corporate life? I have no desire whatsoever to be part of their world. Their conversation leaves me flat, unimpressed, even a little irritated. Their little “mission” can’t be so all fired important that it should naturally elicit such a take-the-bull-by-the-horns seriousness. Well, they’ve left. Their conquest can’t be kept waiting any longer.

Further down is a mom and a Jr high girl. A man comes in, says hi, and “why aren’t you in school?” I understand his question, but never the less, I snicker to myself. Life is school! I look all around me, out the window, or across the tables and I see a world the begs to be observed, to be shared and talked about. People are so interesting! Hmmm. I wonder if being made in God’s image has something to do with it.

Take the grey haired guy who pulled up on his retro looking Harley. He just looks like a story worth telling. He meets someone near the door and they move to the counter and order their stimulant of choice (mine is cafe mocha!)

The auto place called. Rats, I’ll have to leave soon, back to corporate life, back to reports and rather unengaging missions and challenges. Stuff that requires so much effort for so small a purpose (IMHO, at least). Definitely not the kind of work that relishes creativity. It’s not that I have a rotten job, I use good technology, work with good people, I have a good manager, we are well equipped and lots of opportunities for training, the work from home program, etc. the company is doing well, and we’re certainly not a WeSaySo Corporation type of place to work. Sometimes I feel guilty that I’m not embracing my opportunities there. Maybe my problem is that I’m not grateful.

I look out the window, across the street. Above the buildings, a block or two away is the water tower. I feel like that tower: constantly being drained, rarely filled. I honestly don’t know how much longer I can take this. My hope is waining. I hate the feeling that I am waisting my life, yet I have no real hope that anything will change. I feel as if I let the creative, communicative side of me be shelved, and it’s killing me.

The car place called again. They want to rotate the tires while they have the car. Sure, good idea. Anything to keep me here a little longer. God, can’t you do a little rotating kind of thing with me?

Since they are in a series on handling money, they put up a discussion thread titled “Tell us how you handle your finances“
So I did: Below is a small part of my reply:

My sons are already getting it re: this materialism thing. My conversations with them tend to go something like this:

“Boys! How’d you like to get the latest Xtra-PS-Giga-cubeBoy game machine, and get new bikes, and go to Delightme World for vacation, have your own cell phones and your own computers and wear the latest, coolest MP3 players, and the latest, coolest athletic shoes, and designer jackets, and designer hats, and designer underwear and all that totally cool stuff that’s totally needed to make you totally enjoy life and so you can totally fit in and be just like your friends? Wouldn’t that be great?!”

No, dad, we don’t want to do that.

“What! Why not??”

Because getting and doing all that stuff would mean (A) we stop helping the poor (B) Mom stops schooling us and gets back into her career (C) you put in really long hours to get that promotion and even longer hours to keep it.

We like having less stuff, because that means we get more of you (and mom).

Preachy as that felt (even to me) that really is how our money talks go. My sons don’t want to strive to fit in with the rest of the world. Instead, they are learning to value relationships over stuff, and they are striving to keep the needs of the poor in front of their wants. That, I believe, is the key to battling materialism.

Who needs all of that when you have “Weather-dog?”

Over the last year our dog has gotten afraid of the weather. At first this annoyed me (“Get off the bed! Get out from under the bed! Get off me! Get off mom! Get out of the boys’ room! Get in your crate!….”). The other night, however, something occurred to me: hey, the dog’s under the computer table again. She’s got that look. Dog owners, you know that look: cowering low under something, ears folded down, now popped up, now down, now up. Her head is on the floor but her eyes are looking up and darting around.

Hmmm. Maybe I should think about this a minute. Not a cloud in the sky, no signs of bad weather, no warning from my techno-gadgets. I’ll check a weather reports anyway.

I pulled up a web site with Doppler radar, satellite images, thermo-detection thingies and all that other good stuff. Sure enough, way out west of us who knows how many miles away a large thunderstorm system was barrelling in. I went outside and gathered up the usual debris from our yard (a.k.a. toys) then closed some windows and powered off “my precious” (the only PC I have that actually uses the letters g-i-g-a to describe itself). A few minutes after that, we got some drops, then heard some thunder, then it really started to come down.

And when the weather seemed to let up, how did I know if the storms were really over? Did I power up the PC and check the radar? Shoot no! One look at our K-EWS* and we knew. Here comes another round of storms. Right on time.

Thus we have another case where technology has not really caught up with creation.

Not only that, but I’m just a little less likely to get frustrated with Pooch-ahontis next time she is under the bed.

*K-EWS (K9 Early Warning Weather monitoring System). I know, it’s an awkward name. Weather-dog is more marketable.

The first email is light hearted and intentionally frivolous. I was excited about an exercise machine, of all things. Of course, I used it for a spiritual analogy, as always, but still the email reflects a care free life.

Not so, the email that follows. It is somber, to the point and even hints at the sense of determination I felt.

I remember truly thinking that we had just experienced my generation’s version of Pearl Harbor. I remember telling my dad that on the phone that day, and he, who could remember Pearl Harbor (he was 10 years old) readily agreed.

It was amazing to me how different people reacted that morning. Some were very concerned. One lady I knew was worried for her husband. He worked in the Sears tower. Was it next? Some were very stoic. One manager advised us all to try and carry on with our work, to not let the event shut us all down emotionally. Others were ready to enlist immediately, or re-up as the case may be.

Some folks came down with a bad case of 9/11 overdose. All they did for days was watch the television, and gradually close down along the way. My kids were relatively clueless. After all, they were only 9 and 7. I certainly wasn’t going to deluge them with TV images, newspapers and magazine articles.

Well, anyway, the two emails that just happened to be sent before and just after the towers were struck seemed to me to be a good example of how life suddenly changed because of 9/11.

First, the Sept. 10, 2001 email:

As some of you may know, last December my ski machine exerciser finally gave up the ghost (not that it had a soul or anything). Replacing that exact model seemed impossible (could it be that the company going bankrupt 3+ years ago had anything to do with it? hmmm….)

After months of experimenting with ellipticals, and stair steppers, etc. all the while trying to “enjoy” jogging, I finally came back to my first love — a ski machine! Granted, it’s not exactly like what I used to have, but man oh man, it was like a duck returning to water! Since I picked it up this last Saturday afternoon, I have already put in 8 sessions (some of them as short as 5 minutes) and racked up 7.3 “miles”.

I was so excited that I had to figure out a way to tell you all. So, now you know. That’s all. So have a nice day.

NOT!

There really is a spiritual point to all this (I just have to figure out what it is by the end of this email…).

Actually THE POINT is this:
We will gravitate towards our first love. My ski machine had always been a great way to get in some routine devotional
time. I can read while I am on it, I can think, I can pray. And my concentration level is significantly higher when I am exercising (probably because I am trying to ignore the pain).

Even though it can be easy to blow off exercising, once I caught on to all the benefits, I got hooked. I really love the relaxed feeling I have once I am done. And I frequently feel closer to God afterwards due to the devotional time.

SO, WHAT’S YOUR FIRST LOVE?

Here is one Love built right into all of us: the Word of God. When we became Christians, God transformed our hearts of stone and gave us hearts of flesh. Along with that, He exhorts us to long for the pure milk of the Word just like an infant longs to be fed (I Peter 2:2). So one built in “first love” is God’s Word.

How do we kindle (or revive) the “first love” of the Word? Here is one tip — Think back on what God’s Word has done for you, enjoy again the benefits that came from spending time with Jesus through the scriptures. Then spend a little time with Him, taste it afresh. Start out with just 5 minutes. Watch and see how God responds. Over time 5 minutes will become 10 and 10 will become 1/2 an hour. And the beauty of it all is that you will know that you just spent time with the Creator of the Universe. Now, is there anything else on your “to do” list today that is more important than that?

Here is another tip: get a workout partner, a spiritual one. No one says that you always have to do this stuff alone. I just got one (BK — that’s you….) Every other Friday if we don’t do devotional time together we will at least talk about how God has been meeting with us.

If a guy like me can get hooked on a terribly boring activity like shuffling my feet back and forth for 20 minutes going absolutely nowhere, then through the Spirit’s help we can love spending time with God in His Word.

Oh, by the way, if you don’t know where to start, try the OTC reading plan, a plan that I am very psyched about! No, this is not a paid commercial announcement I have been reading in Genesis lately and some mornings I can barely get in two verses before I have to stop and just worship because of what God is saying (granted, other mornings don’t go quite that way, but its still worth it).

SO, got 5 minutes?
I would like to ask that we pray for each other and for our New Community, that through the OTC challenge (and our small groups, etc.) that our First Love of the Scriptures would deepen more and more, and that time in the Word would make us more like Jesus. Do you think a goal like that would be worth 5 minutes of your time?

Thanks again so much for being a part of this prayer team. You are making a difference!!!

Yours in Him,

Brent

And now the Sept. 11, 2001 email:

By now you have no doubt heard about the horrific series of events in New York and Washington. This is certainly a time to pray for our country and for the world. I would encourage you to band together with friends and co-workers and pray, even now if possible. I would not let this be another “business as usual” day.

We have never seen anything like this in our country’s history — ever. I could not help but think of Pearl Harbor as I was watching the news a few minutes ago. Indeed, this just may be our generation’s Pearl Harbor.

None of us knows where this will lead to, we do not know if it is over yet. But that is all the more reason to put our faith in God, that He will guide us, calm us, and give us wisdom and courage — and a spirit of forgiveness and peace seeking.

May we as a country forgive our enemies, just as Christ forgave us. And where ever that spirit of forgiveness is scorned and refused, may God grant us justice. Terrorism must not continue.

Yours in Him,

Brent

location = WillowCreek @ Dr. B’s
drink of inspiration = cafe mocha (of course!)
music listening to= Chris Rice, “Other side of the Radio”
mood=content, more or less

Did I tell you I got a new car? Yesssss! The old, faithful “this-belonged-to-my-mother-in-law-so-don’t-laugh” car went to its inevitable reward: the auction block.

I now own a 2002 Nissan Altima. Whoa, check this out: turn this little knob here and –presto! –cold air from the vents; and the doors have these little buttons, push them and the windows go up and down (whoa….). And the radio actually stays in the dashboard. Kuel! Speaking of radio, it has this little slot where I can slip in a plastic disk called a ” C. D. ” and then music comes out. Wow this C. D. thing sounds good. Oh my! The mirror is rattling. Better turn the volume down (that’s some bass!) <– and I am *not* making that up.

The seats are comfortable, the carpet is clean and there isn’t so much as a spot of rust anywhere. Smooth riding, responsive handling, quick acceleration (2.5 litre engine!). Wow, this is the nicest car I have ever owned.

So, here I go, driving to work: man is this n i i i i ce! I’m stylin’! This is so comfortable, this is so cool, this is living! And look, there’s another Nissan owner, wow and another and another: “Hey, bro! Wassup? Lookin’ gooood!” That was a fellow Nissan owner… yup, we’re a tight knit group.

(then one day) Oh, look, another Altima: Hmmm. His trunk has the number 3.5 on it. Mine only says 2.5.

(shortly after that) Look at that, another Altima, wow, he has a moon roof. I don’t have a moon roof.

(a day or two later) Well, I’ll be, there’s another Altima: moon roof, 3.5, and tinted windows–and leather seats. Gee, I don’t have tinted windows, and I only have cloth seats. ….. LeSigh.

(Some time later) Wow, what’s that? It looks like an Altima, but way cooler! Ah, I see, it’s an Infinity. Why do I feel like my car is a poor imitation of an Infinity? (Brent slinks away from the stop light, painfully aware of his second class status amongst car owners… gnash, gnash, whimper…)

Then suddenly Whap! Whap! (That would be the sound of the Holy Spirit “smacking me up side the head” so to speak). Then I “hear” a “voice” saying, “The Lord gives and Lord takes away.”

Yee-ouch! That sounds ominous. You wouldn’t really do that, would you, Lord? Take my car away?? Actually, that little message wasn’t meant to be a threat so much as a reminder that God’s gifts are perfect. God gave my car to me; therefore I have exactly what I need.

Wow, what in the world happened?? One day, I’m driving along in a 14 year old rusty, no frills, A/C-less, manual everything little econo-box, without any mode of transportation concerns in the world. Then I get something that is a bit better and all of the sudden I come down with a severe case of Cool Car Fever. It was like my Envy-factor went from zero to 60 in 4.5 seconds.

Materialism is an amazing thing. It robs you of thankfulness and contentment.

What to do? Go get another rusty, broken down “faith-mobile?” Why not go the distance and take a serious vow of poverty? Somehow I don’t think that’s a good idea, at least not for my situation.

Paul said “I have learned to be content in whatever situation I am in. I know how to live in poverty or prosperity.” (Philippians 4:11,12)

I can sort of understand the struggle to be content in “poverty” (like most Americans have a clue what that is). But I never really thought about the challenge of living in “prosperity.” Keep my eyes on Jesus, keep my joy in Him and my heart in heaven, and keep an open hand on my stuff (which is actually God’s stuff), whether I have a little or a lot, that’s what it is all about.

I think that it is time to get back on the road to contentment (sounds like a Bob Hope/Bing Crosby movie…). I have exactly what God wants me to have, and that’s a cool feeling. Thanks, God!

Perhaps Chris Rice would have put it this way:

“My car has no moon roof, my car has no bling, no ’3.5′ and duel exhaust, but fancy cars aren’t my thing.

The seats are not leather, there’s no jack for an MP3, But one thing I know, God gave this car to me.”

Well, perhaps that’s not ~exactly~ the way Chris would put it. But it was fun trying.

GOT 5 MINUTES?

What say we pray for each other as Christ-followers. I have an idea: let’s pray for ever deeper contentment for each of us–especially me. Discontentment is a thief. It robs us of the joy we were meant to have in Christ. Gratitude, on the other hand, that’s cool.

Happy driving!!

And then came the day when I had to go back to work.

That morning, I reached into the closet and grabbed the first pair of pants that I could find, so I could throw them on and head for the car. Hmmmm. I can’t get the waist button to work right. It must be defective. I’ll just have to push a little. Uuurrrgggghhh!. Push harder! Harder! Phwew. There. Buttoned. Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?

30 seconds Later:

Whoa! I feel like these pants are cutting me in half! I can hardly breathe! I can’t drive to work like this. I can barely sit down let alone operate a motorized vehicle.

I can see it now: In today’s news a commuter passes out and causes a traffic accident. Officials believe the he was suffering from TTPS (Too Tight Pants Syndrome). “It can be a serious problem,” says Dr. Schmuckenstein, an expert in lower body circulation. “It’s an issue that is on the rise, especially during the holidays. It can even cause a lack of blood flow to the brain….”

No doubt about it. I need to get a grip on my food intake. And get back to exercising. God made food to produce calories. But calories are meant to be burned, not worn about the waist.

(This is all very “interesting” you say, but is there some spiritual point to this story?)

Uh, well, I’m not sure. . . . . Give me a second, I’ll think of something.

Ah! got it. Sometimes we can get spiritually “pudgy around the waist” in the same way that our bodies can get pudgy. It’s good to take in lots of spiritual “food.” But on the other hand, if it’s junk food or if our intake exceeds our “fuel consumption,” then we can develop what could be called “The Mr. Incredible” syndrome.

(So, Brent, is this the part where you start getting preachy?)

Well, yeah. But it won’t be too preachy, honest.

The first thing to do is to avoid spiritual snack food. A good way to know if it’s snack food is to ask the following questions: Was that message entertaining or did I find myself digging deeper spiritually? Does this song inspire me in the fruit of the Spirit, or does it only make me feel good? Is my small group holding me accountable in areas where I need help or do we stick to topics like the latest technology or our kids’ activities? Does my small group fellowship only, or do we actually make the effort to study God’s Word?

In short, if it’s easy, convenient, tastes really sweet, doesn’t involve much preparation, commitment or effort on your part, gives you a buzz yet leaves you spiritually unchanged in the long haul, then it’s probably spiritual snack food. And that’s the stuff that makes us spiritually pudgy, which in turn will lead to a lack of spiritual strength. In the nutrition world they call it a “Carbohydrate Crash.” You get a buzz, you feel good, and then suddenly you have no energy. Spiritually, it can be the same way. Load up on spiritual snack food and you’re destined for a spiritual roller coaster.

But there are other ways to start “bursting at the seams” spiritually. The Pharisees, for example, didn’t mess around with spiritual snack food. Far from it. They were into the High Protein stuff. But the Pharisees would devour the meat of the Scriptures for it’s own sake, not for the sake of ministering to others. It made them spiritually out of shape and it showed in their arrogance and pridefulness – and their lack of compassion. Pharisees were like the spiritual Sumo Wrestlers of their day. Enormous intake of spiritual food, able to “throw their weight around,” but in truth they were in terrible condition spiritually. They were very intimidating, but overall of no use to anyone.

Spiritual calories are like physical ones, they are meant to be “burned.” We take in the Word of God not to store it up in our heads, but to use it in becoming more like Jesus. And in becoming more like Jesus, we will “burn” spiritual calories as we pray for others, bear their burdens, minister to them, and labor with them.

SUMMARY: Avoid spiritual snack food and go for the meat. But in so doing, get in lots of spiritual workouts – that is, follow Jesus. Care for and minister to the lost and hurting; let God stretch your faith and bear the fruit of the Spirit.

PS: As for my TTPS issue, I wonder if my sweat pants would pass for business casual?

As to what is going on, I’ll give you a hint. User is on a laptop….
<Begin Joke >………………………………………………..

That was no l33tspeak, that was my 3a*t6*!

An IT Support tech. gets an urgent request for help from a user via the company’s in-house instant messaging system:

User: 5 have a *r6b3e0 – gfs f5xed 0y c60*4ter b4t n6w 0y ca*s 36c2 see0s t6 be *er0anent3y 36c2ed – any s4gget56ns+

Pilot fish: Wanna try that one again in non-l33tspeak?

User: can’t

User: st4c2 that way

User: gfs d5d 5t

Pilot fish: Um, you have your num lock on?

User: n6

User: c64rse n6t

Pilot fish: Shift ScrLk

(A pause.)

User: you are just so awesome

User: thanks!!!!!

Pilot fish: LOL!

< /End Joke>……………………………………………….

The point? Sometimes I catch myself in the same mode, religiously. That is to say, I get stuck in the Christian version of Leet Speak–and I don’t even know how to get out of it!

You may recall that leet speak is where a computer nerd replaces normal letters with symbols and tries to pass it off as a language. Only an elitist (aka “leet”) computer geek can understand it.

Have you ever mentioned to someone at the office something like “I tithe regularly” or “what a fellowship we had last night” or maybe “the substitutionary atonement of the messiah”?

Sure, people ought to understand “technical” terms like atonement, but the reality is, they don’t. Many of us who use those terms don’t really understand them all that well ourselves.

Some people actually go out of their way to create a separation by way of religious jargon. I had a man question my salvation simply because I didn’t know what he meant when he asked me if I was a “blood brother.” A what??? (brrrrr. you’re creeping me out man)

On the other hand, it’s not very easy to stay in tuned with people around us. I get strange looks if I mention “small group.” OK, OK, ooops, what I meant was, a group of friends came over. “Oh,” they say, “now I understand.”

THE WATCH WORD: Stay in tune with your friends

It is sooooo easy to get too familiar with technical terms, be they computer terms like virtual and off line, or religious terms like “born again” or even “worship.”

What say we pray for each other and encourage each other to always speak the language that others understand.

PS: How did this topic come up? After I read the joke above, I thought about a recent experience where I spent a concentrated amount of time with some wonderful, godly people, who, bless their hearts, are masters at X-sp33k (short for Christian speak). They are so good at it, that they don’t even know they are doing it. I got me thinking–about myself.

Those immortal words, made famous by Tom Hanks in the movie Apollo 13, pretty well describe my father’s life about 3 weeks ago.

But first a little background, in case you neglected to see one of the greatest movies in all of geek-dom.

The year: 1970
The setting: NASA’s Mission control, in Houston, Texas
The task at hand: successfully complete the 3^rd mission of landing men on the surface of the moon.
The crisis: an oxygen tank explodes putting the 3 man crew in great peril. Then other issues kept piling up to the point where you wouldn’t have believed it had it not been well documented in history.

A scene towards the end of the movie went something like this:

NASA official #1:

“The heat shield, the angle of the trajectory, the parachute, his pace maker, the typhoon, these are just a few of the variables, … Frankly, I’m at a little bit of a loss as to how to..”

NASA official #2 responds:

“You don’t need to remind me of the issues. This could be the worst disaster NASA has ever…. Wait a minute. Did you say “pace maker?”

OK, it didn’t go exactly like that. But is should have.

(Dec. 9, 9 PM at the hotel, reflecting on the day)

When my father was being prepared for surgery this morning, try as I might, I could not help but go through a list of all the “variables” that were adding to the risk of his heart surgery. Age 74, very over weight, brittle arteries around the heart, just had a heart attack, and two almost-heart attacks in the last 3 weeks, already had 2 bi-pass surgeries, an aneurysm in the aorta, a pace maker, chronic low blood pressure (as in, could go from normal to zero at any time), various digestive problems, on all kinds of medication for his heart. And to make matters worse, Indianapolis, where the hospital is, got hit with a snow storm last night. Medical staff fought for hours to get to the hospital. Many of those already there stayed over night and did double shifts just to keep the place staffed.

These are just a few of the variables, and frankly I was a little at a bit of a loss as to how to be hopeful.

Apollo 13 fans, do you know who interrupted the above conversation and what he said? Gene Kranz, the mission control commander (played by Ed Harris), and he said the following:

“With all due respect, gentlemen, I believe this will be our finest hour.”

I too, believe now that this was our family’s finest hour—for prayer and faith. My mother spoke often of feeling all your prayers. She was a rock. At peace, trusting in the Lord and knowing that whatever the outcome, God is good. My father was amazingly upbeat, especially in view of what he was facing. He too looked to God for strength and was moved to know that so many people who never met him were praying for him.

As for the surgery, it went better than I could have imagined. The medical experts in the family were relieved with each report, and elated when it was over. Not only did the surgery go well (first of all, he survived!), it went better than I think any of us would dare hope for.

It is now 9 PM and as I am typing this email, my dad is resting in his room and already has the lung ventilator off. My mom feels comfortable enough with his condition to be with us in the hotel. She had not left the hospital for 6 days. In fact, for the last month, she spent far more time at the hospital in his room than anywhere else.

My sister, the cardiology nurse turned technical representative, looks tired but relieved. Most of the surgical team that worked on my dad are personal friends of hers. To the best of her ability, she worked her network to get a “dream team” together—another answer to prayer! My cousin, who recently retired as one of the country’s top cardiac surgeons, stoic, overly dignified, intellectual Dutchman that he is, actually exclaimed “whoopee!” when my sister gave him a crucial update. The thought of my cousin acting that way made us all laugh till we cried! He told us to tell my dad’s surgeon “hearty congratulations and a job well done.”

I, being the medical equivalent of “where’s the ‘Any’ key,” listen to all of this and it makes me feel very good. If the experts are overjoyed, I’m overjoyed.

Thank you all so much for your prayers!! This could have easily turned out very differently, but God obviously wants my dad to stick around for a while longer.

PS: Dec. 10, 9 AM – my father had, in my sister’s words, a fantastic night last night. This morning at 5 AM he sat on the edge of the bed for a few minutes.—an excellent sign indeed. Later on, the nurse had him in a chair for a few minutes. He still has a battle ahead of him, his oxygen levels are still a tad low for one thing, that and staying away from infection are the chief “variables” to manage now. But having trusted the Lord this far, I know that we can continue to lean on Him for the rest.

My mom looks great. She just got up after a very long night’s sleep. She seems rested, a little slow, but the burden has faded from her face. Her usual broad smile is no longer forced and is now much more spontaneous.

This just in: my sisters returned from the store where they got my dad a goofy, gangly looking singing reindeer. I can only describe it as “Rudolf gone Billy Bass.” The laughter in the other room, especially from my mom is overwhelming. Makes it hard to see my computer screen, if you get my meaning. Yes, today is a much different day, a much different day indeed. God is so good.

Thank you, all again and again, for your prayers, calls and emails!!! God has heard us and given us my dad for yet another chapter of life.

Yours in Him,
Caspian’s Friend

“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength…” Isaiah 40:31

I am a fan of the Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. In the first book, “The Magician’s Nephew”, Aslan the lion makes a request of Digory (who is, by the way, the magician’s nephew). Digory has inadvertently brought a witch into Narnia, the world that Aslan has just created. In order to make things right again, Aslan has requested of Digory that he go on a journey far away and bring back an apple from a very special tree. We find out later that Aslan has the apple planted and it grows into a tree the aroma of which keeps the witch away from the valley. Thus Narnia has the opportunity for a good beginning and many years of peace.

After reading the story to my kids over a dozen times (and reading for myself more than a few times) a question finally came to me: Why didn’t Aslan just go get the apple himself? Was he somehow unable to make the trip? Was he manipulating Digory and turning him into a slave and a minion as the witch later accuses him of doing? (She intercepts Digory on his way to the tree and attempts to persuade him to abandon his little errand.)

Perhaps Aslan was afraid of leaving the valley with all of its newly formed beasts, many of whom could speak and all of whom probably needed his guidance. Or maybe he was just lazy.

None of that is at all likely.

So why did Aslan send Digory? The clearest explanation of his plans for Digory and indeed all of the children who entered Narnia comes much later in the book “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.” In that book Aslan tells a girl named Lucy that all of her adventures in Narnia served one purpose, to bring her to himself. Ultimately they were for her sake more than for Narnia’s.

So, what about you and me? If God wants someone to come to faith in Him, why doesn’t He tell them about Jesus? If He wants to send help to hurting people in desperate situations, why doesn’t He go there Himself or at least send a league of angels? Because in His sovereign plan He has entrusted the ministry of the Church to us. We are the body of Christ and humanly speaking, if we don’t do the work of His ministry it won’t get done.

As a side note, I think that the reason why some people are “super star” Christians is because, unwittingly they are taking up the slack where there is a lack of faith and obedience in the rest of the body of Christ. Perhaps I can put it in a logical syllogism:

Fact 1: God works only though the Church to bring about His kingdom

Fact 2: We have a free will to decide how much we want to obey God.

Fact 3: God will not abandon those in need

Conclusion: If some are willing and others are not so willing, yet God has chosen to work only through the Church, then He blesses in abundance those who are more willing. The result is that no one is abandoned and yet God still works only through His Church.

The ultimate result is that some are closer to God than others. Its all based on their level of willingness to serve Him.

If Digory had told Aslan, “I can’t do it” or “I won’t do it” then Aslan would have found someone else to get the apple and thus save Narnia from years of peril and doom. But because he said “yes” Digory developed a close bond with Aslan, a bond that was unique within all of Narnia. And as a bonus, Aslan gave help to Digory’s mother, who lay dying in a bed in their London home.

From the creation of Adam till the world is wiped away, God’s plan for us is to take part in building His Kingdom. As Aslan provided help for Digory along the way(read the story, its pretty cool), so Jesus will provide help for us. Digory developed a special relationship with Aslan as a result of his obedience. He also developed a special “community” with Polly and Fletch who went with him. That’s another blessing of obedience: community.

So if you want more community and/or you want to be closer to God, just ask Him “what apples do you want me to fetch?”

GOT 5 MINUTES: what say we pray for each other and for our church, that God would raise up in us more willingness and obedience than ever before. The world is hurting and needs us, and the bonus result will be deeper community both with God and with others who labor together.