For the first time that I can remember, I witnessed a total lunar eclipse last night. I've seen pictures, so I knew what to expect, but seeing it transpire in real time was cool.
We left our small group last night and noticed the lower left edge of the moon was fuzzy, as the earth's penumbra was just "kissing" the moon's edge. Over the next hour or so, we watched as the shadow obscured more of the lunar disc, until finally it fully entered the umbra.
What was even more amazing was that when the moon emerged from the earth's shadow, it seemed a lot brighter than on any other night.
All I can say was that it was neat to be finally able to witness this event: it's usually during the wee hours, when I'm comfortably oblivious to astronomical phenomena.
21 February 2008
14 February 2008
Thinking back...
I was reviewing some notes I jotted down during my family's trip to Arizona over Christmas. I remembered one observation I never had a chance to document.
My dad was driving us into Phoenix to Sky-Harbor Airport and we were on one of the major east-west highways. A police car passed us and was ahead of us for a while, when all of a sudden he moved from the far left lane (four-lane road), all the way over to the far right, then back to the far left lane. He continued this back-and-forth pattern, slowing down as he went.
We realized we were supposed to slow down and not pass him. Probably some sort of traffic problem ahead (accident perhaps?). So we...well I...began to be concerned about whether we would make our flight, etc.
All of a sudden, Dad said out loud, "Okay Lord, we need Your wisdom to know what to do next." ~Pause~ Then he took the next exit. We felt our way through North Phoenix for a while, until we were able to get back on the highway, past whatever problem there was.
We made our flight.
It was really neat to see Dad's almost casual reaction (admittedly better than mine) to the situation. I wish God and I talked as easily.
My dad was driving us into Phoenix to Sky-Harbor Airport and we were on one of the major east-west highways. A police car passed us and was ahead of us for a while, when all of a sudden he moved from the far left lane (four-lane road), all the way over to the far right, then back to the far left lane. He continued this back-and-forth pattern, slowing down as he went.
We realized we were supposed to slow down and not pass him. Probably some sort of traffic problem ahead (accident perhaps?). So we...well I...began to be concerned about whether we would make our flight, etc.
All of a sudden, Dad said out loud, "Okay Lord, we need Your wisdom to know what to do next." ~Pause~ Then he took the next exit. We felt our way through North Phoenix for a while, until we were able to get back on the highway, past whatever problem there was.
We made our flight.
It was really neat to see Dad's almost casual reaction (admittedly better than mine) to the situation. I wish God and I talked as easily.
01 January 2008
New year, new record
Just read that December 2007 was the snowiest in New Hampshire history...that history being since we've measured snowfall amounts. As of noon yesterday, over 43 inches had fallen (a record that has stood since the late 1800s).
In Littleton, we received 4 inches yesterday morning. Today, to start off the new year, we expect another 3-7 inches starting this afternoon and lasting into tomorrow morning. Just in time for the return to school.
I plan to spend today writing several annual reports for ministries which don't yet have someone to lead them. The Annual Report will be published January 13, two weeks before the meeting itself. My wife gets to work at the hospital today. It will be very quiet.
In Littleton, we received 4 inches yesterday morning. Today, to start off the new year, we expect another 3-7 inches starting this afternoon and lasting into tomorrow morning. Just in time for the return to school.
I plan to spend today writing several annual reports for ministries which don't yet have someone to lead them. The Annual Report will be published January 13, two weeks before the meeting itself. My wife gets to work at the hospital today. It will be very quiet.
31 December 2007
Will Smith's comment on Hilter grossly mishandled
So if you haven't been following the news, the self-appointed thought police in the media are all over actor Will Smith's comments about Adolph Hitler. Smith mused to a Scottish reporter that he (Smith) didn't think that Adolph Hitler intentionally tried to be the most heinous person in 20th century history. Smith suggested Hitler probably thought he (Hitler) was actually doing "good." This comment suggests that Hitler was somewhat deluded in his ideology, and any serious student of history and of the man would probably agree.
What's interesting is that instead of debating the deeper issue Smith's comments raised: whether man is innately good or evil, and whether we are truly conscious all the time of what we believe, why we believe it, and what its impact is on those around us.
No. Instead, the media are all over that fact that Smith, a reasonably intelligent man, would "dare to even talk about Hitler." I guess there are certain events and people of history that we can't even discuss in scholarly debate! That's pretty sad.
What's interesting is that instead of debating the deeper issue Smith's comments raised: whether man is innately good or evil, and whether we are truly conscious all the time of what we believe, why we believe it, and what its impact is on those around us.
No. Instead, the media are all over that fact that Smith, a reasonably intelligent man, would "dare to even talk about Hitler." I guess there are certain events and people of history that we can't even discuss in scholarly debate! That's pretty sad.
12 November 2007
Now here's a thought
I was chatting with one of the participants in our current Alpha course about the church and some of my frustrations after being here three years.
He said something that struck me as divinely appointed for me. He said, "Perhaps the things that you're frustrated with are the things God wants to use you to change--over time."
Change comes much slower in the North Country, but it does happen. I've had to learn to be patient. Some of the things I wanted to get going when I first got here are just now happening. That's good.
But I confess impatience at the other stuff. This man's comment puts things in a new light.
He said something that struck me as divinely appointed for me. He said, "Perhaps the things that you're frustrated with are the things God wants to use you to change--over time."
Change comes much slower in the North Country, but it does happen. I've had to learn to be patient. Some of the things I wanted to get going when I first got here are just now happening. That's good.
But I confess impatience at the other stuff. This man's comment puts things in a new light.
29 October 2007
Red Sox Nation celebrates!!!
Again, it has been a joy to cheer the BoSox in Red Sox Nation. They win the series 4-0!
19 October 2007
Ministry belongs to everyone
I've been thinking about ministry as I prepare for our upcoming Quarterly business meeting. It's been said ('cause it's true) that God doesn't call the qualified; He qualifies the called. And while I've always assented to that truth, I had a thought the other day that opened this whole thing up for me.
If God qualifies the called, we can never really say, "I don't think I could do that." Or, "I'm really not into that sort of thing." Nor can we excuse ourselves for not having the necessary skill set. The reason is that if God does the qualifying, we shouldn't presume we know what the required skills are. And the reason God doesn't call those of us who appear qualified from our perspective is that when we succeed, we can't say, "Gee thanks, but I do that all the time." That's called doing it in our own strength.
If I say, "I'm just not wired to do that," we may well speak the truth, but that doesn't let us off the hook. Moses had a bad temper and was not an eloquent public speaker, yet God called him to appear several times before the leader of the Egyptian empire, and to lead the Israelites from Egypt to the promised land (and as Lincoln Brewster observes) without a PA system!
David's Biblical epitaph reads: "He was a man after God's own heart." Yet David was a mercenary, an adulterer and a murderer. Solomon couldn't keep his eyes on one wife. Noah was a drunkard and he was called to save the world! (Could this have implications for the TV show, Heroes?)
So if I approach someone whom I've prayerfully considered for ministry in some capacity and that person responds "I don't know if that's my thing," I wonder if I shouldn't strongly encourage the person to do it anyway. Just to make sure it indeed isn't his or her thing. After all, God may actually do something extraordinary through them.
Wouldn't it be nice if every time we prayed about a ministry position, and God gave us a name, that when we approached that person, he or she would say, "I was hoping God would use me somehow. Now I know where He wants me."
Like I said, its' just a thought.
If God qualifies the called, we can never really say, "I don't think I could do that." Or, "I'm really not into that sort of thing." Nor can we excuse ourselves for not having the necessary skill set. The reason is that if God does the qualifying, we shouldn't presume we know what the required skills are. And the reason God doesn't call those of us who appear qualified from our perspective is that when we succeed, we can't say, "Gee thanks, but I do that all the time." That's called doing it in our own strength.
If I say, "I'm just not wired to do that," we may well speak the truth, but that doesn't let us off the hook. Moses had a bad temper and was not an eloquent public speaker, yet God called him to appear several times before the leader of the Egyptian empire, and to lead the Israelites from Egypt to the promised land (and as Lincoln Brewster observes) without a PA system!
David's Biblical epitaph reads: "He was a man after God's own heart." Yet David was a mercenary, an adulterer and a murderer. Solomon couldn't keep his eyes on one wife. Noah was a drunkard and he was called to save the world! (Could this have implications for the TV show, Heroes?)
So if I approach someone whom I've prayerfully considered for ministry in some capacity and that person responds "I don't know if that's my thing," I wonder if I shouldn't strongly encourage the person to do it anyway. Just to make sure it indeed isn't his or her thing. After all, God may actually do something extraordinary through them.
Wouldn't it be nice if every time we prayed about a ministry position, and God gave us a name, that when we approached that person, he or she would say, "I was hoping God would use me somehow. Now I know where He wants me."
Like I said, its' just a thought.
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