Champions

The 2009 US Figure Skating National Championships were held this last weekend. As I watched, I was reminded of some of my past favorite figure skating champions. Michelle Kwan, in her long skating career and with all the events she has won, is definitely a champion. As I watched her "Tosca" long program routine from the 2004 Nationals, I was once again swept up with the emotion and beauty of her skating. At the end, when she went all out during the footwork sequence, that bursting of emotion only added to the power of the routine. And, of course, there was her 1998 Nationals Rachmaninoff Short Program. When looking at the international skaters, I would say Alexei Yagudin is one of my favorites. His 2002 Olympics "Winter" short program and "Man in the Iron Mask" long program rank up there as two of the most amazing figure skating routines I have ever seen. They were definitely Gold Medal-worthy programs. He had mentioned that he might be training for the 2010 Olympics - it would be great to see him competing again. I have such great admiration and respect for these champions because, not only are they skilled in all aspects of their sport both technically and artistically, it is clear how hard they worked and how much strength and determination under pressure they had. True champions inspire and motivate others, no matter how much time has passed.

In HIS Name

I've started the "God is Able" Bible Study series again with another group; and one thought that stood out this time was in Eph 3:15, where it said that from God, is "whom His whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name." Throughout Scripture, God's Names, such as that depicted in the YAHWEH pic which has been uploaded to this blog entry here, reveal different aspects of His character and who He is. So, in essence, this verse is saying that as believers in the family of God, we derive who we are from who He is. What a neat thing to be reminded of, whenever I use the closing "In HIS Name" in my emails and letters. Also, I am once again struck by what an amazing and beautiful prayer Paul offered to the church in Eph 3:14-21: "For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

This is worthy of committing to memory and meditating on day and night.

Dr Ravi Zacharias Message

I had the rare opportunity to hear Dr Ravi Zacharias speak last night on the message of "Need God? What if I Don't?" Ravi Zacharias has long been one of my favorite Apologetics authors. I have read many of his books and have been astounded by his great ability to articulate the Christian Worldview and to defend the faith. As anticipated, last night's message was motivating, full of insight, and impactful. There was so much great information in the message. A few of the highlights that stood out for me were his retelling of the story of the deep meaning John 14:19 "Because I live, you shall live also." holds for him. As a youth, when he despaired of life, he tried to commit suicide, and was given hope to live when this verse was read to him in a hospital room, where his mom was present. When his mother passed away, he inscribed it on her tombstone. Then, when he was in India and wanted to visit his grandmother's gravesite, which he had never seen before, he found that same verse was inscribed on her tombstone. It solidified for him, that God is the Grand Weaver, that He weaves the threads of our lives into a beautiful tapestry, interwoven with the lives of others as part of God's overall Plan. He gave 4 examples of areas of life that cannot be answered without God:

• Moral Law - Without God, there can be no moral absolutes. Every definition of evil points to what ought to be, which implies purpose. When we ask about evil, it implies there is good, which means there is a moral law, which comes from God. Moral Absolutes are built into human life, and similar to that story where Jesus asked whose image was on the coin and to render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, He can ask, whose image is on you? (Imago Dei)
• Meaning - can only be found in a right relationship with God
• Hope - reflects the values of the eternal and Christ, through His resurrection, has shown us that there is an eternal and He takes away the fear of death. What does Atheism offer as Hope?
• Recovery - there is no recovery, if after dying, you find that there truly is a God. In Pascal's wager, he says that even though the existence of God cannot be determined through reason , a person should "wager" as though God exists, because so living has everything to gain, and nothing to lose.

Then, during the Q&A time, he talked about the three tests for TRUTH:

1. Logical Reasons
2. Supported by Evidence
3. Experiential Validation

His message correlated so well with our "Search for Meaning" series in Ecclesiastes. One quote that I've heard before, but is applicable to this week's lesson is: "Let us be sure of one thing. While God has given us more than enough evidence to make believing in him a reasonable thing He has not given us enough evidence that we may base our belief in Him on reason alone." I am reminded of Hebrews 11:1: "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

God at Work

It's neat to see God at work in my life. Already, I've seen Him do things related to my area of focus. He's been giving me more sensitivity to trying to see how I could care for the people in my class better; and to involve others in helping, since the group has grown large enough that I am not able to do it all on my own. I brought up the idea of having a brainstorm session to talk about what we can do; and also to give people a chance to get involved. I do think God is at work there; and I can see that there are truly caring people in the class. Also, He gave me an opportunity to be more bold about sharing the gospel and the Christian Worldview with a friend. While she said she was not ready to explore Christianity at this time, I'm just glad that she was able to hear about Christ, the EndTimes, etc. and that at least seeds were sown. Last night, I also had a chance to talk to two of my friends on the phone. Both of the conversations were very encouraging; and gave us opportunities to share how God has been at work in each of our lives. I do thank God for these friendships. What a blessing! May God continue His work in my life. Amen!

Search for Meaning - Further Thoughts

After having completed the introduction and initial lesson for the "Ecclesiastes - Search for Meaning" series; and having prepared for the next chapter, I have some further thoughts...... The author, most likely King Solomon, uses the phrase "under the sun" a lot, indicating that his search is primarily focused on what he sees in this world. That offers insight into why he becomes frustrated in his search for meaning; because, when we look only at the world around us, we are not able to answer the Universal questions like "What is the meaning of life?" The answers can only be found beyond ourselves, in the supernatural realm, in God. That is why our culture today similarly is unable to find true meaning, purpose, and satisfaction in life; because, it is a culture that has largely accepted Naturalism. However, what I see in Ecclesiastes, is that when a person really tries to seek the Truth, their search will eventually lead them to God. This is actually a good book to use in reaching out to those who are searching. It is clear that Solomon went through an extensive search, and from his experiences, came to the conclusion that meaning in life can only be found when our perspective includes God. The meaninglessness encountered in the book of Ecclesiastes was because of:

• The Temporal Nature of Man - there is no lasting satisfaction and we all die and are no longer remembered
• The Futility of Life - there is an emptiness, and ever since the Fall, the world tends toward decay and destruction
• That it is all Incomprehensible - there is no true understanding or explanation of purpose

In contrast , when we include God in the perspective, we find that:

• Eternity - we can invest in what has lasting value in light of eternity
• Restoration - through Christ, we are renewed and in glory, all creation will be restored
• Truth - the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom

Financial Considerations

As I continue to hear and see housing prices and stocks tumble lower and lower, more bank mergers, more upcoming retail store closures, reports of poor Christmas Holiday sales, and stories of how people are struggling with difficulty through this depressed economy; I cannot help but stop and consider what else I can do to prepare for even harsher economic climates. Obviously, it is time to dispense with anything that is not considered a necessity. It means no new purchases, if we can survive with what we currently have. It means buying the essentials for groceries, and letting go of nice extras. It means likely putting off vacations; and postponing house projects. It means rethinking going out for meals and what we do when we get together with friends. It means to stop considering anything new that would add an expense, even if it is taking a class or lessons to improve in a particular area. Beyond that, what has been weighing on me, is wondering what I can do to help those who are worse off than I am. I know that I don't have the resources to help everyone in need; so, I need to determine how I can be most effective with the limited resources that I have. That's a hard one to figure out. I have been able to help a couple of people here and there.... but, how would I be able to reach a larger amount of people? I hope things will get better; but, at this point, I'm not very optimistic. The question is to find what the right balance is in giving, spending, saving, cutting back, etc.

Finding My Footing

This year has been off to a rocky start; and I'm surprisingly having to "find my footing" as I navigate the path that has been laid before me. Who would've known? I was so excited with anticipation for 2009; and then, "Bam!", I find myself where I didn't expect. Of course, the first unsettling feelings came from my interactions with my estranged friend. While I wish I knew how to help her; I do think that it is best for me to just pray. I think that I've gained affirmation from some conversations I've had with mutual friends, one that I unexpectedly ran into at a Christian Bookstore; and another who has gone through the same thing. Even yesterday, I was reminded during Communion at Church, that we have an example of One who endured punishment that He did not deserve. I, in infinitely smaller measure, can surely endure this imposed solitary confinement. Also, with the New Year, I got sick. I was fairly healthy all of last year; and as soon as the New Year started, I got hit with this cold/flu. I've been trying to rest as much as possible, and have slept away much of the past few days. I think that I'm getting better; but, I can certainly feel the effects of the illness, and have not felt clear-headed since last week. In starting the new Bible Study series in Ecclesiastes, I didn't feel quite as well-prepared as I would've liked to be. I'm hoping it will get better. I also feel like I don't have enough energy to pay as much attention to the details of caring for my group as I would like to. That is something I am definitely planning to work on this year, particularly with my focus theme. And then, my Community Group will be starting up again this week; which means that I will be starting my Bible Study series there as well. At this moment, it feels a little challenging for my time and energy; but, I trust that it will work out. I am tentative about how the group will react to an inductive study; since they are used to books or videos; but, I trust the power of God's Word and the work of the Holy Spirit! And then, for my project at work, there was some maintenance work scheduled for yesterday; which conflicted with my time at Church. Of course, all did not go smoothly; and it will have to be rescheduled. I just trust that this'll work out as well. And, of course, the financially precarious position of the economy makes me wonder whether I should put off my planned house projects and focus on saving for a possible upcoming "stormy day" (since it's already been "raining"). There are a few more things that hover over and give me an unsettling feeling. I guess that if I were to look for the positive perspective, I would say that these keep me on my toes. It is not good to get to complacent. Also, these allow me to trust in God to help work things together for good, and hopefully, that He may be glorified. Amen!

Solitary Confinement

My estranged friend called me, wondering why I did not reply to her email. When we talked, I was able to see the situation even more clearly; and I feel that I made the right decision. The situation is analogous to my having been convicted of a "crime" I didn't commit and sentenced to solitary confinement, without having had a fair trial. After a year of solitary confinement, I finally asked what "crime" I was being punished for; and how long my sentence was supposed to be. I find that through misunderstandings, I have been incorrectly accused; but, I'm told that I can only receive a pardon if I confess to this "crime". And that I need to apologize for the hurt I have caused. Well, I am sorry for the hurt that has been caused; but, I would also like to point out that I'm the one serving a sentence of solitary confinement imposed by my "friend" who wanted the separation. And, from my perspective, all the evidence against me would not hold up in a fair trial, and most of it is based on feelings. I also recognize that even if I receive this "pardon", the root cause of the problem has not been addressed; and this is all bound to continue. So, I choose to instead serve out my sentence in solitary confinement and maintain my innocence; than to confess to a "crime" I did not commit; for even if I were to be pardoned, in her eyes, I would still be viewed as a "convicted criminal". I believe that true healing can only come when she recognizes that I am not the "criminal" she seems to think I am; and when she realizes that I have been misunderstood. So, the only kind of pardon I would accept, is full pardon and clearing my name of the "crimes" I did not commit. I am at peace with my decision to maintain my innocence and to serve out my sentence of solitary confinement for the "crime" I did not commit. We all have limited resources; and we have to make decisions on where we can make the most effective use of those resources. I have a much better understanding of the situation; and I feel that the burden of "not knowing" has now been lifted.

New Year's '09

So, 2009 is now here.....It was a quiet New Year's Eve; and a similarly quiet New Year's Day. I wonder if that says anything about the coming year. Since I had to work during the day on New Year's Eve; I was actually pretty tired. And with all that I was dealing with, a quiet evening of solitude with God; and catching up on sleep sounded really good to me. When I awoke the next morning, I really did feel refreshed. I was able to put away my Christmas decorations, take care of some things that I've been putting off, and catch some of the Rose Parade. I was even able to cook dinner for my family returning from their short vacation trip. I truly do feel blessed; and I look forward to what God will do in 2009.