Three guiding principles

I'm trying to make some big decisions about my present and therefore my future. David Wray was helpful in pushing me toward clarifying my major principles. Everyone operates with some guiding principles and makes decisions based on whether certain options are in line with those principles. My three guiding principles are as follows, in order.

1. Whatever I do, God must be involved. I have been called to ministry, given talents, and have given my life as a Christian. Whatever I might decide must be faithful to God and make good use of his gifts.

2. Whatever I do should contribute to the health of my family relationships. My relationship with my wife and children must be valued, and whatever I decide must be faithful to my family.

3. Whatever I do, I must be financially responsible. I simply don't believe in debt for the sake of short term gain. I also want to take care of my family's financial needs. Financial responsibility also means simplicity and stewardship.

Other principles like "don't quit" and "take time for rest" are helpful, but must be used under the other three. If not quitting means trouble for my family, or unnecessary debt, and the like, or if "resting" means going to the lake four times per week at the expense of my children... You get the point.

We'll see where this goes as things unfold.

You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one

We listened to “Imagine” in class on Tuesday as an example of a current expression of Epicurean thought, but that’s not what I want to talk about.

I don’t know what I believe about dreams. God clearly spoke in dreams in the Bible, or at least his people thought that he did. Does he still speak in dreams?

After fishing and catching almost nothing on Tuesday afternoon, Miller and I sat in his living room and talked about our callings. Miller is called to a simple life of “tentmaking” and genuinely lived Christianity in South Texas. I feel called to help people in churches better understand the claims that their Christianity makes on their life. I want people to “get it.” I feel like God has called me to serve and given me a generous share of talents, and I want to have as much influence for the kingdom as possible.

After wrestling with articulating an irrational, inexplicable call, I went home and went to bed and I had a dream.

I dreamed that I was in a bar ditch, backed up to a barbed wire fence. For some reason, a series of characters, maybe two or three, were walking by on the road and shooting at me with revolvers, but although each shot three or four times, they always missed. I was scared at being fired upon. I had no retreat and no way to defend myself. I remember being amused at their poor marksmanship. At the end of the dream I remember being comforted, almost a “they’ll shoot at you, but you’ll be ok” kind of affirmation.

What do you make of that?

Wanted: One Healthy Church

Even Lance Armstrong had cancer, I understand. Sean Elliot had a kidney transplant, I know. I recognize that "healthy" is an impossibility on some levels, and yet...

I want to work for one healthy church before I die. Not a church torn by sins like adultery. Not a church suffering under a succession of bad ministers. Not a church that has just lost members and can't make up her mind what kind of church it wants to be. Not a church that's afraid of what others think of her. Not a church that is content with mediocrity.

I know that there are things that my wife does that drive me nuts, but we stay married because we are committed to loving each other. Is there a church out there willing to put up with the things that I do that drive them nuts in the same way that I have to be willing to put up with their junk?


Does that church exist?


My friend Mark says it does. My friend Miller says it probably doesn't. What do you think? Is there a church out there that is healthy, whose baggage won't kill the ministers?

Baby Steps

That title reminds me of "What about Bob?"

Jared is starting to walk. He can stand up on his own and then take three or four steps. Here's a cute picture.

Hopefully he'll be walking good by his birthday party in two weeks. We've sent invitations to all of our family for a combined birthday party for the boys on the 25th of March. Jared will be one on the 26th, and Jonathan will be two on April 4.

Birthday parties for one/two year olds are a "keeping up with the Jones'" kind of thing around here, but we have decided not to play the game. We want our family here, not some giant get together to shower young ones with more toys in one day than an African kid sees in his life, not to mention the zillion toys that the American kid already has.

And in other baby step news, I'm making some job progress. Since my promotion, my immediate supervisor is the store director rather than one of the assistant managers. She has been giving me progressively more responsibility. I'm reminded again of a movie quote: "I always think everything could be a trap. That's why I'm still alive." So far I've passed the tests well. Yesterday she had me deliver employee evaluations for a couple of the cashiers, something that until recently has been a manager's job. A baby step. She also let me decide what to put on the wall between customer service and register one. That area is designated "manager's choice" and a manager usually does all of the work. I went with water guns and kites, outdoor toys for springtime, and she liked it alot. Another baby step.

Shana and the boys are going out of town for a few days. They're going to Texarkana and to Hot Springs to see our friends and Shana's grandparents. I'm a bit jealous, as I have to stay home and work and go to class.

I guess that's it for today. I was planning on fishing again, but it's raining now and supposed to rain all day.

Jason

Finally fishing

I stand behind a cash register and watch people buy fishing lures and gear. I also ask them if they're catching any, and once in a while someone gives me decent information. Word on the street (or at the register) is that the crappie are moving up, so I went to the lake a bit this evening. I only fished from about 4:15 to 5:45 and ended up with 7 keepers and one small. Pretty good for the wrong time of day. I caught one on my first cast at the first place I went, and ended up not moving more than 10 yards the whole time. I have a few minnows left over, so I think I'll go again for a quickie before work since I don't work till 1.
(music notes)
It's the most wonderful time
Of the year
(end music)

My Testing Philosophy

I just finished in about 40 minutes my first test for my New Testament Intro class. Dr. Thompson's tests have a reputation for being hard, and I suppose that the reputation is well deserved. The essays that he chose were not any of the potential topics that he indicated in class. Pretty hard to study if you have no indication of what is going to be on the test. It didn't hurt that one of the essays was about the Hasmonean and Greco-Roman background of the New Testament, and that I have a test this afternoon in a class called "Backgrounds of the New Testament." It's nice when there's overlap like that. I think I did fairly well. I guess we'll find out next week...
Many of my classmates, and Dr. Thompson, were amazed that I finished so quickly. My philosophy of test taking is this: either you know the answer or you don't, and either way, it doesn't take long to write it down. I hated the typing class that I took in high school, but I have to admit that knowing how to type has come in handy. Those of you who have known me since high school know that I always finished my tests quickly. Oh, sometimes there would be the hopeless guy who would turn in a half blank test sheet before me, but most of the time I finished in the top 5% in terms of finishing order. It's not really a race, or about finishing fast. Like I said, I either know it or don't, and it doesn't take that long. I have historically managed to come up with good grades in spite of the appearance that I rush through tests. Again, I guess we'll find out next week if history will repeat itself once more in my favor.