Book of the Month -- "The Heavenly Man"

This book is next on my reading list, as it came highly recommended by some dear and trusted brothers in Christ.

Have you read it?  If so, what are your thoughts?

If you'd like to order it and read it with me, so we can talk about it, click on the link above.

May the Lord make us more like Himself, daily, as we submit our very lives to Him.

--Ric

Gardening, part 1

("Carrots" sign, by Sophia,age 6)

A couple of weekends ago, we started our first Montana gardening experience.  We marked off a 8' x 20' section of our "backyard"...

...plowed the ground and got rid of the grass and rocks...

 
...and built a couple of raised beds at one end.


Then, we went to our favorite local dairy, the Kalispell Kreamery, where we snagged a ton (literally!) of composted manure for $10.  (Most of our materials thus far had been salvaged for free, or next-to-nothin'.)  Here are a few pictures of the process:

(Of course, we had to stop and "see the girls"):

Then, we hauled the S#$% back home.  :-)

(Now, some of you may be thinking "HEY!  How come Ric's conspicuously absent from the working pix??"  Rest assured, I only stopped shoveling the stuff long enough to snap these pix, then it was "back on the chain gang".)


Finally, everything started to come together...

...and then it was time to take a cloud-watching break!

Planting will happen soon, as we have already amassed quite a set of "starts" in the house, which will be planted outside over the next few weeks.

We're learning as we go, and having a great time together.  It's no wonder so many of Jesus' parables have agrarian backdrops!

Pennies and Pounds, Part 1

Ecclesiastes 7:16-18 (NASB):

"Do not be excessively righteous and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself? Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time? It is good that you grasp one thing and also not let go of the other; for the one who fears God comes forth with both of them."

I have been meditating on this passage, off and on, for several years now.  Far from perpetuating the "balance" of today's psycho-babble, I believe there some great take-aways here for modern Christ-followers.  I am still formulating how I'd like to address this passage, in a way that is relevant to the greatest number of readers, but here are a few personal applications that I feel represent the heart of what the Word of God is saying through Solomon:

• Go take your pastor out for a beer, but don't get smashed.
• Enjoy the senses God gave you (sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell), but faithfully in accordance to the ways He intended, for His glory.
• When the Bible seems too complicated to wrap your head around, stop and ask the Good Shepherd to help you love someone you don't like (Luke 6:32-36).  That'll keep you busy for a while.
• If some foolish person frustrates you continually, try to imagine how frustrating to God your folly must be... He is a Father, after all, and a Person, with feelings.  Then thank Him that His mercy endures forever, and covers suckers like us.
• Don't worry.  About anything. (Matthew 6:25, Philippians 4:6)

That's all I have for now.  Have a blessed day, friends.

An Open Letter to My Younger Self -- Part 1

A while ago, I heard a song that (barring a few crass references) got me thinking about the last couple decades of my life.  Now, I'm only 44, and that hardly qualifies for large quantities of reminiscence.  Still, since I can't change my past, the best I can do is pass on what little wisdom I may have acquired.

I must first make a few disclaimers:

• I am a follower of Jesus Christ, and I believe that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God.
• I grew up in a broken home.
• I am a veteran of the U.S. Army.
• I have never been financially wealthy.
• I spent the majority of my "career years" as a pastor of worship for modern evangelical churches.
• I have willingly left that line of work, nearly 2 years ago.
• I have never started or maintained my own business.
• I have spent most of my life in Southern California, but am now a grateful "transplant" to Northwestern Montana.

OK, on with the program.  So as to refrain from the appearance of judgmentalism, I will address this letter to my 18-year-old self.  Some of these points, I have done.  Others, I wish I had.  Those of you who know me will know which is which.

Without further adieu...

________________

Don't even think about going into debt for a college education: Unless you're going after becoming a corporate attorney (perish the thought!) or hit the lottery, that monstrous obligation will haunt you for DECADES to come.  (Notice how I didn't say "become a doctor".  I'd sooner go through life with my hands tied behind my back and a leash around my neck.  Same thing.)  No, spend your youth EARNING a living.  Even a modest income, properly stewarded, is better than spending buckets of borrowed capital on a slip of paper (a "degree") which probably won't mean a darn thing in the world you will see unfolding.  Don't pay to learn... GET PAID to learn a business or trade.  Then, become the leader.

Learn to MAKE or BUILD things.  DO something with the energy of your youth.  Pursue a career and life-path that will allow to you to step back from your efforts and say, "Look at THAT.  I made that.  I'm responsible for that coming to be."  There is a world looming in the distance which will not be friendly to those who cannot build a dwelling, cultivate a vegetable garden, hunt and prepare one's own meat and stitch up a wound.  Spend a significant amount of time and energy learning how to survive in the wilderness.  Be willing to do things, to solve problems, which most other people will avoid.  There is tremendous value in that.

Stay in shape.  Don't let yourself become lazy or complacent in the area of physical fitness.  Stay strong.  Create a lifelong habit of physical exertion.  You never know when you're going to have to run harder, swim farther, climb higher, or carry more than you ever thought you could.  Be ready.

Buy fertile, wooded land as soon as you possibly can.  Build a modest, simple, small and smart home on it, BEFORE you marry.  If you can do this, without getting bogged down in debt (preferably debt-free), you will alleviate yourself of the "life of quiet desperation" which Thoreau warned against.

Marry a woman whose Bible is worn out from use, and who is beautifully contented with the simple life God gives her.  A woman who spends very little on the things which mean little, and who is not afraid to pay cash-on-the-barrel for things that will last for decades (Proverbs 31).  Pour all of your manly love and affection into her alone, and don't waste your character on pursuing anyone else -- not even the thought of anyone else (Matthew 5:28).  And marry young.  Start having children (lots of them) as soon as possible.  Do not ever say something diabolically foolish, like "I don't know if we can afford to have any more than 2 children."  Be fruitful.  Multiply.  Trust God that He is better at providing for you and your family's needs than you will ever be.

Don't get comfortable in this life.  This world is not -- I repeat, NOT -- your home, if you have wisely and rightfully put your trust, your very life in the hands of King Jesus.  Be ready to say, "Where He leads me, I will follow.  What He feeds me, I will swallow."

Learn how to get along with all kinds of people.  Make the Golden Rule your life's theme.

_________

Well, it's getting late and I'm getting sleepy.  Perhaps there will be a Part 2 to this post.

What would you say to someone much younger than you?  Leave a comment below.

Guest Post

Here's a well-spoken post, in response to Piper's questionable position on a sensitive matter:

Simply Shooting: Pious Nonsense

Sounds like I may be closer to being a PCA guy than I originally thought.

:-)

Things I'm Learning in Montana, part 1

I'm learning a lot since our move to NW Montana.  All of these things have been (or are being) learned and tested by experience, not merely read about (though I found some helpful links, should you choose to experience these things on your own).  Of course, this list is being constantly appended...

• What it means to actually experience 4 distinct seasons of the year.
• How to preserve a bear hide.
• Uses for bear fat.
• How to butcher a deer.
• How to make venison jerky (after two very inedible attempts).
• That gleaning fruit is a perfectly acceptable (and free) way to harvest hundreds of pounds of Flathead cherries and apples.
• That if you're suddenly the recipient of 200 lbs of cherries, rush out and buy a cherry pitter ASAP.
• How to install a VHF mobile radio in an ambulance, fire truck, etc.
• How to solder wire.
• How to drive a snowmobile (or "snowcat", as they're called here).
• How to get a snowmobile stuck and un-stuck.
• How to dress for cold weather.
• How to drive on ice and snow... safely.
• How to do "donuts" on icy parking lots.
• How to repair a headlight after hitting a deer.
• That deer are extraordinarily unpredictable.
• How to walk into a gun show, slap down cash, and walk out with a firearm -- the same day.
• That the U.S. Constitution isn't the bastion of virtue I originally thought it was.
• How to use a chainsaw.
• Why they call this "Big Sky Country" (no infernal skyscrapers to obstruct the view!)
• That in Montana, even though it's spelled C-R-E-E-K, it's pronounced "crick".

...And last, but certainly not least:

What an amazing family I've been blessed with, and that I get to enjoy the experience with them.

 

How Are You Connected?

How how much time are you spending on social networks?  How how much money are you spending to entertain yourself and your family by electronic means?  How many hours do you spend on email during any given week?  And honestly, is your iPad stealing attention away from your family and other relationships?

Maybe its time to ask ourselves, "Are all these things really beneficial to me, or have they become a substitute for (or usurper of) authentic human -- and divine -- interaction?"

This week, I'd like to encourage you to put down the iPad, ignore Facebook, and physically meet with (or call) a friend or family member -- just to talk and spend time together.  Even more important, heed and obey the words of the King:

"But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."
(Jesus, Matthew 6:6 ESV)

These spiritual relationships in Christ are the only thing on this earth that have the potential to last for eternity.

Photo Book

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Turn your favorite photos into a photo book at Shutterfly.com.

Does the Bible teach Disarmament?

It is my assertion that the Scriptures do not teach disarmament.  Here is a concise compendium of Biblical teaching on the matter, thanks to Mercy Seat Church in Wisconsin:

http://www.mercyseat.net/gunapologetic.html

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for RIGHTEOUSNESS"... NOT "rights"

Seeking righteousness "fits the bill" far more than the Bill of Rights.  Thanks to Dr. Ted Weiland for this thoughtful distinction between the two:

Rights, Rights, Everyone Wants Their Rights « CONSTITUTION MYTHBUSTERS