2008 July «

Book Review: Living Water

31 July 08 at 5:21 pm | In Books | No Comments

Sometimes it takes someone who has lived through real persecution to shake Christians out of their stained-glass stupor. Brother Yun, who has spent time in Chinese prisons, does just that in this collection of messages that span the decade since he left that Communist nation.

Having brought together these messages at the insistence of fellow believers, Yun divides them into three sections for the purposes of the book. In the first section, he speaks of freedom in Christ and the spiritual life of the believer. In part two, he talks of equipping believers. He addresses obstacles that believers encounter in the third and final part.

Yun alternates between a prophetic, no-holds-barred call to action and true belief in what he clearly sees as a slumbering Western church and the persuasive, pleading voice of a pastor to the individual Christian who needs to repent of those things that have caused him to stumble in his walk with Christ. In either case, Yun expresses a clear love of Christ and of his church which includes a desire to see the church become as bold as it was in its infancy.

This is certainly not a book for the thin-skinned Christian. It is, however, one that will make a thinking Christian stop and examine her life. Don’t try to plow through it in one setting. Rather, tackle it as a devotional tool, reading the message and examining the Scripture references and meditating on its application to your own life.

Ten Questions for Compassion

30 July 08 at 6:02 am | In Blogging, To Act Justly | 1 Comment

As you may have guessed from the sidebar, I love the ministry of Compassion and sponsor two children — Abigail and Nishimiyana. Earlier this week, the Compassion blog posted a list of ten questions for its readers to answer. Since I am in desperate need for topics for posts, I decided to answer here.

1. What’s weird about you?
Some would say everything. My sisters think it very odd that I have excellent recall of commercial jingles dating back to the 1970s.

2. How did you choose your sponsored child?
I don’t remember why I chose the first child I chose, but her project was closed and the Compassion people sent me a lovely letter with Abigail’s information so I decided to sponsor her.

I remember very clearly why I chose Nishimiyana. I had the sheer audacity to dare God. I was volunteering for Compassion at a concert. As we were being instructed as to what our role for the evening would be, I was standing right next to the table on which all of the packets were placed. I started looking over the countries represented. Keep in mind that I had just seen the movie Hotel Rwanda a week earlier. When I saw a child from Rwanda, I looked a little closer at the packet. I put it back down at first because I wasn’t sure if I could handle sponsoring a second child financially. For some reason, I said to myself, “If you’re here when I get back, I’ll take you.” Of course, he was and I did.

3. Why do you care about children in poverty?
Hmmm. Intellectually, I would refer folks to James 1:27 or Micah 6:8. Otherwise, I just don’t know. I just do.

4. How many of these questions do you think that we think you will answer?
All of them. Otherwise, why ask?

5. Can you pronounce your sponsored child’s name?
Definitely can pronounce Abigail. Nishimiyana is a bit trickier.

6. Do you think your sponsored child can pronounce your name?
It’s not that hard so I hope so.

7. What do you love most about the person you are closest to in life?
Unshakeable faith.

8. Can you name three ways, other than Child Sponsorship, that we use to help release children from poverty in Jesus’ name? If yes, name ‘em.
Leadership Development program, HIV/AIDS programs and crisis intervention.

9. Why are you involved with Compassion International instead of another organization that offers similar programs?
I have to be honest and say that it didn’t come from a ton of research. I heard a presentation about Compassion at a conference. I saw many of the students deciding to sponsor children and thought that if they could do it, I, as an adult, certainly could. As I learned more about Compassion, I became more impressed with their accountability and the way they communicate with sponsors.

10. What’s normal about you?
See question #1. Really? Normal? Is there such a thing?

Tweets for the next president

29 July 08 at 6:58 pm | In Blogging | No Comments

Great question over at Ragmuffin Soul. If you could write a Twitter to the next president, what would it say? Remember 140 characters or less.

Some are brilliantly succinct, as in “cut the crap and just lead” or “please don’t suck.”

Others capture what I suspect is the spirit of many voters this time around no matter who your candidate, as in “since i am seriously unsure about you and left my comfort zone choosing you — please don’t make me regret it.”

Others are simply sublime … “watch west wing season 1-7 and take notes… let bartlett be bartlett”

And there’s the profound … “Remember the proper role of government in society - that role being government isn’t God, and likewise shouldn’t act as such.”

Check them all out here.

Another year, another tour …

28 July 08 at 5:53 pm | In Cycling | No Comments

Well. The Tour de France is over. It’s quite a mixed bag of thoughts at the end of the tour.

Good thing: No more Saab commercials! No more Saab commercials! No more Saab commercials!

Funny thing: On the ITV Tour de France Podcast for stage 19:

Host whose name I missed: Bob, what have you got against the French?

Bob: Hmm. Yeah. That’s a really good question. I don’t know if we have enough time for that. We could be here for hours.

Something I can agree with: How Garmin-Chipotle restored one reporter’s faith in le Tour …

Frightening thing: John-Lee Augustyn’s crash.

Something to look forward to: Future American star …

Something to think about: What has doping done to the sport and its image? Watch this segment from the Versus coverage, taking note of the names mentioned. Now, what was the first thought that came to mind? Hamilton, nabbed for doping. Ullrich, suspected of doping. Mayo, booted from the Tour last year on a positive dope test. Ditto Vinokourov. Just sayin’ … and not very happy with the question that comes to mind.

All that aside. Cycling is still a beautiful sport and I’m glad we get an extra dose this year. On to the Olympics!

On slavery …

27 July 08 at 7:10 am | In Quotes | No Comments

Everybody in the world is a slave. Either they are slaves of Jesus Christ, or they are slaves to sin.
— Brother Yun, Living Water.

PhotoHunt: Hanging

26 July 08 at 7:05 am | In PhotoHunt | 2 Comments

This is one of my favorite shots of ice hanging on my clothesline. I love the monochrome feel — which is not enhanced. That’s just the way it looked that day.

Technorati Tag: PhotoHunt

Friday night hikes

25 July 08 at 6:50 pm | In Uncategorized | No Comments

I am on a rather high hill not far into my hike. I have climbed up and down. I was stopped dead in my tracks at the sight of two large, beautiful, graceful, majestic deer as they bounded across the path in front of me. Ironic, that. Often as I am scrambling up a narrow path, a book title will come to mind, Hinds Feet in High Places by Hannah Hurnard. I have to admit that I have the book, but never finished it. I thought, however, that the title was derived from Scripture that seems equally appropriate not only to hiking, but to life as well

God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.

He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet: and setteth me upon my high places.

- 2 Samuel 22:33-34 (KJV)

He has the network!

24 July 08 at 5:18 pm | In Video Fun | No Comments

I’m in another run of lazy blogging. Please do forgive me. In the meantime, watch this. It’s a hoot. (ht: Collide Magazine)

Oh. And this one, too. Do not mess with a man with a stuffed lion!

Deeper: Luke 22:54-62

23 July 08 at 4:28 pm | In Deeper | No Comments

Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance. And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
- Luke 22:54-62 (ESV)

This passage always fascinated me. It’s quite cinematic. Slow motion. Dramatic background music — using strings, of course. Stark lighting. What was the look? Despite the timing, I don’t think it was an “I told you so” look. I don’t think it was that look that only a parent can give that makes a child stop what he is doing instantaneously. A look of sorrow and compassion? Maybe in it Peter saw the same love he had seen expressed earlier when Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet. Maybe that look added to his pain at his betrayal of Jesus.

(Belated) Rest Day Wrap-Up 2

22 July 08 at 5:44 am | In Cycling | No Comments

Hmm. I didn’t realize that the second rest day came so quickly after the first. Add into the equation the sad reality that I posted my rest day wrap-up late. So, really, there wasn’t much to say by the end of Monday’s rest day. Unfortunately, most of it has to do with the latest doping allegations.

Once again, here are my ups and downs of the tour so far …

UP: Christian Vandevelde!

UP about a DOWN: John Wilcockson wrote this striking piece for VeloNews following the revelation that Riccaro Ricco tested positive to a new form of EPO. Some of the most beautiful writing in the piece came from a French reporter who had been covering Ricco.

DOWN: Those Bacardi and Saab commercials are still on!

UP: Danny Pate’s stage 15 finish.

DOWN: Oscar Pereiro’s crash, described by some as the ugliest crash they had seen as he went over an embankment on a switchback to land on the road below … and that’s saying something given the images of Beloki’s 2003 crash.

UP: Christian Vandevelde!

Another UP about a DOWN: “If you’re close to giving up on cycling, I can understand that. I almost did after all; but please don’t give up on us. And when I say us, I mean them. Because I am an ex-doper, I have to earn my right to be believed and trusted. But there are many who don’t. They need to be believed in. Christian is going to need every ounce of his being to pass the Alps. I believe he will do it. I hope you believe he can and will and that he is doing it with our dreams in his hands. Vive Le Tour.” Read more of David Millar’s blog post on the Ricco situation here. As usual, great thoughts.