The Road Taken

My favorite poet is Robert Frost and my favorite poem is one he wrote, entitled The Road Not Taken.  In this poem the poet tells of taking the road less travelled and what this meant in his life.  We all have choices we make about the roads in life we will take.  Almost 35 years ago, I chose a road that has lead me to the place where I am today.  You see, almost 35 years ago, I asked Anita Horton to become Mrs, Anita Miller, and to the surprise of most, she said yes!  I can honestly say, it has been the most amazing ride and it has gone by so incredibly fast. 

Anita has been one of two anchor points in my life.  The other is my relationship with Jesus Christ.  Through the mountain-top experiences, as well as the deep valleys of life, she has stood by me and given me the kind of unconditional love that most people only dream of.  She has never wavered in her commitment to her Lord and Savior or to me and her family.  She has always had one goal in her life...to see as many family members and friends know Jesus Christ as possible!  I have come to love her wit and sense of humor.  She can laugh at herself and can cry with a friend who is hurting.  I admire her determination to stand for what is right, no matter the personal cost.  I think there is no one I personally know that has a heart more attuned to truth.

However, my favorite side of Anita is the one she reserved for her two grandsons.  She loves them both and they know it.  They both consider her "their own personal Mimi!"  And, they are right.  Whether it is making a hand print wreath or reading a Bible story, they know that Mimi loves them.  As with our own children, she prays for these two little boys every day, just like she prays for their mom and dad and their uncle and aunt! 

As I contemplate the last almost 35 years I have been privileged to spend with her, I am humbled by her love, for me and others and especially her Lord.  I cannot imagine what my life would have been like without her, but to paraphrase the poet, "she has made all the difference!"

I love you, Anita!  Happy anniversary!

What's Your Perspective?

I have a strange hobby.  I read lot's of obscure, technical books, articles and reports about a variety of historical subjects.  I have just recently slogged through the three-volume set of Shelby Foote's Anthology of the Civil War.  It took me a while to get through all 2,000+ pages, but I did and I found it very interesting.  I tell you this, so you will hopefully not think me crazy!  I recently stumbled across several writings and film documentaries about Biblical archaeology.  I have been fascinated by the lengths some authors will go to "prove" their own pet, implausible ideas about how events happened in the Bible.

Most secular scientists start their writing by telling us that they come at the study from a scientific and unbiased perspective.  They usually make some kind of statement about letting the facts and the evidence speak for themselves.  I believe there is a technical term for this...hogwash!  I do not believe there is anyone alive, who has the ability to approach anything from a completely unbiased perspective!  We all have a "worldview", that pervades all that we do, say and think...and that is not necessarily a bad thing!  However, when you claim you have no bias from your own worldview, you are trying to pull the wool over your audience's eyes.  Worse still, you are blinding your own eyes to the truth!  I will tell you that I am very much biased by my worldview.  You see, I believe that the universe and all that is in it was created by God.  I also believe that God loved mankind so much that He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to be the perfect sacrifice for our sin debt and that same Jesus died on a Roman cross but was resurrected three days later.  Every interpretation of data that I make, has this as the grounding perspective.  However, I also recognize that there are many who totally discount this perspective and have a secular or postmodern worldview as their perspective.  This secular worldview generally rejects the idea of God and certainly does not accept the idea that God can and does perform miraculous acts on this earth.  They also, in order to remain true to their worldview, reject the idea of the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ!  So, when I hear someone tell me they have no bias, my response is one of great skepticism.

I recently came across an article titled, "Alternate Theories of Resurrection."  It was written by Norman Geisler.  In the article, Geisler puts forth the alternative theories that many with a postmodern worldview offer as "proof" that the resurrection of Jesus either did not happen or that there is a rational explanation that would explain it away.  He then proceeds to point out the very real problems with all of the alternatives, except of course the real resurrection story.  Anyone who reads this article and still denies the resurrection must suspend reality and rational thought in order to retain their secular, postmodern worldview. 

At the end of the day, we are left with a choice between two worldviews...Christian or postmodern.  There is no middle ground.  You cannot have both.  Either you accept that God is who He says He is or He is not.  If you accept that God is who He says He is, then you have one more choice...to bow the knee and your heart and acknowledge Him as your Lord or to admit the truth, that you refuse to acknowledge Him as your Lord.  The second choice places you squarely in the camp of the secular, postmodern worldview...in direct rebellion toward and rejection of God and His Son.  So what's your perspective?

For interesting reading you can go to Associates For Bible Research for a variety of technical articles from a Christian worldview perspective.

What Do You Do When God Answers Your Prayers?

Have you ever wondered what to do when God answers your prayers?  According to a number of surveys, a large majority of people in this country claim to pray at various times.  I will accept that at face value (only because I don't want to argue about that!)  However, I wonder what the response of these same people would be if they really believed God would answer their prayers and then saw Him do it?  There is no debating that as Christians, we are told to pray without ceasing in I Thessalonians 5:17.  In fact, the word for prayer or pray is used over 400 times in the Bible, so it must be important, don't you think?  Jesus himself told us that whatever we ask in His name, he will do.  So why do we pray such wimpy prayers? And, why are we so shocked when God answers our prayers?

Over the past few months, Anita and I have been struggling financially and we have asked God for His provision for our needs (it's amazing what I see as a need, that God doesn't!)  We have been praying for a job and it appears He has provided es opportunities.  So what do I do now?  One of the jobs will require that Anita and I travel overseas for the next two years.  There are lots of unknowns associated with the job and the move, but God has certainly done what we asked.  The second job will be in the States, and will require that I travel to San Antonio every week.  In retrospect, I did not respond properly when I received the job offers.  My first response was not to go to my knees and thank a faithful Father for His amazing provision.  No, my first response was to begin to see the problems and challenges that would come from working in an international setting, wondering what to do with our home, and probably most important, would our grandchildren even remember us when we returned (that's a big one on my list!)  So, let me say, somewhat belatedly, that we are so grateful for these opportunities God has put before us and we humbly acknowledge that He is indeed Lord!  I would also ask that He forgive my ungrateful hearts!

I have just told you how not to respond, but let me give you an example of what to do when God answers your prayers...even in a way that you never saw coming.  And, even in a way that may cause your heart to hurt!  We have some dear friends who have been a part of our family for more than 25 years.  Their youngest daughter was inseparable from our daughter.  We will call these friends T an D (we do change names to protect the innocent around here!)  From the time their daughters were babies, they have prayed for them to be obedient to God and to be used to His glory.  I know this, because I know their hearts!  When their oldest daughter was in college, she felt called to full-time service ministry.  In fact, she spent almost two years in Asia, as a missionary.  When she returned home she fell in love with and married a young man who, like her, felt called to the ministry, as a missionary.  They pursued the education and training necessary to become missionaries.  All the while, T and D continued that same prayer for their daughter.  Last year, we all learned that their daughter and her family (now with a grandson and a precious granddaughter) would be travelling back to Asia to spread the Good News of the Gospel!  I am sure that their hearts were hurting as they put their daughter's family on a plane to travel half-way around the world, but I also know they had found an amazing joy in the obedience of their daughter and her husband and they were truly grateful to God for His answered prayer!

So, what do you do when God answers your prayer...even with an answer you don't want?  First, respond with thanksgiving.  God wants only the best for His children, not the easiest, not the safest, not the most comfortable, but the best.  Second, go ahead and tell God that you will need His grace and His mercies to get through that answer to your prayers.  He already knows when you feel disappointed and hurt.  You can't surprise Him or shock Him and He will love you no less, just because you are unhappy with His answer to your prayers.  Lastly, like the woman who persistently begged the judge for justice, keep praying!

Double Standard

It seems to me that the current debate over whether the State of Arizona has the authority to pass a law that Arizonans believe will help them protect the borders of their State, reveals a great deal about our country.  Some of the things that have been revealed are disconcerting, like the fact that many Americans apparently believe the Constitution is no longer a document that is an absolute guarantor of negative rights...those things the government cannot do to you, but it is now a document that more closely sets out what the government will do for or to you.  This is a slippery slope for this country, just like the idea that truth is not absolute, but relative.  Once you take the first step towards the slippery slope of relative truth, the hinges come off the gate and the worms come out of the open can (I do realize that I am mixing metaphors, but I really wanted to see if I could fit three idiomatic metaphors in one sentence...and I can!)  Another  issue of note, revealed in the current debate is that we appear to be unable to have a debate at all.  This country was founded on the principals of open debate and discussion.  In fact, I believe, based on everything I can read, the Founding Fathers of this nation had some very heated disagreements.  However, those disagreements were marked by educated and well-thought out discussions that did not routinely fall to the level of the personal attacks and name-calling that are hallmarks of today's disagreements.  However, the real issue that I see in the current debate about the Arizona law is the double standard we see applied.  You may ask, "What double standard?"  Well, I am glad you asked!

For the past several days, I have not heard a news report from any source, that did not at least mention the Arizona law in passing.  I thought I might escape the furor over a law that many would deem unconstitutional (although, few of those speaking out can offer a reason as to why it is unconstitutional!) by turning to the local ESPN radio station.  Alas, it was not to be!  The ESPN telephones were filled with people calling in to tell the world (or at least the sports world in the DFW area) why baseball should or should not be involved in the current discussions.  I was fascinated by the fact that so many people have such strong opinions about the issue.  It seems that many people believe that baseball has no business in politics.  However, there is a vocal minority like Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Alec Baldwin, Jeanine Garafalo (who made her the expert on anything?) and Bill Maher, that claim that baseball must be involved with politics, at least in the current immigration debate.  Now here is where the double standard comes in.  Listen to the following comments made by some of the above mentioned folks, "Baseball, as the American past-time, must make sure the voices of these who cannot speak for themselves are heard!; Baseball must weigh in on the side of fairness and equality!; and, Baseball owes it to future generations to do the right thing!"  Now, suppose the debate was over abortion, do you honestly believe the same folks above would make statements like, "The Church must speak for those who cannot speak for themselves!; The Church must weigh in on the side of fairness and equality! and The Church must stand for future generations!"  So, apparently baseball should be involved in politics, but the church should butt out?  I think that if you look up "double standard" in the dictionary, this will be the example you will find...unless of course the dictionary is in a public school classroom; then, all references to "church" will be removed!

So, what is my point?  Simply this, the world hates the Church.  Jesus actually promised us this, so why are we surprised?  So, if the world hates us already, shouldn't we then be more focused on obedience to God and stand for absolute truth (whether it is political or not?), double standard or not?  If pleasing the world is your goal, Jesus tells you exactly how to achieve that objective.  He tells us that the way is broad and smooth to gain the world's approval and friendship.  The catch is that not only will you be loved by the world, but you will end up spending eternity with them, in destruction!