Ten Locations I Want to Visit Before I Die...

This list encompasses many of the places I would like to see before I die. They are in no particular order, but each one holds a special place in my heart. So... if anyone wants to join me in these adventures, please just let me know!

1. Denali National Park (Alaska): 6 million acres of unspoiled wilderness, covering all different environmental zones: streams, fields, tundra, mountains, glaciers. Capped by Mt. McKinley, the highest peak in North America. Just pray there are no oil rigs when I get there...

2. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: I have always wanted to visit this beautiful city of 12 million people. I would love to attend a Brazilian soccer game, take in the sights from the Christ the Redeemer statue, visit Niteroi (just across the bay), and enjoy Brazilian food and culture.

3. Cinque Terre (Italy):This UNESCO World Heritage sight is considered one of the most beautiful places on earth. Five villages sit clustered around the Italian coastline, hugging the Mediterranen, in the heart of the Italian wine country. Absolutely breathtaking...

4. Mt. Aconcagua (Argentina): The highest mountain in South America, this Andean peak rises to almost 7000 meters. It is considered one of the top seven peaks in the world and stands with breathaking beauty on the border between Argentina and Chile.

5. Boston, Massachusetts: The American Revolution came into full-swing in this beautiful Atlantic city. I have always wanted to see the national monuments, take in a Red Sox game in Fenway Park (sitting above the Green Monster), eat a bowl of Boston Clam Chowder, and walk along the wharf.

6. Beijing, China: This city boasts one of the largest populations in the world and contains thousands of years of Chinese history. Within an hour drive is the Great Wall of China, which is widely considered one of the most impressive sights in the world and one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Plus, who can beat all you can eat AUTHENTIC Chinese food?!?

7. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Buenos Aires is home to over 16 million people, and it the birthplace of tango and the mecca of soccer enthusiasts. I would love to take in a River Plate/Boca Juniors Soccer game, go to an Argentine barbeque, attend a tango show, walk along 9 de Julio (the widest street in the world), and enjoy the sights and sounds of South America's most amazing people.

8. Cork, Ireland: The most beautiful country on earth, with its rolling green hills and beautiful scenery. The Blarney Castle lies 8 miles away; see if you can kiss the Blarney stone and gain the gift of gab.

9. Scottish Highlands: The home of kilts and haggis; ok, maybe there are some better things about it... I know, bagpipes!

10. Tanzania: I would love to visit this beautiful country, climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, and go on an African safari. I would love to see what traditional African life looks like and experience time among the Tanzanian tribal peoples, such as the Nyam-Wezi.

Honorable Mention: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Sydney, Australia; Mt. Hagen, Papua New Guinea; Tokyo, Japan; Luxemburgh; Madrid, Spain; Brussels, Belgium; Norway and Sweden (I always think of them as the same country); Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia...

I am sure I am missing quite a few. What are your thoughts? Where are some places you have always wanted to visit?

Service with a Smile (for the Kingdom)

As I talk to a number of non-Christians they are turned off by different aspects our Christianity: our perceived holier-than-thou attitude, our hypocrisy, our intolerance, etc. The world views non-Christians as being intolerant of anyone who doesn’t believe the same things that we believe.

Yet, time and again, non-Christians are amazed at the servant hearts of Christian people. They cannot believe that we would willingly give up our time, our energy, our comfort, to go and work with those who need help. They are amazed when they discover that Christians aren’t out doing service projects because they are made to or because it looks good on a college application, but because we want to. It is our chance to serve God by serving other people. In many ways the world doesn’t get it, but they do respect it!

We all have a tendency to get a little caught up in ourselves. Jesus’ own disciples had this same problem. In Mark 10, the disciples had been discussing who was the most important among them and who would be first in the Kingdom. As Jesus overheard these conversations he spoke to his disciples about the most important things in life, he told them this: “For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). The goal of the Christian life is not to get ahead or to be self-serving but to be focused on others.

Jesus reminds us that service towards others is service towards God. In his parable of the sheep and the goats, the people are judged based on their service towards those in need. The sheep, those who served those in need, are told that because of their service (even in small ways), they have received an eternal reward, for “…whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40). What an amazing thought: we serve God by serving other people.

We are called to serve other people because Christ came to serve us. If we are his hands and feet, his Body, his ambassadors, and his representatives on earth, than we can do nothing less...

Spiritual Warfare

I pray that God is richly blessing each of you today! I have had a crazy, stressful week, but God is ALWAYS good so I know it will be ok.

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I recently began watching the series “Band of Brothers.” I am amazed at the inhumanity that war brings out of relatively normal human beings. When placed under extreme duress, the average human has a number of possible reactions in order to deal with their psychological stress:

1. Avoidance: These soldiers simply avoid the trials of combat by retreating, either physically or psychologically. Many of these soldiers simply retreat in on themselves, finding themselves hiding in a foxhole or staying out of combat completely. These soldiers have fallen into the idea that surviving is victory, and all of their energy is spent in personal retreat and survival.

2. Following: These soldiers simply go with the flow, following whatever they are told to do. They will follow anyone who shows initiative, whether it is good or bad. They simply look for someone to tell them what to do, how to behave, what to think… These individuals simply follow the strongest, most dynamic, or most ambivalent leader, regardless of where they are headed.

3. Average Joe Syndrome: Most soldiers simply go about their duty, following their training, putting one foot in front of the other. They see an objective that needs to be accomplished, and they go out and accomplish the objective with very little fanfare and, subsequently, very little credit. They simply plug away, doing what they are trained to do and what comes naturally. The vast majority of soldiers fit into this category, simply going about their duty.

4. Heroism: Some soldiers, in the heat of battle, rise above the moment and rise to the occasion. They don’t just achieve their objectives, they go above and beyond the call of duty. They seek out what needs to be done in order to help the unit advance, and they go to extraordinary lengths to accomplish their objectives. These average soldiers rise to the occasion and accomplish extraordinary tasks. They are not overly special, they are not made great heroes, they are no different than almost anyone else out there. They simply overcome their fears and their limitations and rise to the occasion to accomplish whatever is needed.

These observations are obviously VERY limited and do not cover the whole range of possible actions for soldiers on the field. However, I think they provide and excellent foundation.

And I have to ask myself the question, which category do I fit in in my own spiritual battles? What type of spiritual soldier am I? If Paul is right, each of us is in our own spiritual battle and we must decide how we are going to react to the trials/temptations that we face. Are we going to retreat and pretend the battle doesn’t exist? Will we simply follow whichever path seems easiest, regardless of the consequences? Will we simply avoid temptation, but rarely TRULY fight back? Or will we rise to heroic proportions in our battle against the Evil One? The type of spiritual soldier we will for the Kingdom is directly related to our reaction to the spiritual battles within our own lives. Let us pray that we act as heroes.

More to come…

The Politics of Change

It was an election year, and there was a war on against a fanatical group of militants willing to do anything it took to win the fight. The upcoming presidential race was hotly debated, and the race seemed incredibly close. One candidate was older, with a lot of life experience. The other was young, energetic, with little political experience but calling for CHANGE. His argument, and the argument of his party, was that the nation had had enough of war and the old regime, and there was a need for a new kind of change in Washington that would shake up the political scene. One had life and political experience on his side, having spent decades in Washington politics. The other had youthful exuberance on his side, winning over those who wanted a change in the way things were run. These two candidates picked intriguing running mates as Vice-Presidential candidates, and both focused on changing the status quo in their political campaigns, lending legitimacy to their politics.

Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Sounds like what we are watching play out in the arena of 21st Century American politics? Actually, this scenario describes the the election of 1944.

In 1944, the Republican party picked a liberal, progressive, young governor from New York to serve as their presidential candidate. Thomas Dewey was 42, and he called for change in the way the government was being run. Meanwhile, Franklin Delanore Roosevelt was running for an unprecedented fourth term as President on the Democrat ticket. He had been in office throughout the Great Depression, the New Deal, and WWII. In order to improve his chances, FDR dropped his former Vice President (Henry Wallace) for Harry Truman, a little known politician from Missouri.

Now the opposition was questioning his ability to run the country. Thomas Dewey came on the scene calling for a change in the status quo. Essentially, CHANGE NOW was his whole mantra.

Sound familiar? It seems history is destined to repeat itself...

Come and See...

“Come and see…”

These words often precede many hilarious situations in life. These were often the first words uttered by my friends that introduced some of my most hilarious memories from college: “Come and see the huge swimming pool we made in the shower room.” “Come and see the bucking bronco we built in the common room. Wanna be the first to ride it?” “Come and see the skateboard ramp we built out of bunk beds in the hallway.” (Ok, actually that was me... and it wasn't a very clothed activity...Welcome to my college experience...)

Yet this phrase also serves as a prelude to some of the most important or serious things in life as well. “Come and see your new baby daughter.” “Come and see your grandfather for the last time.” “Come and see me, because I am lonely.”

These words can introduce some of the most important moments that we will ever encounter. “Come and see…” It reminds us that there are important things going on in the world, things that we must pay attention to. It requires that we move and act, that we escape from our comfort zone. The word “come” requires us to move from where we are to somewhere else. And we are called to open our eyes, to focus on reality, and see the important things in life. “Come and see” is the prelude to the most important of life’s events.

The greatest movement in the world began with these words. In John 1, John the Baptist tells his disciples that Jesus of Nazareth is the Lamb of God and the one they have been waiting for. Two of his disciples go running up to Jesus to talk to him. They want to know more about this Teacher; they want to hear the things he has to say and understand his teaching. Rather than teaching them or discussing his religious philosophy, Jesus simply tells them, “Come… and you will see.” (John 1:39) At the end of the day these two disciples are so excited that they run off and tell their friends “We have found the Messiah.” Simply by coming along and spending time with Jesus, they have discovered the truth about who he is and their lives will never be the same.

We, too, have been called to come and see. For many of us, this is the reason we became a Christian: we saw the lives of those who followed Christ and we were enamored or intrigued by what we saw. Our job as Christians is simply to be followers of Christ, to spend time with him and see how he changed the world, and then to let that change the core of who we are. Then we, too, can go out and tell others, “Come and see… this man is the one we’ve been waiting for!"

Worship of GOD, not of ourselves

Thought:

We worship God for who HE is, not because of what he has done for us or what we get out of it. Part of God's nature is wrapped up in what he does for us, yet if that is the only reason we worship then we have sorely missed the point. God doesn't exist to serve us; he isn't a genie who does our bidding. Rather, God is qadosh: holy, other, apart. Our worship should flow from who God is, not what we will get out of it or as a manipulation of God...

What are your thoughts?

Bumper sticker

Can someone tell me what this bumper sticker means:

Pro-Child Pro-Family Pro-Choice

I am a little lost...