The New Parables

Cover Story in The Kansas City Star's Faith Section Today

2010-01-30T07:55:00.002-06:00

Very cool! Check the article out. Really interesting that there's another guy from KC who wrote The Gospels in Rhyme. I'm going to have to meet him.

http://www.kansascity.com/255/story/1716567.html

Twitter

2009-11-18T17:15:00.002-06:00

Quick post today. I don't think I've posted anything about my Twitter account on here. If you want to follow The Bible in Rhyme on Twitter, I'm at http://twitter.com/bibleinrhyme.

Tweet tweet...I guess.

The Bible in Rhyme is on The Index of Perversions!

2009-11-17T16:17:00.004-06:00

I haven't posted a blog in two weeks. I've been so busy, and haven't even had time to give TBIR, my blog, or my website the time it deserves. But today was a busy day.

First, it snowed. So that was fun to share with my boys. The first snow is always pretty cool (as is the LAST snow of the year!).

Second, I had a great review from an excellent blog: http://tara sviewonbooks.blogspot.com/2009/11/bible-in-rhyme.html

Third, I found out that The Bible in Rhyme made the top of Amazing Grace Baptist Church's "Index of Perversions." (Given, the list is in alphabetical order...but I'm still claiming top spot!)

This is the church that I most recently posted on about the book burning. It's amazing...and by amazing, I mean CRAZY...that my book was destroyed along with the NIV, The Message, texts written by Billy Graham and Mother Teresa, etc., etc.

Their beef with all of these texts is that it's not the King James Version. Forget the fact that the KJV is not the original text. The thing that really blows my mind is that they're burning documents that support and encourage people to believe in God and Jesus Christ. Why? Because it's not the KJV. But by that rationale, anything that a pastor or priest says should not be used because it's not the KJV. So does their pastor just get up and read the KJV? If he gives a sermon, should he be thrown on the fire too?

When it comes to religion, we all want to fight about something. Is or isn't Jesus the actual son of God. Creationists versus those who believe evolution fits into the Biblical picture. Is Revelation about ancient Rome or future apocalypse. How long did Samson's hair have to get before he could knock down those pillars?

Lost in all of this is the message of the Holy Scriptures, which is best summed up in:

"Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

- Matthew 22:36-40 (King James Version...for my new friends, and because I have no qualms with the KJV, just Bible burners)

Well, gotta go print this blog post, submit it to The Index of Perversions, and then burn it. I guess I'll have to burn my computer too...

Burn This Book!

2009-10-27T17:04:00.002-05:00

I recently read about a really terrible idea - the Amazing Grace Baptist Church is sponsoring a burning of religious books and Christian music, including all versions of the bible except for the King James Version. (Here's an article about this event.)

Well, don't leave me out! I sent a copy to the Amazing Grace Baptist Church along with the following letter:

Dear Pastor Marc,

I heard about your book burning, and figured mine should be right there with all of the others. To destroy so much of what God has commissioned by setting people out as evangelists is contrarian to everything that the Bible says. I really think this is a foolish publicity stunt you’re doing, but if you’re going to, burn mine too.

I’m saying a prayer for you and anyone who feels that what you’re doing is a good idea.

Sincerely,

Kyle Holt
The Bible in Rhyme

I don't think my letter or any letter will change their minds. Let the burning begin!

Making Rain

2009-10-21T14:53:00.002-05:00

I was talking to some of the sales staff at our company today, and one said, "Do you want me to help with the admin stuff? I'm happy to do it, but..."

"If you help, you're not selling," I finished. "Sales people need to go out there and make rain. The rest of the staff is here to help you harvest it, but YOU have to make rain. So no, I do not want you to handle the admin piece."

Although it was a business conversation, this is so true related to the kingdom of God. Jesus sent out 72 disciples, in pairs, to go to the towns and share the good news. They were to go out there and make rain. They were to go out and sell what could not be bought and paid for.

That's a hard gig. Not everybody receives the gift of evangelism. But those who have it, need to use it. We have a society in which it's uncool to be a Christian. It's sketchy to have faith. It's weird to believe in the Lord almighty and Jesus Christ's resurrection.

I sometimes struggle to talk about my own faith because I'm worried about what someone might think. I need to reverse that. I need to worry about what God might think if I don't share His word.

Some have the gifts of administration and can harvest the crop. But for those of you who have the gift of evangelism, the ability to connect to people, and the thrill of closing that "sale" by sharing the good news, PLEASE USE IT!

I'm committing to using my tongue, my talents, and my time to better reach those who need God and the hope He has to offer.

Let's make some rain!

Advent Conspiracy

2009-10-18T17:18:00.002-05:00

I had not heard about Advent Conspiracy until today. I might not have known the name, but I've been a believer of it for some time now. I don't need gifts. I would rather we help those who need help.

Check out this video that was done by the multimedia guys at my church. If this doesn't get you fired up for the season of GIVING...I don't know what will.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=153581562758&ref=ss

Joy to the world! The Lord has come.

Revelation 22: 18-19

2009-10-17T10:20:00.003-05:00

Because of The Bible in Rhyme, in the past week I have been called an apostate and miraculous.

I'm neither.

But the "apostate" label really bothered me, because that's not a word I think you throw around lightly. Why was this title was thrown my way? Because of Revelation 22:18-19.

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

-Revelation 22:18-19

Many believe that this applies to the entire Bible. At the time John wrote the book of Revelation, the Bible was not assembled as we know it today. He was only talking about the book he had written. But even so, if someone changed the words around in any book with the intent to change the meaning, I too would be upset.

But here's the catch. In order for us to read any book of the Bible, the translator has to change the words around. There are words in the ancient Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew that don't perfectly translate into English, Italian, French, Swahili, Mandarin, Tamil, Portuguese, etc., etc., etc.

If we want to read the words EXACTLY as John or any other biblical author wrote them, we have to do so in the ancient dialect in which they were written. Very few of us can do that. I know I can't.

Therefore, if we are to read an English-language Bible at all, we are immediately in violation of John's warning. What a pickle, huh?

So I'd like to toast other "apostates" who have given us the ability to read the ancient texts, the word of God, the sayings of Jesus, and the letters of the apostles. I'm not even close to their league, but if I'm being called an apostate, then maybe I'm getting closer!

To every translator who poured his soul into converting the Greek and Aramaic into Latin so that the Catholic Church could spread the word.
To Martin Luther for translating the Bible into German so that the common man could read it.
King James and William Tyndale for their efforts to create an English translation of the Bible.
To Kenneth Taylor for The Living Bible and Eugene Peterson for The Message - two beautiful paraphrases that help millions better understand what the Bible says.
And to the O.A. (the Original Apostate) - Jesus Christ, who was shunned by the leaders of Judaism for making the law "too easy".

"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

-Mark 12: 29-31

The Bible...in Rap?

2009-10-14T07:40:00.002-05:00

So The Bible in Rhyme was posted on a few blogs and tweets yesterday which was pretty cool. Except they all seemed to be relating back to a post about how The Bible in Rhyme was doggerel garbage. Ouch.

And the headline was "A Rhyming Bible. Can the Rap Version Be Far Behind?"

It hurt my feelings for about 10 minutes, and then I realized, "Wait...this is the goal! To get people talking about, thinking about, and opening their Bibles!"

So I read Mr. Gibson's post again, and I enjoyed it much more. It got me thinking about the possibility of a rap version...again. This is not the first time. In fact, I had two people in different areas of the publishing industry recommend that I change the title of the book to "The Bible in Rap" before publication. Of course, I did not. But they thought it would make for quite the publicity.

I didn't want it to be The Bible in Rap. Mainly because I can't rap. But also because even though there is Christian rap, the genre is generally regarded as violent and misogynistic. Now that I think about it, the Bible can actually come across that way too.

But let's pretend somebody does come out with a rap version of the Bible. So what? If it reaches people where they are, gets them interested enough to open up the real Bible, and learn what the holy scriptures say, how is that a bad thing?

Jesus went to Samaria and converted the sworn enemies of the Jews. He healed and comforted the Romans who ruled over and oppressed them. Why on earth would we not want ANYTHING that reaches those who need it most? Just because they don't look like us, don't talk like us, and don't listen to the same music as us, should we excommunicate them? If we do so, aren't we really excommunicating ourselves from what Jesus called us to do?

Whether we rhyme, rap, rock, yodel, dance, sign, sing, sneeze, cough, or lip sync something that helps bring people to a place of hope and faith doesn't matter. What matters is that we pour out our hearts to help expand the kingdom of heaven on earth.

Somebody else can take rap. I call dibs on The Bible in Yodel.

Three Versions of Psalm 23

2009-10-13T15:22:00.002-05:00

I was at a funeral today for a woman who truly lived a full and wonderful life. During the funeral, as it seems in all funerals, Psalm 23 was read. And the power of it hit me more than usual (which I guess is why it is always read at funerals). It made me think about how Psalm 23 reads in The Bible, in The Bible in Rhyme, and in one of my favorite books ever, Stephen King's The Stand. So here are three versions of Psalm 23.

From The Bible in Rhyme:

The Lord is my shepherd, and I want for naught.

He leads me beside quiet waters in thought.

He leads me in ways in which my soul’s restored.

He shows me the righteous way. He is my Lord.

I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

and I fear no evil, as God’s in each breath.

I am protected by His staff and rod,

for He is my savior as He is my God.

My table is set in the presence of foes.

I’m anointed by God. My cup overflows.

Goodness and love follow me where I roam.

Forever I’ll dwell in the Lord’s holy home.

From The King James Version:

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:

he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul:

he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:

for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:

thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

From Stephen King's The Stand:

(This is a quote from the character Tom Cullen, who is

mentally handicapped)

The lord is my shepherd

I shall not want for nothing.

He makes me lie down in the green pastures.

He greases up my head with oil.

He gives me kung-fu in the face of my enemies.

Amen

If you haven't read The Stand, you should. If you have, then you know that Tom Cullen is probably the most likable character ever (M-O-O-N...that spells Tom Cullen). And when I read his version of the 23rd Psalm, I can't help but feel that King got closer to the real fervor of that prayer than even the original.

In the Cullen prayer, there's nothing but fear of the unknown and faith that God will see him through. And that in the end, there's nothing to fear at all, because that kung fu is going to come out of nowhere and save him. That's faith. That's the kind of faith I want to have! I can rally behind that.

Go ahead, Lord, grease up my head with oil. And give me the simple faith to know that You are my shepherd and that Your kung fu is unstoppable!

Keeping Score

2009-10-12T11:00:00.003-05:00

Since The Bible in Rhyme was published, it's been really interesting as we try to keep score on how it's doing. We've kept track of downloads, sales, site visits, blog views, Amazon rank, Barnesandnoble.com rank, etc.

But I was reminded of John Ortburg's book It All Goes Back in the Box. He makes a great point that all the ways that we keep score - money, houses, cars, status...and yes, Amazon Rankings - don't count in God's eyes. He wants to see how we have worked for the betterment of those around us, and for our communities as a whole.

My hope with The Bible in Rhyme is that it will open up the scriptures to someone who needed it, who would not have otherwise read the Bible, and to people who were looking for another way to worship God.

I won't stop looking at my Amazon ranking. I won't stop keeping track of how many books I have sold or given away. I can't. Because no matter what, that IS a way that we keep score, and a game with no score is no fun. But I am going to commit myself to look at the score in a different way. I need to remember that it's not how fast the score can be run up. It's how many people can I reach with God's word.

We are not to put our lamp under a bowl and hide it. We are to shine it to the world. And when we do, we are supposed to remember how to keep score the right way. If I falter, I hope God helps me remember why it is that I'm doing this...for God's glorification, not my own.

Officially Launched

2009-10-07T10:00:00.002-05:00

So October 6th marked the "Official" launch day for The Bible In Rhyme. It was pretty uneventful, actually, as the book has already been on Amazon for almost a month. And we have a PR campaign that is scheduled (how cool is that?!), but it just needs to get going.

What's also exciting is that my brother's website is up, www.bryceholt.com, and his book also hit Amazon & BN.com. Hooray! What a great day!

As an aside, I've been doing a lot of book signing lately, and I try to put in a passage that I think can resonate with someone. I've got 2 in particular that I really like. I figured I'd share them.

Isaiah 9:1 - 9:7

The gloom shall be lifted. Believers shall see.

In the future God’s glory comes from Galilee.

For those who have lived in the shadow of death,

the yoke shall be lifted. I shout with each breath,

unto the world a child is born!

A son shall be given. Great titles adorn:

Counselor, Mighty God, and Prince of Peace.

His greatness increases. His love shall not cease.

On David’s throne he shall reign and uphold

a righteousness that is both honest and bold,

and justice that no man upon Earth may sever.

And so he shall reign forever and ever.

(Read this section from the Bible)

Matthew 9:9 - 9:13

Jesus left and as he passed a tax booth,

he told the man there, “I tell you the truth,

follow me and you’ll gain much more than here.”

And so Matthew gave up his taxing career.

Then Matthew asked Jesus to come in and eat

with him so his friends could come there and meet

the Messiah. But when all the Pharisees saw,

they said, “Jesus scoffs and curses the law.

Look at this man who dines amongst sin.”

On hearing this, Jesus said, “Doctors treat men

who are sick, not the healthy. So let me be clear.

I want mercy, not sacrifice. That’s why I’m here.”

(Read this section from the Bible)

I'm so excited for what's to come - and I hope these passages speak to you like they do to me.

What a response!

2009-06-25T13:24:00.002-05:00

I'm amazed. About 24 hours ago we posted the link so that people can download The Bible in Rhyme, and I've already had more than 75 downloads! I've had people download it from across the U.S., South America, and Asia already.

Thanks for all the thoughts and comments. You guys are amazing! It's awesome to see the spiritual power that this is causing just by making it available. I hope that people feel God speaking to them in new and powerful ways as they read it.

Today I took the list and prayed for each person individually that God would speak to them in a new way that touches their heart.

God bless you all!

Download The Bible in Rhyme

2009-06-24T12:56:00.002-05:00

I just posted a link on www.thebibleinrhyme.com so that anyone can register to be emailed the download link for the PDF files. Go to www.thebibleinrhyme.com or go here to register and download The Bible in Rhyme.

Looking forward to seeing what you guys think!

The Bible In Rhyme Update

2009-01-31T23:34:00.003-06:00

I apologize for my delay, but I am nearing the finish of all the development of the Bible in Rhyme. Please email me at kyle.holt@poweredbyu.com if you want a copy of it emailed to you. I want all to who love the Lord to have access to it. Email me if you're interested at all!!!

A Response to the 3 Year Plan

2008-06-10T22:02:00.002-05:00

My last post was originally for a guest post at http://thoughtsofresurrection.wordpress.com/. A question was asked after the post went up:

"I really enjoyed your article on making a three year plan. Do you have a template or any type of tool to help with making a three year plan?"

What an excellent question! Ha! I guess I ought to come up with a solution, not just a suggestion!

As I think about how to best answer this, I would think of it more as a process and less as a template:

Maybe something like this:

Take the Spiritual Gifts self assessment (see http://thewell.cor.org/detail.aspx?ID=44)
Write down what you are doing today that you are good at
Write down what you are doing today that you enjoy (not always the same thing)
Write down your job
Write down your talents
Write down your interests
Write down any goals you have
Write down what you are NOT doing that you wish you were
Write down the answer to this question: "If Jesus showed up and had a special job just for you, what would it be?"
Write down anything you feel that God is calling you to (obviously this is extremely important, but also the most difficult)

It is very important to WRITE the answer to all of these things down. Don't just do it in your head. When things are visualized, they are also easier to accomplish.

Now start looking for overlaps. For some it may jump out at them right away. For others it may take several times through the process.

I haven't done a lot of studying on this. I just came up with this on the fly. Any suggestions or tweaks? What would you do if you had to put your 3 year plan together. By the way...now that I suggested the 3 year plan, I've got to go do mine!

A 3-Year Plan

2008-06-10T21:46:00.001-05:00

I turned 30 years old in January, and it’s an age that should make any Christian pause and think. Jesus started his ministry when he was 30 and it ended 3 years later upon his death, but what he did during those three years has influenced billions of people over the last 2,000 years.

So what am I going to do in the next three years?

This is a question that we ought to be asking ourselves every day of our lives, but we get caught up in our own routines and forget this very important question.

I have a two-year old son, and I want to see him grow up. But if my death at thirty-three would bring billions (or even thousands) to God, wouldn’t it be worth it? It’s a scary thought, but Christ tells us that those who love their lives will lose them, and those who give up their lives for him will gain everlasting life. We’re not to martyr ourselves, but it is a call to be in the world, not of it.

Businesses and individuals often make 5 or 10-year plans. In the same vein, I would lobby that Christians should set forth a 3-year plan. The messiah completely redefined the world in three years. He was setting an example for us. As if to say, “I did it, and so can you.” Given, we are not the perfection that Jesus was, but if we strive to be, then we can reshape life as we know it.

If I live to be 75 years old, I have the opportunity to develop fifteen 3-year plans during the remainder of my life. What an opportunity! But in order to maximize that opportunity, I have to start now.

In 2006, I felt called to start working on my Bible in Rhyme project. It is my hope and prayer that God intends this to be a part of my 3-year plan. I pray that it is something that can work in the hearts, minds, and spirits of Christians and non-Christians alike. I don’t know what will happen, but I trust that God will guide me the way He wants me to go. And I know that it will require a lot of hard work on my part.

Besides, isn’t hard work what God asks from all of us? We are called to love and to believe, but that’s just the beginning. To really make something happen, we have to be ready to get our hands in the dirt and work for Him. To give up our worldly lives do His will here on earth.

So today, tomorrow, and definitely at each birthday, I recommend you ask yourself, “What is my 3-year plan?” Leave 5-year plans and 10-year plans to businesses. Make the 3-year plan God’s.

Praying for a Better Prayer Life

2008-05-20T10:11:00.001-05:00

I fall short in my prayer life. My wife says the same, as do a lot of my friends. Despite the fact that we are called to be in prayer constantly, it is a struggle setting aside time to speak to and listen to God. I feel like a poor example of a good prayer life. But I have a great mentor.

He’s not prideful. He is not vain. He is probably the happiest and most faithful person I know. However, he can be really, really selfish. But that can be excused, as he is only two years old. He is my son, Noah. One of the most beautiful and inspiring things about my son is that he reminds my wife and I to pray. At every mealtime he holds his little hands out to each side and says, “Prayers?” And he wants to make sure we say the right prayer, the one he is familiar with:

“God is great. God is good. Let us thank Him for our food.”

We had Pastors Andrew and Nicole Conard over for dinner one night, and I began saying a different prayer. Noah was having none of that. He started trying to interrupt me so that we made sure we said his prayer. It was important to him that he participate. And it was wonderful to see that prayer was important to my son so early in life.

At nap time and bedtime, Noah knows that after we read our third story, it’s time for prayers. So he stretches out his hands again, and we say a different prayer. It’s a modification of a prayer my parents taught me as a little boy.

“Dear God, we love You. Protect us. God bless Mommy and Daddy, little Noah, grandmas and grandpas, Uncle Bryce and Aunt Amanda, cousins and friends, and everyone in the whole wide world. And all the puppies. Amen!”

The ‘puppies’ part was imperative to him, and the Amen is always emphatic.

Christ tells us that we must be like little children when we come to him, and in my son I see how true this is. His faith is unwavering, unquestioning, unintentional, unrelenting, unshakable, and undeniable.

If my faith were but a mustard seed, I know I could move mountains. My son’s faith shakes the ground I walk on. If each adult I knew prayed with the fervent intensity that I see in my son, his little friend, or the masses of children I see at church, I guarantee this world would be a better place.

God, I ask that You help me pray like my son. That You forgive me for not giving You the time You deserve. And God, help me not forget those puppies too.

AMEN!

The Penny and the Feather

2008-05-14T14:02:00.002-05:00

A penny and a feather were resting on the sidewalk. The penny asked the feather, "What do you want in life?"

"I want to float through life, experiencing anything and everything," said the feather. "What do you want in life?"

"I want to be someone's wish and end up in that fountain over there," the penny replied.

"That is a boring existence," the feather replied.

"It's what I want to be," said the penny.

Just then a breeze lifted the feather into the air. It sailed through the city, seeing all sorts of things. But soon it came to rest in a gutter where it was swept up and placed in the garbage, then taken to the dump. The feather was very unhappy with the way things had turned out.

Meanwhile, the penny lay on the sidewalk until a little boy came upon it. He picked the penny up and threw it into the fountain, making a wish as he did. The penny was overjoyed at having achieved its one goal.

For those who know what they want and what they were made for, it is very probable that they will achieve their goals. But the aimless are often disappointed, because they did not know what they wanted before they set out.

Psalm 68 in Rhyme

2008-05-13T07:28:00.003-05:00

I was recently approached by a publishing house that is interested in publishing The Bible in Rhyme. This is very exciting, but also a bit nerve racking as I did not have an agent, and was not sure how to navigate the negotiations of a publishing contract.

So since my last post (about KU winning the championship), I have searched for an agent, found an agent, signed with an agent, been reviewing and discussing the publishing contract in hand, and editing furiously to get the manuscript into good shape. Right now my head is above water, but I don't know how long that will last.

Anyway, I thought I would post Psalm 68 from The Bible in Rhyme for today's post (and since Pastor Conard posted it on his blog Thoughts of Resurrection).

Psalm 68

May God arise and scatter his foes.
The wicked will perish as everyone knows.
Sing to the Lord who rides on a cloud.
Extol your praises, crying aloud.
A father to orphans, the widow’s defender;
He honors believers and cuts down pretenders.
We marched through the desert with You as our guide
and gained our inheritance, though we were tried.
Great was the glory of those who announced
God and His name, but those who denounced
His honor were struck down, peasant and king.
But all who have seen His power now sing.
God sends one thousand chariots out
and crushes His enemies. Now who will doubt?!
The twelve tribes have come proclaiming a song.
Egypt and Cush will submit to the throng.
Announce that He’s come across all the earth.
All who know Him know what He is worth.
Wherever we tread and wherever we trod,
He will be with us. Praise be to God!

Being Lazy is No Good

2008-05-13T07:26:00.002-05:00

It has been forever since I've posted...and I've even had guest blogs go up on Pastor Andrew Conard's blog since my last post. So I'm going to start by getting those posts up and trying to get going again.

My humble apologies...

Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

2008-04-08T09:46:00.005-05:00

It is with great humility and an obnoxiously loud "Rock Chalk Jayhawk!" that Kyle Holt accepts the championship of the Methodist Bloggers bracket challenge.

"It was tough going, but when Mario Chalmers put that shot in the air, I knew I had done it," said a contrite Holt as he took credit where credit was not due. Holt has been saying for weeks that this was his year to win this award. Since it was the first time the Methodist Bloggers had put a bracket challenge together, few understood what he was talking about.

"I had a lot riding on the line. Well, not a lot. I mean, just this award. Don't I get any money for this?" Holt asked into a Playskool microphone he set up on his couch to conduct a press conference. The press conference was attended by only Holt's two year old son who was crying and asking for his microphone back.

Said Holt, "It's all about heart. Heart and rooting for my 'Hawks. When the game is on the line, and by on the line, I mean on the TV, I'm the guy everyone turns to."

Disgusted Methodist Bloggers commissioner, Andrew Conard, voiced his opinion about the whole affair. "It's really kind of sad," he said of Holt. "I think he truly believes he did something. You know what he should be doing is posting blogs. I mean, the guy hasn't done a single thing since March 24th. I know as a Christian I should really care for him. But it's hard when he's acting like such a loser. Just watch, he'll probably post on his blog about winning. Get a life, Kyle."

In the World, Not of It

2008-03-24T13:57:00.002-05:00

The concept of being "in the world, not of it" is one that many Christians strive to do. It is impossible for most of us, yet we try.

Today I am editing a course that my company has put together for the Joshua Center (www.joshuacenter.com). The Joshua Center focuses on helping the children who suffer from Tourette syndrome and Asperger syndrome, as well as their families and others who interact with the children. They're an amazing non-profit, and they do a ton of great work on a very limited budget. It's a true labor of love!

As I read the course, it talks about how children with Asperger syndrome live "in their own world, but within ours." How similar that sounded to me!

Since Asperger syndrome is a form of autism, I started thinking about whether we are called to be autistic related to the worldly, and it seems like a good comparison. I know that this is something I struggle with, because we're constantly bombarded with materialism, instant pleasure, and trying to keep up with the Joneses. But we're supposed to be autistic towards that, ignoring it as we live in the world that Jesus handed us.

I probably should have made this into a parable (I probably will later on), but I just read it a second ago, and felt compelled to write something...which is good since I've been a slacker lately!

St. Patrick's Day

2008-03-17T14:12:00.002-05:00

St. Patrick's Day! An annual rite of drunken debauchery. In celebration of a...Christian holy leader? I know I'm not the first to be

So what are we really celebrating? Irish culture. I don't have a problem with that. In fact, I've always enjoyed St. Patrick's Day celebrations. I think that in moderation it's all in good fun, but why do we have to do so in the name of a Christian saint? Why can't it be Irish Day?

Of course, this isn't a first. We often have the same complaints about Easter and Christmas. That a rabbit and a fat man in a red suit take away from the true meaning. But in each of those cases, I would reverse my view. For those that treat Easter and Christmas as secular holidays, that's okay, because there are enough pageants, plays, songs, TV shows, etc. to remind even the most thick headed people what the holiday is really celebrating.

But not St. Patty's. The word "saint" is the only reference at all to the fact that it's a Christian-based holiday.

I'm not Catholic. I struggle mightily with the concepts of "sainthood." But that doesn't change the fact that I acknowledge Saints as the most influential men and women in the history of Christianity, except of course for Jesus himself.

Does Judaism or Islam have a day in which they venerate one of the great historical leaders with massive amounts of alcohol, a parade, and some people vomiting late in the evening? Not that I am aware of.

So can we take some time...even just a few minutes, and remember what we are really celebrating. Maybe we can be a bit more respectful of those great men and women who have come before us and laid the groundwork for our faith and our relationship with God and Christ.

The Two Shepherds

2008-03-04T21:58:00.002-06:00

Two shepherds were watching over a flock together. When they woke up one morning, one of the sheep was missing.

"We should go searching for it," the first shepherd said, but his friend said, "Who knows what happened? We can do nothing."

The next morning the two shepherds realized another sheep was missing.

"Two nights in a row! Now we have go look for the sheep," the first shepherd said, but his friend said, "Who knows what happened? We can do nothing."

When night came the first shepherd stayed awake to keep watch on the flock, while the second shepherd fell asleep. In the very early hours of the morning the shepherd caught a poor man sneaking in amongst the flock. Having captured the thief he yelled to the second shepherd, "Wake up! I told you we should have gone in search. Look! I have caught the thief!"

"Please," the poor man said, "I stole your two sheep, but I had to feed my family."

"Silence!" the second shepherd said, now fully awake. "You are a thief. You will be punished severely for this."

The first shepherd stepped forward and said to his friend, "What right do you have to judge this man? You chose to sleep while I kept watch. You have no authority over what becomes of him. You care so little for this flock, you no longer have a place watching over these sheep."

Having dismissed the second shepherd, the first turned to the poor man and said, "If you are willing to take this man's role, not only will I forgive you, but you will also be able to feed your family."

The Ungrateful Woman

2008-03-02T20:01:00.002-06:00

Tonight I read a story that is apparently a Zen parable. I was just sure I knew what the end was going to be, but when we got to the end, I was sorely disappointed. I felt it was absolutely the wrong message to send. So tonight, I'm changing that parable around into something that I feel is still applicable to Zen teaching, but more Christian in the ultimate moral.

A rich woman took two attendants with her when she went shopping. The rain poured down while she was shopping. When she exited the store, the sidewalks were flooded.

"Help me!" she yelled at her attendants, but both of their hands were full of sacks and boxes. "You worthless servants," she yelled, slapping at them.

Two men were walking by. The first one saw this woman and was disgusted by the way she was acting. The second walked over to her, lifted her onto his back and carried her to her vehicle. The woman refused to thank the man as she left.

As the two men walked on, the first said to his friend, "Why did you help that woman? Not only was she rude to you, but her behavior was despicable!"

"Why are you so upset by her?" the second man said. "Didn't you realize I did not do that to help the rich woman, I did it to relieve the suffering of her attendants. The rich have the power to help themselves, but the poor need others to help them."

Psalm 8 - In Rhyme

2008-02-26T21:20:00.002-06:00

If you have seen my earlier posts, then you've seen the link to my website www.thebibleinrhyme.com. Today I received a rejection letter from a prospective agent. No big deal. Publishing is a business, and I understand wanting to put your money into something you truly believe in.

And maybe that's why I feel it's such a slam dunk. Because I believe in it. I am so compelled to get this project out into the market. I feel that this was a gift that God gave me to share with the world. It's the light He has asked me to shine, and I cannot hide it under a bowl. I can't turn down God. I won't turn down God. I have to do what He wants of me.

So tonight I felt like sharing one of the psalms as praise to God. So here is Psalm 8. I would love your feedback today. Not praise, but true and honest feedback. But do me a favor. After you read it and before you post a comment, read it out loud. And praise God!

Psalm 8

O Lord how majestic Your name is in all
of the Earth and I sing it wherever I go.
Praise issues out from the children so small,
that stops up the tongues of every foe.
The work of Your hands in the blackness of space
is seen in the moon and the stars set above.
Heavenly bodies that you put in place.
What is a man, that you should so love?
For You set us just a bit lower than Thee
and crowned us as rulers with glory and honor
over the birds and the beasts and the sea;
to rule over Earth and all that’s upon her.
As governors over the great and the small
we are but servants who bow down so low.
O Lord, how majestic Your name is in all
of the Earth and I sing it wherever I go.

Campaign '08

2008-02-22T09:26:00.002-06:00

Watching the '08 campaign has been strange for me this year. I find it to be an assault to my sense of ethics. In the past, I have always watched from a more secular view point, but for the first time in my life I am unable to separate my faith from my politics. I know that there have been far nastier campaigns in the past, but I have been able to dismiss God from the process. Not this year.

I keep asking myself, which candidate would Jesus pick. And I pray that I am making the right decision for mankind, not just for me or even for the U.S.

Between McCain, Obama, and Clinton, who will be a good leader? We need someone like David, Solomon, or Hezekiah...someone who does what is right in the Lord's eyes. Now that is not to say that these three did not fall away from the Lord at certain times in their lives, but they tried to be true to God.

A simple life is one in which you can try to live every moment for the Lord. A life as a political leader invariably leads you into gray areas. The President of the United States is not a job I would ever desire, but I feel like even my own life leads me into areas that are not clear cut on the right decisions.

Selecting a president is one of those areas. No president will be perfect. They will make mistakes. So in my selection, I do so with a troubled mind and a heavy heart, because the wrong selection could cost people money, health care, civil rights, or even their lives. People die every year because the President says so. I just want to make sure the person in charge remembers that they must do what is right for America, the world, and God during their presidency. But is it in that order? Or should the order be reversed?

The Christian and his Brother

2008-02-19T09:24:00.002-06:00

A Christian man was often seen at soup kitchens, halfway houses, and in his own neighborhood ministering to strangers and sharing the Good News. Many knew him as a man of deep faith, having seen the multitudes he brought to faith.

One day the man received a call from the hospital telling him that his brother had been involved in a horrible accident. He rushed to the hospital to be by his brother's side.

When he arrived and saw his brother, he immediately began to weep. The doctors told him his brother had minutes, not hours, remaining. Knowing his brother was an atheist, he went to his brother's side and said, "Please, in these last minutes of life, ask God for mercy so that He will be with you."

The brother, in immense pain, said to him, "I know the work you have done with others, but you never tried to convert me. Not until now. I'm an atheist. It is clear why I would wait until the last minute, but why have you?"

With tears streaming down his face, the Christian man said, "Because you are my brother. And I love you no matter what. I did not want to put a strain on our relationship."

"Because I am your brother, you should have been trying every minute of your life. What do you care if strangers join you in heaven, if I am not there by your side?" And at these words, the brother died.

Back from San Fran

2008-02-18T14:31:00.003-06:00

I got back from San Fran late last night. I probably should have put a post up while I was out, but by the end of each day, I was totally wiped out.

Here are some of the things I feel like I walked away with.

The Christian publishing arena is the only consistently growing area of the publishing industry. All other segments are on a roller-coaster like path. You never know if it is going to be an up or a down year.
The Bible in Rhyme may be a tougher sell than I thought. I thought it would probably be fairly simple because it is completely different from anything out there on the market. That actually seemed to be the biggest concern to the two agents I talked to...it is completely different from anything out there. (I don't particularly like competition, so being the only one sounds pretty good to me...but what do I know.)
The industry can't make up its mind about what it wants more...great writing or authors who can sell. I think I've got both, but so did every author at the conference.

It probably sounds like I'm complaining, but I'm really not. My hope was that it would become clear whether I should look for an agent, go straight to the publishers, or self publish. In the end, I think it did become a little bit more clear. I'm going to go after agents and publishers simultaneously for awhile.

I don't like delaying, though, so I am considering either self-publishing or setting up my own publishing company.

I truly believe that the opportunity to help people better understand what the entire Bible says is one that simply can't be passed up. One way or another, I've been called to help spread the Word.

My prayer is that the path becomes clear to me as I proceed. It has too. The more I study and progress, the more I will begin to make decisions. I just pray that those decisions are the ones that God wants me to make, and not my own.

Prayer Request

2008-02-13T12:37:00.002-06:00

I'm heading to San Fran tomorrow for a writer's conference. My brother is meeting with his agent related to his books (www.bryceholt.com). I will be meeting an agent for Christian books, and trying to figure out what is the right way to take The Bible in Rhyme.

I'm asking for any readers to say a prayer that God would lead me in the right direction with this book so that I do His will. I don't know what that direction is, whether it's with an agent, straight to a publisher, or self-publishing...or if He wants something else that I can't even fathom right now. I just want to make sure I do His will, not mine.

I really appreciate your prayers.

The Brave Man and the Brave Child

2008-02-11T07:13:00.000-06:00

A man went to work one day and found out that his company was firing him. After boxing up his possessions, he walked down to his car, put them in his trunk, then burst into tears. He did not know how to tell his wife. He did not know when he would find another job or how he would support his family, but as he got behind the wheel, he said to himself, "I'm a man. I have to be brave. I can take care of things myself."

That night he and his wife put his son to bed and went to their room. He told her the news, and soon their conversation turned into an argument. They began to yell at one another.

Their son lay in his bed. He could hear his parents yelling. He began to cry. He said, "I'm just a little boy, and I'm scared. God please make things better."

When the father found a new job, he was blessed because his son had asked for God's help on his behalf. Though he thought it was of his own doing.

The Three Boys

2008-02-06T22:47:00.001-06:00

There were three boys. One who was smart, one who was full of faith, and one who was smart and full of faith.

The smart boy was easily convinced that God had to prove His own existence, or else he could not exist at all.

The boy full of faith loved God, but was easily led astray by men who could use his faith against him.

But the boy who was both smart and full of faith was neither arrogant, nor easily fooled. Though he looked for God's existence, he knew that the man could never truly prove nor disprove God. And though men came along thinking they could lead him astray, he knew their selfish motives, and he also knew what God wanted of him.

Intellectuals who put the burden of proof upon God show their own foolish. And fools and believe blindly show their ignorance. God did not give you intelligence to be ignored, nor did He give you eyes to be blind.

The False Beggar

2008-02-03T14:26:00.000-06:00

A man dressed up like a beggar one day and went out on a street corner. Many people walked by, ignoring the man, until finally a young woman stopped and gave him one dollar. He said to her, "You have been generous with what you have, so I shall be generous in return," and he gave her a fifty dollar bill.

The young woman was surprised by this, and she went and told her friends.

A few moments passed, and an elderly man stopped by and gave the man disguised as a beggar some money. The false beggar told him, "You have been generous with what you have, so I shall be generous in return," and he gave the old man a fifty dollar bill.

The old man was surprised by this, and he went and told his friends.

A few minutes later, a married couple stopped and gave the false beggar a few dollars. The false beggar said, "You have been generous with what you have, so I shall be generous in return," and he gave the couple a fifty dollar bill.

The couple was surprised by this, and they went and told their friends.

After the couple had left, the man went home. Later that day, dozens of people were out on the streets giving money to the poor, hoping that they would find the beggar who handed out fifty dollar bills. Although none found him, the poor were helped, and the people who had given money out felt good that they had helped people, even thought they had not received money in return.

So if people would be willing to help the poor if they thought they would get fifty dollars, why would you not if you knew you would receive eternal life?

The Volcano

2008-01-31T20:54:00.000-06:00

A volcano is often noted for its massive explosions and its hot, destructive lava flows. But a volcano is just a small exposed area where we humans can see a tiny percentage of the huge amount of magma below our feet. And its destructive nature pales in comparison to its role in providing the land that we walk on and the formation of new islands and lands.

So the destructive nature of God is so often focused upon, but it is such a small percentage of His actions. His creative powers are often forgotten, because our eyes are so focused on the few times that God has displayed His destructive powers. But there around us, and inside of us, are examples of His creative and loving nature.

If only we would open our eyes.

The Big Boy and the Toddler

2008-01-28T16:28:00.000-06:00

Many of my posts are stories that are completely made up, but I saw something this weekend that I feel is just as much a parable, but which actually happened.

My son, who is 2 years old, was walking down the hallway after Sunday School. A bigger boy, probably 10 or 11 years old, walked out of his Sunday School class and nearly bumped into my son. Realizing this, the big boy wanted to be friendly to my son saying, "Sorry. Oh, hi there. Did you have fun in Sunday School?"

My son looked up at him with huge eyes, not exactly sure what to say. So the bigger boy said, "Hey watch this." He then proceeded to blow a bubble with some bubble gum. When it popped, my son laughed hysterically. So the big boy did it again. My son laughed again.

It was then clear that my son wanted to say something to the big boy, but being as he is just starting to put full sentences together and has not grasped the art of conversation, he struggled for a moment to come up with something really good. Finally he said, "I had breaksist!" (his word for breakfast)

The big boy clearly misunderstand what my son had said, because he replied, "Cool! You're in karate?" (I began laughing)

Frustrated, my son said, "No!" He then started rubbing his tummy and said, "Waffle and nanny!" (banana)

The big boy definitely didn't understand this, and he had grown bored, so he said, "Okay, well, bye," and wandered off.

To me, it was a funny story to tell my wife and some of my friends at church. But then I realized that this was a perfect parable about our prayer life. God looks down on us and thinks, "How cute my little ones are," and He has given us all the things in this world to please and entertain us. But we don't really understand Him, or how to communicate properly with Him. So we pray, but our prayers are often just as nonsensical as saying, "I had breaksist!"

He understands what we are saying, but we don't aren't mature enough to understand His full plan, so we communicate the best we can. Our prayers are self centered. They are about the things we are concerned with, which may not be what God is concerned with. And when He doesn't answer the way we want, we get frustrated, and try to explain again, as if He is the one who misunderstood. But we are just to young and naive to grasp the Lord's masterplan. And so we toddlers are left a little bit confused, but still in awe of the Big Boy.

The Short Sea Wall

2008-01-28T16:18:00.000-06:00

A man lived in a city near the sea. He noticed one day that the sea was raising, so he built a wall one brick high. The next month, he noticed that the sea had raised to the point that it nearly came over the brick, so this time he added three. A few months after that, he saw that the sea was as high as his wall, so this time he added five bricks. A year later, the sea was ready to overcome his short wall, so he laid down on his lawn to die.

A friend saw him laying there and said, "What are you doing?"

"I have built up this wall to protect my home from the sea, but the sea continues to rise, and it is futile to fight it, so I have decided to lay down and die."

"That is ridiculous!" his friend cried. "Your wall is not even two feet tall! If you are so lazy as to be unwilling to protect your home better than this, you never deserved your home in the first place."

So those who are willing to give up their faith at the first sign of challenge never had faith to begin with. A person of great faith will use truth, belief, and reason to protect righteousness. You were not called to be blind followers, nor were you called to be argumentative. You were called to follow the Lord.

Cornhole: The Movie

2008-01-26T21:08:00.000-06:00

I know this is totally out of character for my typical postings, but I had to put it up because it's awesome. My friend, Kent Bernhard, produced this movie, and they are trying to get a distributor lined up right now. Here's the link. It's called Cornhole: The Movie.

Yes, I know what everyone thinks about when they think about the word "cornhole" but it's not about that (thought I'm sure the joke comes up many times...including at least once in the trailert). It's a mockumentary about a professional beanbag throwing tournament. It was done on a low budget, but it is going to be awesome.

Anyway, I know it's out of line with my usual posts, but since I just got back from vacation, I had to post it ASAP.

The Red Outfit

2008-01-19T13:45:00.000-06:00

A father and his daughter went to the shopping mall. The father told his daughter, "You may have three new outfits."

As they walked through the mall, the daughter saw so many outfits that she wanted. She quickly picked out three that she liked, but before they made it to the counter to purchase the outfits, she saw three others that she liked.

"Dad," she said, "can I please have these three outfits too?"

"No," her father said. "You can only have three."

The girl hung two of the outfits back up but held onto one, looking at it carefully.

"If I can't have all six, can I have four?" she asked, holding up the one outfit. "I really like this red one.

"If you really like it, keep the red outfit and get rid of one of your first selections."

The daughter debated for a moment and then hung up the red outfit. They went to the counter and paid for the three outfits.

Although the girl enjoyed wearing all three of the outfits, she often wondered if she would have preferred the red outfit over all of them.

So it is with the gifts God has given us. We want to be blessed with all of the spiritual gifts and talents God has to bestow, but no one can possess everything. God allows us to choose the gifts we want by the choices we make in life. But often we find ourselves wondering what life might have been like had we chosen a different gift.

But as it is said in Matthew 6:27 "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Take what the Lord has given and be glad for the gift.

The Little House

2008-01-16T16:44:00.000-06:00

A group of people were hiking through the mountains. The snow was blowing, the wind was howling, and the group was wondering when and where they would be able to sleep.

Suddenly, they came upon a little house. Its windows were glowing brightly with the flickering light of a warm fire. Smoke rose from the chimney and the smell of good food came from the place.

As the group approached, the door was thrown open and the man who owned the house said, "Come in, come in. It is so cold out tonight. There is plenty of space in my house for all of you. And I have plenty of food for all to eat. All I ask is that you be respectful of me and of one another. Come in and enjoy the warmth!"

A few members of the group rushed to the man crying, "Thank you! We are hungry and tired, and we are so glad to see you."

But most of the group remained outside yelling at the man. "Rules?!" they yelled. "You don't get to tell us the rules in your house! We will do whatever we want to do." Then they spat insults at the man.

"What are you doing?" their friends asked them. "Come inside with us. Don't insult this man who is showing such hospitality. It's cold and dark out here. Come inside with us."

But the rest of the group sat down in the snow in protest. So the man ushered in the few who wanted his hospitality, then closed the door behind him. And though he left it unlocked should anyone want to enter, not one of that arrogant group got up to join their friends.

His yoke is easy, and his burden is light. What is the harm in joining him? Consider the consequences of rejecting him.

Sorry About a Lack of Posts

2008-01-16T16:39:00.000-06:00

It's been almost a week since my last post, and I have no excuse other than that I have been busy. However, next week I'm out of town on vacation. Although I am very excited, I will not have my computer so all I can do is write down parables as I enjoy the warmth down south and get out of Kansas City's frigid weather for awhile.

I will be back, and I'll try to get some posts up before I leave, but I just want you to know that I haven't dropped off the face of the planet.

The Snowflake

2008-01-11T13:34:00.000-06:00

A snowflake drifted down from the sky. "Let me be a blessing to the world," the snowflake thought to itself.

It landed on a mountaintop where it was buried underneath several feet of snow. "I cannot be a blessing here," the snowflake thought.

Then as summer approached, the snow began to melt, and the snowflake turned into a drop of water that seeped down the mountain, into a stream, which fed into a river, which roared through the land, before becoming a small stream leading into the desert.

As the snowflake, which was now a single drop of water finally ended up in a small, murky pool in the desert, it said to itself, "Now I can never be a blessing. I am destined to dry up and disappear."

At that moment, a man stumbled across the arid wasteland, dehydrated and suffering. Upon seeing the tiny pool, he lay down and lapped up every single drop of water. Then he stood up, restored, and walked towards the Galilee and his destiny as the savior for all mankind.

Watering the Flowers

2008-01-09T20:50:00.000-06:00

A woman had a pot of flowers placed in good soil that she kept in her house. On a regular basis she watered them, but it was never quite enough. The flower was always just a bit dry, but it did not die.

The woman's daughter noticed this and finally could not stop herself from saying something.

"Mother, you are not giving those flowers enough water," she said. "Just a little more and it would be perfect."

"No," her mother replied. "I know I am supposed to give it a little more water, but I like to leave it always thirsty for more. God does the same for me. He gives me enough of Himself to be nearly filled, but I am always wanting more. In this way, I continue to grow upwards, always reaching for Him, but never quite there."

Then the woman looked up and noticed her daughter in tears.

"What's wrong?" the mother asked.

"I am so dry," the daughter replied.

"Then come and be watered."

The Bible in Rhyme Website

2008-01-07T22:21:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I've been working on a project for nearly 2 years now that I call The Bible in Rhyme. It is what it sounds like. I have been working to turn the Bible into a rhyming poem. In early December I finished my rough draft, and a few days later, my brother's agent said she'd take a look at it. (My brother is the author of a suspense series of books, and you can see his website here: www.bryceholt.com)

Today I found out that she is still considering it. Now, that doesn't mean anything, but the fact that she is still interested is a good sign, and I hope that if she doesn't take it, she will open some doors for me into the Christian book market.

So I knew I needed to get a website up for The Bible in Rhyme, so I have been working on that at night for a few days now. If you have a chance, please take a look. And feel free to leave me a comment here or send me an email at the site. The site is www.thebibleinrhyme.com.

I look forward to your feedback. (It's hard to do this and talk up your project but still remain humble in the Lord, so any help you can provide is appreciated!)

The Atheist and the Believer

2008-01-06T17:44:00.001-06:00

The atheist said to the believer, "Why should I believe in God?"

"So that you do not go to Hell."

"What a selfish answer! Is your faith so weak that you only believe so you can avoid punishment?" the atheist replied.

"No, but yours is," the believer responded. "When a child is young, you tell him not to do something or he will get in trouble. But when that child is older, he understands that it was to protect him and others. Your faith is young. And God understands that you need to grow into it before you can understand God's complexity. But to start, just believe in Him. For whatever reason. More will come when you are ready."

The Inmates in Solitary Confinement

2008-01-05T09:05:00.000-06:00

A convicted felon was in prison for a violent crime. A fight broke out between the felon and another inmate. The warden came and said, "Throw them both into solitary confinement for three days. Keep these two away from one another."

It was a horrible three days for both men. However, as soon as the two men were out of solitary confinement, immediately upon seeing one another they began fighting again. After the fight was broken up, the warden went to the men and said, "It seems you both like solitary confinement. So this time you'll each be in for seven days."

The men were placed in solitary confinement again. The seven days were even worse than they had imagined. At the end of the seven days, the two men were placed back in the prison with the other inmates. Once again, they immediately began fighting each other.

When the fight was broken up, the warden came and said, "If you two like fighting so much, why don't you both go sit in the same solitary confinement cell together. And you can fight all you want for the next three days!"

So the men were placed in the same cell together. When the three days were over, both men emerged laughing and joking. The three days had flown by because they had not been alone. And after three days together in that situation, the two men had become extremely good friends.

The Wayward Wife

2008-01-03T14:03:00.000-06:00

A husband and wife threw a dinner party. The house was crowded with their friends. But the wife began gossiping about her husband. She cursed him, calling him names amongst their friends.

When he realized what she was doing, the husband pulled her aside and said, "What are you doing? Not only are you embarrassing me, you are bringing disgrace to yourself. Are you drunk?"

"I'm sorry," she said.

"I forgive you. Now don't do it again."

But not five minutes had passed before she was gossiping about her husband again. She began to get drunk and the things she said were disgusting lies.

Again the man pulled his wife aside, saying, "Stop it! I already told you this. You are bringing shame upon both of us."

"I'm sorry," she said.

"I forgive you. But I will not forgive you a third time."

So she went back to the dinner party, but was soon inviting other men up to her bedroom, seducing them and sleeping with them. Having had enough, the husband took her roughly by the arm and threw her out of the house naked into the dark.

So the Lord will forgive you many times, but if you continue to disparage His name, cast drunken lies about Him, or lie down with false gods He will treat you as the wronged husband must treat his wayward wife. For He loves you, and will be embarrassed for and by you many times before He rejects you, but do not test the Lord, for when He acts it will be swift and it will be fair and just.

The Wicked King and His Slave

2008-01-02T07:36:00.000-06:00

A wicked king whipped a hardened criminal, and few took notice of his action. However, when the king whipped his righteous slave for a trivial matter, all who witnessed it marked the injustice and remembered it in their hearts.

A few years passed, and the people, tired of his tyranny, rose up and overthrew the king, placing him into prison. Remembering the good slave, they went to him and made him a duke of a land.

Later, these same men saw the new duke, who had once been a slave himself, whipping one of his own slaves over a minor fault, they immediately seized him, threw him into chains, and put him in the deepest and darkest of prisons.

“Why did you do this to me?” he asked.

“Because we saw you when you were oppressed, and we freed you. Here you are doing the same thing that your wicked master was doing.”

“But this was only one act of injustice. My master was far more cruel than I have ever been.”

“But you lived under his tyranny,” they told him. “You above all others should have understood the mercy that was shown to you. And you should have sought to show mercy to others every day of your life. But because you ignored the gift you received, and chose to use your new power to repress your former brothers, you will be treated worse than the tyrant.”

So the Lord has given you a gift of salvation from the wickedness of your former life. But if you choose to use this gift as a seat from which to judge others and cause others pain, then not only will salvation be stripped from you, but you will be treated worse than if you had lived every day in wickedness, never having known salvation in the first place.

The Myth of Disorganized Religion

2008-01-01T10:02:00.000-06:00

Men complain about the ills of organized religion. But what person wants to live in a city, a state, a province, or country without government? And who plays a sport without a set of rules? Do not businesses conduct themselves with contracts to lay out the responsibilities of all involved?

A man said to his friend, "I love God, but I do not love His religion. I will worship in complete anarchy."

"Very well," his friend replied. "How will you do this?"

"I will pray to Him everyday," the man said, "but I will not go to church. I will honor Him in all that I do by living a good and honest life. And I will try to spread this to others, so that they too abandon organized religion for the freedom of my type of worship."

"I see," said his friend. "So you have told me where you will worship...anywhere but church. You have told me how you will worship...by praying to God each day and living a good and honest life. And you have stated that you will evangelize your type of worship to others. How is this not organized religion?"

Humans find meaning in laying down rules. Even atheists set rules for themselves on what they will not believe, how they will not worship, and how they will evangelize their message to others. Such an organized religion against God not only mocks them secretly, but their rules bind them to godlessness in a way that saddens the Lord.

Organized religion has not caused the ills of history. Misguided men and women following their wicked leaders blindly have caused these things. Do you want to prevent mankind's atrocities? Then question your leaders, doubt those who call for blood in the name of God, and think! But do not turn from the Lord, for that is a sure path to darkness.

The Burning of the Money

2007-12-29T18:41:00.000-06:00

Two men were out drinking one night. The first man said to his friend, "Watch this." He placed a five dollar bill over a candle and burned the money up.

"Oh yeah!" his friend replied. "Well watch this." He took a ten dollar bill out and lit it on fire.

The first man took all of the money out of his wallet and burned it. Then the second man did the same thing.

Soon the two men were withdrawing money from their bank accounts and burning it as fast as they could, until both were broke and destitute.

This is how we treat our souls and the gifts God has given us. We become drunk on earthly pleasures. Then we start destroying what is most valuable to us, slowly at first, but soon we cannot destroy our souls fast enough.

And no man does so alone. Because evilness wants to be shared, so it is in pairs and groups that we conspire to destroy all that God made holy.

The Three Runners

2007-12-28T12:15:00.000-06:00

Three runners were in the final moments of preparation for a race. Before the race began, a woman walked up to the first runner.

"It looks like you will lose this race," she told him. The man looked at his competition and his heart sank.

She said to the second runner, "You look like you will run very fast today." The man looked at his competition, and his confidence rose.

To the third runner she said, "The Lord is with you on this day. It is already decided that you will win, and that God will help you run faster than you have ever run before." The man did not look at his competition. Instead he looked to the heavens and his heart was filled.

The race started. The first runner ran slower than he had ever run before. The second runner ran fast because he was confident in his abilities. But the third runner ran faster than he had ever run in his life, because he knew for a fact that God had chosen him to win.

Criticism and degrading words can bring a man down, while encouragement will lift a man up. But the word of the Lord takes a man to new heights, allowing him to do things he never thought possible.

Today's Post

2007-12-27T13:03:00.000-06:00

Today's post is up because of an inspiring story and blog I read today. Click Here for the story on Yahoo! Sports, and then click here to read Brian's Blog.

The Man in the Wheelchair

2007-12-27T12:48:00.000-06:00

A disabled man had been refined to a wheelchair since birth. One day, a woman who had just lost her job was standing nearby him wailed, "I have lost my job! Now what will I do?" Then seeing him refined to his electric wheelchair, she said, "But I see the state that you are in, and I realize that things could be so much worse."

Being unable to speak, he typed into a computer these words, that were then spoken in an electronic voice.

"Ha!" the electronic voice said, as he typed. "Why do you pity me? When I was a small child, I received a wheelchair. 'I have legs!' I said to myself. Then when I was older, I received this machine that speaks for me. 'I have a voice!' I said to myself. Then when I was even older, I took my first ride on an airplane. 'I have wings!' I said to myself.

"Each day I wonder what new and wonderful gift God will give me.

"But you. You have real legs, but you don't use them. Instead of moving forward with your life, you stand there complaining. You have a real voice, but rather than using it to lift people up, you whine about your small problems. And you ignore the freedom that wings can give to you, to go anywhere and do anything is not a challenge to you. But you are ignorant of this.

"You stand there pitying me, but it is you whom I feel pity for. Because I have something you do not. I have eyes to see the blessings that God has given me throughout my life. But you are blind to all of your own."

After the Coma

2007-12-26T10:49:00.000-06:00

A man woke up from a coma after ten years. It was an amazing thing, so friends, family, and reporters gathered around to ask him questions.

"Are you angry for having missed so much of your life?" they asked him.

"No, I am not angry," he replied.

"Then you must be very happy because of this!" they said.

"No, I am not happy," he responded.

The people were confused by his responses, so they asked him, "Then what are you feeling?"

"I'm scared," the man said. "Before the coma, I lived a selfish life focused only on myself. But now I have lost ten years of my life. God obviously wants me to live for some reason, but I do not know what it is. So I am afraid because I must find that reason and then pursue it with all of the days I have remaining."

This was not something that the media wanted to hear. Nor were his friends and family happy with the answer he had given, so they all left him, grumbling amongst themselves.

But one reporter stayed behind. He approached the man and said, "That was a wise answer you gave. I believe there is something that God wants to do with my life too, but I do not know what it is. I am willing to give up my career to join you."

The man said to the reporter, "Are you afraid too?"

"Yes," the reporter replied.

"Then we will certainly do great things together," the man said.

The King of the Jungle

2007-12-24T16:54:00.000-06:00

The lion said to himself, "I am the king of the jungle. There is nothing greater than me."

Then one day he came to the edge of his jungle and saw that a huge number of trees had been cut down and that his territory was now considerably smaller. But he did not know why, so he did not worry about it. "There is still nothing greater than me," he said to himself.

Not too much later he heard some of the other lions talking about seeing some new animal off in the distance that walked on two feet. "Well, it can't be greater than me," the lion thought to himself.

Then a few weeks after that, he fell into a deep pit and became trapped. He did not know who or what had created this pit, but the lion became scared. And he did not realize that he was not the most powerful thing on earth until the human lurked over the side of the pit with a rifle and killed the lion.

In the same way, men walk around thinking they are lords of the earth. They ignore the way God shapes our environment, the people who talk about the Lord and His power, and it is not until man is trapped and punished for his pride that he finally realizes his prideful mistake.

The Three Sailors

2007-12-23T09:13:00.000-06:00

"This rain is very heavy," said one sailor to his two friends. "I can barely see through it, but it looks as if the captain is yelling at us because he is angry."

His companion said, "I can't tell what the captain is saying, because the wind is too loud. But I do not think he is angry. I think he may be singing."

"No, no," said the third sailor, "Look at his face. It is hard to tell because this boat is moving so much, but I think he is afraid."

The entire time they debated, the captain yelled to them, "Hurry, men! Get down below where it is safe!" But the men focused so much on the small details of their captain that they completely ignored the storm raging around them.

It was not until the waves swept them all overboard and it was too late that they realized why he had been yelling at all.

Jesus' Tomb on the National Geographic Channel

2007-12-22T14:21:00.000-06:00

This is not a typical parable post, but something that I felt compelled to comment on.

As I type this, I am watching a special called Jesus' Tomb I recorded on the National Geographic Channel. At one point, the narrator says, "The disciples may have had something to hide. As it says in Matthew 28:13-15, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away...And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.'"

As soon as I heard this, I got angry. I have a lot of respect for National Geographic, and to hear them adjust the gospel of Matthew just to create controversy infuriated me!

Here is what Matthew 28:11-15 says to put it back into context. After the angel appears and frightens the guards that the Jewish priests had put in place specifically to guard Jesus' body from the disciples, "some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.' If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day."

I know and accept the fact that many TV shows and movies like to take Christian text out of context in order to create controversy and gain ratings. But this was a great example of our own holy text being used to confuse the nominally and non-religious and make even believers question their faith.

When you use parts of the Bible, do so to honor God and to help your brothers and sisters. To do otherwise is a cruelty greater than almost any other. God does not want to be separate from us. It's something equivalent to spiritual kidnapping.

The Confused Tourist and the Two Languages

2007-12-22T13:47:00.000-06:00

An American tourist wandered into a town in Mexico. Two men approached him.

The first said in Spanish, "You are not from around here, are you? Come to my house, and I will feed you. You can stay with me at no cost. Because I want you to feel comfortable in my homeland."

But the foreigner could not understand what this man said, because he did no know or understand Spanish.

Then the second man spoke in English, "Come with me, my friend. I know where you can eat for only ten dollars. And a place where you can sleep for only fifty dollars. And I will be your guide for only forty dollars."

Because the American could understand this, he agreed to these terms. And rather than enjoying hospitality with a friend for free, he paid one hundred dollars to a thief.

So when someone comes asking about God, if you do not speak in a language that they can understand, you will drive them away. And then they are easily led astray by thieves and liars who can speak to them of earthly things they can understand.

The White Christmas

2007-12-21T13:26:00.000-06:00

Two men sat in a pew at church. One prayed to the Lord, “God, give us a white Christmas this year. The beauty of the snow You send always reminds me of the glory of Your son who came to save us from our sins.”

The other man prayed, “O merciful Lord, do not let it snow this Christmas. So many of Your people are homeless this year, and I do not want them to freeze or suffer. The mercy You show to the poor always reminds me of the glory of Your son who came to save us from our sins.”

On Christmas there was snow. Not because the Lord cared more for the first man’s prayers, nor because He did not want to show mercy to the poor and homeless. The Lord allowed it to snow because the snow would bring out the best in both men.

For if the snow did not come, the first man would not feel close to God, and the second man would stay home forgetting about the poor. But because it did snow, the first man felt the sense of peace and holiness he desired, and the poor were shown mercy when the second man went out in the cold to care for the homeless.

The Tree with the Beautiful Branch

2007-12-20T07:16:00.001-06:00

A hollow, burned out old tree trunk stood on a farmer’s land. But out of the battered and scarred hulk shot forth a vibrant branch, full of blossoms.

Some people came and saw the tree. They said to one another, “Let’s cut away the old trunk, so that we can better enjoy this beautiful branch.”

“You fools!” cried the farmer. “If you cut down the trunk, the branch will die too!”

But they did not listen to him. They chopped down the tree and stuck the beautiful branch into the dirt. But without roots, it quickly withered and died. And the people stared stupidly at it, trying to understand what had happened.

The Three Fires

2007-12-19T11:21:00.001-06:00

There were three fires along a beach one night. A man who was walking along the beach could see all three.

As he came upon the first one, it was a roaring bonfire fifteen feet tall. Several people were dancing around it. “Join us!” they called wildly. “No other fire burns as large or as bright as ours.” But the man passed on.

He came to the second fire. It was a smaller fire around which some people talked amongst themselves. “Join us,” they said, “for our fire is comfortable and peaceful, and you can rest here with us.” But the man passed on.

He came to the third fire. It had burned down and was now just a pile of embers and hot coals. “Join us,” the people said quietly, “for our fire is old and small, but it is good for cooking and you can still be warmed by it.” But the man passed on again, and soon he was far down the beach.

And as the night grew cold around him, he found he had no warmth and no friends to be with.

The Lighthouse

2007-12-18T09:43:00.000-06:00

A lighthouse stood alone on a point, guiding ships away from the dangerous rocks below. Every once in awhile, the huge light bulb would burn out. When this happened, one of the people manning the lighthouse would quickly run and fetch a new bulb, so that the light would not be out for long.

So we are the same way. Some people are called to be lighthouses, shining the light of the Lord upon the nations. Some of us are called to man the lighthouse, supporting it so that the light does not go out. For if the lighthouse were unmanned, the light would go out forever.

The Three Gifts of Money

2007-12-17T08:05:00.000-06:00

A generous man went to three friend and he gave them each a bit of money.

The first man took his money and threw it in the river.

The second man gambled with his money and lost it all.

The third, upon seeing a child starving, bought the child a meal.

When the generous man saw his friends the next day, he asked them each what they had done with their gifts.

After hearing what the first man had done, he said, "You fool! You are no friend of mine!"

After hearing what the second man had done, he said, "You wasteful man! You are no friend of mine!"

After hearing what the third man had done, he said, "Ah! You took a gift from me and made it into an even greater gift for someone else. You are no friend of mine. You are now my brother."

The Magician's Engagement

2007-12-14T13:00:00.000-06:00

A famous magician who had toured all over the world and was known by all was at home one evening with his girlfriend. He said to her, "Watch this." Then seemingly out of thin air, he pulled a small box holding a diamond ring. He opened up the box and said, "I love you. Will you marry me?"

Did the woman reply, "Show me the trick again," or, "Do another magic trick"? No. She accepted his love and married the one who loved her.

So why do you ask to see miracles again? Why do you say, "Do another magic trick, then I will believe." Did you not pay attention when the Lord proved He loved you and wanted you to be close to Him?

The Murderer's Execution

2007-12-12T07:20:00.000-06:00

A man was to be executed for killing another man and leaving the dead man's wife widowed and his children fatherless. On the date of the execution, friends and family members for both the murderer and the victim assembled to watch the murderer die. Some hurled insults. Some wept.

Then just before the execution was to take place, the son of the victim stood up and cried, "Do not kill this murderer! Kill me instead!"

So the innocent boy was placed in a noose and hanged to save the wicked.

The Injury and the Sabbath Law

2007-12-10T11:00:00.000-06:00

A man loved God very much, and always lived according to God's law. One Sabbath, his son was outside playing. The boy slipped and fell down a hill, breaking his leg.

The boy screamed out in pain and his father came running. Seeing his son at the bottom of the hill, the man had a sudden crisis. He wanted to help his son, but to carry the boy up the hill would break the Sabbath law of refraining from work.

So the man called to his son, "I cannot break God's law. Just wait until nightfall and then I will come to get you."

For several hours the child lay there in anguish. Then when darkness fell the man rushed to his son, put him in the car, and drove him to the hospital.

After the doctors had set the boy's leg, he returned home with his father, but things were never the same. From then on the boy hated his father, hated God's law, and hated God.

What is more important than giving mercy to those in need? No law should cause you to ignore caring for your brothers and sisters. Not man's law, nor God's law. For to ignore your neighbor in the name of the Lord is to curse your neighbor, yourself, and God.

The Two Women of God

2007-12-08T11:11:00.000-06:00

A child was raised to know and love God since she was an infant.

At five years old, she never asked what God wanted of her, because she already knew. So she faithfully prayed and worshiped Him every week.

At fifteen years old, she never asked what God wanted of her, because she already knew. So she faithfully prayed and worshiped Him every week.

At fifty years old, she never asked what God wanted of her, because she already knew. So she faithfully prayed and worshiped Him every week.

A different girl was raised in a household that did not know God, nor did her parents ever take the time to teach her about Him.

At five years old, she wondered what the other children were talking about when they spoke of God. She asked questions, seeking to understand this new idea. But she did not pray and she did not worship Him.

At fifteen years old, she read scripture, asked questions, and tried to wrap her mind around the concept of a being who controlled the universe, but whom she could not see. Sometimes she thought she believed, and sometimes she laughed at the idea, and sometimes she wept because she did not understand. And still she did not pray and she did not worship Him.

At fifty years old, after decades of questions, study, and confusion, she realized that she had come to believe in God and to love the hope He gave to her. She felt inadequate in prayer and clumsy in worship of Him, but in her joyous frenzy she went to all of her friends who were also confused by faith and God. Without judging them, she spent all of her remaining years explaining her questions, and how they had been answered. And many of these people too came to feel the joy that she experienced and came to know the Lord, though not all.

When these two women both died, the Lord looked at them both and said, “I have loved you both for your whole lives.” Then to the first woman he said, "You have loved Me and worshiped Me, but you did not go out to share the joy that you have known in Me. You became comfortable with Me, and took Me for granted.” Then turning to the second woman, He said, “But you did not know Me, and through all of your questions, I was there. And through all of your doubt, I was with you. And when you finally came to know Me late in life, you worshiped Me best of all by sharing Me with others. So for you, I have many treasures, because although you have not loved Me as long, you have loved Me best.”

The Feast

2007-12-07T09:18:00.001-06:00

A man laid out a great feast and threw a lavish party for his guests. Hundreds of people came to the man’s party, but all of the guests had eaten before they arrived, so they looked at the man’s table of food, turned up their noses and left.

At first the man called after them, asking them to come back. But few returned, so the man packed up all the food, put it in his vehicle and took it down to a homeless shelter. About fifty people were at the shelter, and upon seeing the amount of food that the man had, how fine it was, and knowing that they had friends starving all over town, they immediately ran to tell their friends. Soon there were more than five hundred people at the shelter, and each made sure that his friend had enough before he ate his fill.

In so doing, everyone was full, and all were grateful to the man for providing such a fine banquet.

So the Lord’s table is full, but if you take too much from the world, you will turn up your nose even when He offers you the greatest gifts. But those who are poor of spirit and possessions and hungering for what He has to provide, will eat their fill and bring others to the table as well.

Thoughts on Today's Post

2007-12-07T09:10:00.000-06:00

The one I'm posting today is merely a spin on a parable Jesus told. The main difference is that this post is focused not on the rejection by the faithful, but on the fact that the poor in spirit, after they have found hope, want to share it with others they know who are poor in spirit as well. I find that when I was a nominally religious person and I finally found truth, hope, and joy in God, I wanted to share that more than I ever believed possible. But those who have always had the faith that I lacked for so long...well, it often seems that they have become accustomed to it, take it for granted, and judge those of us who don't understand yet. I think we all need to remember and hold dear that experience of finally coming to understand that God really does love us and wants us close to Him.

The Worshipper and His Wife

2007-12-04T14:55:00.001-06:00

In a town, there was a small house of worship that followed old traditions very strictly. Only men were allowed to worship in the holy place. Women were strictly forbidden from entering.

So each weekend, on the day set aside for worship, a man and his wife would walk down to the holy place. The man would say goodbye to his wife and enter the holy place, where he would spend more than two hours in prayer and meditation, thinking on the will of God.

During the time of worship, his wife would go across the street and into the orphanage. She would spend more than two hours playing with the children, reading them stories, caring for the sick ones, and working with many of the other wives whose husbands were in worship.

When they were old, they both passed away and stood before God. The man said, “Lord, I have worshipped You faithfully in Your holy house every weekend for my whole life.”

The Lord said, “You have ignored My holy place for your entire life. But your wife has been with Me every weekend of her life.”

“But God,” cried the man, “I went to Your house of worship!”

“You walked past My house. Your prayer and meditation were a blessing to you and were nothing to me. But the care your wife showed to My little ones was a blessing to many and true worship of Me.”

The Boy and His Father

2007-12-03T07:51:00.001-06:00

A boy’s father was called by the principal of the boy’s school. The principal said that the boy was in trouble for fighting, so the boy’s father asked his son, “Why were you fighting?”

His son said, “Another boy said you were stupid.”

The father appreciated that his son stood up for him, but he told his son, “I do not want you fighting.”

The next day, the boy was again in trouble for fighting. His father said, “I thought I told you that I did not want you to fight.”

“But a boy at school said that he could beat you up!” the boy stated.

“That may be, but I do not want you to fight.”

The next day it happened again, and the father asked his son, “Why does this keep happening?”

And his son told him, “Today was the worst of all. A boy called you a liar!”

Then the father said, “Son, I love you. I don’t want you to fight, because there is always a better solution than fighting. If another boys says something bad about me, rather than fighting him, I want you to invite him to come home with you. That way he can meet me and know the truth.”

In the same way, if someone disparages the Lord, He does not want someone to fight on His behalf. It only drives the person away from God. If someone curses God, God is not angry with that person. Instead He yearns for his sheep to return to the flock, so He calls us to invite the lost to meet Him. Only in that way can anyone know the truth.

The Widower and the Donkey

2007-11-29T10:02:00.000-06:00

A man had sat by his wife’s bed for several months as she became more and more ill. Finally, one day the woman passed away. In grief, the man fled from the room and ran through the fields.

“Why?” he cried out to God. “Why did You take my wife from me?”

He saw a donkey nearby that was tied to a cart, though his master was nowhere in sight. In anger, the man yelled at the donkey, “Why do you pull your master’s cart, you stupid animal? Don’t you know that you will only die after a long life of servitude?”

The donkey replied, “That is true. But in my life I have always been very happy. Each day, after a long day of work, my master rubs me down and gives me fresh hay to eat.”

“What good is that?” the widower responded. “Hay is worthless. You would be better off if you were free. You could make something of your life.”

“What good could I do if I were free?” the donkey replied. “If I were free, who would pull the cart? If I were free, where would I get such lovely hay to eat? If I were free, who would give my master’s children rides around the stable?”

“But there is nothing that greets us but death. I just sat for months next to my wife, only to have her die in my arms,” the widower moaned.

“So you are free now of that burden,” said the donkey, “but you are far worse off than I. Do you not realize that each of us is a beast of burden? But when I am ill, my master lightens my load or lets me rest. So too will your Master.

“Go home to your family and friends. You will find that each bears some of the weight that you cannot until you are ready again. When you are ready, you must take up the cart again, because it is only through your work in life that you find the things that matter most. So the time you spent with your wife near the end will become a joy in your life, even though her death is so sad.”

The man wept openly at this, and asked desperately, “But why did God take her from me?”

The donkey answered quietly, “Perhaps it is because He is a loving God. He loves your wife, so He took her away from her pain. He loves you too, which is why He broke the axle of my wagon today. Because if my master had not had to go home to fetch a spare today, who knows what your grief would have driven you to.

“And the Lord loves me, because I know my master will return with a carrot and a kind word. Now go home in both grief and joy, and be greeted with a carrot and a kind word.”

The Injured Sons

2007-11-26T13:29:00.000-06:00

A man received a call alerting him that his son had been attacked and badly wounded. The man rushed to the hospital and saw that his son’s face was horribly scarred.

“My beautiful son!” he cried. “What have they done to you?”

In a rage, he found the man who had committed the crime and killed him.

A second man received a call alerting him that his son had been badly wounded in a similar attack. He rushed to the hospital and saw his son’s face too was horribly scarred.

“My beautiful son!” he cried. “What have they done to you?”

In a fury, he applied to medical school and studied each day so that he might become the best plastic surgeon possible. The man went on not only to repair his own son’s face, but the faces of many other men’s sons as well.

Jesus...Comin'

2007-11-25T19:53:00.000-06:00

This November, my son, who is two years, old began telling me in his broken English, "Jesus...comin'...front door." And when I said, "Jesus is going to come through our front door?" he said, "Yeah!" in his high-pitched, excited voice.

I thought it was so sweet.

And I didn't believe him.

But he keeps saying this and I get more and more excited. Especially with Christmas approaching. And the idea of Jesus walking through my front door got me thinking about the Second Coming.

Will Jesus come again...physically, I mean? And if so, will he come as an infant and grow up, or will he come as an adult and immediately start his work? Is he already here?!

Or have we completely misinterpreted the message? Is the Second Coming supposed to be happening every day inside of us? Are we each called to be the reincarnation of Christ by trying to live as Christ instructed us? Is that what was really meant?

If we live our lives believing that we are to each be the Second Coming, not only do we live a better life, but we create a better world as well. And though we can and should hope that Christ will come bodily, if we live like this we expect that our lives must be a fulfillment of his words.

So many believe that the Second Coming will be the stereotypical Armageddon. But to imagine a world in which everyone lives their life as if they are the fulfillment of the Second Coming is to imagine a paradise...not an apocalypse. Christ's message was one of hope through love, not hope through destruction. His message was acceptance, assistance, and care. Not pestilence, plague, and war.

We are interested in mortal annihilation because that is our nature. But Christ was interested in immortal salvation, because that was his nature.

If that was Christ's nature, why do are we all anticipating (and desiring!) a holy war to accompany his arrival? Why shouldn't we expect Christ to allow us to choose his way or an earthly path, as he did during his ministry and testimony?

And why shouldn't he walk through my front door and greet me with love?

Each time somebody comes to my house now, I can't help but think about what my son said. And I try to look for Christ and God's word in each person who enters. And I have to remind myself that I too must be Christlike to them.

Christmas and advent are times to remember, "Jesus...comin'!" So prepare for his Second Coming in your heart, mind, and spirit.

And watch your front door.

The Poor Country’s Students

2007-11-25T17:52:00.000-06:00

A rich country’s students take their education for granted. They complain of the time they must spend, the work that they must do, and the lectures they must endure.

But the poor country’s students, having endured famine or bloody upheavals, embrace their education. They know that it alone can be their salvation, and is something they must hold onto and never release, for only through education can they be free.

So the salvation of the Lord shared with the wealthy and successful often falls on deaf ears, while those who have suffered and those who are in need of hope hear the words to be as clear and crisp as a mountain stream. Man is more blessed by hope than wealth.

The Foreigner in India

2007-11-23T08:21:00.000-06:00

An American man went to India, and when he stepped off the plane, he looked around at the throngs of people and saw that none looked like him. At that moment he felt that he was truly in a foreign land.

Then a man approached him and asked in English, “May I help you with your bags?” Upon hearing his native tongue, the man felt more comfortable immediately.

“Thank you,” the man said, handing his bags over. The baggage handler took him out to the street and to the line of cabs. He chose a cab at random and loaded the man’s bags in the trunk.

The American was terrified when he realized that he was about to be abandoned by the only man he had met who spoke English. But to his surprise, the cab driver said clearly, “Where may I take you too, sir?”

Relieved and surprised, the American told him which hotel he was staying at. The American and the cab driver had a lively conversation all the way to the hotel. When he was dropped off, he was still nervous about being in a strange culture, but not nearly as nervous as he had been just thirty minutes before.

As he approached the front desk, the man behind the counter said, “Good day, sir. How may I help you?” and once again the man was put at ease.

By the time the man’s trip was over, he was not only comfortable with the Indian people and their culture, but the personal care and attention they had paid to him had inspired him to go back to his own country and do the same for both visiting foreigners and citizens.

So this is also the way you are to treat those who visit the house of God. They feel like foreigners, and they fear your strange sayings and beliefs. But if from the very first moment they hear a pleasant voice and are made comfortable with the people before you try to share the word of the Lord with them, then they will be willing to listen to your beliefs and may grow to love them as their own. But if you assault them with teachings, beliefs, and words that they do not understand, you will have driven them and all they know away forever.

The Teacher and the Student

2007-11-21T08:45:00.000-06:00

A wise teacher shared a piece of wisdom with his student. The student was so amazed by his teacher’s words that he went out and shared it with everyone. Soon, people began to come to the student seeking his wisdom.

The student, now drunk on his own fame, abandoned his teacher to share his own wisdom with these new students. But soon, his well of knowledge expired, because he did not have the wisdom of his teacher to support him.

In desperation, he went back to his teacher and confessed what he had done. His teacher said to him, “Did you really think I did not know what you were doing? I knew that you had taken my words and passed them off as your own. But why should I care? Does a man truly own the words that come out of his mouth? God inspires men, and men inspire other men to turn to God. That is how it has always been.”

“But what should I do about all of these new students?” the man cried out.

“What do you think you should do?” the teacher responded.

“I should tell them the truth and dismiss them.”

“You fool! Men have come to you wanting to learn. Would you send them away empty handed? Bring them to me. I will share what I know with you and with them, and together we will create teachers for future generations. For no starving man should be turned away by the baker. And no man who seeks knowledge should be turned away by a teacher.”

The Tattered Book

2007-11-20T08:53:00.000-06:00

A poor man carried his Holy Book into worship and the leader saw that it was tattered to the point that the book was nearly useless. Seeing that this congregant had so faithfully sought the word of the Lord, the leader took a new Holy Book down from his shelf and gave it as a gift to the man. The man wept with joy at the gift.

So God, when seeing a person who has been worn out from faithfully seeking His word shall give that person a new life as a gift. Each of us is too poor to afford such a thing on our own. In that gift the Lord’s word and will are ever present.

The Judge

2007-11-19T13:41:00.000-06:00

Two men were brought before a judge. The first man had stolen $10,000 in jewels, and was using the money to buy and sell drugs. The judge, on hearing what he had done, sentenced the man to five years in prison.

The second man had stolen $200 in food, and was using the food to feed his family and his neighbor’s family because they were starving. The judge, on hearing what he had done, sentenced the man to five years in prison.

Which man’s sentence was worse?

One might say that it was the man who had stolen the food, but his sentence was the easiest, because he knew that he had broken the law, but that he had done so for noble intensions.

Others might say that it was the man who stole the jewels, but his sentence was still not the worst, because although he had broken the law, he was paying for his crime.

The worst sentence was reserved for the judge, because although he upheld the law, he did so without mercy or justice. So in the end, his sentence was five thousand times 5 years.

Seek mercy and justice in everything, lest you bear the greatest sentence of all.

The Doughnut

2007-11-18T15:37:00.000-06:00

Three men went into a bakery. On one of the shelves was the most beautiful doughnut, and each man desired it.

The first man said, “Wait! Before any one of us takes that doughnut, we should know how it was cooked and what it was cooked in. What is it made of? Is there a filling? We must know that it is good and proper before we eat it, even though it looks very good indeed.”

The second man said, “No. There is a much greater issue than that. We must truly examine it from all sides. We must contemplate the doughnut’s size relative to its hole. It must be compared against all other doughnuts.”

“No,” said the third man, “both of your ideas are fine, but we must first determine why this doughnut is greater than all others before it. We must be sure in our argument so that we can tell others about it and make them believe us.”

Just then the baker took the doughnut off the shelf and handed it to another customer.

“What are you doing?!” the three men yelled.

“While you were arguing, this man bought the doughnut.”

“And it is delicious!” the customer said, as he took a bite.

Stop arguing and eat the doughnut.

The Two Towns

2007-11-16T15:00:00.000-06:00

There was a fearsome king who sent a message to one of his towns saying, “I am coming to your town. Prepare the way for me.” The townspeople feared the king, so they sent all their workers out to fix the road and repair the potholes to prepare for his arrival. When the king arrived, a festival was thrown to welcome him, and he was overjoyed by them, saying, “You are my greatest subjects!”

Then the king sent a message to another town saying, “I am coming to your town. Prepare the way for me.”

The townspeople feared the king, so they said amongst themselves, “If we do not fix the road, his caravan will not be able to make it to our town,” so they did not repair the road.

Finally, the day came and the king and his entire entourage arrived at the town’s gate. The people called out, “How did you get here? We did not fix the road.”

The king replied, “You wicked people! Am I not the king! I filled in every hole in the road with the bodies of my enemies. I made my own path smooth. I know that you did not fix my path because you fear me. How much more shall you fear me now that you have set yourselves against me and know what I do to my enemies!”

Make straight the path of the Lord and prepare for His coming. For He shall come, and when He does, it is our decision whether he arrives in love or fury.

Today's Post

2007-11-16T14:56:00.000-06:00

I'm posting a new one today, that is a bit similar to an earlier one, with just a little bit of a different take on one of my favorite statements from the Bible: "Make straight the path of the Lord."

The post after that one has a much lighter, more humorous spin on parables. I hope you like them both, and I hope each speaks to you in a different way.

The Man with the Wicked Son

2007-11-15T08:55:00.001-06:00

There was a man who had ten sons. His youngest was hotheaded and rebellious who ran away from home when he was fifteen years old. When the police brought him home, the man hugged the boy tight and kissed him. But the man’s neighbors told him, “You should disown him, for he has disowned you.”

“No,” the man said, “I love my son.”

When the boy was sixteen, he was caught in a robbery while on drugs. Each Saturday the man went to visit his son in Juvenile Hall. But his neighbors said, “Look what has become of your son. You should disown him as we told you to do a year ago.”

“I will not,” the man said. “I love my son.”

When the boy was nineteen, the son killed a man and was sentenced to life in prison. The man’s neighbors said, “See! We told you. Now you must disown him.”

“Never!” the man said.

“But you have nine good sons. Why have you spent so much time on this wicked son? He has brought you nothing but pain.”

“I will never turn from any of my sons. If I do not love and forgive my son, how can I ever expect God to forgive my own sins.”

The Men in the Grove of Trees

2007-11-14T08:55:00.000-06:00

Three men were in a grove of trees. One said, “This tree’s fruit is delicious. Come and try it.”

The second man said, “Never! My tree’s fruit is the best of all.”

Then the third said, “You are both wrong. My tree bears the best fruit.”

Then a traveler approached and each man called out to him, “Come and try my fruit, for it is better than the others.”

“You stupid men!” the traveler yelled. “Do you know nothing at all? You are standing in a grove, but each of you are eating from the same tree. Your fruit is exactly the same!”

But the three men ignored him. They would not listen to common sense, so why should they be expected to understand wisdom?

The Man and the Walled Town

2007-11-13T09:49:00.000-06:00

There was a walled town, and the townspeople did not want to pay taxes to their foreign king. Instead, knowing that the king would punish them, they decided to use the money to build up their walls, for they were very afraid.

But one poor man saw that the road leading to their town had not been well maintained. He said to the townspeople, “Shouldn’t we spend our money to make the road smooth? I think more good can come of that than of building up our walls. Besides, the king is so powerful, even our stronger walls will not be able to hold him back.”

“You fool,” they said to him, “that is the road the king will come down when he seeks to destroy us. Do not make it easier for him!”

But despite their warnings, the poor man took all he had and spent all of his money, efforts, and time to fix the road by himself.

When the king finally came to punish the townspeople, they closed the gates to him, and he yelled to the people hiding behind the walls, “Why have you wicked people refused to pay the taxes you owe to me? Instead you have spent that money to build up your walls and this fine road. Did you not know that I would have done these things for you had you been loyal?”

But the townspeople cried, “We spent none of your money on that road. This man did all of that.” Then they threw the poor man out of the gate, hoping this sacrifice might appease their king. In fear, he fell at the king’s feet.

The king looked at the poor man and said, “Did you do what these people say?”

“Yes,” the man replied, trembling.

The king lifted the man to his feet and said, “You have made the road smooth and straight for me, while these evil ones have spit on my name. You shall be as loved and honored as if you were my own son.”

Then the king turned to his armies and said, “Destroy this town. Leave not one brick standing nor one person alive.” But the poor man was given a robe of scarlet and crown and led away as a prince.

Back from India

2007-11-13T09:48:00.000-06:00

I'm back from India, so I'll try to do a better job of posting on a regular basis. Sorry for a little bit of laziness on my part.

It was good to be there, because I like the people we work with so much, but it is so nice to be back in Kansas City!

The Things We Don't Really Need

2007-11-10T10:05:00.000-06:00

I am in my hotel room as I try to work to get on a plane back to India. Actually, my parents are trying to help me with this, as my cell phone does not stay connected all the time in India. So it is 9:30pm Saturday here and it is 10:00am Saturday in Kansas City.

There are more than 7.5 million people in the city of Chennai, but few people in the US have ever heard of it. According to Wikipedia Chennai is the 34th largest metropolitan area, but the numbers they show are too low. It's the 4th biggest city in India.

No explanation can do it justice. No description can explain how many people there are, the squalor that some live in, the pollution, the traffic, or the joy that many of them find in life.

As Americans (which I know most readers of this blog to be), we take for granted everything that we have. We feel that we "need" things that we don't actually need. Here is an extreme example: You don't NEED toilet paper.

Think about that for a minute. TP is cheap, right? So everyone should have it. Not true. In fact, in Chennai and a large part of the third world, they don't use it. They use their left hand which they then clean in a bucket of water. Sounds disgusting? It is. But it is something that we think we need, but we don't.

Okay...now think of all the things that you would give up BEFORE you gave up using toilet paper and started using your left hand!!!

The Queen and the Dream

2007-11-08T10:55:00.001-06:00

Having a terrible dream, a queen feared for her husband’s life, for if the king were dead, the country might crumble. She sought answers in the stars, in the telling of dreams, and in signs.

She asked her favorite astrologer, “Will my husband live?” and he replied, “Yes, he will live.” So she was pleased.

But on his way back to the castle, the king’s parade inadvertently interfered with when a beggar cut across the path. In anger, the king kicked the poor man mercilessly. As the king beat him and cursed him, the lowly beggar asked the Lord, “Protect me, God.”

So a lightening bolt came out of the clear blue sky and struck the king dead. And the beggar was spared.

The queen, seeing in this a failure by her astrologer, had him killed. After all this had occurred, the country fell to its foe.

The Lord looks over all of His subjects and cares for them. But the weak and defenseless hold a special place to Him. Those who call out to the Lord shall find Him. And the powerful who defy the Lord shall find He destroys their line and all around them.

From India

2007-11-05T02:49:00.000-06:00

I have not posted in several days, because I left on Friday for Chennai, India, where we have our overseas office. This is my third time to Chennai, so I’m quite used to it, but I haven’t been during the rainy season. The streets are flooding, and it’s warm and humid. Which is so different than the rainless, hot, and humid days I’ve experienced in April when I’ve been here.

Anyway, my posts will be fewer for the next two weeks because of the fact that I’m working halfway around the world, and I'm working really long days. It is so interesting to be in the heart of the Hindu nation and to be working side by side with Hindus, Christians, and Muslims.

There are only two sights that are worth seeing here in Chennai, and one is quite interesting:

1. The Mylapore Temple - a beautiful painted temple with more than 10,000 Hindu statues on it.

2. The San Tome Cathedral - the cathedral in which the apostle Thomas (Doubting Thomas) was buried.

When Jesus sent the apostles forth to spread the Good News, Thomas was sent to India, and there is apparently a cave nearby where Thomas lived (I haven't seen it, and nobody has ever mentioned it except I read about it on a website once last year). Thomas was killed very near to the cathedral. His body was buried and marked by the Christian converts and when the cathedral was built, it was built over the place he was buried. His body has sense been moved to Rome.

Anyway, it’s amazing to be halfway around the world in a country that most people consider very non-Christian and to be in the same city where one of the twelve disciples was buried.

And it made me think of the doubt that we all sometimes experience. The times when we ask ourselves whether we truly believe in something real or if we just want it to be real so badly. I do believe in God and that Jesus was His son and the Messiah. But sometimes I find the logical part of my brain asking me tough questions to prove my beliefs. And that is difficult because faith is belief without proof.

India has actually given me a little bit of insight into this. When we send a project to our Chennai team, they often come back and say, "I have doubts." The first few times this happened, I worried that they meant they doubted whether they could do the project or not. Not true. What they meant was, "I have questions." But because of the way they are taught, they often substitute the word 'doubts' for 'questions.'

Doubts are perceived negatively, while questions are perceived as a positive part of our intellect. So perhaps when I worry about 'doubts' I have related to faith, maybe I ought to consider that 'questions' is a better way to look at the ideology and beliefs upon which my faith is founded.

The Ship in the Storm

2007-11-01T08:24:00.001-05:00

Two boats were upon the sea when a powerful storm blew up. The first boat was small and crewed by only one man. He fought to keep his boat righted in the storm, but it was his strength against the gale of the hurricane, and he was capsized by the waves.

The second boat had a full crew, all knowing and doing their jobs. They pulled down the sales and battened down each hatch. Despite the fury of the waves, they could not overcome the team of men. And when the storm had passed, not one man was lost.

So one man alone is not safe in a storm, but when surrounded by friends the full gale cannot reach him.

God wanted man to be surrounded in friendship, so He made for Adam a companion in Eve, and when He saw Adam and Eve together it was good. So too, the son gathered disciples to him, knowing that alone he would not accomplish his full mission after his death.

Even the sun is not meant to be alone, for it has gathered the planets to it.

In fellowship, a man is like a thick tree trunk that cannot be easily cut down.

The Right of Naming

2007-10-31T09:37:00.001-05:00

A man had a vision in which God visited him.

God said to the man, “In the beginning, I named Adam. Then I told Adam to name all the plants and animals. Today a father names his child, and a child names his dog.

“Until the child names it, that dog is merely a dog. But once named, it is the child’s dog. Until a baby is named by its father, it is merely a baby. But once named, the father has stamped the child as his.

“In the same way, I have named you, for you are mine. The name your father gave you is your earthly name, but that is not the name I gave you. Nor is your father’s earthly name the one that I gave to him.”

Then the man said to God, “Tell me my name, Lord.”

But God replied, “I will tell no one the name that I have given to them until men stop trying to name Me. For I do not belong to men. All of their names…Allah, God, Yahweh…are intended to possess Me. But I cannot be possessed. Even Moses wanted to know my name so that he too might possess Me. But I told him, ‘I AM who I AM.’ No man on earth and no angel in heaven can ever possess Me.

“Be at peace and know that I have named you. Do not worry about your name, and do not worry about My name. For both will be made known to you at the end.”

Be possessed by Him, but do not try to possess Him.

A Good Question from a Friend

2007-10-30T17:15:00.000-05:00

I had a friend ask me a question about my very first post, and I thought it was difficult to answer, but a wonderful issue to explore.

He wrote, "In your first post you touched on Jesus being baptized. I just read that the other day and it talks about the "Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him" do you read this that until then he did not have the spirit of god with him, on him? obviously this is when he started his ministry, and had lived the life of a carpenter prior, but was he really just a human who happened to be God's some conceived by the virgin mary before this point? just thoughts..."

This is one of those questions that can't be truly answered, so all I am doing is giving it my own shot, so here is my (condensed) response:

"It's true that this is the point at which Jesus begins his adult ministry. He did have some kind of ministry as a child, but we don't know a lot about it, or about the time in between.

I personally think that the point of the Spirit descending upon Jesus is the Lord being proud of his son for getting ready to do his duty. The voice of God speaks, and I think it's the only time in the New Testament that God speaks other than the visions in Revelation (I might be wrong on that), and God says, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." That's a statement you say when you are a proud father. How could there be any Father who was ever more proud of His son? So I think God was always with him, but at this point, His son was taking on the job that he had been created for. And the Lord saw that it was good."

I am of the opinion that Jesus was human. I could get into an argument over the trinity, but what does that ultimately accomplish. That's the problem we have faced in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam for centuries. We argue over the minutiae and ignore the big picture...that we are to worship the Lord God Almighty in all that we do, and that everything comes from Him.

I have a son, and although he is still only a toddler, he does things that make me so proud. But if he told me, as an adult, "Dad, it's time for me to do what the Lord has called me to do," I think I would fall down in praise and say, "This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

I know...pride can be a sin...but it doesn't have to be. Pride can also be a wellspring of joy.

Special thanks to my friend who asked me this wonderful question.

The Mountain and the Heart

2007-10-30T10:37:00.000-05:00

God uses the greatest amount of pressure, force, and time to create each mountain. Yet only the smallest forces are required to destroy it: wind, rain, and sand. Only God can create a mountain, and only He may destroy it.

But the barriers that we throw up in our hearts, we do so with the smallest amount of pressure and resistance, and in such short amounts of time. Yet it takes the greatest amount of force to tear those barriers down, because we are such stubborn people.

Be careful that you do not put up barriers to God, for though He can destroy them as easily as He can a mountain, you must come to God of your own accord.

The Father and His Three Sons

2007-10-29T14:24:00.000-05:00

A father had three sons. The firstborn honored his father, but he was stubborn and obstinate. The second had a good heart and loved his father, but he was easily led astray. The third was as loyal a son as any father has ever seen, but as a brother he was hateful and often cursed his own blood.

Many came to the man, saying, “You should cast out your stubborn and obstinate son,” or, “Stop allowing your wayward son to return to you,” or, “Your hateful son will be your downfall.”

But the father only replied, “They are my sons, and I love them all.”

Today's Post

2007-10-29T14:21:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'm going to post my next parable, and it does not come right out and say what it is about. My hope is that someone reading it will want to leave a comment about what they think it says. I know what is intended, but the power of a parable is that the reader (or the person who hears it), must interpret for him or herself.

So if you have a question about its meaning, or you want to see if you can decipher the meaning, please post a comment about it. I love reading comments!

The King and the Cobbler

2007-10-28T08:29:00.000-05:00

The king looks at his sons running around his feet and wonders, ‘Which one will kill me when I am old?’

The cobbler looks at his sons running around his feet and wonders, ‘Which one will care for me when I am old?’

The king wishes he were the cobbler, and the cobbler wishes he were a king.

Every man wishes for what he does not have. Very few wish for the right things.

The Bar Owner

2007-10-27T15:53:00.000-05:00

A man owned a bar, and each day many people would visit to drink his beer and to enjoy themselves.

But each day a small group of people would gather outside the bar and hurl insults at the man. “You wicked man!” they would yell. “The people who come here might drink your beer and become drunk.”

The bar owner would greet the mockers kindly and invite them in, saying, “Come in and see for yourself. Have a taste of the beer I have to offer. I think you might enjoy it.”

“Never,” the crowd would respond in protest, then walk away. Each day this happened, and each day the result was the same.

Until the end of his days, the Bar Owner was surrounded by many friends. Though a few became drunk and uncontrollable, most drank in moderation and were friendly with their brothers.

But the crowd of mockers were never happy. They remained miserable each day the bar was open out of fear that they might become drunk on his beer.

The Two Fields of Corn

2007-10-26T08:33:00.000-05:00

Two farmers had fields next to one another, both full of corn stalks.

One farmer feared that his stalks of corn would be broken if the local children played in his field, so he took great measures to frighten them and yell at them so that they stayed away from his land.

The other farmer enjoyed watching the children play, so he encouraged them to play amongst his corn, even though they would sometimes break a stalk or two.

When it came time to harvest, the farmer who had frightened the children away found that most of his crop had been picked clean by crows and by vermin.

The farmer who had encouraged the children to play in his field, however, had a beautiful crop. The playing children had frightened all the birds and rats away. With nowhere else to go, they had gone into the other farmer’s field.

The farmer who befriended the children was doubly blessed, because of the great crop he reaped, as well as for the many hours he had been granted watching the children at play.

He who shuns the Lord’s children shall be cursed, while he who invites them in shall be doubly blessed.

Make Straight the Path of the Lord

2007-10-25T13:06:00.000-05:00

I had not told my wife that I had started this blog, because I was afraid that she would either be embarrassed by my actions or think I was crazy. Sometimes I worry that I am crazy.

But today at lunch I told her and she gave me some sage advice. She said, "I don't know if you're truly God-inspired or if you just have a really good way of writing down religious thoughts in a way that's reminiscent of the way Jesus spoke. Maybe it's both. But either way, if you're going to do this, do it with some humility."

First off, I was relieved that she wasn't embarrassed or irritated. But second, she touched on the whole reason I waited so long to even start posting these parables. I too wonder whether I am God-inspired or whether I can just write in this style. I am afraid that I will be perceived as a crazy person who had some delusion of grandeur of being the second coming of Christ, when that couldn't be further from the truth.

John the Baptist was "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" (Matthew 3:3).

Isn't this what we are all called to do? We are told to be ready at all times. Well, I know that I am not. I fall short, but as I struggle in my efforts to prepare the way for the Lord, I think this is one of the ways I am meant to do so.

I am not crazy. And I do not know why or from where my inspiration comes. All that I have comes from God, so I can take no pride in my words for they too come from the Lord.

The Thief in the House of Sin

2007-10-25T09:25:00.000-05:00

Each man, like a thief, will enter the house of sin. But tread lightly, for in this house, the occupants will rush out to greet you if they hear your footsteps. They will take you deeper into the house, loading you up with all the treasures they can find, and they will make your burden so heavy that it will be very hard for you to ever leave.

But if you are quiet, and you go unnoticed, you can exit the house in stealth, having realized that there was never actually anything of real value to be found.

The Parable of the Beautiful Song

2007-10-24T10:56:00.000-05:00

Three men were sitting together listening to some music. Suddenly, the most beautiful song they had ever heard began to play.

The first man thought, “This song is so gorgeous, it reminds me of the love I have for my wife.” So he got up and went home to see her.

The second man thought, “This song is so lovely, it reminds me of the love I have for my children.” So he got up at once and went off to see them.

The third man thought, “This song is so glorious, it reminds me of the love God has for me.” So he got up at once and set off to share it with anyone who would listen.