Journey of Joy

Financial Resources

2012-01-28T14:29:00.000+01:00

Finances are the third resource after time and energy. Some may consider money to be the most important or even the only resource, but they are mistaken. Money is actually the least valuable in the sense that it is the most easily renewed. When all your money is spent, a simple investment of time and energy can again provide for your needs with some left over for others. In a wealthy society,

Energy

2011-08-28T23:40:00.000+02:00

After time, the second most important resource we have is energy. Where does our energy come from? It is generated by the food we eat; but efficient use of that energy depends on our physical and emotional well being. If we simply eat without training our body and mind to use and focus the energy properly, much of it is wasted or at least inaccessible. The really interesting thing about energy is

A walk in the garden

2011-08-04T23:46:00.000+02:00

Time is definitely the hardest thing to manage because no mater how many times I try to reorganize my time, it actually changes very little. There are always demands on our time that seem impossible to minimize no mater how little value we place on them. And in talking to retired people, they seem to be much busier now than when they had a job. Some of this is a matter of perspective. For

Time as a resource

2011-07-21T19:25:00.000+02:00

An evaluation of resources: I plan to discuss, in the next 4 or 5 posts, the concept of what some might call 'stewardship' but really it is just using well what each of us have at our disposal. Stewardship concepts that deal only with finances are sorely missing out on the true richness of the resources available to us. I will save environmental issues for another time, but 'stewardship' also

US ministry assignment

2011-01-13T03:57:00.001+01:00

This is our working calendar for our US ministry assignment. Please remember that our purpose during this time is to reconnect with families and churches who have invested in us through prayer and/or financial gifts. We also want to challenge people to learn about what God is doing around the world and be involved in His kingdom work on a daily basis. We believe that God will call some of the

Faithfulness

2010-08-12T14:02:00.000+02:00

Faithfulness is a playful interaction between the past, present and future. Let me explain: If I make a promise to you today then it is because I see the completion of that promise to be beneficial to both of us. But when I look back at that promise at some point in the future, I must make a decision to honor my promise or not. When I made the promise I was postulating that I would still see the

More power to government?

2010-04-17T16:58:00.001+02:00

Now, what happens when government is given too much power? Generally speaking, there appear to be 3 main types of government in modern societies with some variations. The most oppressive may be the dictatorship. This type of government depends almost entirely on one man who has come into power either through inheritance, popularity, or force. His position and the controlling force of his

What is good government?

2010-03-10T22:48:00.002+01:00

What are the responsibilities of government in a balanced model? Remember that we need a balance between the family, the church and the government. Each group is integral to the whole and serves a distinct function while supporting the other groups. The primary role of representational government is that of protecting the rights of the individual. There is a very basic code of laws which is a

Democracy and Government

2010-03-10T19:11:00.001+01:00

It is an interesting time to look at the role of government because of what is happening in the US under the Obama administration. I don't really want to take political sides, just look at the tendencies of different perspectives and their effect on society as a whole. There are 2 pervading views in a democratic society. One is that the government acts as representatives of the people, based on

Monotheism - all for one?

2010-02-24T22:53:00.001+01:00

Now for a quick comparison of the monotheistic religions. I want to do this to highlight differences in the belief systems and especially the differences in the societal outcomes of the Jewish, Muslim and Christian faiths. It is often falsely assumed that these religions are really essentially the same because they hold as a primary tenant the worship of one God and recognize Abraham as the '

The role of the church

2010-02-16T12:54:00.001+01:00

Let's focus our attention now on the church. But there are actually 3 questions to discuss here: What is church? Is it a necessary part of a healthy society? If it is necessary, then what is its role and how do we distinguish it from the roles of family and government? Religion has been a part of every human society since the beginning of time. This signifies an apparent need for belief in

Society - Haiti

2010-01-30T22:33:00.003+01:00

As I consider the natural disaster in Haiti this month, several things come to mind. Most of the e-mails I have received focus on the desperation of the people without any means of helping or supporting themselves, the terrible loss of life (and miraculous rescues) and the huge response of the global community in sending food and help. There have also been reports of people arriving with nothing

The family and society

2010-01-24T18:11:00.005+01:00

So let's think about this model a little more. Maybe the family circle is the best one to begin with. This is actually the foundational building block of any society because it is the first set of relationships that any individual has. Those relationships, for good or bad, influence the character and the values of the person during the most impressionable time of their life; and this influence

Society part 1

2010-01-13T23:40:00.001+01:00

I've been thinking a bit about society as a whole during the Christmas vacation - what makes it work and what leads to collapse. It is interesting that the 10 commandments actually lay out rules for a healthy society, one that honors God first, parents/family second, and then others. A Ven Diagram is a good visual tool for teaching and we could use it here. Think of 3 large circles which

A picture of a tree

2009-11-23T09:36:00.001+01:00

“All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree.” Albert Einstein And what is the name of that tree? That is the real question. When I imagine this tree, I see a bright, full, strong tree growing beside a river. It is set apart from others, having privileged access to the water, its roots

Merry Christmas!

2009-01-06T19:40:00.001+01:00

Here's is what Simeon said when he saw the baby Jesus for the first time: Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples... There was nothing else in the world worth looking forward to, nothing else that Simeon could have needed - only Jesus. He is the answer to

assumptions of faith

2007-12-08T15:54:00.000+01:00

Everywhere I look there are people debating the existence of God. Many discussion boards have some faith related topic as well. And though many posts are not worth anyone's time or energy, there are a few interesting thoughts. So, since I haven't written here in a while let me respond to one of them:"And while the object of faith is not logical, faith itself is an evolutionary byproduct that is

Fractured Education

2007-07-31T13:59:00.000+02:00

One of my goals this summer is to catch up on the reading that I never can get to during the school year. Part of that, of course, is current events. It is amazing to see how inconsistent people can be in their ideas and it shows up at all levels of society. Probably it is related to pervasive postmodern culture which has no problem with conflicting "truths" all being true. The obvious result is,

Silas walking

2007-06-13T11:13:00.000+02:00

From his first steps, back in April, there has been a huge change in his security and stability. Yesterday he was pushing his stroller around on the grass. But he still can't do steps going up or down. Running isn't too far off though! He loves to carry things too. The other day he had a big ball and a water bottle in his hands and a coaster in his mouth. Sometimes he picks up things that are

Walk with me

2006-10-19T11:43:00.000+02:00

I enjoy very much my walks with my dog after a long day of teaching. He is so excited to see me when I get home, whining and following me around the house until I'm changed and ready to go. Sometimes I play or run with him, but usually he's content to just walk and mostly do his own thing as long as I'm not too far away. If I change direction during the walk, I give him a quick signal and he

Thoughts on Freedom

2006-10-07T15:42:00.000+02:00

I was watching "King Arthur" a while back, with Richard Gere and Sean Connery and was again impressed by the misconception of what "freedom" means and how the falacy is consistently taught by the media. When I think of freedom, I think of the ability to interact with people and inpact each other's lives because there are commonalities in our language and personal experiences. These "limits"

A Journey (looking back)

2006-10-07T15:37:00.000+02:00

Paul went to Spain in 1998 and, because I was single, I used the title “Paul’s Journeys” for my newsletters. I liked it a lot because it made a reference in my mind to the great apostle Paul and his famous missionary journeys described in the book of Acts. That Paul also had a dream of going to Spain (see Romans 15:22-24) and may have gotten there; although, we can’t be sure. So, if he was not

What is a journey?

2006-10-07T13:16:00.000+02:00

What is a journey?It's more than a destination, this is an enjoyment of the process of moving from one place to another over a long period of time and the revelations and decisions along the way. It's having a goal in mind and being surprised, furious, perplexed, and delighted at various stages. It's coming to a new understanding of yourself, your world and eternal purposes with each new step.