GO

Now an angel of the Lord said 

To Philip, 

"Go south to the road - 

The desert road - 

That goes down 

From Jerusalem to Gaza."

And that, 

Apparently, 

Was all the angel told him: 

Which road,

Which direction. 

And Philip 

Started 

Out.

(ACTS 8: 26-7)

HOLY SPIRIT

I grew up attending worship, Sunday school, and youth group at the local United Methodist Church, within walking distance of our house on East Hendricks Street. I spent many hours at First UMC, week after week and year after year, until I went off to college.

In all that time, I never really heard anything about the Holy Spirit. 

Sure, the Spirit got a weekly mention in the Doxology:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him all creatures here below,
Praise Him above ye heavenly host,
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Otherwise, the Third Person of the Trinity didn't get much air time. 

I don't think my church was unusual in this respect. It has been my experience that churches will invoke the Trinity at baptisms and communion, and may even acknowledge Pentecost one Sunday each spring, but otherwise they avoid talking about the Holy Spirit.

Even the occasional sermon on the "fruit of the Spirit" will focus more on the fruit and less on the role of the Holy Spirit in bringing about the fruit.

Why is that?

I am currently reading - very slowly - through the book of Acts. 

And it seems like getting filled with the Holy Spirit is kind of a big deal. 

LEARNING

At the moment I find myself on a steep learning curve. I am reading books and listening to podcasts every spare moment. All for the sake of my new role with Mission Resource International.

And I am loving it.

I am studying how to write copy for advertisements in print or email. Exploring ways to optimize websites and utilize social media. And even reading up on the history of fertilizer.*

I used to tell my 8th graders that it was a fact that they enjoyed learning. They loudly protested such an idea, of course. 

Then I would say, "I said LEARNING, not schooling." 

When we have an interest in something and can see its usefulness, the act of learning becomes indistinguishable from play. 

____________________________

* Later I will explain the use for this. The book I am reading is called The Alchemy of Air by Thomas Hager. I am not yet halfway through it, but I recommend it, especially if you have interests in both science and history. It even has a Hitler angle to it! Go figure.

IT WOULD NOT BE RIGHT?

One of my professors raised a question about an incident recorded in the book of Acts. Chapter 6 records the early church's first ongoing service project to the community: the daily feeding of widows. 

This resulted in another first: the first known church squabble. 

The Hebraic Jews were feeding their own widows but neglecting to feed those among the Grecian Jews. The Grecian Jews complained. 

So the Apostles pulled everyone together and made arrangements for seven men to be chosen to take charge of the ministry.  

The Apostles instituted this because, they said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables."

And that line, verse 2 of Acts 6, is what generated my professor's question. Most theologians assume that this is a straightforward note on how the early church sought to organize itself by differentiating roles.

But what if the Apostles are in the wrong here? They sidestep the conflict by not rebuking the Hebraic Jews! And their "solution" looks like a bit of pride. What kind of example are they setting? 

"We've got more important things to do than feed widows!"

I think the question of whether this was actually a bad move by the Apostles has merit. For one thing, it doesn't sound at all like Jesus. It feels like he would simply command those in charge to do right. And then he would pitch in with serving lunch.

And also, take a look at two of the seven chosen to wait on the tables since the Apostles were too busy: Stephen and Philip.

Stephen gets the rest of Chapter 6 and all of Chapter 7 devoted to his "miraculous signs" and powerful preaching (which gets him killed).

And Philip is the star of Chapter 8 with his own miracles and his successful evangelistic efforts.

At the very least, these two men were better than the Apostles at multitasking.

PROSOPAGNOSIA

Being a modern American male, I have diagnosed myself via the internet for a condition I would never see a doctor about. And I am confident of my diagnosis.

(Although I have a relatively mild case.)

I have Prosopagnosia.

And I am not alone. Prosopagnosia is estimated to afflict 1 out of every 50 human beings.

The common term is Face Blindness and it is the "inability to recognize or differentiate faces". It's a brain disorder.

I am only half joking about diagnosing myself with Prosopagnosia. I definitely have a harder time than most people in recognizing faces.

You often hear "I might not recall your name, but I never forget a face". 

I forget both.

During many social interactions, I find myself wondering "have I met you before?" or "how do I know you?" 

Pair this with my weak memory, and it can really add to my social anxiety.

Here's a recent example: On a particular Sunday morning this past December, I was introduced to two gentlemen at church who expressed interest in joining the men's small group I am leading. One of these guys walked away to greet someone else, but I spoke to the other for about five minutes. I told both of them that we would be restarting the group after the holidays and I got their names and phone numbers. 

So I have been in contact with them by texting, but if I have seen them in passing on the Sunday mornings since our conversation, I have not recognized them or greeted them.

I seriously don't remember what either man looks like.

So I imagine they have both smiled at me at church and I have walked right past them without acknowledging them. Or asking how they are doing. Or inviting them again to join our group.

And they probably think I am a jerk.

I'm not a jerk. And I am not uncaring.

I have Prosopagnosia. And there's no cure.

(Now I just have to figure out how to pronounce it.) 

DEVOTIONS

I don't want to name any names, so I will just say it is "a currently famous pastor". 

This guy is cranking out podcasts on "leadership", and I listened to a couple the other day. 

Before I say anything more, I will confess that I have a bias against this guy. My gut doesn't like him. A little too smooth and not very deep, that's my general impression. 

(I could be wrong.)

These particular podcasts caught my attention because his subject was habit formation. 

On the front end he gave credit to Charles Duhigg and James Clear for their research and their books on the topic, but he really should have sprinkled the credit throughout his entire teaching because it was ALL stuff I had read in Duhigg and Clear with only the smallest of variations. 

But what really bothered me was that in all his talk of good habits leaders should develop, there was virtually no mention of spiritual disciplines. Sure, he had some nice ideas - like developing a habit of writing notes of appreciation daily - but where was prayer? Where was fasting? Where was Scripture?

The only mention of a spiritual habit was a quick run down of his morning routine: something like "I shower, I have breakfast, I do my devotions, then I kiss my wife and head to work". 

"Do devotions"? That struck me as odd, at least for a nationally known pastor. 

"Doing devotions" has the connotation of sitting down with a "Guideposts" magazine devotional for five minutes. Am I wrong?

Just my opinion, but pastors worth their salt do not "do devotions". They "study Scripture" and they pray. 

What do you think? Is that a too casual way to refer to something which should be central to a pastor's role? Or is this just my confirmation bias looking for something to criticize about this guy?

BLESSED?

A man returning from a short term mission trip to Haiti said, "It made me realize how incredibly blessed I am". 

I have heard similar things from others. It's a common reaction to visiting the third world.

But it misses the mark.

I would have no problem hearing, "I realized how wealthy I am." 

"How comfortable I am."

"How much security I have."

In fact, every one of those insights would be worthy of applause even. Perhaps these are what the man meant to say. 

But when we say "how blessed we are here in the U.S.", our language reveals a misguided and unbiblical feeling in our gut: that material wealth is a sign of God's favor. 

Here are two major points about wealth and poverty we must always keep in mind:

1) Material wealth can be as much a curse as a blessing. 

    Jesus said, "How difficult it is for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of heaven"! 

    And he asked, "What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?" 

2) There is more than one way to be poor. 

    Americans, with our abundance of possessions, tend to be poor in relationships. 

    And since the Bible frames the whole meaning of life in terms of relationship - "Love God with all you've got and love your neighbor too" - to be poor relationally is more dire than being poor materially. 

The sweet spot would be to become rich both financially AND relationally. 😉

(Of course, if you truly hit that sweet spot, most of those financial riches would be funneled toward the many people you care deeply about, close to home and around the world.)

REDUCTION

In a way, my adult life has been a struggle against the temptation to reduce faith. To make it something less than God intended. Less than the Scriptures describe. 

• Accepting Christ instead of KNOWING Christ.
• Living a comfortable life rather than an ABUNDANT life.
• Substituting being nice for being LIKE Christ.
• Settling for the hope of a distant heaven when I should be building the KINGDOM of heaven here and now. 

Whenever I consciously expand my definition of Christian faith, rather than reduce it, I find life more enjoyable. 

More exciting.  

More fulfilling. 

C.S. Lewis wrote, "It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

PRAY FOR THE EASY PREY

I got a reminder over the weekend that I need to redouble my prayers for my four kids, three at college and one in high school.

I have a theory as to why the teenage years are so difficult: This is the stage of life where Satan throws every conceivable temptation your direction. Alcohol. Drugs. Lust. Vanity. Dishonesty. Greed. Laziness. Self-centeredness.  

And then he watches and takes notes on which sin trips you up. 

If he's lucky, he finds a couple. 

Once he finds a sticky sin or two, he throws all his efforts into sugar-coating them. Makes them easy to swallow. One bite at a time.

If he can send you into your twenties with one or two "besetting sins", he can rest easy, knowing most of his work is complete. 

So pray for the young people in your life. Satan prowls around like a lion, looking for someone to devour. 

And the young always make the easiest prey.

WEEKENDS

Here is one way to know when you are not really enjoying your job: you look forward to Friday all week long and as soon as Friday afternoon hits, you start fretting over how fast a weekend passes. 

If you love your work, there's no reason to dread Monday morning. If you find your job challenging (in a good way) as well as fulfilling, weekends seem longer. Saturday and Sunday are more relaxed. More enjoyable.

I am grateful to be able to say that I am in a much better place than I was two months ago. 

My weekends are good again.

A BARGAIN

What costs $61,000 in the U.S. but only $250 in Ghana, Africa?

The creation of a new job. 

In the U.S. that $61,000 is needed to cover salary, health insurance, and training.*

In Ghana, that $250 is enough to fund a shopping trip to the city to get a beginning inventory of fresh fruits and vegetables to sell to neighbors close to home. Or plant a garden. Or purchase some chickens for breeding. 

But here’s the catch: Finding $250 readily available in Ghana is tougher than finding $61,000 in the U.S. 

Much tougher.

And here’s something we need to keep in mind: Ghana, like much of the “third world”, is a land of entrepreneurs.

But the people are not hoping to “become their own bosses” because they are tired of working for someone else. 

They need to create their own jobs because there is no one else to work for. The Ghanaian entrepreneurs looking to feed, clothe, and educate their families have never seen a “Now Hiring” sign.

(Officially, Ghana’s unemployment rate is reported as 13.4%**. But friends on the ground say it has to be over 33% in reality.)

Nor do they have the means to  take out a loan from some local bank. Or even borrow from friends or family, who tend to be just as poor. 

So where in the world can people get the $250 or so to create their own job?

That’s why I am excited to be working with Mission Resource International now. MRI makes microloans available to individuals and businesses, mainly in Ghana at the moment. I believe this organization is poised to make a world of difference.

__________

P.S. Everything I have written here about Ghana is true for Haiti as well, except the unemployment rate in Haiti is even higher. If it is God's will, I hope to have a hand in bringing similar MRI ministries to Haiti.

* Source: Opensesame.com

** Source: Ghana unemployment rate

UNKNOWN NUMBER

When my phone rings and the number on the display is unknown to me, 99 times out of 100 I am about to hear how the warranty on my vehicle has expired, my social security number has been "suspended", or how hard a credit card company has been trying to reach me. 

But 1 time out of 100 it is a graduate of Cap-Haitien Christian School who tracked down my cell number to call on a random Thursday evening to express thanks to Melissa and me.

I am glad I answered the call. 

TOO SERIOUS

Fresh out of college, I worked as a youth pastor for two United Methodist churches in northwest Iowa. My roommate, Ray, was a funny little guy who worked as a youth pastor at a different church. 

To my shame I must admit that Ray was further along in his faith and more intentional about discipling the youth in his care.

I realized this when he received a complaint from a parent - mom was upset that her high school aged son, under Ray's guidance, was "taking his faith too seriously". 

At the time I thought it was an odd complaint. 

Thirty years later, and now a parent of a teenager myself, I don't find it odd really. 

More like "horrifying".

At dinner tonight, Sarah (newly 15!) told us something her mother and I were unaware of. Her friend Lily had given her a Scripture memory device as a birthday gift. It consists of 52 Scripture verses on magnetic cards and a display holder. 

A verse a week to learn by heart.

A bit surprised, we challenged her. And Sarah rattled off the first two verses from memory.

She says she now often rehearses the passages internally as she navigates the hectic hallways at school.

Can you imagine feeling anything but thrilled and grateful to hear something like that from your teenage daughter? 

I can't. 

She is taking her faith seriously, thank the Lord!

And thank the Lord for strong, godly friends.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

When Paul says (in Philippians 3:8) "I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things", his idea of "knowing" Jesus is most similar to 

A) The way we might "know" a movie star - We are familiar with her work from a distance.

B) The way we might "know" a Starbucks barista - We know his name, greet him daily, and wish him well. 

C) The way we might "know" an old high school friend on Facebook - We see her updates now and then and are willing to pray for her when she specifically asks for it.

D) The way we "know" our best friends/spouses/children - We love them, we arrange our schedules to spend time with them, we respect their viewpoint, and we delight in serving their desires whenever possible. 

What if it is a trick question? What if Paul "knew" Jesus in a way even deeper and more intimate than we experience with Option D, at its best?

What if that way of "knowing" Jesus is available to us?  

Is it?

EYES THAT DO NOT SEE

Following up on yesterday's post:

Since Confirmation Bias keeps us from seeing the truth of a situation, is it what Jesus is talking about in the 13th chapter of Matthew?

Immediately after Jesus shares the parable of the seed that is scattered in four places (path, rocky soil, among thorns, and good soil), the disciples ask Jesus the point of speaking in parables:

10Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do You speak to the people in parables?”

11He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13This is why I speak to them in parables:

‘Though seeing, they do not see;

though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’

14In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled:

‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;

you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

15For this people’s heart has grown callous;

they hardly hear with their ears,

and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,

understand with their hearts,

and turn, and I would heal them.’

16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 

The Pharisees of Jesus' day had the worst case of Confirmation Bias in all of recorded human history. They were convinced that Jesus could not possibly be the Messiah and so everything they heard and witnessed was put through that filter. 

If Jesus forgave someone's sins, he was "blaspheming". If he cast out a demon, he did it through the power of Satan. Etc.

There was literally nothing that he could say or do that could reach them.

So I am left with this question: How do we overcome our own confirmation bias? 

Is that something that only the power of the Holy Spirit can break through? Or can we combat our own bias?

If we CAN combat our own confirmation bias, it starts with the awareness that we ARE susceptible. 

IT'S EVERYWHERE

Confirmation Bias.

It begins with the human tendency to assume we are right. From there we seek out or accept only evidence that supports our belief. (That's where the "confirmation" comes in.) Furthermore, we reject or ignore any evidence that would run counter to our belief.

A common example is your belief that you always pick the wrong line at the grocery store check out. You don't pay attention to all the times your line moves quickly towards the cashier. No, but you DO notice the relatively few times you find yourself regretting your choice. THOSE times catch your attention and you find yourself thinking, "I ALWAYS pick the wrong line!" 

But Confirmation Bias is everywhere. And in everyone. 

It is tricky because it is easy to see in others (once you are aware of the concept). But nearly impossible to detect in ourselves.

It explains a lot of the most puzzling human behaviors, decisions and attitudes.

For instance - the power of first impressions. It is common knowledge - and experience - that first impressions (formed within 30 seconds or less, some say) are extremely sticky. But why should they be?

It's because of Confirmation Bias. We make a judgment about this new acquaintance - positive or negative - and then instantly set our minds to looking for confirming evidence while ignoring contradicting evidence.

We fool ourselves about how logical and intuitive and perceptive we are.  

Look for Confirmation Bias and you will see it EVERYWHERE. 

PRAISE?

"You're never gonna let me down."

Bob Vila's website posted a list of products that have been around and getting positive reviews for over a hundred years.

Included on the list:

• Bissell Vacuums
• Radio Flyer Wagons
• Sherwin-Williams Paint
• Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
• Colgate Toothpaste
• Rit Dye
• Burpee Seeds
• Carhartt Bib Overalls
• John Deer Lawn Tractors

If any of these products needed a new commercial jingle, it would be appropriate to include the words "You're never gonna let me down". 

But there's something about "You're never gonna let me down" being sung as part of a "praise" song to the God of the Universe that really gets under my skin. 

Do we not understand who serves Whom?

USURPED

The Tragedy of American Compassion by Marvin Olasky is a history of charity in this country.

From the earliest days of our founding, a certain segment of the population found themselves enduring hard times and in need of material assistance.

Christians were first on the scene to help and the consensus was that aid was good and necessary, but too much help was detrimental. Also, they knew intrinsically that true aid required relationships and time.

Flashforward to present day America. Most of the aid given to the poor in modern times comes by way of the government and its various programs. Although it isn't entirely unusual to see Christians host soup kitchens and school supply giveaways, many churches don't have a significant charitable impact on their communities. Certainly not to the extent the government does.

I had always assumed the church had abdicated its God-given role of serving the poor.

But that's not what happened. Olasky documents in detail the pressure government entities placed on society over the years to control and expand care of the poor. 

The church didn't abdicate its role in serving the poor - the government usurped it. 

As the church had supported the poor financially for decades, the real power was in the relationships. "Love your neighbor as yourself."

If there is one thing that government is utterly incapable of ... it's meaningful relationships. 

I CLICKED ON A HEADLINE AND YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT I READ!

Some of the (unintentionally) funniest and most insincere writing on the internet can be found behind those outrageous headlines that pop up all over the internet like dandelions.

The term is "clickbait".

Google serves me up a new batch every day. Sometimes I give in. I tell myself that my real curiosity isn't about the supposed "story". No, my curiosity is about how distant that story is from the headline. 

But in reality, it's probably 50/50.

My recent favorite is "Disney alters a Muppet classic and Fans are Outraged!"

 Yes, the algorithm knows I like Kermit the Frog. And, yes, I clicked on that headline to see the story.

The alteration? Disney digitally erased the metal rods the puppeteers used to move Muppet arms. 

The outrage? The author cited two commenters on Twitter who said, in essence, "That's pointless. Part of the fun of the Muppets is knowing they are puppets."

This is somebody's job.

Human beings are endlessly fascinating. 

WHY IT WORKS

Quick recap of yesterday's post: a bad snacking habit started over the holidays, adding ten pounds of fat. I first tried to reverse this trend through willpower and vague goals before I remembered my habit training. Yesterday, I committed in the morning to a reasonable number of snacks for the day, gathered those items together and placed them on the work desk in front of me. Then I simply paced myself throughout the day and resisting grabbing extras from the kitchen. 

Result: success. I even ate a bit less than I had given myself permission. 

Here are a few reasons why it works:

1. The fewer choices my brain needs to make, the happier it is. (The same is true of your brain.) This is the very nature of habit formation: the brain finds something that works and repeats it. It's easier on my brain to make one decision in the morning than to keep revisiting the snack problem throughout the day, making a new decision each time that urge to snack creeps back into my head.

2. Maybe this is why the researchers say willpower is like a muscle. It is strong early and weakens as time wears on. I made a single commitment early in the day and then made it easy for myself to stick to it later by having a limited amount of sweets right there within reach.

3. Because willpower is a weak force, attempts at quitting anything cold turkey results in a high failure rate. I didn't even attempt to quit ALL sugary snacks after spending weeks consuming Christmas cookies. 

4. Nevertheless, there is a great desire within us to be consistent. If I make a big commitment ("From this day forward, ZERO sugar!") and fail, it hits my self image hard. (Which is likely to send me to a bowl of ice cream!) On the other hand, if I make a reasonable and measurable commitment in the morning ("Today I will not eat more sweets than these two cookies and a handful of Skittles."), I am likely to succeed and that feels great and will propel me positively toward another success tomorrow.

5. Maybe you've noticed this for yourself, but snacking isn't always about hunger. In fact, for me it is RARELY about hunger. Mostly it is a desire for a break from boredom. By keeping my few snacks at my desk, I interrupt my mindless rummaging in kitchen cabinets. That gives me time to examine my true motives and find some non-food-related way to assuage any boredom. 

******

So where do I go from here? Well, I do it again tomorrow. And THEN ... the great part about starting small is that success breeds success. In a few days I might decide that I could cut back to just one sugary snack each day. (Which would then put me in a much easier place to cut out ALL sugar, if I so desire.) Or down the road I may commit to using the snack urge as a reminder to do some push-ups.

This means that any habit, given a small, consistent start, could grow into a future-altering LIFESTYLE. 

BEATING THE SNACKING HABIT

Ten extra pounds. I padded my mid-section with ten extra pounds over the holiday season.

True, on a 6'3" frame the extra pounds are not immediately noticeable to other people.

But I can see it AND feel it. And I don't like it. 

But I am a compulsive snacker.

I pledged to myself on December 26th that I was going to reverse this weight gain trend. The main culprit was pretty obvious: extra sweets were in abundance for weeks on end. At school, the final few days were punctuated by pitch-ins and Christmas cookies and donuts. At home, Melissa was making buckets full of holiday snack mix that I can't resist*, plus buckeyes and cinnamon rolls. Friends gave more cookies and biscotti as gifts. 

AFTER Christmas, when I first made my pledge, there were all the leftovers, not to mention the dark chocolate truffles and other goodies that had filled my stocking.

So I failed.

My next opportunity was my week in Mississippi. I thought, "Surely now that I am away from all the leftover goodies, I will get back on track with healthier eating."

But there were complications. Melissa made an extra big helping of the snack mix and a whole lot of muddy buddies to take along to share with our hosts. Plus, one of the professors delighted in preparing incredible lunches for the students, complete with irresistible desserts. The table right outside the classroom was heaped with a perpetual supply of cake, cookies, and donuts. 

Once I got home, Hannah asked me to make one more batch of the snack mix for her to take back to college. I gladly obliged and held back an entire bowlful for myself. 

Yesterday I recommitted myself to reigning in my snacking. After all, I am working from home now, so I better start exercising some willpower!

Then Grandma Trudy dropped off some brownies. 

I ate at least four. And snack mix. And a handful of Whoppers from a full box that Samuel left behind when he returned to Ball State.

It makes me feel gross, but I keep snacking. ("I'm the one doing it and I don't know why!")

Today, finally, I put to good use what I have learned from my study of habits. And my snacking habit was broken immediately.

It was simple: This morning I decided what would be a REASONABLE amount of sweets to eat in a day's time. I gathered those FEW items and put them on the back corner of my desk where I would be working all day.

Here's what I grabbed:

Six Whoppers, a small(ish) bowl of muddy buddies and ONE brownie. I told myself this was it for the day and I would just have to pace myself. 

You may have trouble believing that this worked - that it could be this easy. But it did and it was. In fact, I didn't finish the muddy buddies. 

Tomorrow I will explain why this was successful. 

*******************************************

*Melissa, by the way, didn't add a single pound over Christmas. Early in 2021, for health reasons she eliminated gluten, dairy and eggs among other foods from her own diet. She has had amazing self-control throughout the year, including the holidays. She is down over 35 pounds since this time last year!

JUST A THOUGHT

Somewhere recently I heard someone say ... or I read it, maybe ... that the human brain is built for generating ideas but not so much for holding onto them. 

Or something like that. 

I DON'T KNOW WHY

"Good morning! You know what? I do this every morning."

He was leaving the gas station convenience store. I was pumping gas. 

I felt compelled to ask the question he wanted: "Do what?"

He stopped walking and lifted the plastic bag in his hand. "Buy two big cans of cheap beer. Better than coffee to start a morning!"

And just like that, he shared his greatest burden with a complete stranger.

"You know what else?" He stood where he had stopped. 

"What's that?"

A broad smile swept across his face. "I don't know why I do it!" It was like he had told a joke. "I am the one doing it, but I don't know why."

I don't think there is anything I could have said that would have made a difference, but I still feel guilty for not saying SOMETHING as he turned and walked towards his vehicle.

God help him. I hope he is able to put a name to it some day. 

Without naming a thing, there is little hope of exercising authority over it.

GUIDANCE

I committed a year ago to daily writing and posting here. The purpose was to become a better writer. I think that happened - to a limited extent.

To move forward from here, I have decided I need to learn directly from more experienced guides. 

So Amazon had two professor-recommended books waiting for me when I arrived home today and I am looking forward to digging in.

My spiritual life has some similarities. What I am enjoying so much about my current studies is the opportunity to come under the guidance of authors and professors who are so much further along in their spiritual walks. 

What has become natural to them is to me today's growing edge. 

There is much to be learned from those further down the path. 

OUR WEEK AT WESLEY ENDS

Wesley Biblical Seminary is small, but mighty. My week here in Jackson, Mississippi has matched and exceeded my high expectations. 

Sarah came with me for the week and we were hosted by our friends and fellow missionaries in Haiti, the Ayars family. 

Matt is now the president of WBS and is doing a fantastic job by all accounts. 

The professors are sharp thinkers and Godly men. My classmates are also outstanding and the week on campus gave me an opportunity to better know them and the teachers. 

As the week ends, my heart and my brain are full.

I have much to ponder as Sarah and I head back to Indiana tomorrow. 

GRATEFUL

Ten years ago, as we were preparing to move our family to Haiti, my mom found an opportunity monthly to pull me aside to voice some new objection. 

It was usually something she was certain I had not thought through.

My favorite was this one: "You do remember that you have children, right?"

I understand, of course, that this was born of a grandmother's concern for the safety of her grandchildren. 

I only wish I could show her now what an incredibly positive impact Haiti had on our children - their characters, their values, and their faith. 

Even if there was nothing else gained beyond this*, I wouldn't trade our time in Haiti for all the riches in the world. 

* There was plenty else gained - for us, the families we served, and the Kingdom. 

REDUCTION

Today I completed a three month meander through the gospel of Matthew during my morning Scripture reading. It has been incredibly edifying for my faith - daily I have seen things that had never before struck me as significant.

And with my new perspective, I am left with a true head-scratcher. 

You know, I am sure, that Matthew ends his account with what we call The Great Commission, the last words Jesus says to his disciples before his ascension to heaven: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Baptism is how Jesus's ministry got rolling back in chapter 3. John the Baptist's message was simply "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near". Jesus then spent three YEARS teaching his commands to his disciples and crowds in public, day in and day out. 

So, that's our reference point for The Great Commission, right?

So here's the puzzle: How in the world did evangelism become an activity separated from the whole process of making disciples?

CAN'T SHAKE IT

I am anxious to start my new work when I return to Indiana after my classes end on Friday. But I am not sure I will be able to shake the concern I have for the students I am leaving behind. And I am doubly unsure that I OUGHT to try. 

Discipline among the students was a mess. And by discipline I mean everything from classroom conduct to work ethic to study habits. 

The issues are not solvable in the classroom and while the problem manifests itself in the classroom, the problem is much bigger than the school. 

This is a community-level problem.

And it needs to be addressed by the community. As a newly former teacher, maybe I am now in a unique position to get a ball rolling.

I don't know what that looks like, but I am praying. 

LET'S GROW UP

 I met about twenty classmates today face to face for the first time. (We have shared Zoom meetings since October, but that is nothing like talking in person.) 

We spent the day with Dr. Matt Friedeman, discussing the church's obligation to serve the poor in our communities and around the world.

Lots to digest. A very good day. 

Dr. Friedeman used a phrase that I want to record here so that I don't lose it: he spoke of two times in his life when he was in the presence of true men of God. He was so in awe of the godliness, wisdom, and humility of their words and actions that he was left feeling like merely a "boy of God".

It seems to me our churches today are filled primarily with boys and girls of God. 

Too few men and women of God.

As for me, I want to keep growing up!

PIVOT

 An unusual day. 

It was my day to fully and finally transition from teaching to learning. 

I started the day cleaning out my classroom at Hauser. I wanted to make sure I got my furniture and old papers out of the way for whoever might be starting as the new 8th grade English teacher there on Wednesday. 

I got back to our house a little after 9 am and finished packing my clothes, grabbed Sarah, and started our ten hour trek to Jackson, Mississippi.

I am spending the week in classes at Wesley Biblical Seminary and Sarah is visiting her friend Lily for the week. 

2022 is going to get interesting. 

HABITS OF THOUGHT

I was on the road early this morning, driving back from the Cincinnati airport* and tuned into a podcast by Mel Robbins. (Who is hilarious - you should check her out on YouTube sometime.)

As I listened, I had an epiphany regarding habits. I have been thinking of habits purely in terms of physical activity: flossing teeth, reading the Bible, daily exercise, etc.  It seems to me that it could be useful to consider an entire second category of habits: habits of thought. 

No doubt others have made this connection, but for me it opens up new possibilities to explore: Does the "Habit Loop" hold for patterns of thought? Are thought patterns triggered by a particular cue? Are they geared towards a reward of some type? Can bad thinking habits be broken in the same way as bad physical habits?

My interest in habits this past year was an off shoot from my starting point: the question of how much control we have over our own thinking. 

I had come to consider the information about habit formation to be an interesting and useful, but separate, rabbit hole. 

Now I find that it might have led me right back to my starting point!

I need to give it some thought...

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* Melissa is taking a well-deserved break for a few days to visit her friend Emily in New Jersey. We left the house at 4:45 am. That gave me a good excuse not to stay up until midnight last night.