Saturdays are my only real day to do any kind of relaxation - not that I know how to relax anyways. But I'm sitting on the front porch now on a Saturday evening watching a thunderstorm roll in.
Had a great little party down at the neighbors' this afternoon welcoming back my "other son" from Iraq. Watched him grow up with my kids - still remember them playing street hockey and jumping on the trampoline; playing lacrosse at the high school and now we share a brotherhood of arms as combat veterans.
as i just sit here i wonder how far do you go in helping others? where do you draw the line in areas where you think you might be manipulated? what happens if you can't put your finger on your hesitation? Do you do it anyway? maybe the scripture where it says that when you know you are to do good but don't do it; its sin.
i don't know - other than my gut says no...
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
We are the Hokies!
Today is the one year anniversary of the massacre at Virginia Tech. My thoughts go back to that day as I remember my son Stevie calling me and asking me to check the news and see why there were shots and SWAT teams rushing past him as he went across the drillfield. And then to watch in horror as the reports came in of over 20 shot and my oldest son emailing me telling me he was getting reports from the campus it was much worse.
The moments spent accounting for all the Hokies from Woodbridge that were there and might have been in the count of dead and wounded. Hearing from my daughter that she and her roommates were safe and that she had been in class in the building next to Norris Hall.
What really amazed me was the reaction of those young adults to the criticism of their administration and their refusal to buy into blaming anyone other than "the killer" for what happened.
To watch the spontaneous prayer meetings and candlelight vigils and watch them grieve as Hokies.
To see the pain in my oldest's eyes and his longing to be down on his beloved campus with the other students and encouraging him to go spend the weekend there so he could grieve with his Hokie family.
To watch the Hokie Nation recover and show to a cynical world that people do care about each other.
To watch rival campuses offer hope and comfort to the Hokies in the spirit of America.
And now on this anniversary to watch them again grieve I realize that even tho I did not attend Virginia Tech that it is truely a fact, as is told us at orientation, that once you have a student attend Tech you as parents are also Hokies. I am a Hokie as sure as my sons and daughter and part of the great Hokie Nation that has shown America and the world that in the midst of sorrow there is still hope and love.
We are the Hokies.
We are Virginia Tech.
The moments spent accounting for all the Hokies from Woodbridge that were there and might have been in the count of dead and wounded. Hearing from my daughter that she and her roommates were safe and that she had been in class in the building next to Norris Hall.
What really amazed me was the reaction of those young adults to the criticism of their administration and their refusal to buy into blaming anyone other than "the killer" for what happened.
To watch the spontaneous prayer meetings and candlelight vigils and watch them grieve as Hokies.
To see the pain in my oldest's eyes and his longing to be down on his beloved campus with the other students and encouraging him to go spend the weekend there so he could grieve with his Hokie family.
To watch the Hokie Nation recover and show to a cynical world that people do care about each other.
To watch rival campuses offer hope and comfort to the Hokies in the spirit of America.
And now on this anniversary to watch them again grieve I realize that even tho I did not attend Virginia Tech that it is truely a fact, as is told us at orientation, that once you have a student attend Tech you as parents are also Hokies. I am a Hokie as sure as my sons and daughter and part of the great Hokie Nation that has shown America and the world that in the midst of sorrow there is still hope and love.
We are the Hokies.
We are Virginia Tech.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Apologetics
I have been having some really neat discussions with the next generation - especially those who are from my faith background. Many of these revolve around my generation's approach to the faith and our combativeness in defending it. We have seen our culture deteriorate before our eyes and because of our generation turning its back on God and living for our own pleasure.
Sure a lot of good things have happened in improving our physical lives - we have too much stuff but at least Americans are still the most generous and happy-go-lucky people on the face of the earth. We addressed a great national sin of descrimination - the leftover of our great civil war that liberated a people from slavery but kept them in a second-class citizen role for over 100yrs. Our kids have lived in a better society than I grew up in (except that most of my formative years were on Air Force bases where we had overcome segregation).
One question I constantly ask is how much do I as a believer participate in the political discourse and try to compete in the marketplace of ideas? Do I vigorously compete and have folks accuse me of being "unloving" or "unchristian" or do I simply acquiesce and let society run its course? Do we become as the first century christians who were mainly of the lower and slave class who had no real power in society and just live our lifes and show love? What is it that God expects of us? and who's definition do we follow about christianity? the world around us who wants to tell us what we can and can't do?
such a dilemma
Sure a lot of good things have happened in improving our physical lives - we have too much stuff but at least Americans are still the most generous and happy-go-lucky people on the face of the earth. We addressed a great national sin of descrimination - the leftover of our great civil war that liberated a people from slavery but kept them in a second-class citizen role for over 100yrs. Our kids have lived in a better society than I grew up in (except that most of my formative years were on Air Force bases where we had overcome segregation).
One question I constantly ask is how much do I as a believer participate in the political discourse and try to compete in the marketplace of ideas? Do I vigorously compete and have folks accuse me of being "unloving" or "unchristian" or do I simply acquiesce and let society run its course? Do we become as the first century christians who were mainly of the lower and slave class who had no real power in society and just live our lifes and show love? What is it that God expects of us? and who's definition do we follow about christianity? the world around us who wants to tell us what we can and can't do?
such a dilemma
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