Love

A wise grandfather warned his grandchildren about falling in love. "You don't fall in love," he'd say. "You fall in ditches. You fall down stairs. You fall overboard. But you should plan your love life and choose carefully the person you are going to marry.

-from Parenting is Heart Work, Turansky and Miller, pg. 80

It should come as no surprise that our society takes a passive view on love. After all, we have nearly mastered the passing of responsibility, even to inanimate objects at times.  For a society that is so averse to the belief that there is a God who directs the activities of man, we so readily relinquish control of major decision to "fate" or some other ethereal force beyond our control. (Man innately recognizes his lack of control, and denial of God leads to desperate existentialism.)

Here, in matters of the heart, our society has elevated “the moment” and spontaneity to dangerous levels of irresponsibility, not taming our hearts to follow God's principles. Our culture cannot accept that someone can plan to love. In the world's eyes, love is a feeling that must by nature be uncontrollable. Nothing could be further from the truth! Does this not obviously lead to the lack of commitment in marriage that is so prevalent among us.  The love that comes as it pleases, goes as it pleases. This is not love! It is lust! It is based on a weak foundation of circumstances, no matter our strong the feelings of the moment.

This does not mean that love cannot have strong feelings and deep moments. On the contrary, true love is boundless. While some moments may be marked by the mental assent to the commitment, others are bursting with the deepest and most meaningful feelings of overwhelming love that find no match in the relatively simple feeling of lust.

The ultimate demonstration of love that is planned yet profound is that of Christ for the church. It is no accident that God uses the analogy of marriage to describe this relationship. No love has been more planned, no love is deeper, no love has cost more, no love has expressed such profound commitment as Christ's love for the church.

In light of the art and expressions of our culture of a false and diminutive love, we must give our young people examples of this love. We must strive to demonstrate it ever more to prove its worth in our marriages and relationships with friends and family. 

Not the greeting you want

That's the rescue crew that met us after a "bird strike to engine 2" on takeoff. I guess I won't be making that dinner tonight.

Wisdom

Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

-James 3:13-18 (ESV)

I read a letter from a friend today.  A "real letter."  One of those things that is now a vague memory to me, something that takes days to arrive, and something that must be physically placed in my mailbox, which is a small receptacle outside of my house and not "in the cloud."

On to the point.  I read this letter, and while I have a great deal of respect and admiration for what she does for a living, I am not sure that I could do it.  You may think this a banal observation, but I once thought that I could do what she does.

This was the revelation: I find it increasingly easier to note the things that I cannot do, could not do, and am very glad to not be doing.  To be clear, I am thrilled that someone else does those things, and I feel blessed to be doing something that I love doing.  Some may not be in that position, but I love what I do for a living.  As one of my mentors oft remarked, "And to think that they actually pay us to do this!"

Call it growing up, maturing, wisdom, or come up with your own description, but my days of being able to do anything and everything seem even more vague a memory than actual letters.  That attitude put me in some precarious positions in the past.  It is quite nice to be able to simply admit to yourself, "I can't do that."  It streamlines your pursuits in life.  It is actually quite liberating.  I am free to do what I can do.

Freedom in limitation.  That sounds familiar...the Apostle Paul paints a nice picture of our freedom in Christ, to whom we are bondservants - free from sin, slaves to righteousness.

Check-in kiosk

If the airline representative is just checking me in on the 'check yourself in' kiosk. What are they getting paid for and what did they do before that I can't do myself.

Our first ultrasound

A motto

"Your number 2 is our number 1 priority."

(Click on the link "My work," and you'll understand that statement better.)