Friday, December 18, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Killing the Dragon
Despair.
When I begin to lose my sight of God, and my peripheral vision of physical things becomes more my focus than Him, I begin to despair.
When I find it harder to pray, and my anxieties and fears grow bigger than before, I am bound to despair.
When I discover my thoughts are not ordered by the LORD, and my living seems to bear no recollection of the dying He accomplished for me, I fall further into despair.
When I begin to cry in earnest for a change, and no response seems to come; when I realize myself separated from communication with my Father because of the distance I have leapt away, I am lost in despair!
Despair. Unending, relentless. A dark, lonely place.
Despair.
What business do I have here?
“I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee.”
As I turn to face a new direction, and take the first few steps toward the haven I had left, I see an end to despair.
And as my steps progress to running, and my fear and loneliness begin to lose pace with my new-found excitement, I find I can laugh at despair.
And as I see my Father waiting, and my speed increases even more, despair abandons the race.
And when I reach the arms of my Father, and I sob with both tears of joy and the shame of the prodigal; and when I know that all is forgiven, and my standing is regained, then I remember peace!
Peace. Unending, relentless. A wonderful, lovely place.
Peace.
When I begin to lose my sight of God, and my peripheral vision of physical things becomes more my focus than Him, I begin to despair.
When I find it harder to pray, and my anxieties and fears grow bigger than before, I am bound to despair.
When I discover my thoughts are not ordered by the LORD, and my living seems to bear no recollection of the dying He accomplished for me, I fall further into despair.
When I begin to cry in earnest for a change, and no response seems to come; when I realize myself separated from communication with my Father because of the distance I have leapt away, I am lost in despair!
Despair. Unending, relentless. A dark, lonely place.
Despair.
What business do I have here?
“I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee.”
As I turn to face a new direction, and take the first few steps toward the haven I had left, I see an end to despair.
And as my steps progress to running, and my fear and loneliness begin to lose pace with my new-found excitement, I find I can laugh at despair.
And as I see my Father waiting, and my speed increases even more, despair abandons the race.
And when I reach the arms of my Father, and I sob with both tears of joy and the shame of the prodigal; and when I know that all is forgiven, and my standing is regained, then I remember peace!
Peace. Unending, relentless. A wonderful, lovely place.
Peace.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Horizontal Aspirations
If variety is the spice of life, then mediocrity is the self-rising flour. A little self-analysis will reveal this truth. Have you ever noticed that for every dash of spice you add to a recipe, you add a couple of cups of flour? Just so, your life contains way more mediocrity than you would think.
I used to be naive enough to dream of excellence. Throwing personal limitations to the wind, I developed a long list of possibilities. I was aiming high. And, then, I learned about being mediocre.
Mediocre is the new first-rate. Mediocrity is what makes someone stand out more than another nondescript person. It is what gets accolades. Why strive for anything else? Yes, I said strive. Fifty years ago, no one would have accepted such a description. But, today, we are actually encouraged to shoot for average.
Here is one of many examples. An ordinary citizen performs an unimportant task on behalf of a commonplace cause. Some half-baked organization recognizes the average effort, gives a middling award to the ordinary citizen, who accepts the award with a modest speech, and we are all supposed to be impressed. We are to emulate what the ordinary citizen has done. We are to desire mediocrity. How mundane.
Fortunately, being mediocre is what comes natural to an alert, well-intentioned American. Do nothing. Think little, be amused lots. Prepare to impress with your mediocrity. Now that’s top-notch.
Let losers reach for the stars. For me, I’ll just take average.
I used to be naive enough to dream of excellence. Throwing personal limitations to the wind, I developed a long list of possibilities. I was aiming high. And, then, I learned about being mediocre.
Mediocre is the new first-rate. Mediocrity is what makes someone stand out more than another nondescript person. It is what gets accolades. Why strive for anything else? Yes, I said strive. Fifty years ago, no one would have accepted such a description. But, today, we are actually encouraged to shoot for average.
Here is one of many examples. An ordinary citizen performs an unimportant task on behalf of a commonplace cause. Some half-baked organization recognizes the average effort, gives a middling award to the ordinary citizen, who accepts the award with a modest speech, and we are all supposed to be impressed. We are to emulate what the ordinary citizen has done. We are to desire mediocrity. How mundane.
Fortunately, being mediocre is what comes natural to an alert, well-intentioned American. Do nothing. Think little, be amused lots. Prepare to impress with your mediocrity. Now that’s top-notch.
Let losers reach for the stars. For me, I’ll just take average.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Small Talk
“But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.”
For those of us who are veteran verbiage abusers, this verse carries a lot of clout. When we read it, we instantly withdraw in self-righteous horror at the thought that something we commonly say could be called profane or vain. Do we not have a purpose for everything that we say? Maybe we talk a little too much, but certainly our speech would not hurl us headlong into more ungodliness. Please. That would be judging unfairly.
Shut up a minute. Good. Now, let’s think.
Profane means that our speech is not about godly things, but things that are worldly or sinful. It means that we regard the baser things of humanity, and includes vulgarity and cursing. Sound familiar? If not, hang on.
Vain means that our speech is worthless, has no value, and is basically a waste of breath. It means that we had no purpose in saying what we did, and we accomplished nothing of real value by our speech. Vain words require no effort to produce. They just come.
Let’s consider our speech. Do we joke? Do we insult in fun just for a reaction? Do we talk about people doing worthless things? The list could go on. You find your own problem areas.
But, how does this increase unto more ungodliness? If you really can’t figure it out, then think out loud. Talking your way through it might just be the key.
For those of us who are veteran verbiage abusers, this verse carries a lot of clout. When we read it, we instantly withdraw in self-righteous horror at the thought that something we commonly say could be called profane or vain. Do we not have a purpose for everything that we say? Maybe we talk a little too much, but certainly our speech would not hurl us headlong into more ungodliness. Please. That would be judging unfairly.
Shut up a minute. Good. Now, let’s think.
Profane means that our speech is not about godly things, but things that are worldly or sinful. It means that we regard the baser things of humanity, and includes vulgarity and cursing. Sound familiar? If not, hang on.
Vain means that our speech is worthless, has no value, and is basically a waste of breath. It means that we had no purpose in saying what we did, and we accomplished nothing of real value by our speech. Vain words require no effort to produce. They just come.
Let’s consider our speech. Do we joke? Do we insult in fun just for a reaction? Do we talk about people doing worthless things? The list could go on. You find your own problem areas.
But, how does this increase unto more ungodliness? If you really can’t figure it out, then think out loud. Talking your way through it might just be the key.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
An Open Letter to Every Conservative Candidate
Dear Candidate,
I have an important question. In lieu of your possible election, what steps are you taking to prevent yourself from being drawn by the glamour of politics and turning your back on the ones who elected you?
Most Americans have been burned by their elected representatives. Take South Carolinians and Lindsey Graham, for instance. Benedict Arnold would blush to repeat what Lindsey has done. But Lindsey did not start out as a traitor. He became one by surrendering to the pull of politics to serve his own interests and those of his friends. Beginning as a representative, he ended a duke, forcing his will on his vassal South Carolinians, who he regards as incompetent. Shame on Lindsey. He will soon lose his self-made dukedom.
Still, as Americans look to future elections, we are faced with a gallery of new faces--Lindsey Grahams, promising a world of possibility for conservativism. You are one of those faces. How do we know you will not turn on us later? What can we see in your actions that demonstrates you will not fall victim to political power?
You want to impress. You want to succeed in your campaign. Then tell us who you really are by answering my question. You can expect the true conservative vote if you have a plan. Otherwise, I don’t care a whit who takes office. It won’t matter anyway.
Sincerely,
Aaron Marsceau
I have an important question. In lieu of your possible election, what steps are you taking to prevent yourself from being drawn by the glamour of politics and turning your back on the ones who elected you?
Most Americans have been burned by their elected representatives. Take South Carolinians and Lindsey Graham, for instance. Benedict Arnold would blush to repeat what Lindsey has done. But Lindsey did not start out as a traitor. He became one by surrendering to the pull of politics to serve his own interests and those of his friends. Beginning as a representative, he ended a duke, forcing his will on his vassal South Carolinians, who he regards as incompetent. Shame on Lindsey. He will soon lose his self-made dukedom.
Still, as Americans look to future elections, we are faced with a gallery of new faces--Lindsey Grahams, promising a world of possibility for conservativism. You are one of those faces. How do we know you will not turn on us later? What can we see in your actions that demonstrates you will not fall victim to political power?
You want to impress. You want to succeed in your campaign. Then tell us who you really are by answering my question. You can expect the true conservative vote if you have a plan. Otherwise, I don’t care a whit who takes office. It won’t matter anyway.
Sincerely,
Aaron Marsceau
Sunday, November 1, 2009
On Remembering Ourselves
All of us believe ourselves able to weather the coming storm of political and religious persecution. But, we readily admit that many will fall away. The question is begged. Are we able? If we are, it will only be our correct relationship with the LORD that will make us a stronger Christian at the end.
Persecution is a thorough method. It quickly knocks apart poorly constructed lives by chipping away at facades until the real structure is exposed. What is left must be able to stand on its own, or it is doomed. Such is the near future of us all.
How is your life? Are you happy in the LORD? Really? Then, I suppose, your hobbies are less appealing. Are you at peace with God? Good, because you will need to be. Peace is scarce during trying times. Are you confident of the LORD’s will? Surely, then, your free time and personal moments are not propped up with the same careless pleasures of the unsaved. You have plenty to do.
In this day of cheap compliments and self-serving flattery, let us consider ourselves. How likely is it that we will be in the minority that flourishes under tyranny? Our list of past achievements should be discarded. We need a new approach. We need some serious soul-searching.
Persecution is a thorough method. It quickly knocks apart poorly constructed lives by chipping away at facades until the real structure is exposed. What is left must be able to stand on its own, or it is doomed. Such is the near future of us all.
How is your life? Are you happy in the LORD? Really? Then, I suppose, your hobbies are less appealing. Are you at peace with God? Good, because you will need to be. Peace is scarce during trying times. Are you confident of the LORD’s will? Surely, then, your free time and personal moments are not propped up with the same careless pleasures of the unsaved. You have plenty to do.
In this day of cheap compliments and self-serving flattery, let us consider ourselves. How likely is it that we will be in the minority that flourishes under tyranny? Our list of past achievements should be discarded. We need a new approach. We need some serious soul-searching.
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