But Mom, I don't like the taste of Ivory!

Topic #3
Does swearing make you less of a Christian?

I meet with a group of guys. We talk as men do and one of the discussions that has rolled over in my head is the issue of language and coarse joking. I'm not talking about taking the Lord's name in vain but other words not widely accepted in christian circles. There seems to be a belief among my generation, that swearing among christian friends is not as bad as swearing in public or in front of people who would react negatively to those words. I know the verses about there should not be any coarse joking among you but only what is acceptable for building others up. I also know that the world in general has a belief that for the most part Christians don't swear. This leads me to ask certain questions I don't know the answers to. Are certain words offensive to God's ears? Does it show immaturity when we laugh at or use what is considered to be foul language? I know where a lot of people stand on this. They are hardliners. There is to be no unwholesome talk coming from your mouths. The question was raised to me, "Just what is considered unwholesome"? Are there different levels? Are there hard and fast rules? And who says so? Where I come from the word frig was not considered dirty. But I moved to Ohio and was told that it was frowned upon. Now I can't list some of the words that I'm sure are under consideration as coarse for fear of offending certain readers but therein lies the quandary. I would not want to offend a general crowd but when a group of my peers is in agreement about what is and is not acceptable for themselves, what is to stop us from speaking freely and communicating in a way that feels natural?
Listen I'm certainly not an advocate for the F-word or any other questionable language but is it only questionable because we've made it so in society? You can freely drink alcohol in Europe and profess your faith. But here, in certain parts of the country and in certain denominations you cannot. There are strong men and women of God I know who appreciate and use colorful language. Does that make their faith weaker than someone who does not?

I fought the law and we both lost

Topic #2
Why isn't there more justice on earth?

I just got done with a temporary job at which I marked student proficiency exams. During the course of time I came to realize there were certain people who did not deserve to be there. They fell asleep at their desks, they got up and wasted time, they called over supervisors to answer their questions for them. Nothing was done by the bosses. Nothing. I complained about this to my wife at home and she told me it's the same everywhere and to just get used to it and over it. Knowing this as I do, from being more than 10 years old, I wondered what kind of glory it could bring to God to see so much injustice in the world.
My story is a very mild form of annoyance granted. But what about wrongful convictions. Unpaid child support. Mandatory minimums and ridiculous sentencing guidelines. Abuse, murder, corruption. It dizzies the mind. The bible says the Lord will have his justice. In fact it is his alone to mete out. But what is he waiting for? Is his justice so radically different from what I think it is? Would I recognize it if I saw it? Tough questions but it would seem I have to rely on the other things I understand about God to help me deal with this riddle in his nature. I must trust his heart when I cannot see his hand.

Jesus farted and other uncomfortable spiritual truths

I think I want to start a series. I want to examine some of the commonly held beliefs we have that are incorrect. I want to shed light on the darker side of Christianity. In short, I want to blow up your perceptions and conception of God. If we discover things about ourselves along the way, all the better.
Today's topic: How do we serve God at less than our best?

I have had a cold for 2 weeks. My wife is on her second cold in 3 weeks. Our precious daughter has yet to shake the cold she caught at daycare three weeks ago. We are sleep deprived, irritable, symptomatic and generally not in good spirits. I pulled a muscle coughing and I can't comfortably breath right now. That being said, life is not slowing down. It would seem that God wants to see how we handle life when we are fighting our earthly bodies and attitudes. I do not consider myself Job but haven't we all had Job moments? Consider Abraham or Joseph. And isn't it fair to say God still tests the resolve and faith of his followers? It would seem there is a certain amount of "sucking it up" that needs to take place in life. I like to think that it all means something. It would feel better. But what if suffering just happens, and we need to fight through it? What if you never got to see the purpose for your suffering in this lifetime? What if our salvation is the only blessing we have to hold on to? Is it enough?

Too little sleep makes the mind wander

Have you ever just full-on stepped in a pile of dog crap? It's not a great feeling. Speaking of random crap, I have a job. Part time and only for nine days but hey, it's a paycheck. With the promise of more work in November we should be good until Thanksgiving.
Speaking of Thanksgiving, I'm losing my Canadianicity. I have officially forgotten when that holiday is. If not for a call from my Mom I'd have never known.
Speaking of forgetting things, have you ever forgotten to flush. You go to use the toilet and realize the last time you used it something must have slipped your mind. Like flushing.
Speaking of the mind, I feel like I'm losing mine. I make these mental lists of things to do and never do them. Calls, things to remember when I go someplace, brushing my teeth. I'm just plain forgetting.
Speaking of plain, I never eat anything plain anymore. Chips, toast, potatoes, eggs. I need condiments in my life. Everything seems better with mayo.
Speaking of toast, that's kind of like my chances of finding a job in ministry. 0 for 18 on resumes sent so far. Insert empty platitude here.

Fffffantasy Island

Listen, if anyone asks you to be in a fantasy football league, say no. It's not worth it. We won our match up but only because the events that did us in on one hand helped us out on the other. I'll not explain here cause my wife says it's confusing.
I start my temporary job on Friday. Nothing to write home about but hey, it's a paycheck.
I like hosting people in my home. It's not big. It's not beautiful. But it's ours and we love to share it. I like cooking for them and having them sleep in our furnished guest room. That's weird I know but..
Bathing the dogs this morning. Actually we shower them. It's enclosed so no jumping out. They're good about it. Butter runs in before I ask her to. They love getting out and being done. They roll around on the floor trying to smell like dog again. The only problem is the hair. It's everywhere. Mostly on my pillow or any dark shirt I own.
Goals for the year:
Get a job.
Get a job in ministry.
Go to a Blue Jackets Game.
Lose 10 pounds.
Teach Emma to say Mama.
Get some new T-shirts.
Have "Man Night" up and running.
Make one new friend.