Josh's Blog

Things I've learned in my 30 years

2010-08-28T23:21:00.000-07:00

The LORD has blessed me with 30 years on this earth, and I thought I would jot down some of the things I have learned in that time:

- Christ is the answer to any important question that begins with the word "why".

- Life is hard. It's meant to be hard, and without that difficulty, we wouldn't be able to identify with Christ.

- The only thing in my life that I find truly easy is being in love with my son.

- I don't need a ton of friends, but without the friends I have, I wouldn't be the man I am.

- Running is my catharsis.

- Christ is the answer to any important question that begins with the word "who".

- I am good at being a dad. Why? See the first point.

- One man, and one man alone, enabled me to make it through the darkest point in my life. Who? see two points up.

- I don't read the Word enough. When I was in school for Biblical Studies and reading the Word every day for hours, I wasn't reading the Word enough. If anyone ever thinks they do read the Word enough, I worry about that person's eternal fate.

- I'm supremely blessed by God to have two parents who demonstrate the love of Christ through their relationship with each other. It's a rare thing these days, as my life demonstrates.

- I long to go home, but know that there is still a purpose for me down here, even if I have absolutely no idea what that purpose is.

- Christ is the answer to any important question. Period.

Josh Ritter, Quantum Mechanics Czar!

2009-07-18T13:33:00.000-07:00

This is my official lobbying effort to our most high king, Barack Obama, to be the Quantum Mechanics Czar!
You see, there are over 20 official Czars in king BO's control, ranging from Car Czar to Urban Czar to (and I'm not kidding), "Non-Proliferation" Czar, whatever that is... It is clear to me that the nation simply cannot survive without a Quantum Mechanics Czar, and I believe I am supremely qualified to be his most high's choice.
Why, you ask, do I believe I would be the perfect choice? Simply because it is one of the few subjects that I know absolutely NOTHING about! It is obvious that this is the main qualification to be the "Czar" of an issue. In addition, I do not have the time in my life to devote to learning more about Quantum Mechanics or deal with the obviously pressing issues in the field. Again, this appears to be a main qualification of the job.
Think about it. I could get a nice, six figure salary, take credit for fixing all the pertinent "Quantum Mechanics issues", and golf/run/play tennis every day. What could be better than that? Sure, I'd have to agree with everything King BO says and does, but hey, it's not going to be too long before we all have to do that anyway, or else suffer the fate of becoming an "un-person," right?
So, King BO, please make me your next Quantum Mechanics Czar. Your kingdom needs me!

Come run a marathon!

2009-05-17T11:19:00.000-07:00

For most of my adult life, I've had the idea of running a marathon in my head, but never taken it seriously. First, school and work got in the way, then marriage and work got in the way, then having a son and work got in the way. Well, now I'm in a situation where I have a jogging stroller, and Devon LOVES the stroller, so he can't be an excuse. Working two jobs is tough on time, but you know, I'm inching closer to thirty, and if I'm going to do it, I need to do it now. So... On October 4th, I will be running in the Cowtown marathon in Sacramento. I'm just now starting the training process, as running 26.2 miles isn't something you just do.
Matt is going to start working on training with me, so if there is anyone else out there that wants to run a marathon, start training today and we can all go down to Sacramento and run a marathon. You in???

Devon's Jam

2009-04-30T12:43:00.000-07:00

Devon and I were in the car this week, and I was listening to one of my CD's (Mandisa). "The definition of me" came on, which is a fast paced, almost rap-edge song came on, and Devon told me to turn it up. I did. He told me to turn it up again. I did. Then he started dancing in his carseat. I then said "Devon, is that your jam?" Of course, he said yes. From there on, every time the song ended, he said "Daddy, my jam, my jam!" and on came that song again.
So apparently, Mandisa's "The definition of me" is officially Devon's jam! I love it, though I think that particular song is better suited to a girl. It's okay, though, because we have a blast.

Top 5 Baby Names

2009-04-24T14:48:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, when we found out Jamie was getting ready for #4, Matt and I thought it would be fun to see what everyone thought their top 5 baby names were. So, please comment on your top 5 baby names, so we can all help Jamie pick a name. By the way, only girl names are allowed, because as we all know, Mike only has X chromosomes! (:

My picks:

1. Amanda (still my all-time favorite name) - Means "worthy to be loved"
2. Kayla - Means "slender", which has a good chance of working out given Jamie's insane metabolism!
3. Ashleigh - Means "dweller near an ash tree"... isn't that just awesome!
4. Hailey - Means "residing in a brook or remote valley"
5. Jordan - Means "to flow down", plus it's a cool name.

Have fun!

Good Friday

2009-04-09T21:12:00.000-07:00

As I write this, it's just a few hours away from Good Friday. Over the years, I've always made a point of reading through the account of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection from the Gospel of Luke on Good Friday (there is SO much detail in the Luke account that isn't in either Mark or Matthew, and I suggest it if you want to read a detailed account of the passion). I find that reading through the story helps remind me of how much God gave up to give His people fellowship with Him. To think that Christ willingly separated Himself from the Holiness of the Father, that He bore the sins of His people, being sinless, continuously amazes me.
We are a selfish, sinful people. The best that is in us is full of evil, deceit, and self-interest. I don't think anyone who has been touched by the Holiness of God can deny that. We so often, in our culture, see the Holiness of God as something to be grasped. That if we were to see God in His Glory, it would be a wonderful experience. God, though, is shown in His Word to be Powerful, Awesome, and Full of Wonder. Men who were put in the presence of the LORD were cast down in shame, for in seeing the fullness of the Glory of God, they immediately recognized their own shameful inadequacies before that Holiness. As Isaiah said, "I am undone, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I have seen God's Glory."
When I read the story of Jesus, I am amazed at the entirety of what Jesus gave us in His life and death. Humanity SAW holiness, perfection, true royalty, in a man we could interact with. Everything Jesus did in His time on earth was a miracle, not just the overt signs and wonders. God BEING a man was a miracle. God dying as a man... well, if that doesn't still boggle our minds, and I fear that it doesn't, then I wonder if we've missed the point.
Celebrate Christ this weekend! Amidst all the business of family, events, and busyness of Easter, lets all remember that Christ is the point, the only point, in our existence on this earth. May Christ be glorified above all!

2009 NCAA Champion Tar Heels!!!!!

2009-04-07T07:45:00.000-07:00

Congrats to my boys, the 2009 National Champion North Carolina Tar Heels! What a dominant team!

Thank you

2009-03-31T11:42:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who helped out with the earth hour revolt! It went even farther than I anticipated, and as Sean Hannity would say... You're Great Americans!!
Don't lose momentum from this. We are in a time of transformation in this country; a time that our children will look back on as being one of the most historic in our nation's young history. Our president is blazing past socialism into either globalism or some form of fascism (though there isn't much difference). It is imperative that we voice our displeasure, and that all of us form a true understanding of what made this country great, and why what Obama is doing is a drastic departure from the constitution. I implore you... read! Listen to people you trust on the radio! Seek out knowledge, because this is the best way for all of us to have informed opinions, and get away from the wave of blind support and adoration which is a plague on this nation right now!
Again, thanks for the support!

Earth Hour Revolt!!!

2009-03-27T13:35:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow night at 8:30, there is going to be an "earth hour." Liberal wacko activists everywhere are convinced "global warming" is the great threat of our time. In response, they are creating this hour where everyone is supposed to turn off all their lights, not drive, not use any power or water, etc. in order to "save the planet".
Call me skeptical, but I'm convinced global warming is a ridiculous myth. My proposal to everyone who is sick of liberals like Algore or Barack Obamania telling us that WE are the source of all the world's problems... REVOLT!!! If you're home tomorrow night, turn on all the lights in your house. Open the refrigerator door. Make a point to do your laundry. Run your water non-stop. It's only an hour, and there is a major push to do this from a lot of high-profile people who are sick of the global warming myth. The goal here is to actually INCREASE energy output during this hour in an act of silent protest.
This isn't just about global warming, everyone. B. Obamania wants to give the government the power to remotely control our A/C units to cap how high or low the temperature in our houses can be (no, I'm not making this up, he actually said this in a recent internet "town-hall" he held). California wants to ban black cars, because they feel owners of black cars use their AC's too much when it's hot. This is a ridiculous intrusion of government into our lives. STOP THE INSANITY!!!

What I've learned in the last six months

2008-11-11T12:29:00.000-08:00

I'm stuck here in Elk Grove, not able to go to work thanks to a case of pink eye, so I thought I would jot down some thoughts about what I've learned over the past six months. I've been through a lot, as most of you know, but I have had the opportunity to learn a ton about myself, my family, and my faith. Here goes...

1. Leaning on God is a lot easier to talk about than to accomplish. I always thought I had a strong faith, and that God was at the center of my life. I'm finding that wasn't always the case, as I leaned on my own ability to be in control of my emotions and circumstances. I've had to lean on Jesus to make it recently, and it's been a rewarding experience.

2. Don't take for granted the love of another person. This is tough to write about, but I've learned just how fragile human relationships can be. There are no guarantees about tomorrow, and each day with those who care about you is precious. Too often I just assumed that everyone would be there, and I didn't take enough time to foster those relationships. LOVE your spouse! Just saying you love them every day isn't enough! SHOW it! I look forward with anticipation for God to give me a second chance at that, but with an understanding that it must come at His time, not mine.

3. Support from family and friends is MUCH more important to my relationship to God than I thought. I've always been a pretty introverted, even introspective, person. I didn't find too much of a need for a group of friends to help shape my life. Now, having felt truly alone for awhile, I have learned how important it is to have a great Christian family around me. I need it to be a good follower of Christ. I need it to be a good dad. I will need it to be a good husband in the future. I can't be everything for anybody, and no person can be everything for me.

4. Only God can fill the hole in someone's life. This sounds intuitive, but the reality of what that means is much more profound than the prose that represents it. As I said above, I can't be everything for anybody, and life is a constant battle to allow God to handle that which we cannot. I believed that I could exert my will and pray hard, and others would understand God's purpose for their life. That is not the case. God's sovereignty is absolute, and He will do things in his own time, and in His own way. I cannot act as God in any part of my life. All I can do is pray that God uses me for His purposes, regardless of what they are.

5. God places people in our lives for a specific purpose, and He allows us to go through things in order to accomplish those purposes. I'm not sure what God's purpose for my current situation is, but I'm confident that someday I will know, and I will be able to praise Him for it. I know this because of the people I have met this year, and how they have had the opportunity to be used by God because of their own past situations. To those who have encouraged and guided me through life recently, I say thank you for allowing God to work through you. It is appreciated more than you know!

6. The biggest ministry in my life will be the way I present Christ to my son. Devon means the world to me, and he is beginning to reach the age where he will be curious about heavenly things. I am excited about that. I still remember many of the conversations I had with my dad about faith, and though I certainly didn't make it easy on him, those conversations helped shape my understanding of the faith I hold. We may not agree on every issue, but we understand the importance of seeking Truth. I look forward to that process of discovery with Devon. He is a really thoughtful kid, and it will be amazing to watch God work in him.

I guess that's it. Thanks for listening!

Traveling man (still)

2008-11-05T11:16:00.000-08:00

Well, Shasta Regional Medical Center is going through some changes right now, so they won't let us work on any accounts. Unfortunately, this means I have been sitting in the lobby of the Holiday Inn on Hilltop waiting. My bosses finally decided that we have waited long enough, so I'm going to Sacramento tonight through Friday, and probably for the early part of next week. I'm sick of traveling, and SUPER sick of hotels, but what do you do? At least I have a pay check and an expense report. Luckily, the next four working days are not days I was supposed to have devon, so that helps things.
On a side note, Devon and I voted yesterday! He was impatient, of course, because voting isn't fun for a two year old, but I thought it would be good to tell him later in life that he was there with me when I voted for the first presidential election of his life. The elections didn't go the way I wanted, but they went the way I thought they would, so no surprises! The next four years should be very interesting if nothing else!

Devon, Daddy, and a Pumpkin

2008-09-28T17:06:00.000-07:00

Devon and I (well, mostly it was daddy) gutted and carved a pumpkin today. Fall is my favorite time of year, and I wanted to get a head start on halloween since I will be in Tennessee for most of the month. Devon put his hand inside the pumpkin to take out the seeds, and immediately said "Ewww, all done, daddy!" Apparently squishy feeling hands is not his favorite thing. After I finished carving though, Devon regained his courage and got the rest of the seeds out. All in all, it was a good time with my son!

A quote I like

2008-07-13T23:31:00.000-07:00

I heard this quote, and I felt it had a lot of significance in my life:

"What makes a man, a man? Is it his origins? Is it his situation? No, it's the choices he makes. It's not how he begins things, but how he ends things that makes him who he really is."

Something to think about...

Where I'm at

2008-07-08T08:20:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I've blogged, and as most of you know, a lot has happened since my last entry. I've been debating for awhile whether or not to blog, and until now I haven't been emotionally or psychologically ready. Now, however, I feel there is something I need to say. God is indeed the most faithful in the toughest times of our lives. I never really understood this, as I have had a pretty good life. For the first time in my life, though, I am experiencing true, raw grief. As I go through this time, I am finding that God is using this experience to snap me back into place. For the past couple years, I have been a very difficult person to be with. I have been filled to the brim with anger, bitterness, and sometimes indifference to the difficulties of those around me. I have been singularly focused on my own goal and dreams, and unresponsive to the needs of those around me. It took losing everything I hold dear to realize I needed to change. Tough times are never something to be desired, but going through them really does remind you of what is truly important in life. My prayer and hope is that, on the other side of this storm, I can be refined into a better man, a better parent, and a better follower of Christ. Pray that I learn to walk beside Christ as I go through my life, instead of attempting to assert my will upon both God and those I love the most. Pray that God continues to break down and reveal the barriers my own sin has built up around me over the past few years. Right now, I rely on God just to get from minute to minute, and in a weird way, there is comfort in that. I look forward to the path that the LORD has made before me (as scary as it is), and hope all of you are a part of that path!

2007-12-06T09:36:00.000-08:00

Christ is my hope and surety;
How can I help but rejoice in all circumstances?

A prayer for suffering?

2007-12-03T00:43:00.001-08:00

As God continues to reveal His gospel to me (despite my stubbornness surely making it more difficult than it should be), I am becoming more and more aware of a fundamental truth in my life: I am not living a life which patterns that of Christ. I find throughout the bible that all of God's people MUST endure suffering in order to be brought into fellowship with Christ. Abraham had to wait until 100 years old to see his promised heir. David was an outcast from his kingdom for years. Moses was ostracised from his people for forty years. Paul's sufferings for the gospel are the road-map guiding his ministry. The path to salvation is not paved with earthly blessings, for that is not what Christ experienced. The path is one of suffering, trial, and mercifully-bestowed faith. The path leads to Calvary!
What does this mean for the life of a child of God? What does it mean for my life? If I am living a relatively comfortable, stress free life (as I would say is the case), where do I go from there? It is easy in 21st century America to be distracted from the gospel by our lifestyle. I struggle with it EVERY SINGLE DAY! As Paul describes in Romans 7, I am torn between what I know I should do, and what my sinful flesh desires to do. Sin is an amazingly powerful force, is it not? The deception of comfort having its origin in "being a blessing from God" is seductive. God is not interested in our personal comfort, but only in our OBEDIENCE! Obedience comes from a place where we need God, and we need God in the "dark" times of our life. He promises never to give us more than we can handle, but He also promises that none come to the cross save through suffering.
That said, my prayer, as ridiculous as it my sound to some, is that God grant me the privilege of following Jesus to the cross; to be allowed as God's will dictates to suffer for the gospel, trusting only in the promises of God to come out the other side; to be able to emulate Christ's life and ministry. How will that look? I have no idea, but I know it is necessary to be one of the elect of God.

To CHRIST be the glory

2007-07-22T23:27:00.000-07:00

I know it's been about six months since I've posted, and goodness knows a lot has been happening in our lives during that time. I haven't been blogging because I have been going through a period of disillusionment with the faith I believed I had and where that faith had led me in relation to the gospel. This blog may run a bit long, but please bare with me.
I have spent the better part of the past ten years holding to a faith in Christ borne out of the Humanistic/Contemporary/Postmodern American church from whence it came. I believed that Christ died on the cross and rose again in order that I might have the option to make a conscious decision to receive a gift, freely given, though only activated by a personal action on my part. I write this to you now believing this to be fundamentally contrary to both scripture as a whole and the true, living gospel of Jesus Christ.
The natural question is obvious: Have I abandoned my faith in Jesus? The answer I give with absolute certainty: No, as by God's amazing grace alone, He has chosen to reveal His gospel to me. Christ's death and resurrection were never about giving us a choice, never about "our best life now," and never about making things better for us here on earth. Christ died to deal, ONCE AND FOR ALL, with sin in the lives of those He died for! Christ is the ultimate substitutionary atonement for the sins of His people, the only sacrifice standing between His people and eternal separation from God. We, as sinful, depraved, unholy creatures, are so mired and happy in our sin, that not one of us has the ability to, in our own "free" will, to declare to God that we are ready to accept His grace! Only through the love and grace of God reaching down and pulling us, kicking and screaming, out of the pit can we ever hope to be saved. I know because God showed me just how sinful I am, and just how little will power I have over my own baser instincts. I also know because, for the first time, this dummy with a "Summa Cum Laude" Biblical Studies degree is having the Word revealed to him as it truly is meant to be seen. What do I mean, you ask? Consider the following as it concerns God's call on His people in the Bible:
1. Adam has a perfect commune with God, yet chooses to disobey.
2. Moses is called to lead the people to exile, and after three separate excuses and God's subsequent answers, Moses still begs "O Lord, please send someone else to do it!"
3. The Israelites repeatedly forsook God, both in the desert and in the holy land, despite amazing and overt miracles to save and deliver them.
4. Gideon asked God for repeated miracles before he believed God was with him.
5. Job pleads with God, saying he wished he had never been born. God's response? "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me if you understand."
6. Isaiah, at the occasion of his calling, declares "Woe to me, I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
7. Jeremiah declares to God that he is too young and doesn't know how to speak adequately for God's task.
8. Jonah, upon receiving God's calling, books a spot on a ship sailing for Spain to get AS FAR AS POSSIBLE from where God is calling him, and ends up in the belly of a fish!
9. Paul, while still "breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples," is encountered by Jesus, temporarily blinded, and then immediately begins to be the Lord's instrument to bring the gospel to the nations.
These are just some of the examples of the fundamental typological picture that the Word of God gives us concerning His called. We are obstinate, we don't always want to follow God's calling, and in fact we sometimes spit in the face of that call. Yet, as we know, all of the above people fulfilled the destiny that God called us to. Given the "free will" we so desperately want to believe we have, many if not all of those men would not have fulfilled their roles of eternal significance.
Where does this leave me? It leaves me in a place of believing that we do not have so much free will as we believe, and that coming to a saving knowledge of Christ is an act of God's grace alone, and not a response on our part. Christ's death and resurrection are PERFECT, and nobody for whom that act was intended can resist God's grace through Jesus Christ. The harsh reality of that knowledge is that, contrary to what the humanistic church of today would have us believe, Christ death was not intended for all humanity, but just for those whom God chose in His Grace. It's not pleasant, but it is biblical. We are no more powerful to resist God's grace than we are to choose to accept it.
I pray for each one of you, in the hope that this has given you something to think about, and also that the true gospel might be preached to you, and that God might open your eyes and call you unto Himself. It is only through the hearing of the true and living gospel of Jesus Christ that his called are saved. For as Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me!" To Christ be the glory!

God's Temple

2007-01-18T14:48:00.000-08:00

Lately, Kari and I have noticed that we haven't been great stewards of our own bodies, as we are told to do in God's Word. Our bodies are to be living reflections of our committment to Christ, and we are to treat the only body we are given with respect. To that end, the family joined a gym today. It's a wonderful facility, and even has great child care. The best part is that the gym is affiliated with a local hospital, so every employee has the same level of training as a hospital employee, and everything is kept totally immaculate, so it's a great environment. Unfortunately, it's not cheap, but Kari and I felt we needed to make a real committment to God and ourselves that we would follow through on it in order to improve our lives both physically and spiritually.
On a separate note, Kari is really enjoying her job as a nanny again, and it seems that Livermore is a bit kinder to us now than it has been. We haven't heard about the missions job yet, but we ask that you pray for us in our struggle to find God's will for our lives. We also pray for all of you constantly, as Paul commands!

Kari's job

2007-01-09T13:56:00.000-08:00

There is, I know, a decent chance that nobody will read this in the near future, since I haven't posted since before Thanksgiving, but I wanted to throw something out there. Kari is applying for a position in the church we are attending. It is a missions assistant position in which she would be coordinating missionary activities, helping establish missions outreach programs both locally and globally, and processing prayer requests for the pastoral staff. It is an exciting opportunity for Kari, and I believe for the family in general. I would appreciate as much prayer as possible for God to reveal His will to Kari through the application process of this job. We see it as much more than an opportunity to get a job. We see it as God opening a door to what we as a couple are called by God to do. While circumstances preclude me from leaving my job at this time, eventually we want to be in full time ministry together, and this is a great step in that direction for Kari. If it is in God's will, I know that Kari will accomplish great things through this position!

Happy Thanksgiving

2006-11-22T16:54:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I have posted, largely due to the fact that Devon has been a handful each and every day lately. Luckily, though, there is a lull in the Devon storm, so I have a spare minute. Kari and I want to wish all our friends and family a happy thanksgiving, and we wish we could be in Redding with all of you. As many of you may know, I will be planted in front of the TV Thanksgiving morning watching my beloved Dolphins, but after that Kari and I will be having our first major holiday on our own, which is, in a way, exciting. God has blessed us tremendously this past year. Devon has been the best thing to ever enter our lives, and he brings us a glimpse of God every day. Having him with us now, it is hard to remember what life was like without having a child, and we wouldn't trade parenthood for anything.
Kari is on the worship team at Cornerstone, which is saying a lot considering the size of the church and the process one must go through to get on the team (she had to audition with a bunch of other people). We'll be talking to the missions director next week to discuss getting involved in that area somehow, which is exciting. We're not totally sure what God has in store for us in 2007, but I know it will be interesting to find out. I pray that all of you are doing well, and don't forget to pray for those in the military who cannot be with their families. I'm sure it hits them hardest this time of year.

Job

2006-10-28T10:37:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading Job, one of my favorite books of the bible. Most of you who know me know that I enjoy theoretical discussions about theology (or any subject, really). That's essentially what Job is. Job is a righteous man who's life falls apart around him, and he can't understand why. He sees the injustice of a world in which wicked men seemingly prosper without fear of consequence while a righteous man is allowed to lose all that he has. Job's friends, believing reward and punishment to be strictly based on one's own righteousness, insist to Job that he is not a righteous man, but must have committed great sins against the LORD. So back and forth they go, with Job insisting he is righteous before God, and his friends insisting that cannot be. Of course, we know that life is not so black and white, and that really is the point of the story. Sin has marred all of creation, and all fall short of God's glory.
I love the diatribe of the LORD at the end of Job, when he blasts away Job's hubris by describing the grandeur of His creation. When compared to the rest of the world, Job sees himself as a righteous man, but next to God in all His glory, he falls woefully short. Job, however, is righteous enough to recognize this, and he truly humbles himself before God in the end, which leads to many blessings for his family.
What does this say to us? To me it says that bad things will happen on this side of Christ; that's part of the human experience. Yet if we continue to follow God humbly and defer to Him, there is much to look forward to in the future, whether in this life or the next. I know Kari and I are in that place right now, as we are in a difficult situation and sometimes feel like nothing is going right. I pray that we can be like Job, and humble ourselves to the LORD's will.

God, Delta-32, and the Black Plague

2006-10-19T10:21:00.000-07:00

I saw something about this the other day, and thought it was a great example of how God works within the limits He sets for the world to accomplish miracles. Back in the 17th century, at the height of the Black Plague in Europe, villages and even nations were being devastated by a disease unlike any other in history. Almost everybody who was exposed to the bacteria was infected, and virtually 100% of those infected died within a few days. However, scientists in the past decade began to find interest in studying the cases of those who managed to survive this black death. How is it that the entirety of Europe wasn't wiped out by the disease? Why did some survive, when almost everybody else died? They decided to study a small village in Northern England, which had documented cases of a number of survivors. The village, out of the way of modern development, hadn't changed much since that time, and its people largely remained in the town. They took DNA samples of some of the descendants of those who had survived the plague, and found something interesting. There was an extraordinarily high level of a genetic mutation in their DNA called Delta-32. This mutation has been shown to block bacteria from entering white blood cells, the very method that the black plague bacteria attacked the immune system. If fact, as the study expanded, they found that the only people in the world who had a large concentration of the mutation were in Europe and the United States, which of course was mostly populated by European descendants of plague survivors. Also interesting, native Africans, Asians, and South Americans had absolutely zero instances of the mutation. What does this tell us? It tells us that God, in His infinite wisdom and grace, used a natural phenomenon such as a genetic mistake to keep an infectious disease from completely destroying a continent. What a great illustration of the sovereignty of God over his creation!!!!

God's Plan

2006-10-18T22:07:00.000-07:00

God's plan is scary. That may sound shocking and almost counter-intuitive at first glance, but if you really think about God's plan for your life and where He may be leading you, it really can be scary. Sometimes it fits right in with your own ideas about where your life is headed, and those can be truly blissful times, but more often than not, God's plan does not lead you into a place of comfort and met expectations. No, on the contrary, God's plan frequently makes you quite uncomfortable indeed. This is something that I have been struggling with for the better part of the past year. For awhile, I haven't had any idea what His plan was for Kari and I, and it seemed as though we were adrift... meaningless and purposeless... just living life to stay alive. Lately, though, God is starting to give me a glimpse of His ultimate purpose for my life, and again, it's scary. What I see is not necessarily what I thought I would see, and I have no idea how we're going to get there, but the ultimate destination seemed inevitable: A life truly serving God, and letting go of the comfortable (relatively speaking) life we now enjoy.
Nehemiah had the same experience when he heard that the wall of Jerusalem had been broken down. He was the cup-bearer to the king, which was an honored, respected position. He had all the comforts of the time, and had no earthly reason to do anything other than hold onto what he had as tightly as he could. Yet his people were in distress, and God moved him to use his influence to convince the king to allow him to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall. Imagine what it must have been like for him to go to the king, not knowing if his request would even be heard, if he would be able to remain in the presence of the king if denied, or even if he would remain alive. Yet God's plan, as scary as it was, had to be followed. Nehemiah was brave enough to follow God even at the peril of his own livelihood, and he was blessed because of that.
So too, I firmly believe that following God's plan has to be paramount in the life of my family. I'm not sure yet how this will manifest itself, but I do know one thing: No matter how scary God's plan is, it is not nearly as scary as the prospect of NOT following it, and I know that there is joy awaiting us at the end!!!

A new church perhaps?

2006-10-15T11:01:00.000-07:00

Kari and I have been struggling to find a church that we fit at in Livermore. Today, we tried out a new church, and it seems to really fit for us. The childcare was awesome with Devon, and Kari actually felt comfortable leaving him there, which hasn't happened in awhile. Also, there are a lot of missions opportunities, which is something that Kari and I feel is going to be a part of our future. Hopefully things work out there for us (I think they will). Please pray that Kari and I can find a way to plug in and use the gifts God has given us!

Ezra 1-3

2006-10-14T10:02:00.000-07:00

The book of Ezra is the story of the return of Israel to Jerusalem, and the rebuilding of the temple. There are many blessings from God in this story, because though his people were rebellious and did not follow God with their hearts, he listened to them out of love when they were in trouble, and brought them back to him. Yet not all the Israelites came back to their homes when the exile ended. Many stayed in their new lands and made a home for themselves amongst the other nations of the time. So the post-exile Judah never did return to the stature and relevance of the pre-exile Judah. Never is this point more eloquently stated than in Ezra 3:11b-12, which, when describing the rebuilding of the temple, states:
"And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy."
The new Jerusalem, though rebuilt, would never again compare to that build by David and Solomon; It is the price Israel paid for its rebellion, and a great illustration of the lasting impact that sin has upon those who choose to disobey God. But as we see through the rest of the account of Ezra and Nehemiah, God is still with his people, and has compassion on the humble.

Today's thoughts

2006-10-13T08:58:00.000-07:00

I've been systematically working through the bible for awhile, and today I read the last couple chapters of 2 Chronicles. As many of you know, I love the Old Testament, and this particular excerpt is very powerful, as it is the final true passover celebrated by Judah prior to the time of the exile. The writer of the Chronicles tends to focus more on the kings that followed in the ways of the LORD, mostly in an attempt to emphasize the need to draw Israel and Judah back to God, and even its account here of the decline into exile continues that theme. The exile was a time of great turmoil for the people of God, and it was brought upon them because of their decision not to follow God with all their heart. Yet, as the Chronicles show, God is faithful to forgive those who humble themselves to Him, and that is a theme that carries forward into today! I know I make mistakes constantly, and it is only with the knowledge that I can ask for forgiveness and receive the strength to change my behavior that I am able to carry on!

Welcome to my blog

2006-10-13T08:41:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody, welcome to my own personal blog. My wife, Kari, has an awesome blog of our family over at www.babydevon.blogspot.com, so this blog won't focus as much on our family as it will on my own personal ruminations. I'm going to be using this forum as a sort of devotional, as I feel the need to find an outlet for my thoughts about God and where my family and I are spiritually. I hope you enjoy it, and please feel free to offer any thoughts this may bring to mind!