Men stumble over the truth from time to time, but most pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happened.-- Winston Churchill
The Truth is heavy, therefore few care to carry it.
The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable. --Jim Davis
Truth: the most deadly weapon ever discovered by humanity. Capable of destroying entire perceptual sets, cultures, and realities. Outlawed by all governments everywhere. Possession is normally punishable by death.-- John Gilmore
To some the truth is an insult, to others life from the dead. --Gary Amirault
Candor is a double-edged sword; it may heal or it may separate. Wilhelm Stekel
Humility is nothing but truth, and pride is nothing but lying. -- Vincent de Paul
It is better to be divided by truth than to be united in error.— Adrian Rodgers
Once your soul has been enlarged by a truth, it can never return to its original size. --Blaise Pascal
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Words of Wisdom
A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right
-Thomas Paine
-Thomas Paine
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Live Alive
Life Is Not Trivial
By John Piper July 13, 1980
Isn't it the extremely high and the extremely low occasions of life that trigger in us a hunger that life not be so trivial most of the time? Every human being now and then feels a longing that life not dribble away like a leaky faucet. You've all tasted the desire that day-to-day life be more than a series of trifles. It can happen when you are reading a poem, when you are kneeling in your closet, when you are standing at the lakeside at sunset. It very often happens at birth and death.
When my mother died in December, 1974, I had to go home and help tend my dad's injury. I didn't know what, besides grief, I might feel. But one thing that happened was this: I wrote to Dr. Glenn, chairman of my department at Bethel College and said: "I know you want me to teach an overload in the spring but unless my job depends on it I'd rather not." The reason I gave was: "When I stand beside my mother's coffin and then look at my wife and son, the $1,000 extra which I would make teaching the overload simply loses all its attraction because it would rob me of some of the quality time with my family." In other words, the crisis time of my mother's death awakened in me a longing that my family life not be trivial.
Why does this happen? I think it's because at these moments of intense emotion we see life for what it really is. The non-essentials get stripped off and life essential shines for what it really is—and it is not trivial. We see things in the light of eternity, we see the way God sees, and triviality has no place in God's life.
The world is hungry for people for whom nothing is trivial, people who ooze with life because in everything they see a reflection of eternity—even in a fish and a blade of grass.
For the full article click here Life Is Not Trivial.
By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org
By John Piper July 13, 1980
Isn't it the extremely high and the extremely low occasions of life that trigger in us a hunger that life not be so trivial most of the time? Every human being now and then feels a longing that life not dribble away like a leaky faucet. You've all tasted the desire that day-to-day life be more than a series of trifles. It can happen when you are reading a poem, when you are kneeling in your closet, when you are standing at the lakeside at sunset. It very often happens at birth and death.
When my mother died in December, 1974, I had to go home and help tend my dad's injury. I didn't know what, besides grief, I might feel. But one thing that happened was this: I wrote to Dr. Glenn, chairman of my department at Bethel College and said: "I know you want me to teach an overload in the spring but unless my job depends on it I'd rather not." The reason I gave was: "When I stand beside my mother's coffin and then look at my wife and son, the $1,000 extra which I would make teaching the overload simply loses all its attraction because it would rob me of some of the quality time with my family." In other words, the crisis time of my mother's death awakened in me a longing that my family life not be trivial.
Why does this happen? I think it's because at these moments of intense emotion we see life for what it really is. The non-essentials get stripped off and life essential shines for what it really is—and it is not trivial. We see things in the light of eternity, we see the way God sees, and triviality has no place in God's life.
The world is hungry for people for whom nothing is trivial, people who ooze with life because in everything they see a reflection of eternity—even in a fish and a blade of grass.
For the full article click here Life Is Not Trivial.
By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Thank the Lord for a Clean Home
I know it may seem a bit trite and I realize I could site other more rewarding blessings that my wife affords me but I am grateful for how my wife keeps our home. She has been blessed with a knack for organization, structure, and keeping things nice and tidy. I routinely dismiss my responsibility for keeping our home nice, sometimes out of ignorance but other times out of down right neglect. But Jana routinely saves the day with her adroit housekeeping. Thus our home is much more hospitable and we are able to welcome guests into our home.
So if you ever think about the Gosney family, pray that Caleb might be more willing to lay down his life in housekeeping chores and thank the Lord that Caleb has Jana while you're at it.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Glitz to Gloom: The Post-Christmas Letdown
How fast has the tide shifted, from embracing all the festivities associated with Christmas cheer to embarking down the novel road of student teaching. From being afforded opportunities at immersing oneself in football and food galore to being confronted with the stark reality of responsibility.
I must admit there was a little let down as the Christmas and New Year's parties came to a screeching halt. As the chaos subsided and reality was given ample time to shine through I was allowed to reflect on our culture's inanity and its haphazard effects on Christian living. Though in themselves these following themselves might not be bad, however, our idolizing of these things is disturbing to say the least. I mean not to come off as brash or pretentious but just to point out a few ruminations of mine this past few weeks.
College and NFL Football:
Oh the precarious happiness of avid sports fans, enamored with college football bowl games and NFL playoffs, whose joy is contigent upon the productivity of a particular team. One week they are fillled with abundant joy and the next utter despair.
Litany of Gifts:
How the Lord must be grieved that in the guise of celebrating Christ's birth we embrace the rudimentary pleasures of this world. Christmas has become an excuse, a facade for secular hedonism. This holiday fervor is all wrapped up in the accumulation of human products rather than the divine excellencies of Christ.
How shallow is life without Christ. But even more, how pitiful! As I ponder how this last month could have been better received I am most struck at how silly this world really is, completely ludicrous, insane. The things our culture perceives as glorious are merely the faintest echoes of true splendor.
How is one to cope in a world filled with such vain hopes and empty ambitions?
1. Guard yourself against this world, being cognizant of its' suppressive antics knowing that the prince of this world is our kings greatest enemy and the momentary affliction brought by not indulging in these fleeting pleasures is building for ourselves a greater reward.
So that the tested genuineness of your faith more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (I Peter 2:7)
2. Constantly reminding ourselves that our citizenship is beyond this world, more glorious and real than anything this world has to offer, as the realities of Christ and his work of redeeming all of the world will one day be fully realized.
Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears then you also will appear with him in glory. (Col. 3:2-4)
3. Embracing Christ as the essence of true beauty, which in part means a perfectly holy God who hates sin.
"Your throne O God is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions."
4. Live with more urgency, wait in anticipation for Christ's return, and endeavor to make our days more mean more. Maybe worrying about one day at time because it presents enough challenges of its' own and clinging to Christ to get us through it.
I must admit there was a little let down as the Christmas and New Year's parties came to a screeching halt. As the chaos subsided and reality was given ample time to shine through I was allowed to reflect on our culture's inanity and its haphazard effects on Christian living. Though in themselves these following themselves might not be bad, however, our idolizing of these things is disturbing to say the least. I mean not to come off as brash or pretentious but just to point out a few ruminations of mine this past few weeks.
College and NFL Football:
Oh the precarious happiness of avid sports fans, enamored with college football bowl games and NFL playoffs, whose joy is contigent upon the productivity of a particular team. One week they are fillled with abundant joy and the next utter despair.
Litany of Gifts:
How the Lord must be grieved that in the guise of celebrating Christ's birth we embrace the rudimentary pleasures of this world. Christmas has become an excuse, a facade for secular hedonism. This holiday fervor is all wrapped up in the accumulation of human products rather than the divine excellencies of Christ.
How shallow is life without Christ. But even more, how pitiful! As I ponder how this last month could have been better received I am most struck at how silly this world really is, completely ludicrous, insane. The things our culture perceives as glorious are merely the faintest echoes of true splendor.
How is one to cope in a world filled with such vain hopes and empty ambitions?
1. Guard yourself against this world, being cognizant of its' suppressive antics knowing that the prince of this world is our kings greatest enemy and the momentary affliction brought by not indulging in these fleeting pleasures is building for ourselves a greater reward.
So that the tested genuineness of your faith more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (I Peter 2:7)
2. Constantly reminding ourselves that our citizenship is beyond this world, more glorious and real than anything this world has to offer, as the realities of Christ and his work of redeeming all of the world will one day be fully realized.
Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears then you also will appear with him in glory. (Col. 3:2-4)
3. Embracing Christ as the essence of true beauty, which in part means a perfectly holy God who hates sin.
"Your throne O God is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions."
4. Live with more urgency, wait in anticipation for Christ's return, and endeavor to make our days more mean more. Maybe worrying about one day at time because it presents enough challenges of its' own and clinging to Christ to get us through it.
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