Reveration Blog
11/25/2004 0 Comments FoodThe Thanksgiving holiday is supposed to be about remembering how blessed we are by our Almighty Father in heaven. If gratitude is the point, food is the reminder. In truth, a hearty feast is a wonderful custom for celebrating our blessings. Not a Thanksgiving goes by for me that I don’t think back to traveling to Newburgh, NY with my roommate and best friend, Dave Mead. We would totally stuff ourselves at his grandmother’s house—eating was a competitive sport for two young cadets.
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5/27/2004 0 Comments DistortionsDavid Sarasohn, a local writer, slammed President Bush for falsely portraying events in Iraq, in an editorial in The Oregonian. He mocked the President for ignoring the reality of life in Iraq as the media portrays it. Shame on the Commander-in-Chief for believing the direct eyewitness account of soldiers and statesmen instead of the six o’clock news! Because I am privy to inside information to a wide array of events in that land, I am increasingly dismayed by the biased and distorted view David and most of the media portray. It is bad journalism to daily report the number of casualties and castigate the Bush administration for every misstep while selectively ignoring every positive development that occurs in the rebuilding of Iraq’s broken infrastructure. If loss of life is truly the media’s concern, why don’t they tally and print the number of Americans killed each day in traffic accidents in the United States? If morality is so important as to fester for weeks over prisoner abuses, why is there no outrage over drunk drivers or the daily despotic practices of lawless terrorists? Could it be that deeper principles are at work? I’m convinced the media is not about reporting information it is about selling philosophy—truly bad news for everyone.
2/13/2004 0 Comments DreamsMeditation
Joel 2:28,32a--After this I will pour out My Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions . . . Then everyone who calls on the name of Yahweh will be saved . . . 10/11/2003 0 Comments MaintenanceDo you remember the 507thMaintenance Company and it’s infamous soldier—PFC Jessica Lynch? She was badly hurt, the sole survivor in her Humvee which crashed into a disabled truck attempting to escape an ambush. Lynch did not fight the enemy as the media first reported. But another fellow soldier did—PFC Patrick Miller. He won the Silver Star for his valiant efforts and a Purple Heart. Miller was fortunate to have survived and later as a captive to be rescued by a Marine patrol. You see he and those who could fight almost all experienced jammed weapons. Their rifles barely worked because they rarely cleaned and maintained them. It had been seven months since Miller last fired his M16! Evidently, the soldiers of the 507th took their weapons for granted. Their primary job was to repair and maintain equipment in the rear. They did not expect to be involved in any fighting.
8/23/2003 0 Comments SteadfastOur neighbors have a new puppy, Sadie. She is a lovable Pit Bull full of energy and eager for attention. To keep her from getting lost or running away, it was necessary to finish fencing in their yard. So, with help from family members, holes were dug, cement was poured, and metal posts for a chain-link fence were sealed into the ground. That fence is not going anywhere; Sadie is quite secure.
8/28/2001 0 Comments Dependable BibleFreddie recently conversed with a gas station attendant. The man told him that he could never place his trust in the Bible because it was inaccurate. He claimed that in 2 Chronicles 4:2, the circumference measurements listed for the circular Sea of cast metal (used by the priests for their ceremonial washing), did not match up. This greatly disturbed Freddie. Knowing God’s Word was on the line challenged his own faith. So he studied the disputed passage. He discovered that the measurements were from brim to brim and not rim to rim. The circumference distance was precisely accurate. Freddie was elated! Soon he’ll share his discovery with that petro-pumper.
10/12/2000 0 Comments SubmissionI’ve never put a floating floor in before but in theory it looked simple. All I had to do was line and glue the tongue and groove wooden slats together tightly and presto my floor should be complete. But by the fifth row of sliding wood together a problem arose. Gaps were appearing. So I took a hammer and tapped on a metal crowbar against the offending pieces to make them fit. Alas, that resulted in the fragile tongues breaking. The harder I pressed the more damage I caused and the greater my irritation at anything that moved or breathed.
9/4/2000 0 Comments SowingHave you ever considered the notion that what you and I say is a form of planting? For example, if I whine constantly I create an environment of dissatisfaction and I reveal an inner discontent with life. If I have a critical spirit and am harsh in the way I feel towards others I create an atmosphere of distrust and rob my surroundings of joy. If I talk only of myself I establish a place of pride and self-centeredness that leaves others with no desire to linger. If I speak of others with unflattering terms or negatively I produce gossip or slander and cause the reputations of those of whom I’ve spoken to wilt. At the same time I’ve created the perception in the listener “I wonder if he talks about me like this when I’m not around.”
7/14/2000 0 Comments TestHave our brains turned to tofu? The fastest growing jungle in our world is not the triple-canopied tropical variety but rather the explosion of information that sprouts through every conceivable device. Consider the vast amount of data delivered via the internet, television, radio, and printed material and it is astounding that we are not mentally buried. How do we determine the difference between pyrite and gold?
2/3/2000 0 Comments HabitsMeditation
1 Corinthians 9:26,27--Therefore I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified. 12/28/1999 0 Comments JoyStephen blows fiercely against the candles on his cake. But try as he may, those flames will not die. He is the victim of trickery and everyone howls with merriment. There is a wonderful lesson on top all that delicious frosting.
So often as Christians we wear our joy like normal candles. At the slightest breeze of adversity we find our light snuffed. It is much easier to be critical and whine than it is to rest in the certainty of Christ. Joy is not defined by the absence of wind or rain or by the presence of paradise. It is not conceived under the banner of pleasure. True joy cannot be formed by what is already in essence tainted. For joy to be complete it must be founded in the only thing that is perfect—God! 11/29/1999 0 Comments God's WordPastor John Repsold wrote in a newsletter, The Fourth Dimension, the true story of a cook on a work crew at Lewis and Clark Caverns in Montana. This man became tired of his job and decided to quit. But before leaving he determined to go deeper into the cave and break off stalactites to later sell to rock collectors. Late on a Friday afternoon he maneuvered away from his departing work detail. But the flame of his lantern blew out! To his horror he realized he had no matches. He would spend a weekend alone, trapped underground!
6/21/1999 0 Comments ReverenceReveration means reverent-adoration. It is a word I created after studying one of the most overlooked major themes of Scripture—the fear of God. If love for God is food than reverence for Him is water. We need both to nourish our relationship. Love devoid of respect is emotionally unstable causing people to perceive God as some sort of cosmic Genie. Respect without love is mechanically rigid such that people approach God from a sense of duty, concerned with failing, convinced that He is a harsh Judge.
3/15/1999 0 Comments PresenceHave you ever watched a Sumo match? Holy cow—what a ground shaking event! Two men of huge girth stand apart from each other in the middle of a large circle wearing only loincloths. Each warrior attempts to expel the other outside the ring by exerting clever technique combined with brute force. Sumo wrestling is the national sport and pastime of the Japanese. It is a more elegant, ancient and simplified version of America’s pro-wrestling.
10/16/1998 0 Comments PeaceI once lived in Point Loma, a beautiful community in San Diego. The condominium my family lived in was located below the flight path of airplanes taking off from the San Diego Airport. Often during the day we would have to stop all conversation and wait. It was useless to talk because all words were buried beneath the explosive roar of jets fighting to gain elevation. Pausing became a necessity for effective communication. There is a lesson hidden somewhere in that reality.
7/31/1998 0 Comments DisciplineMeditation
Titus 2:11,12--For the grace of God has appeared with salvation for all people, instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age. 2/28/1998 0 Comments Word from GodHave you ever asked the question, "How do I know when God is speaking to me?" I remember vividly as if it were the very day, a choice I had to make over twelve years ago. The decision involved where I was to go in serving God with an organization called The Navigators. Some of my closest friends and counselors advised me to stay in the region where I had lived for the past four years. Other close friends and family advised me to leave and serve in a region to which I had been invited. It was a very difficult time because people's emotions were stirred and strong rational thoughts were presented by both sides. I chose to go for two reasons: 1. Throughout the process I had a persistent sense that God wanted me to go. 2. God confirmed His direction for me through a Bible passage in the book of Isaiah. Looking back, it is clear that going was the right decision.
2/9/1998 1 Comment MeditationDennis the Menace and I would have got along great when it comes to our dislike of bathtubs. He didn’t like to get clean, I don’t like the time it takes to wait for a tub to fill up. I’d rather be in the shower, get clean and get going. Maybe that’s my problem—I’m always in a hurry to get to the next thing.
2/5/1998 0 Comments ObstaclesHave you ever walked on ice? The Japanese have developed a nifty invention for dealing with slippery surfaces. They designed a small rubber sole that can be attached to the bottom of boots. On the rubber sole are two rows of steel teeth which bite the snow and ice when one walks. When I traveled without this device it was very difficult not to slip and slide. Once the grippers were stretched over my boot walking on frozen ground was easier.
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Photo from Rachel Maxey Miles