Vacation!

For the first time in several years, my family is taking a vacation for a week. Before you start in on me about the need for regular vacations, let me assure you, I have already heard it.

Our problem for the past few years has been our efforts to eliminate debt and get rid of that weight hanging over us. We have made some incredible progress in that area, thanks in large part to Financial Peace University, and have decided to celebrate with a week at the lake.

Our goal is to do as little as possible. We are headed to Branson, Missouri, to spend the week with some of our best friends. We will probably take in Silver Dollar City one day, but for the most part, I plan on sitting on the dock, or on the deck, or in the lake. That’s it.

Maybe I’ll do a little reading. Maybe a nap or two. Who knows? Either way, it will be relaxing.

I hope you have a great week! I’ll see you back here in a few days!

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Dryden Watch Co.

What’s On My Wrist

If you know me, you probably know that some of my personal interests are pocket knives, pens, and watches. These are all areas that I find enjoyable, and I try to gather a few of the ones I like into my collection.

Dryden Watch Co.

Watches are a relatively recent fascination for me. I have held an interest in knives and pens for several years, but wrist watches have come along more recently, just in the last three or four years really.

It started off with a couple of nicer Timex pieces, and then I found a small group of watch aficionados who took me in and taught me the ropes. That led to an interest in Seiko watches, and a few other nicer brands. (Rolex and Omega are on that list, but I suspect I’ll never own one. They’re too expensive for me. I’ll have to admire them from afar.)

My Seiko Turtle has been my go to watch for a while, being a part of my EDC. I have a couple of other dressier watches, but wear the Seiko most of the time.

Until recently…

Clarity First

Clarity First by Karen Martin (New York: McGraw Hill Education, 2018)

Every organization needs clarity. They need to be clear on who they are, on where they are going, on how they are getting there. Leaders need to lead their organizations from a position of clarity, both personally and for the organization as a whole. One example that comes to mind is the area of communication. Clarity is essential in order to communicate the the purpose and vision to everyone involved.

In Clarity First, Karen Martin writes a solid treatise for developing and achieving clarity for any organization, and these principles certainly apply to the church. Clarity will help unleash potential, increase growth, and achieve results.

According to the dust jacket, “Eliminating ambiguity is the first step for leaders and organizations to achieve strategic goals. Learn how to gain the clarity needed to make better decisions, lead more effectively, and boost organizational performance.”

If you think your church or business needs better clarity, you might want to read this as well. You can pick up a copy on Amazon.

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Epiphanies In The Psalms

Insights Revealed With Startling Clarity

Have you ever had an epiphany when reading the Bible? One of those moments when something becomes so suddenly clear that it almost catches you by surprise? That happens to me occasionally, and it’s always an exciting moment for me.

Epiphanies In The Psalms

First of all, let’s define the word “epiphany.” According to dictionary.com, and epiphany is “a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.” In other words, in a normal, everyday reading of God’s Word, something can jump out at you so suddenly, and with such insight, as to catch you by complete surprise.

That happened to me a few days ago. I have been reading through C. S. Lewis’s book, Reflections On the Psalms, and I had an insight that I have never thought of before. It caught me off guard, and it has been bouncing around in my mind ever since. I’m not certain I understand it completely, and will probably have to reflect on it for some time before I do. But I feel like it is one of those nuggets of truth that I just can’t seem to let go of.

The Psalms were written before Christ obviously, and are included in the Old Testament. As such, they were a primary part of the Hebrew Scriptures. Throughout them, you can find the concept of God’s judgment all over the place. This idea is common in the New Testament as well, and pervades almost every page of Scripture to some degree. It’s a very integral theme of God’s narrative with mankind.

For the Old Testament Jewish reader, the judgment of God brings to mind the scene of a courtroom, just as it does for us today, but with one very significant difference. In our minds, we see that scene as a criminal court, and we are the ones on trial, about to experience the judgment of God. For the ancient Jew, the scene wasn’t a criminal court, it was a civil court. An ancient reader would see the courtroom scene in a very different way, with himself as the plaintiff. For us, we seek God’s mercy, and an acquittal. The ancient Jew would have sought justice, punishment for those who have wronged him, and damages paid to make it right.

Between Two Trees

Between Two Trees by Shane Wood (Abilene, Texas: Leafwood Publishers, 2019)

The Bible is a narrative that begins and ends with two trees. There is the tree of life in the Garden of Eden, and then there is the tree with leaves that heal in the book of Revelation. All of the rest — God’s entire narrative for our lives — is found between these two trees.

The problem with the first tree is that it is surrounded by the Fall and the Curse. The second tree removes the Curse and restores us to a right relationship with God. And that reconciliation happens because of the cross of Christ.

Shane Wood is a professor at Ozark Christian College, and shows us both the bad news of our sin and the Curse, and the Good News that provides our restoration. Between Two Trees promises to be full of hope and encouragement. You can find a copy for yourself at Amazon.com.