Accountants

In honor of Tax Day.

15 Incredibly Awesome Accountants

#16 - Rach =)

Disappointment

Over the past year or so I have been bombarded with disappointment. Disappointment in friends, in family, in all sorts of things. As I have watchd self-destructive behavior rear it's ugly head to some of my dearest loved ones I have ached on the outside, while fighting the urge to shake them uncontrollably until they "get it" on the inside. Speaking Truth into several situations over the past 5+ years has be tough and has lead to the loss of friends and confidantes, but truly, the loss than stings the most, is witnessing the actions of these dear loved ones from the sidelines, having been pushed aside or deemed irrelevant, out-dated, or too conservative. As I watch as an outsider, feeling defeated and useless, I start to doubt. I start to doubt the effectiveness of my influence, the effectiveness of my Walk, my ability to speak Truth with conviction, and most recently, I have begun to doubt whether or not I will be a good parent. Sure, I make the Worlds Greatest Chocolate Chip Cookie (true statement, not an exaggeration according to Husband and others...) but what can I offer if I'm an ineffective witness for Christ? If it hurts this bad when friends and family are ignoring Truth, how much worse will it be if my own child turns their back on me and more importantly turns their back on their faith? I can't, an quite honestly don't want to, imagine...

This past week I have been able to set aside my doubt for something much greater. After talking with some of my Brothers and Sisters (thanks for your prayers by the way, obviously this was a quick turn-around time), Sunday it was all summed up for me in Lon's message about Caleb (yes, that's right...) where I was reminded, yet again, how big our God is (no wonder Caleb's story has stuck with me for so many years...) This concept has been with me through out my whole Christian walk and I wonder if it's something I will ever truly be able to grasp. All I know is that I absolutely LOVE being reminded of just how much God wants to bless us and how much of God's plan we cannot see because of our earthly "blinders".

"I may not know the future, but I know the One who holds the future."

I still love you, still pray for you, and I rejoice in God's sovereignty over all our lives.


PS - No where in Lon's message did he say anything about Caleb's "suspected weight issues". Don't worry, I made sure to point that out to Husband after the service 0=)

Previously

Guy Who Says 'Previously On Heroes' Wishes He Was Guy Who Says 'Previously On Lost'

LOS ANGELES—If it were up to him, voice actor David Cavanaugh would emphasize the t in Lost to avoid trailing off and leaving viewers confused and adrift.

Medicine

The use of medical care (or rather the absence of medical care) is again being brought up in the news. A family for a little girl who died recently due to an illness that could possibly have been treated medicinally is now in danger of criminal prosecution for not taking the girl to a doctor to receive medical care. The family (and their church) do not believe in outside medical assistance, but lift up all ailments in prayer. This one of those things that just keeps coming back into my personal theology definition, most recently as a result of the "Matter of Opinion?" series done at Frontline a few months back. One of the first topics that was discussed was suicide, and more specifically what constitutes suicide and what is God's opinion on the subject. (The "Matter of Opinion?" series addressed various topics that various denominations throughout the "Christian community" have different opinions on, but God's opinion is clearly stated in the Bible, hence the question mark...these issues should NOT be opinions to be varied throughout Christians, but really are no-brainers. Check out www.frontlinedc.com for more info and free downloads from the series.) Part of the suicide discussion tapped into an area that provides me with great confusion, when is medicine a "gift from God" and when is medicine a human attempt to "play God"? Should we regard every medical discovery as a brilliance that only God could have planted in the mind of the doctor or scientist? Or are some medical discoveries only a deception leading us away from faith in God's supernatural power of healing? When is is okay to refuse medical treatment? When is it okay to give your body the boost it "needs" to become pregnant? Is it okay to undergo the popular invetro-fertilization procedures available to pre-moms-to-be these days? Where is that line drawn? Is there a line? Is this a personal decision made between a person and God after much prayer and mediation on God's Word?

Obviously, there is still much work to be done inside both my head and my heart before I will ever understand the power of medicine in co-existence with the power of God.

BBQ

To document our travels on the 2008 BBQ Tour through Kentucky and Tennessee I have created a separate blog:

http://binghambbqtour.blogspot.com/

For the next week or so visit us over there to see some of our favorite BBQ joints for 2008...and check out our sweet tee-shirt courtesy of my Father =)

Easter

Why Easter stubbornly resists the commercialism that swallowed Christmas.

Okay, so at first I was skeptical of this article, I mean, with all the bunnies, egg hunts, etc. that have been known to follow around the Easter holiday, was it really so "pure" (in the uncommercialized sense this title suggests) of a holiday in today's world? After reading through it though, I was quite pleased. The writer was definitely onto something.

I think my favorite part was:
Even agnostics and atheists who don't accept Christ's divinity can accept the general outlines of the Christmas story with little danger to their worldview. But Easter demands a response. It's hard for a non-Christian believer to say, "Yes, I believe that Jesus of Nazareth was crucified, died, was buried, and rose from the dead." That's not something you can believe without some serious ramifications: If you believe that Jesus rose from the dead, this has profound implications for your spiritual and religious life—really, for your whole life. If you believe the story, then you believe that Jesus is God, or at least God's son. What he says about the world and the way we live in that world then has a real claim on you.
Easter is an event that demands a "yes" or a "no." There is no "whatever."

What do you think about that? Personally, I enjoy the author's bluntness...

So, what's it gonna be?

"Yes," or "No"?

I choose, "Yes".

One

Happy One Year Anniversary Blog =)

My hair might not be brown anymore, but we'd had a fun year nevertheless.