Fail on, my brethren, fail on.

If there’s one thing I have learned in my twenty-one years of church, it’s that you can make an analogy of pretty much ANYTHING. I’m practically thinking in analogies now. It’s scary. You don’t want to know.

To prove my point, I will make an analogy. Right here. Right now. I know, didn’t see that coming, right?

So I was driving to work the other day and heard this new song on the radio called “Before you Fly.” It’s by Ginny Owens (who, by the way, is blind), one of my favorite Christian Singer/Songwriters. The chorus says:

"Spread your wings
in the sun
don’t give up
there’s more to come.
You will find
when you try
you always fall before you fly"

I really like this song, and not just because the phrase “take that to the bank” is in it. The song takes the picture of a bird learning to fly.

I actually witnessed this the other day. I was sitting out on the front porch, and saw a bird who was having some difficulty flying. He didn’t look small, so I didn’t think it was a baby. He would get a few fleeting moments of air, and then fell back down to the ground. I originally thought he was having wing trouble, perhaps an injured or broken wing (or too much turbulence perhaps?). But as I watched him, he kept trying and eventually his air time got longer and higher, and he began to soar for part of his flight. I realized now that he was having no problems with his wing but had never figured out the secret to flying. A few minutes later, I saw another bird doing the same; he got the ‘hang’ of it, too.

[Enter analogy stage right.]

When I heard this song on the radio in the car, my mind immediately went to those two birdies who fell several times before they learned how to fly. It was essential for them to fall a few times so that they could correct what they were doing wrong and perfect their skill. Without the falling part, they wouldn’t have had the flying part.

Isn’t the same thing true in life? We always fall before we fly. I actually just heard a sermon about this same thing on Sunday. I was visiting a church on the other side of the state and the pastor there talked about “failure.” (Perhaps not the best choice for a Father’s Day sermon...fail!) I’m seeing this theme of failure/falling popping up frequently in my life these days...that makes me a little nervous, especially in my internship summer!

Let’s be honest. Failure is inevitable. It’s part of the human condition. It is common, it can be devastating and discouraging, and is often misunderstood. But the good thing is, it’s not fatal, it’s not an enemy, and it’s not final. Michael Jordan, arguably the most famous athletic figure in America, said that his failure was actually the key to his success:

“I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot...and missed. And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

You may have heard about how Post-It notes came into existence: Spencer Silver was trying to make a new adhesive for 3M that was super strong, but instead he made one that was so weak that it could be easily lifted off. Fail! Little did he know, the forgetful person’s best friend was born! Success!

Failure is something everyone experiences. But, undoubtedly, failure makes us all better at whatever we are trying to do. Without failure, we would never learn anything! Failure is never fun but without the pain of failure, success wouldn’t be as sweet.

To put a cherry on top, think about this: Jesus even guaranteed failure, imperfection, and trials. In John 16:33, Jesus says, “In this world you will have tribulation...” Basically, He says, “Nobody ever said it would be easy!” Thankfully, He doesn’t stop there. (If He did, we would be in trouble for sure...and I also wouldn’t have mentioned it in this post.) He goes on to say, “...But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Jesus has taken care of everything for us and pretty soon we won’t have to remember the failures of this world! As my Grandpa used to say, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus!” We have the fantastic hope of Heaven! WIN!

We will fail, but the more we fail, the more we learn. It would be a tragedy to be perfect at something but never learn anything new! Keep failing and keep learning...success only comes through failure! Fail on, my brethren, fail on.

So, essentially, each failure is kind of a success! In the long run, more failures = more successes! Epic Fail = Epic Win!

I don’t know, maybe this post was a failure...Or was it?

Bearers of Hope

What's the best thing about summer? You got it - NO SCHOOL!

Or so I thought...

Well you know I just love school SO much that I just couldn't go 3 months without it, so I had to take a summer class. Yeah, something like that. Anyways...

So I'm taking a summer online class - World Literature. Might as well make the best of it, right?

This is a Discussion Board posting assignment after reading Dante's Inferno. The assignment was to place someone in whichever circle of Hell (as described by Dante) they deserved. It is a difficult thing to write of, so I decided to put a little spin on it. See what you think...

You may recognize the name Rahab. Well, you may know her better by her full name: Rahab the Prostitute. Rahab lived in the city of Jericho - a pagan, godless nation. Jericho was a city surrounded by walls, hence the song, “Joshua fought the battle of Jericho and the walls came a-tumblin’ down.” Anyways, Rahab was known for her profession, be it wholesome or not.

Rahab lived just inside the wall of the city. Perhaps she was in a corner or just on a wall. Either way, her location undoubtedly helped her business. Her “clients” knew exactly where she was, and word-of-mouth advertisement was easy to describe her location.

Not only was she a pagan (which would have left her in Circle one, melancholy and hopeless), she was a panderer, a seducer. According to Dante, Rahab’s final resting place would be in Circle VIII, in Bolgia 1. Her punishment would have been, as Dante described it, “whipped by devils.”

The cool thing about Rahab’s story is that it doesn’t end with her eternal punishment. After a rendezvous with a couple of Israelites (the people who followed the one true God, Jehovah), her heart was changed. She also became a God-follower, thereby escaping the perils of Hell. Whether or not Dante’s description was accurate, she was prevented from eternal punishment. You can read Rahab’s story in the Old Testament book of Joshua, chapters 2 and 6.

(The Good News is: You don’t have to wind up in any part of Hell, either.)

Perhaps it will cause some to ponder the afterlife and their final destination. Perhaps it will open some discussion. Or maybe it will just fester in someone's heart. I'll never really know, but one thing I do know - we are called to bring hope to a lost world and if I can, I'm going to slip that hope into any corner I can find. Even in a discussion board based on a secular piece of literature.

Getting Excited for the End of the World

Well, the end of the world is happening on Saturday, or so they say. Are you ready? Are you excited? Are you scared? Do you have enough food and water in your basement to last the next seven years?

(I will leave the discussion of eschatological and theological problems with this latest world judgement prediction to the pros. Read an excellent article by theologian and professor Dr. David Mappes here http://baptistbulletin.org/?p=15913 .)

What would you do if you knew the end of the world was coming in two days? If anyone had "end of the world" feelings, it was Moses. He was faced with several huge crises in his life. I mean, he was the leader of an entire race of people. No pressure there!

Moses was asked to stand up to the most powerful ruler of his time and proclaimed ten devastating end-of-the-world plagues on his country. Finally, when they gained freedom from Egypt, they came to an enormous body of water which would surely seal their doom by their quickly approaching enemy army...Seemingly another end-of-the-world feeling for Moses (not to mention the million people behind him). Fast forward a few years to see Moses coming down from the mountain after talking with God and what does he see? The entire nation having a party over a gold statue, forgetting about the Almighty God who had brought them out of Egypt and across the Red Sea...perhaps another day of confusion and end-of-the-world thoughts for Moses.

But in Exodus 33 we see Moses ask a special question that we've never seen anyone else ask before. In the midst of a life of end-of-the-world thoughts and feelings, Moses asks a huge favor: He wanted to see God's glory. "Please let me see your glorious presence." (Exodus 33:18)

Moses wanted above all else to see God's glory. He desired to see and know God for all that He is. God did allow Him to see all of His goodness, showing His backside, because no human can see the I AM and live. God's goodness alone was undoubtedly overwhelming for Moses; His face glowed for some time after His intimate encounter with the Almighty Elohim. (Exodus 33:19-23; 34:29-30)

Through experiences that maybe felt like the end of the world for Moses, he had a one-track mind. He was excited to see God's glory. He was ready for it, and it was surely an experience that he could find few words to describe.

So, when we are faced with the thought of "the end of the world," what do we do or think first? Freak out? Fear? Confusion? Disappointment? As Christians, there is no reason for these feelings; We have so much more to look forward to, whenever it happens! Do we get excited about seeing God in all His indescribable glory? Does that get us exhilarated? Are we thrilled by the scene we picture in our minds? Are we completely enraptured (pun intended) in the idea of finally seeing God's glorious presence?

While we do not know when Christ will return (Matthew 24:36, 25:13; Acts 1:7), we DO know that Christ's return could happen at any minute. We should be living with such expectancy every single day, regardless of whatever the latest judgement day date setters are saying. Get excited! Moses face glowed with simply seeing God's goodness; Imagine what God's GLORY will be like!

Living in the Red Cord District

Rahab. Now there was someone who was known by her job. She was defined by her occupation, what she did. You usually see her name accompanied by two other words: the prostitute. Rahab the prostitute. (Joshua chapters 2 and 6 tell her story.)

Then one day a couple of guys came to her door. But they were different. They weren't the sleazy, shady-looking kind of guys that usually knocked at her door. They didn't want what she was selling. By this she was intrigued. She let them in, listened to their story, and helped them out.

You know the story. The two guys were from Israel, that nomadic people that lived in tents out there in the desert. They were there checking out the city for Joshua, Israel's leader. But then the King got wind of it and would have none of it. When the king's men came to Rahab's house looking for them, she protected them on her roof. (Her unethical means do not condone sin but show that God can use even our sinful mistakes for His purposes.)

Through her experience with these men, and this encounter with the God of Israel, her heart was turned toward God. I think this is the first door-to-door conversion recorded in history! She was convinced that the Lord was behind all of it: "I've heard about your God. I've heard about the things He has done for you, and how He has destroyed entire nations. No wonder we're all terrified of you! Your God is surely the LORD of all. Please, I beg you, promise me that my family and I will be saved from the Lord's destruction of Jericho!"

So she hung a red cord in her window, like the men told her to. It was probably the same rope that she let the spies down from her house by (2:15). It was kind of a strange, almost random thing to do to be saved from destruction, but because of her faith in the Lord, God of Israel, she did it. She left that red rope in her window, and when Jericho fell, she and her entire household were rescued (6:22-23).

The next time we see Rahab, she is in the genealogy listed in Matthew 1! She was in the line of our Savior, Jesus Christ! Rahab was Boaz's Grandma, and Boaz was David's great-grandpa.

Rahab also shows up in the Hall of Faith, Hebrews 11. An unlikely place for a prostitute, one might think. Thanks to that simple red cord and Rahab's tireless faith, she landed herself a spot smack-dab in the middle of Hebrews 11. "It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute did not die with all the others in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies" (Hebrews 11:31).

She was saved from physical destruction through a red cord hanging in her window. She was saved from spiritual destruction through a thread of faith strung through her heart. Rahab moved from the Red Light District to the Red Cord District, and as a result ended up in Both Matthew 1 and Hebrews 11. Didn't see that coming!

A simple red cord. Rahab's entire household was saved by a simple red cord and the faith that kept that cord in the window.

How many times are we asked to possess and employ faith that we don't think we have? How often are we asked to do something as simple as hanging a cord from the window of our lives? How often do we obey God when He asks us for simple childlike faith that what God says is true?Sometimes God asks us to do simple things, like Rahab's red cord. Other times we are asked to do strange things, also like that red cord - A seemingly odd way to be saved from destruction.

So, while we may not be living in the Red Light District, we need to pick up and move to the Red Cord District, where simple yet steadfast faith makes a beautiful home.

Whatever You Do, DON'T FORGET!

"It is necessary to write, if the days are not to slip emptily by. How else, indeed, to clap the net over the butterfly of the moment? For the moment passes, it is forgotten; the mood is gone; life itself is gone." ~Vita Sackville-West

I've been bugging my mom to start writing stuff down. Over Christmas break, we were working on my parents' wedding album, converting it all to a scrapbooking album with picture-perserving paper and tape. It was so much fun! I got to see their wedding pictures and heard the stories behind the pictures. I said, "Mom, you have to write about these pictures. You have to write a paragraph explaining that ten days before your wedding, Dad was in the hospital with appendicitis! You have to write down that you and Grandma made your wedding dress, and the week before your wedding you tore the sleeves out because you didn't like them!" Those stories - even if only valuable to me - will be lost, forgotten, if it isn't written down. The heritage that is represented in this album is priceless and it is something that I cannot afford to lose.

I'm becoming even more convinced that journaling is a sacred practice that I need to be committed to. I'm not talking about the mushy 14-year-old "Dear Diary, today I fell in love with Bill Williams..." journaling - although that may qualify. I'm not talking about writing about what you had for lunch that day either. I'm talking about real writing. About life, preferably yours. Writing about what you're learning, what books you're reading, what books you'd like to read, what interesting things happened that day, what terrible things happened that day, and what your heart desires for tomorrow.

A journal page is a snapshot of one day of life. It may read something like "Today, I slept in, (which felt really good) did a ton of homework, and then went to Wal-Mart. Nothing exciting happened, but it was a good day. I took three other girls with me to Wal-Mart, so it was more fun than just going by myself. It rained today and was kind of gross outside, so it was nice to hang out with some people in the dorm instead of just hiding away in my corner bedroom. I'm so thankful to be here at this school!"

Or, it may read something like this: "Today I read Galatians 4. it talks about how Jesus Christ has freed us from the law. Paul was writing to the Galatians, who had turned away from the true Gospel and back to trying to obey the Jewish Law to win God's favor. We were once slaves to the law, but now Christ has given us FREEEEEEEEDOM!"

Or it may be a combination of both.

It's a way to REMEMBER where you've been, where you're at, and where you're going. Key word: REMEMBER.

This was the demise of the Israelites.

Time and time again, God did amazing things, and they kept forgetting. They won a battle, they crossed a river, they didn't starve to death, their shoes didn't wear out - all by God's grace. But could they remember what God had done the next time they were hungry? When they were up against tough guys? No. So God said: "Make an altar." Altars were Old Testament blogs. They were there to help the people remember what God had done in the past for them. Because - let's be honest - the Israelites had really good forgetters.

When you keep a journal, you can look back at where you've been and say things like: "God is so faithful!" "Well, that was stupid of me." "God is so good to me." "I've come a long way since then." God's faithfulness is remembered and celebrated. Sometimes, when I'm having a bad day, I'll grab one of my past journals and read a day that was really good. I am reminded of God's promises, His everlasting love, goodness, and FAITHFULNESS. And I think that's what God intended when he created Altars. And pens. And the internet. (Here, I resist the urge to make a smart-butt comment about Al Gore.)

So I don't care if your journal consists of a 3x5 card of what God is teaching you or something that He did. Or if it's a 300 page notebook. Or an online blog. Whatever you do, DON'T FORGET.

So yes, Mom (because I know you're the only one reading this), I DO want to know that Dad's wedding ring only cost $20 in 1969, and that your lace sleeves were too much to handle a week before your wedding. Because 41 years later, you're still married, because of His Faithful Grace.

This isn't what I signed up for! Oh wait...maybe it was...

Alright...
It's Sunday night. I'm putting off the dread of Monday morning by staying up late...it makes the weekend seem longer.
That, and I took a 2 hour nap this afternoon, so I'm not going to sleep anytime soon. That probably wasn't one of my brighter moments. Oh well. Now you get to read this!

Here I am - back for another semester of thrashing by my textbooks. It's a double thrashing, really: First, I buy textbooks for unreasonable amounts of money, just to have them kick my behind at their first binding crack. Self-inflicted pain! And they say college makes us smarter!

Junior year. I'm about ready to go around to the underclassmen to warn them NOT to have a junior year...But I feel that may do more harm than good. That being said, I am kind of regretting this whole junior year of college thing. I'm taking a solid 17 credits, working 2 jobs, and I'm an RA. That's intense. Good classes though - which helps immensely!

Physiological Psychology (yes, that's what it's called. Don't ask me to explain it, cuz i'm not sure I even spelled it right. It's 4 credits. I'm scared.)
Theology IV (Ecclesiology and Baptist Distinctives. Good material + Great professor = favorite class)
Psychology of Learning and Education ("POLE" Looks interesting. Sort of.)
Dynamics of Discipleship (Now THAT'S what I'm talkin' about. A class about discipleship! Probably one of the most applicable classes BBC offers. Sweet!)
Women Counseling Women (Sounds good...except it's a night class. And we all know how dangerous night classes are...)
Issues in Professionalism (online class, which is cool, except there is still a weekend of lectures, and a good amount of work to be done.)

The good news is...only 14 more weeks to go!

We actually had a snow/ice day on Tuesday, the second day of classes! It was nice, except I'm still missing one syllabus (Night class on Tuesday was also cancelled), so that makes me a little nervous. But I'm sure it will be fine. At least it's the class with that prof that never knows what's going on! You know, that one prof who is really fun to listen to and learn about life from, but at the end of a class it's like, "Ok, so what did we learn today...?" Yep.

So anyways - I'll try to come up for air every once in a while and update you on this junior year nonsense. It's going to be a good semester, but a tough one. Hopefully I'll make it out alive. If I don't - you'll know what happened...another college kid driven to insanity, huddled in the corner with stacks of notecards, drinking espresso and mumbling something about MLA format. Don't say I didn't warn ya.

In other news, it's -11 here tonight. Hopefully it will be warmer tomorrow...always good to stay "positive!" The good thing about living on a small campus is that on days like today, you don't have to be out in the cold very long. Although the walk to the cafeteria is pretty long at -11 degrees. "Global warming" is at it again...!

At the end of the day (or the beginning, whichever you'd like to call it at this point. It's 1:15 am), God is good. He is faithful, and His grace is enough. His grace is enough to help me pass Junior year (nothing short of a miracle) and I will be smiling on the other side. :)

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness!"
Lamentations 3:22