A 2002 literature review of elective abortion rates found that 91–93% of pregnancies in the United States with a diagnosis of Down syndrome were terminated. (Wikipedia: Down syndrome)
Courage.
Courage.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Intestinal Fortitude
Friday, August 22, 2008
Keep the Change
"Change we can believe in." "Change the world." "Change your shorts."
Well, lately I've been thinking about this concept of change. It seems like change on a small level is so trendy nowadays (i.e. fashion and technology). I mean, who doesn't want the newest video game system, flat-screen TV and spiffy outfit? Why settle for plain old tennis shoes when you can have the pair that glow in the dark? Those old light-up soles are so mid-nineties anyway.
Change on a large scale can become a different thing altogether. Think of climate change. Now whether or not you believe it is human-caused or not, the objective fact is that the earth has been warming up ever so slightly. But the shocking thing for everybody seems to be the fact that we can't seem to control it (although many people seem to think we have caused it). This aggravates people; because what fun is change, after all, if you can't control it? We can control small changes like fashion, technology and the like, and make ourselves look good. But when it comes to climate change, or even change in the weather, our lack of control hurts our ego. Therefore, we look for ways to control it. Buy some carbon footprints. Drive a hybrid. Seed the clouds to coax some rain out.
The point is, we humans like to think that we're in ultimate control of our lives, but we keep running into the fact that we aren't. What then? If we accept this, the question becomes who, then, is in control? I believe that person to be God, who himself does not change (James 1:17). He is constant; everything he is, he is eternally. Nothing that happens; no change, big or small, takes him by surprise.
In this world of change, it's good to know that there is someone consistent who is really in control of things. That ought to make us thankful; it ought to make us humble.
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Ps. 90:12)
Well, lately I've been thinking about this concept of change. It seems like change on a small level is so trendy nowadays (i.e. fashion and technology). I mean, who doesn't want the newest video game system, flat-screen TV and spiffy outfit? Why settle for plain old tennis shoes when you can have the pair that glow in the dark? Those old light-up soles are so mid-nineties anyway.
Change on a large scale can become a different thing altogether. Think of climate change. Now whether or not you believe it is human-caused or not, the objective fact is that the earth has been warming up ever so slightly. But the shocking thing for everybody seems to be the fact that we can't seem to control it (although many people seem to think we have caused it). This aggravates people; because what fun is change, after all, if you can't control it? We can control small changes like fashion, technology and the like, and make ourselves look good. But when it comes to climate change, or even change in the weather, our lack of control hurts our ego. Therefore, we look for ways to control it. Buy some carbon footprints. Drive a hybrid. Seed the clouds to coax some rain out.
The point is, we humans like to think that we're in ultimate control of our lives, but we keep running into the fact that we aren't. What then? If we accept this, the question becomes who, then, is in control? I believe that person to be God, who himself does not change (James 1:17). He is constant; everything he is, he is eternally. Nothing that happens; no change, big or small, takes him by surprise.
In this world of change, it's good to know that there is someone consistent who is really in control of things. That ought to make us thankful; it ought to make us humble.
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Ps. 90:12)
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
The Crack
A user guide to navigating "The Crack." Rule #1: go after dark. Rule # 2: only one person gets a light, only to be used during emergencies. Rule #3: it's not for the faint of heart. Now, a set of approximate directions for navigating The Crack.
First, shimmy across a log to reach the main entrance. Climb straight up a narrow rock face about 10 feet, then reach up to the right and pull yourself up into a small crevice. Then reach up and across and find a tiny outcropping in a nearly vertical crack about 18 inches wide, running to the left of the first crack. Literally wedging yourself into the crack using your knees and shoulders, move 10 feet to the left. There you will find a small place to stand on while preparing to move through the next hole. Crouch down to the left and squeeze through a tiny hole, while finding a ledge behind you to prop yourself up on. Sitting on that ledge, move to the left and down inside a vertical crack about 24 inches across. Once far enough down, you will find a tiny ledge on what feels like the opposite wall, which you must use to step across the gap into another crack that runs straight away from where you just were. There is a place to put your feet while you lean back and rest on the rock wall behind you. Now, move to the left about 15 feet until you find a hole going straight beneath your current position. There will be a little crack in the rock in front of you in which you wedge your left foot to control your descent. Lean forward and move down slowly, propping your shoulders against the back wall for more leverage. Continue downward for roughly 15 feet until you find some stones under your left foot to step down on; then stretch your right leg down until you find a solid gravel trail underneath you. Move about 10 feet to the right until you find another hole in the rock going straight down. This is called the "birth canal." Either slide straight down freely, or move down slowly, propping yourself with your arms and legs. Once to the bottom of this 6-foot tunnel, crouch down and move forward through a low tunnel until you find yourself back at the main entrance. Cross the fallen log again, and you've made it.
(inside view of The Crack)
First, shimmy across a log to reach the main entrance. Climb straight up a narrow rock face about 10 feet, then reach up to the right and pull yourself up into a small crevice. Then reach up and across and find a tiny outcropping in a nearly vertical crack about 18 inches wide, running to the left of the first crack. Literally wedging yourself into the crack using your knees and shoulders, move 10 feet to the left. There you will find a small place to stand on while preparing to move through the next hole. Crouch down to the left and squeeze through a tiny hole, while finding a ledge behind you to prop yourself up on. Sitting on that ledge, move to the left and down inside a vertical crack about 24 inches across. Once far enough down, you will find a tiny ledge on what feels like the opposite wall, which you must use to step across the gap into another crack that runs straight away from where you just were. There is a place to put your feet while you lean back and rest on the rock wall behind you. Now, move to the left about 15 feet until you find a hole going straight beneath your current position. There will be a little crack in the rock in front of you in which you wedge your left foot to control your descent. Lean forward and move down slowly, propping your shoulders against the back wall for more leverage. Continue downward for roughly 15 feet until you find some stones under your left foot to step down on; then stretch your right leg down until you find a solid gravel trail underneath you. Move about 10 feet to the right until you find another hole in the rock going straight down. This is called the "birth canal." Either slide straight down freely, or move down slowly, propping yourself with your arms and legs. Once to the bottom of this 6-foot tunnel, crouch down and move forward through a low tunnel until you find yourself back at the main entrance. Cross the fallen log again, and you've made it.
(inside view of The Crack)Note: inside The Crack you must completely rely on those ahead of you to guide you; those behind you must do the same. Be safe and be steady, and have fun. Challenging. Captivating. Dark. The Crack.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Truth
"You are a king, then!" said Pilate.
Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."
"What is truth?" Pilate asked.
"Sometimes truth isn't good enough," Batman says. "Sometimes people deserve more. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded."
Question #1: What is the difference between faith and truth?
Question #2: What sort of confidence can a person have in a lie?
Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."
"What is truth?" Pilate asked.
"Sometimes truth isn't good enough," Batman says. "Sometimes people deserve more. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded."
Question #1: What is the difference between faith and truth?
Question #2: What sort of confidence can a person have in a lie?
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Work
Farming probably won't be my lifetime career. However, for now it's pretty cool. This summer I have gotten to: pick rocks, stack hay bales, pound in fence posts, attach wire to said fence posts, drive an old truck around, mow the barnyard, dig a trench and bury wire in it, and (most recently) destroy thistles with a big piece of steel.
Thistles. Yuck. The electric fence we've been building goes through some horrendous patches of thistles about head-high and as thick as hair on a dog. Incidentally, it turns out that mosquitoes consider thistle patches to be prime real-estate, especially this time of year. Well, yesterday I was told to go thin out the thistles around the fence, so I grabbed the nearest goodly sized piece of steel rebar and went to work.
Nothing quite reminds a person of the Fall of Creation quite like an experience like that. Nature, made for our enjoyment, became an untamed force when sin entered the picture. It made me wonder, what was the original purpose of thistles? Did they exist before the Fall? What about mosquitoes? How about their original intent? I suppose I'll never know this side of eternity. Until then, I'll keep swinging my rebar; fighting entropy.
On an end note, happy birthday, America. Remember the God of your fathers.
Thistles. Yuck. The electric fence we've been building goes through some horrendous patches of thistles about head-high and as thick as hair on a dog. Incidentally, it turns out that mosquitoes consider thistle patches to be prime real-estate, especially this time of year. Well, yesterday I was told to go thin out the thistles around the fence, so I grabbed the nearest goodly sized piece of steel rebar and went to work.
Nothing quite reminds a person of the Fall of Creation quite like an experience like that. Nature, made for our enjoyment, became an untamed force when sin entered the picture. It made me wonder, what was the original purpose of thistles? Did they exist before the Fall? What about mosquitoes? How about their original intent? I suppose I'll never know this side of eternity. Until then, I'll keep swinging my rebar; fighting entropy.
On an end note, happy birthday, America. Remember the God of your fathers.
Monday, June 30, 2008
The Del Button
I just looked at my keyboard and noticed that I have a Del button. If only life had a Del (Tackett) button, and when you pushed it, an attractively winsome voice would give you a snippet of sound advice. I tried hitting it on my keyboard, but you guessed it, no voice. Siggies out.
Speaking of Del Tackett, when I was in his class at the Institute, he required us to memorize the hymn Holy, Holy, Holy. As of late, I've been thinking about the words to that song more and more. Tonight I was sitting by the campfire, and the words from the last verse echoed through my mind: All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth and sky and sea. Over the constant hum in my ears (from shooting my big rifle last week), all was silent but the cracking fire and the chitter-chatter of crickets. The nearly-full orange moon crept up over the black horizon. And the fire kept on burning bright and steady.
...in earth and sky and sea...
I am a firm believer that if we take some time to shut our yaps, turn off the artificial light of the television, and go sit outside for awhile, we can catch a glimpse of God's works singing their praise songs to Him. As Jesus said, if we're silent, even the rocks will cry out. Sometimes we need to be alone to be reminded that they're still singing, and what a pity if they're singing louder than we are.
Speaking of Del Tackett, when I was in his class at the Institute, he required us to memorize the hymn Holy, Holy, Holy. As of late, I've been thinking about the words to that song more and more. Tonight I was sitting by the campfire, and the words from the last verse echoed through my mind: All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth and sky and sea. Over the constant hum in my ears (from shooting my big rifle last week), all was silent but the cracking fire and the chitter-chatter of crickets. The nearly-full orange moon crept up over the black horizon. And the fire kept on burning bright and steady.
...in earth and sky and sea...
I am a firm believer that if we take some time to shut our yaps, turn off the artificial light of the television, and go sit outside for awhile, we can catch a glimpse of God's works singing their praise songs to Him. As Jesus said, if we're silent, even the rocks will cry out. Sometimes we need to be alone to be reminded that they're still singing, and what a pity if they're singing louder than we are.
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