Personal Pilgrimage 9:13 AM
This site is dedicated to all those brave knights who continue to get up every day and fight those ever-present windmills.
- Books are meanderings on fiction and non-fiction.
- Essays are writings about the challenges that ought to be faced.
- Games are activities to encounter a microcosm of adventure.
- Movies are discussions about films.
- Musings are small thoughts that might have large implications.
- Personal Pilgrimage contains personal stories, and other unclassifiable topics.
Musings apologetics, Christianity, Ethics, God, Humor, Philosophy, Religion, Religion and Spirituality, thoughts 6:45 AM
Sometimes in the midst of life and all of its battles and struggles we sometimes forget that an apologist and what they face is not like this (which is more often than not how we are perceived… and sadly sometimes are):
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but more like this:
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Musings Fairy tale, Philosophy, thoughts 11:30 AM
As the white, pink and red fill up the stores, as the chocolates get eaten from cardboard hearts, we as a society reflect on what we will give and what we will get. It’s the curse of consumerism. Yet, in the midst of all the gifts, bribery, food, and advertising; there is a thread of true love. In the middle of all the pressure there is the inkling of what it truly means to give without receiving, to hope without expecting, to live with the threat of continual and everlasting embarrassment. This hint of what love truly is happens to be embodied in a character.
Let me explain…
Who in the whole world of fiction is the most romantic character?
Who embodies a pure selfless life?
Who fails time and time again… and yet gets up and still lives on?
Who carries the pain of ridicule and yet searches onward?
Who dreams the impossible dream?
Which fictional character do most people see themselves as and yet cannot obtain the virtues that this character has?
Who is this mystery person?
This ‘lovable loser’ is the football flying, baseball losing, kite destroying Charlie Brown.
In all the years of his story, as told by Charles Shultz, he never kicked that football, never won a baseball game, never asked the red-headed girl out, only received rocks on Halloween, never received a valentines, and never succeeded in any of the dreams he held dear. Yet, he kept trying! He gave his attempts his all, and never ever gave up. We never will know if he achieved his goals but we don’t need to – his heart was that of a champion.
Charlie Brown stubbornly refused to give in even when all is lost from the outset: he continually faced the fear of an empty mailbox every single Valentines day and he even continually stood on the pitcher’s mound alone on the baseball field, not even letting a torrential downpour interrupt his beloved game that he would always lose.
That’s a hero who shows true love, ladies and gentlemen!
That’s the most romantic thing a person could ever do – continually attempt a dream that appears hopeless. It is romance to continually strive after an ideal even if it is never obtained – to never lose hope; to have a dream deferred but never destroyed.
Hopelessness is the Grendel of our generation, and Charlie Brown is today’s Beowulf. Sometimes those who wait with hope are given great things from God (like me).
Today, and not only on today either, find a way to appreciate a Charlie Brown. Say thank you to someone who is bravely and triumphantly fighting the fight against hopelessness, give a Valentines to someone who may have never got one before, let someone ‘kick that football’ that is always being pulled away by life.
If you are single or even if you are married to a ‘Chuck’ (of either gender), don’t think about just what candies, flowers, and affection you want or desire this day; instead choose to be a hero to those truly brave souls; show them that they are never alone and that they are highly respected and loved. Become a true hero today…
Become a True Hero of Valentines Day.
Musings Christ, Christianity, God, New Year, Prayer, Religion, Religion and Spirituality 12:12 PM
Trevin Wax takes Jonathan Edwards’s resolutions and transforms them into a prayer of requests for the new year:
“Lord God Almighty,
I understand that I am unable to do anything without your help,
so I ask you to enable me by your grace to fulfill your will.
Give me grace to do whatever brings most glory and honor to you,
pleasure and profit to me,
and life and love to others.
Help me to number my days,
spending my time wisely,
living my life with all my might while I still have breath.
Humble me in the knowledge that I am chief of sinners;
when I hear of the sins of others,
help me to not look upon them with pride,
but to look upon myself with shame,
confessing my own sins to you.
When I go through difficulties and trials,
remind me of the pains of hell
from which you have already delivered me.
Place people in my path who need my help,
and give me a compassionate and generous spirit.
Fill my heart with such love
that I would never do anything out of a spirit of revenge,
nor lose my temper with those around me.
Hold my tongue when I am tempted to speak evil of others.
Thank you for the gospel and for the hope of glory.
Help me to live in light of these truths every day of my life,
so that when the time of my death arrives,
I will rest assuredly in you,
and you will be most glorified in me.
In Christ’s name…”
Musings Child Jesus, Christ, Christianity, Christmas, G.K. Chesterton, God, Jesus, Mary, Religion, Religion and Spirituality, thoughts 9:23 AM
Notice how we only see the Baby's smile
It’s that season again. It nearing the end of the year, the time of Christmas. This is the season of gifts, stress, mad shopping, trees, decorations, simple tunes, family, red rider BB guns, and celebrations. What happens the day after Christmas? Life goes on.
It’s the same way for any major event. Think back to your birthday. What happened afterwords? Life went on. What about your high school or college graduation? Life went on. Imagine your wedding day, reflect or look ahead to it, what happened afterwords? Life went on.
This is a great thing! We are not trapped in a single moment. Yet we get tired, run down after doing the same thing over and over. It is the daily grind that grinds us down – yet it should not. G. K. Chesterton writes:
“A child kicks its legs rhythmically through excess, not absence, of life. Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it again”; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough… It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again,” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again,” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike: it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.”
The daily grind is life, not just the moments of celebration. Many people look forward to the fun events leaving the daily grace of adventure behind. Now what does this have to do with Christmas? Let’s look back at the story…
It was a fast 9 months for Mary and Joseph. The blessing of the Messiah was announced to her by an angelic being. Joseph was commanded to stay with her (God recognized the need of Fathers – Mary needed Joseph as a fish needs water). Mary visited Elizabeth, and after that was continually enraptured by joy. Then by government decree they both had to take the uncomfortable travel to Joseph’s home town. A birth followed. Shepherds came in raving about what they saw in the shy that night. Soon thereafter the new family had to escape the murderous rampage of a tyrant by going to Egypt.
After all that guess what happened? Life went on as it always does. The larger events faded into small memories in the mist of time.
I am sure that both Mary and Joesph were frustrated when they had to wake up in the early hours of the morning to clean the Messiah’s diaper. I am sure that the Christ-child leaked, spit, cried, and all the other gooey, icky, and wonderfully nasty things babies do. Imagine comforting Jesus when his baby teeth started to penetrate His gums.
Did Mary and Joseph have great joy taking care of the Son of Man? Of course they did!
Was it still tiring work? Yes, I am sure it was – just ask any parent. That is what God’s humility is about.
In Philippians 2: 6-9 it says:
“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!”
Yes, being a baby was not the greatest act of humility for God (that humility is celebrated later in the year) but the incarnation is truly an amazing deed of selflessness. Yet, do we remember what great cost that was for God? Sometimes I think that the large event that we celebrate has faded into smallness by the mists of time.
Think of it this way… the Creator of the Universe – the Being who formed the galaxies with a Word, the One who molded Adam, the Great I AM had to have his poop wiped from his bottom. Not just once, but every time his diaper (or whatever they used) filled. What would it feel like to clean that up? It would feel like a daily grind. On the other hand what a great privilege (as I am sure any parent could attest) to be there for their child.
In our daily grinds of work, house duties, and other things that wear us down we see that God was there too. Due to the incarnation he has gone through every temptation, every dull moment, every tiring duty and even has taken our transgressions!
The interesting twist is that Jesus gave his life so that we can become “young” and say “Do it again, do it again”! He died so that we can exult in the glory of monotony! What a great God we serve!
