Obadiah?

Yes, it's true, I am continuing to read through the minor prophets and recently had the opportunity to re read the one chapter book of Obadiah. The whole story of that book hearkens back to Isaac's two sons Jacob (who would later be renamed Israel by God) and Esau (whose descendants were called Edomites)

You remember the whole trading birthright for a bowl of lentil stew, right? And the follow up to that was that Jacob, with some coaching from his mom, tricked his dad Isaac out of the blessing that Isaac meant for Esau. Well fast forward a few hundred years. It seems that some of the nation of Israel's enemies were attacking and Edom was aware of it but did nothing to help except to help plunder. For this, God declares that Edom would be destroyed without a trace.

I was trying to think of a way to use this for family discussion and here's the way I pitched it. The whole book is basically a lesson in covering your brother's back and the consequences if you don't. (You'll note in my bio that I am a huge Phil Keaggy fan. On the Keaggy King Dente album Invention (now out of print) the lead song is called Watch Your Back and I really like it.) I had very good attention from the kids at this point. But it is so much bigger than blood brothers. I cannot help but see several applications to us today:

1- We are all human and therefore descendants of Adam, we should be looking out for every creation of God and especially our fellow image bearers

2- As Christians, every man, woman and child that has accepted Christ as Savior is our brother or sister. It doesn't matter how they were baptised or what they wear to church

3- As families, no one should out rank our own in terms of gaining our kind words and gifts of time and affection. Unfortunately, it seems like too often our family gets the worst of us instead of the best.

Your thoughts?

So now you're a movie critic?

Last night Karen and I watched an excellent but VERY difficult film called the Pursuit of Happiness. I say it was excellent because:

- The plot was discernible but not heavy handed. When I think of heavy handed, I think a line in the Gregory Peck version of To Kill a Mockingbird in which the young daughter, Scout, says to her dad (Peck), "Gosh daddy, that would be like killing a mockingbird!" The protagonist here, Chris Garner, portrayed by Will Smith, often gives narrative comments including direct reference to and quotation of the title, but it is done in a way that seems appropriate.

- The characters are very well developed in a very narrow way. Because it is one man's story, I left feeling that if I met Chris now, we could have a very meaningful conversation. Each other character is above average in his development including the son, the mom, the bosses, etc

- The acting and cinematography made the events palpable. To such an extent that the movie become difficult for me to watch. I became so involved in the film that I had to pause it and walk away for a minute to catch my breath. It took several moments after it was over and the credits were done and the VCR had finished rewinding for me to unpack what I had seen.

It was difficult in a similar way to the Green Mile. The course, in broad strokes, is fairly clear and even though you pretty much know where its going, it still shocks you with its heft and (emotional) brutality.

I alluded in another post to the house of cards I so often feel is mine... that the tiniest puff of wind or inadvertent movement by me or another will bring it tumbling down around my ears on those I love best. This theme compounded my difficulty in watching: the dogged and affable Garner reaps things that would crush my heart and stop me in my tracks. The pains are borne equally by those around him even though they are not responsible for causing them... and yet he goes on.

I don't want to be a critic, it is much too hard to give you a good feeling for what's going on without telegraphing the films punches. I have never respected that trade as I do today.

None the less, this is a film you should consider. It propounds some of those rumored fears that hang on the edge of many of our consciousnesses and succeeds in convincing us, if ever so understatedly, that it will all come out right in the end. There is room for a sequal I'm not sure could work, but then again, I don't know that I'd have given this one the green light until Smith actually did it (as lead and co director)

It accuses me of being too careless as I speak to those around me (especially my kids) and often too prideful to correct myself. It propels me to do some things I have often said I would and never gotten around to like helping to serve at a local mission. And it convinces me yet again that my Heavenly Father cares for you and I so much better than we deserve and that I, at least, am very ungrateful.

Take your prozac if you must but definitely take in the film.

Evangelism and THE Big Fish Story

Yes, sadly it is true, I inherited my dad's tendency to exaggerate (lie). Confession is good for the soul... but that's not what this post is about...

My reading the last several days has taken me through familiar territory from my childhood in the book of Jonah. And here's the surprising thing to me from the 30,000 foot perspective: in Chapter 2 Jonah prays, confesses his own sin and the fact that his present circumstance (being in the belly of a great fish) is a direct result of his disobedience. (Sorely lacking in modern culture... but no shocker here.) He continues by saying that he would do what God had asked and he essentially confesses that God is gracious. OK, No big revelation here.
But much of Jonah's words and actions in Chapter 4 are about how displeased he is that God was gracious to the Ninevites. Now admittedly, the Ninevites were enemies of Israel and notorious for their unspecified evils. I suspect that it was much more heinous than slapping one another with fishes as the Veggie Tales portray.

I guess it's the hypocrite in me that sees the hypocrite in Jonah so clearly. He fully expected to be forgiven when he agreed with God that he was wrong and decided to go a new direction (the definition of repentance) but desired God to punish an entire nation without giving them a chance and without honoring their apparently sincere repentance.

Even sadder to me is that he had no compassion on those people. Jonah didn't desire their best interest at all. It seems his preaching to them was out or rote obedience to the Word of God. And even that was effective.

So should I be less furious at the folks that go down my street at 40 mph (posted 25) while I expect to go unpunished for routinely travelling 70 or more on a road posted 55 and right now posted at 45? How do I harmonize these? I believe I need to first admit my fault and mend my ways and then be righteously but graciously indignant at other law breakers -- with a knowing smile that says "been there, done that, have the T shirt and the bumper sticker" (bumpah stickah for you Maine-iacs)

It is this last point that is hardest for me... certainly I know that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, but some of them (us) are really hard to love. Oh, the handsome and pretty ones that are well spoken and polite and civil are pretty easy to pray for and even talk to about what the Lord has done for me. But I mean the selfish and nasty ones, with bad habits and bad breath and ... Those last two sentences reveal the source of my problem: I evaluate people with 5 physical senses instead of with my heart. How do I cultivate a God-like love for the souls of everyone around me? The classical answer is pray for them and I agree with a caveat: I must pray like Jesus prayed - looking at their eternal value before their Heavenly Father with the fullest intent of being the feet through which God would answer. I must pray with a desire to let the prayer remold my own heart.

A folded napkin tips off His soon return

Why Did Jesus Fold The Linen Burial Cloth After His resurrection?

The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin.

1 Early morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and
found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 2 She ran and
found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She
said, "They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and I don't know where
they have put him!" 3 Peter and the other disciples ran to the tomb to
see. 4 The other disciples outran Peter and got there first. 5 He
stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go
in. 6 Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the
linen wrappings lying there, 7 while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was
folded up and lying to the side.

Is that important? Absolutely! Is it really significant? Yes!

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day.


The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition. When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished.

Now if the master was done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, "I'm done". But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because the servant knew that the folded napkin meant, "I'm not finished yet." The folded napkin meant, "I'm coming back!"

He is Coming Back!



I recieved all of the above from a godly brother with an e-ministry of encouragement. Fred is also a retired U.S. Marine Master Seargent and up and coming (pun intended) tree surgeon. As I wandered about the web looking to verify or debunk this, it is clearly... unclear. All I can add is: Even so, come quickly, Lord.

Too much Horsepower? (Blasphemy!)

Wow! Your calls and comments and exortations to write more have been most encouraging. Thank you all so much!

So what happens when you put too much horsepower (if that were possible) into a really snazzy little car? Why you CAN get a very fun car. That was my experience when we built, sold and serviced AC Cobras (a full sized car that looks and works almost identically to the 1963-1969 joint venture among Carroll Shelby, AC Cars of UK and Ford Motor Co. of USA) Here's a pic of our car at Opryland Hotel just before Thanksgiving of 1994.

I suppose the real life analogy for too much horsepower is a life that is skidding out of control. Can you do it with an expensive sportscar? You bet! BUT you can also do it with a Yugo. It's not really a too much horsepower problem (phew!) It is either a too little traction problem (hardware) or it is a driver with poor control problem (software sort of).

You know the tale and it may be yours. It could be finances out of control, or relationships gone amok, or a little hobby that has taken over or a horrible dread that one of these days your house of lies is going to fall in on you.

The problem usually has two root causes, right? One or more bad choices on your part (bald tires, too much gas or turn too late) and some outside factors (rain, telephone pole (OUCH the thought even hurts)) So in my life it could be lack of maintenance (like eating right, exercising, getting enough rest) or it could be setting my sights too high (aiming for President when I'm really well suited for greeter) or I could be doing what I know to do too late or not at all. Most of those should be recoverable by themselves.

But this is where we get cornered so to speak, at least I did. I made my bad decisions, but then circumstances happened around me AND people reacted to me and BLAMMO I own a 10 1/2"diameter lodgepole pine hood ornament with creosote plating!

So what's the solution? I'll tell you what's working for me...

1- do the basics: eat, sleep exercise, be in the Word, in prayer and in worship regularly

2- preventative maintenance: read, introspect, have an accountability partner and listen to them

3- keep it simple: refuse to keep up with the Jonses or even the Grabowskis

4- be thankful for what you have.

Introductions (finally)

Yes, it took forever, but I now have the second post WITH PICTURES and I think it's now set to accept anonymous comments

My Background tells a lot... but here's a little more

Born 1965 at Jefferson Hospital in PhilaPA. Raised in Audubon (Go Green Wave!) South Jersey which is in the garden part of the Garden State. Dad was an Optometrist, Mom was an RN and later a School nurse in neighboring Haddonfield. Dad went home in 03 and Mom in '85.



We were raised in church. I learned all that I know about right and wrong in the context of the Absolute Truth of the Bible. When I was in third grade, I remember realizing that I was characterized by rule breaking and that it wasn't acceptable to God to live that way. I accepted the gift of eternal life He clearly offers in the Bible for my own and have steadily grown increasingly in love with God for all that He is and all that He has done for me. I continue to press my own life toward obedience and practical holiness and to teach and mentor others.



I attended Drexel University in PhilaPA and graduated class of 88 (It is a 5 year program -- honest) with Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering.



In July of 88, I wedded my sweetheart (who had patiently dated me for 4 years). We bounced around the country doing machine design engineering for O-I Kimble Glass (NJ), the West Company (PA) , Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems (KY), Terumo Medical Corp (MD) and All States Technical Services (DE). Sat for and Passed my PE in Kentucky (at Sumitomo)



We had our daughter while we were living in Williamsport, PA and our son while living here in Elkton, MD. After the Lord, my family are the joys of my life. She is a floutist and writer and he is all about ferroequinology (literally the study of iron horses = a railroad nut!) (First Picture)



My father in Law invited me to join his retirement planning practice in 2004 because he and I got along well and he felt I had the right personality for it. Long story short, I worked with him then for him and last year bought the practice from him and now he works for me (how cool is that?) Engineering never gave me the opportunity to see and talk to the people who benefitted from my work. Now they sit in my office or I in their home and I help them solve financial problems and achieve financial goals.



I guess I've always been a "car guy" too. In the second picture, I'm working on replacing the cylinder head on Steve's Model A roadster. There was a time early in our marriage when we incorporated the Classic Garage and built and serviced AC Cobra replica automobiles and other exotics. Lotsa fun for me, lots of stress for my wife and we're both glad that's behind us.



I have always bicycled. A man in our church started me into distance riding. The following year I rode my first MS 150. God willing I'll ride my 4th this September.