Life of Valor

On Saturday, 2 great buddies and I went to see Act of Valor.  As modern military buffs, we loved it.  Before the movie actually started, I turned to my friend Andy and said, "The movie hasn't even started yet but I already think it might be my favorite movie of all time." 

It was excellent - great action, thought-provoking message, and more.  Part of that 'more' is that it got me to thinking about the life of faith in Christ.  I thought about who I would call a spiritual Navy SEAL, and who (if anyone) might call me that.  At first I thought, "Maybe some are not called or capable of this", but then I recalled Paul's words in Philippians 3 when he writes that he can do all things through Christ who gives him strength.  And I also recalled Peter's words from 2 Peter 1 where he said that we have all we need for a godly life. 

So why?  Why am I not a spiritual Navy SEAL?  The only reason I can come up with is something I heard shared by Peter Kreeft a few years ago.  When commenting on why Christians weren't more 'saintly' (not as in being made a saint by the church, but as in living a more Christ-like life), Kreeft said that it was because we chose not to. 

I think he's right.  The reason my life doesn't look more like the Apostle Paul or John Wesley or others like this is because I choose, day-by-day, to not live that way.  It can't be an excuse like "I can't do it" because I can do anything through Christ.  And God desires me to bear much fruit for the glory of the Father (John 15), so I have to look into my own life and say, "Me - I am the reason I am not a spiritual Navy SEAL."

May this kind of apathy end tonight.

- tC

Why Whitney Houston's Passing Matters

(Celebrific)

The other day on the radio I heard a talk show host say something along the lines of "So she died - I don't really care."  I believe Whitney Houston's passing is important for a variety of reasons - here are a few.

1. If you listened to Kevin Costner speak at her funeral, the theme that ran through all that he shared was how deeply insecure she was.  Despite all her fame and success, all her money and influence, she was always asking, "Am I good enough?"  From this I conclude a few things.  First, Solomon was right - when we acquire and succeed without God, we are left with a void.  Secondly, it is a stern warning to parent, family, and adults that when you are around a young person, you must be aware of how powerful your words are.  We cannot forget to tell our children and students and the young people in our lives, "No matter WHAT you do or accomplish, your worth is not found in what you do - it's found in your innate beauty because you were made by God."

2. There are results to our decisions even if we know Christ.  Just today a co-worker told me that he had heard a few days before she passed away, Houston was talking about Jesus and singing "Jesus, He Loves Me."  I pray that Houston did know Jesus before she died.  But the larger point is that even when a person has a relationship with Jesus, we live in a fallen world where there are ramifications from sin and bad choices.  My hope, as I thought about Houston, was that at some point she would get back to her roots and get on the path to recovery and walking in the Spirit.  But this will never be.  The take-away: make wise decisions because the impacts of poor decisions may be enormous. 

While there are many other reason's why I think Whitney Houston's passing matters, here is one final one.

It is better to go to a house of mourning
   than to go to a house of feasting,
for death is the destiny of everyone;
   the living should take this to heart.
- Ecclesiastes 7:2  

We will all meet the same end. Rich, poor, white, black, male, female - we will all one day breathe our final breath.  May we be ready for that day.

- tC