Franz Climberhoffenoddle

As I grow older, I have come to the realization that I can no longer train alone; I need a trainer! I need someone to motivate me and get me up early in the morning to run, play basketball and lift weights. Well, here is my trainer...Franz Climberhoffenoddle.

Franz has worked with weights since he was two years old. Before Franz could crawl, he was juggling 5lb bags of sugar; at five he was serving as the jack for the family car when it was time to rotate the tires. Franz is one of the world's strongest men. He competes every year in the World's Super Strongest Man-That-Can-Move-More-Weight-Than-A-Bulldozer Contest. Just last year, he was able to pull a truck full of molten lava with his teeth on one leg up a 500 foot hill before the truck melted. There was just one problem; Franz severely pulled all of the muscles below his chest. The picture you see is of Franz at his lowest weight since childhood...175lbs. He is literally a shell of himself as 150lbs of his 175lb frame are now centralized above his chest...as you can sorta tell from the picture. Pray for Franz as he begins training for next year's competition; he hopes to push a fleet of tugboats full of lead across the English Channel during a hurricane with his head! Go Franz!




In case you have not figured it out...I love humor. This is a computer generated picture of a friend of mine who always keeps me laughing. I am very thankful for his humor, and the way he is always pointing me to the cross with his life. Thank you Alan for all that you do!

What ever happened to Utopia?

What ever happened to Utopia? Utopia is that idea embraced by so many who believed in the hope of achieving a perfect society. Ironically, Utopia was thought to be achievable through social evolution or social revolution. Today liberals, communists and Christians will agree that society has still not made it to Utopia, as if it were a place on a map.

Yesterday is certainly not today. Today is rooted in the ideas of aestheticism. According to J.I. Packer, aestheticism is "the policy of enlarging individual experience, maximizing sensation and tasting as many different activities and feelings as you can, in the belief that this is the way to happiness." And, I, the Christian, have found that I am everything I desire not to be. We disguise our own path with many of our own colors; ultimately, it is about us is it not? As Donald Miller has written, "we are addicted to ourselves."

As I get up each morning, I must recognize that I am in search of my own Utopia, and I search as if it is an actual place on a map. What I have realized is that uptopia, for me, is walking in step with my Savior. It is not a place or a town, but instead, it is growing in Christ and dying to my self daily.

The Great Quotes Collection

The picture above is of an old neglected amusement park ride. It represents my thoughts after reading the quote below. What are your thoughts regarding this quote?

Most people are willing to pay more to be amused than to be educated. ~Robert C. Savage, Life Lessons

Snapshots of Life

Here are two more snapshots of life. The first is of Jamestown Landing just up river from the original Jamestown landing site. The second is a statue of Captain John Smith at the original site of Jamestown. Enjoy!

Thinking Christianly in a Postmodern World: VIII

Part VIII: Thinking that is Christian and Critical

Have you ever just thought about thinking? What does it mean to think, or better yet, to think in the right way? This is the last part of my series on thinking that is Christian. If I communicate only one thing in this series let it be this: right or true thinking is Christian in nature. Why? I have found that the only reality that I know is Jesus Christ.

In Colossians 3:2 Paul commands us, "set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." Matthew Henry, in his commentary, reminds us that earthly things are set in direct opposition to things above for a reason. Heaven and earth are contrary to one another, and we must understand that prevalence of our perfection of one will proportionally weaken our affection for the other. Paul goes on in verse 3 and 4 to give us three main reasons for this.

1. We are dead to present things! As Christians we are suppose to be dying to this world and living for Christ, therefore it seems absurd to set our minds on that which is dying.
2. Our new life is rooted above; we are only sojourners in this world. Paul implies that it is hidden in Christ, and the implication is that it is secure. We should focus on that which is secure and not on that which is temporal.
3. Jesus Christ is our life; He is the principle and the end. We will appear with Him in glory, and Jesus is where we should direct our thoughts.

A mind focused on above begins to secure thinking that is Christian and begins the rescue of thoughts. We rescue our thoughts daily through spiritual maturity in language and deed. Language is important, as it reveals the heart and who we really are. Therefore, in order to think Christianly in our language we should:

a. be marked by thoughtful speech
b. choose our words carefully and say what we mean in love
c. ensure that our words and speech reveal our heart
d. be God's spokesman in our language via our thoughts and then our words

But, we can not forget one very important element to our thinking...Christian love! Our thinking must begin and end with love. John 13:34 commands us to love one another for Christ has commanded us to be known by this mark. We were created out of love, for love and to love. Why do I speak here of love...because we are warned that pride puffs up. I know this only to well. I often confront others, resting on the "say-what-we-mean" excuse while leaving love out. I know of no verse that begins with "confront," but I know of many that begin with "love."

Any time we focus on the mind, pride is sure to follow, therefore there are some concerns of which we must be aware.

1. We must not confuse knowledge with trust and we can not forget that faith can not be divorced from understanding. Understanding shapes faith somewhat; the more we understand the better we know...scripture...doctrine...His word...God! But, understanding does not replace faith.
2. Learning, knowing and thinking ...having opinions are all unavoidable human activities. We must do all that we can to put Christ first in these as well. We think with little accountability because it all takes place inside with no one able to see; this makes us very vulnerable. We conveniently forget that Christ is always watching, even our thoughts. We have views and opinions; they all ought to be educated and rooted in a Christian worldview.

Thinking Christianly in a postmodern world is about several things.

1. We have learned that we must have a Christian worldview that guides our thinking. Everyone has a worldview; we must not be ashamed that ours is in Christ.
2. We must think critically, or else we will be at the mercy of those thoughts that we merely repeat.
3. Christians are called to think in higher categories. We can not be lazy or proud in our thinking for then we will be vulnerable to our thinking being lead astray.
4. We must be humble in our thinking and always checking our thoughts with scripture.
5. And...we must love, even in our thinking!

For the Christian, there is no other option than to think Christianly. I hope you have enjoyed this series. You may not agree with all that has been written, but hopefully it has made you think about your thinking! Blessings to all!

The Great Quotes Collection

Was Theodore Roosevelt right?

The things that will destroy America are peace at any price, prosperity at any cost, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living, and the getting-rich-quick theory of life. – Theodore Roosevelt.

Snapshots of Life

From time to time, I will provide snapshots into the life we live. Today I bring you two snapshots of our time in Virginia!

The first snapshot is one view of the James River. We love the James, and while in Richmond, we often spent time on the James or in the James. My kids will always remember the James.

The second snapshot is of Westover Mansion. It was William Byrd II's residence. It was built in 1619 and sits on a lawn overlooking the James. Today, it is a private residence. There were many mansions on the James: Berkley and Shirley are two that are still around. Enjoy these snapshots into our life!

Thinking Christianly in a Postmodern World: VII

Part VII: The Wonder and the Wise

Christian thinking begins with Christian education because, according to Gene Veith, "beneath the mere discussions of thoughts and opinions lies the very real issue of life and death." We begin with Christian education because that is where all of us learned, first, the lessons of truth. For the Christian, truth is not truth per se, but instead, truth is Truth or better stated, Jesus Christ.

We run into Truth every where we turn; truth in life, truth in education, truth in knowledge and truth in thinking. We can not escape Truth, nor can we escape the importance of education in the process of thinking. G.K. Chesterton states that "education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another." Another addition to our collection of great quotes.

How we think of Truth or better yet, how we are taught of Truth, will dictate how we live life. The wonder and the wise are collected in Truth. A belief in absolute Truth will manifest differently than a belief in relative truth. For the Christian who desires to think Christianly, Truth is defined as God's truth. When we define Truth as God we see it as the Covenant raising up a people. We also see it as the Law and God's mandate for holiness, and finally, we see it as it is - Jesus.

If we believe in the Truth then it will affect the way we live and think. We are image bearers of a God who is a critical thinker. We have a responsibility to others before ourselves. We have a mandate to live, according to this Truth, in all areas of life, especially, when we think, as this is how we live.

Gene Veith writes of a Christian style of thinking. He covers five areas; the sixth area is my contribution.
1. Tolerance of the paradox: the Christian life is a paradox in the world in which we live.
2. Loving God with all your mind means thinking about God every day and every moment.
3. All your mind - whatever your calling is God demands it to be done for His glory.
4. Praise Him for everything learned.
5. Gird up your mind as I Peter 1:13-15, 17 implies. Be ready for the battles even of the mind.
6. Pray, Pray and Pray! I believe prayer puts God on the mind...connects the mind to Him...and focuses the mind on eternal perspectives.

If we are to think Christianly, we must, first, understand Truth and what it means to live according to that Truth. It is now time for our application questions.

1. In what ways do we engage in thought that is not Christian?
2. How important is education in all of this?

Enjoy!

The Unchanging World

As we hear all the doom and gloom thrown around so carelessly today, we need to understand that God has never changed. Maps, satellite pictures, and the like all have no say on whether the world is changing or not. We do not know if the current crop of global changes are first time occurrences, random occurrences, or cyclical occurrences. No one knows because the current technology was not yet available to document the past.

Francis Schaeffer, in his book, Escape from Reason, reminds us of two important truths. First, that there are certain unchangeable facts which are true. They have no relationship to the shifting ideas despite the efforts of many. There is a God, and no one can prove otherwise despite the wishes of those who use current occurrences as supposed proof. Upon examination, what we find behind many of these articles, books, and websites is fallacies galore!

The second truth is this: we are facing a rapidly changing historical situation, if we are going to communicate the gospel to people in the confines of their current situation...we must know and understand the current culture.

Schaeffer states that "each generation of the church in each setting has the responsibility of communicating the gospel in understanding [and loving] terms, considering the language and [culture] of that setting."

As you go day to day, be encouraged first that God is God and creation, no matter how loud its collective shout is, will never change Him! But, also, know that what the world craves is the reality of the Truth which is found only in a faith that is rooted in Christ. We have allowed the world to define what is true and real. What is true, and what is real? They both have only one home...Jesus Christ! If you desire to know what is real and what is true try this; take 21 days and ask God, with honesty and sincerity, to reveal what is true and real to you. You will be surprised at the results!

The Great Quotes Collection

I have stumbled on another great quote by G.K. Chesterton. Think and enjoy!

"Impartiality is a pompous name for indifference, which is an elegant name for ignorance."

Thinking Christianly in a Postmodern World: VI

Part VI: Christian Thinking: The Wisp

J. Gresham Machen once said that "false ideas are the greatest obstacles to the reception of the gospel." In light of that, false ideas are a direct result of thinking that is not Christian. A "wisp' is something delicate, frail, and somewhat fragile. I posit the idea that Christian thinking is a "wisp" of sorts if we take for granted this idea of Christian Thinking.

Mark Knoll in his book, The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind, asserts that evangelicals have not developed a distinctly Christian perspective on all of life. I believe he is right; I also believe that Abraham Kuyper had the answer when he stated that we (Christians) must be men and women who see the struggle as one of first principles. To take such a stand, we must first develop a Christian mind and then be trained and disciplined to think Christianly.

The Christian mind is one that sees the world through a Christian worldview. This does not mean that a Christian mind is one that spiritualizes everything, but instead, it is a mind that begins with the presupposition of God's word in all aspects of a worldview. A worldview, according to Ronald Nash, has five major categories; they are:
1. God
2. Humanity
3. Metaphysics
4. Epistemology
5. Ethics
As we view the world, we view it through these five lenses, and these five lenses color our world.

The Christian mind is one that thinks in Christian categories. This flows right out of a worldview that is Christian. The Christian mind also thinks with a heavenly mindset. This mindset is one rooted in the very real fact that heaven is home and earth is temporal. And finally, the Christian mind is one that is not limited to these three dimensions; it allows for the supernal, the eternal, and additional dimensions. The world will sneer at this notion through their own beliefs that are far more irrational: evolution and new age doctrine to name just two.

The essentials of a Christian mind are as expected; fear God, Know God's Word, Believe in Jesus as Savior and Lord and humility which results from a deep understanding of the first three.

The components of a Christian mind are not as simple. Of course, we begin with a Christian worldview. We next must believe that all of our "things' begin and end with our Lord. We also must understand that our basic and foundational beliefs are more than mere cognitive actions; they are a direct result of the Divine. These basic foundational beliefs are framed together with a glue; that glue is the Word of God. A word here on this glue! I was claimed by my Savior at 26 years old. Before that nothing, and I mean nothing, formed a clear picture or framework until Christ enter my life.
Another component is our inner compass that orients us and guides through the world in which we live. This must be biblical and distinctly Christian in nature. These are the main components of a Christian mind.

There is one major component of a Christian mind that must begin to happen in Christian culture or the Christian mind will never fully develop...and that is Christian dialogue. What do I mean? To think one must dialogue, and if there is no Christian venue in which to dialogue all major thinking comes grinding to a stop. To dialogue one must agree on terms, and according to Chuck Colson, "even Christians have lost the ethical categories of right and wrong." So, where do we begin?

We begin with wisdom, understanding and knowledge. Wisdom is learning and God reveals himself as wisdom personified in I Corinthians 1:24. Understanding is thinking about something in such a deep way that one understands something well enough to teach it to another. Do we study in such a way? Knowledge is the action that results from wisdom and understanding. Only when we do these well as Christians will we be ready to engage culture to make a difference for our Lord.

C.S. Lewis states that what we "want is not more little books on Christianity but more little books by Christians on other subjects...with their Christianity latent." And I will add that these little books on other subjects should be so well done and excellence that the world can not help but notice them.

It is time once again for our application questions.
What are some of the ways we do not think Christianly?
What prevents us from thinking Christianly?
Join us in thinking and praying over these questions! Blessings to all!

Praise Him

We praise God for what He is doing at our school and church!

The Great Quotes Collection

Here are three proverbs to add to our collection.

What you don't see with your eyes, don't witness with your mouth. ~Jewish Proverb

Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you. ~Spanish Proverb

Who brings a tale takes two away. ~Irish Proverb

Enjoy!

An Article to Awaken

I have often said that we, Christians, should be starting a new Christian school every week, and for the most part, I thought that trend was somewhat true and continuing in some form...that is until now. I just read an excellent article by Joel Belz on Christian education. According to ACSI statistics, that trend is now going in the other direction. Every week there are established Christian schools closing their doors instead of new Christian schools opening theirs. Why?

Mr. Belz, in his article, suggests that one of the reasons is the advent of home schools. He does not suggest that homeschooling is at fault, but merely points out that of the 1 million plus currently in the home school arena, some of those students would be in Christian schools. The modest increase in that area, to me, is a great thing. I believe a Christian home school and a Christian school should be partners in the Christian education of students. What a great testimony to a watching world.

At Westminster Christian Academy, as we begin building, our goal is and will be to be a resource for Christian families whether their students attend our classes or not. Westminster intends to engage culture and be a vital part of the Huntsville community. But, that will mean that we will be in need of much prayer because little things are the issues that tend to divide us. Athletics, fine arts, communication, paint color, tuition, grades, teacher selection, rumors...these are just a few of the things that parents have pulled their children out of Christian schools over in the past. Please be in prayer for us as we embark into this new season God has prepared.

To read the Joel Belz article in its entirety click HERE! Happy Reading!

The Great Quotes Collection

Here is another one of my favorites. Enjoy!

All that I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

FYI! Thank you Charlie for informing me that "Emerson began his career as a Unitarian minister, and was openly hostile to the cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith." While it is a great quote, Emerson is probably not someone I would recommend as a reformed Christian resource as his view of the Creator was radically opposed to a reformed Christian view. Thanks again Charlie!

The Home Opener for the Sox

Today was the home opener for the Boston Red Sox! I was born and raised in Massachusetts, and being a Red Sox fan was almost required. My grandfather was a Sox fan; my mom and dad are Sox fans, and I am a Sox fan currently trying to convert my wife and children. As a Sox fan, I am not used to a home opener like today.

Today all was forgiven, as the Red Sox received their second World Series title in four years; they also welcomed back Bill Buckner. You remember Bill Buckner, he is the first baseman that most people want to blame for the collapse that occurred in the 1986 World Series. That collapse had everything to do with the lack of pitching depth and little to do with Bill. Today, Bill Buckner threw out the first pitch and got one of the loudest and longest ovations I have every heard. Click Bill Buckner, scroll down to the story and click the video portion to see for yourself. You may have to log in to the site; once you have done that go to the Red Sox section and look for the story. It will do your heart good...even if your not a Sox fan!

Thinking Christianly in a Postmodern World: V

Part V: Christian Thinking: The Winnow

To winnow is to examine, to sift out; this is what we must do as Christians when we think. We are commanded to "take every thought captive" and thinking that is Christian is part of that process.

In II Corinthians 13:5, Paul commands us to examine ourselves and to test ourselves. We must learn to constantly examine and sift our thinking in order to ensure that we put Christ first. We also should learn to recognize thinking that is Christian. Here are three actions that put our minds in position to think Christianly.

1. Be consistent: we should live a life that is consistent in deeds, emotions, and thoughts.
2. Avoid pragmatism: we should avoid thinking that is rooted in pragmatism by understanding that process and product are equally important in our thinking.
3. Avoid dualism: we should avoid living a life that separates our world into sacred and secular categories. The entire world is the Lord's!

When we are consistently Christian in our actions we will be in a better position to think Christianly. We are called to serve the kingdom with all of our lives, and that includes our minds. As we think Christianly we do so by avoiding several things.

1. Avoid legalism: we tend to accumulate information then impose our own rules.
2. Avoid ignorance: when we make comments on issues with little or no information we taint the name of our Lord.
3. Avoid fearing education: God is the great answer to all questions; we can comfortably enter the pursuit of education with a calling.

And, we think Christianly by doing several things.

1. Think with a heavenly mindset: Paul in Romans 8:6-8 tells us:
a. that to set our minds on the flesh leads to death
b. that to set our minds on the Spirit leads to life and peace

2. Think with Continuity: James 1:22 tells us:
a. to be doers and hearers of the Word; one leads to the other
b. to do both and not just one

3. Think in terms of growth and maturity: I Peter 1:11-16 tells us:
a. to prepare our minds for action
b. to set our hope on the grace of Christ
c. to accept that our calling is to be holy...even in our thinking

We are called to think Christianly. Here are a few questions to ponder.

1. Is one of the real battles the battle of the Christian worldview with all other worldviews?
2. Samuel Huntington once states that "the world is not so much divided by geographical boundaries, but instead, by worldviews." Do you agree?

The Great Quotes Collection

Here is one of the classic quotes and one of my favorites. It comes to us from G.K. Chesterton. Enjoy!

"A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it."