Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Deuteronomy 31:6
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid of terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you."
Monday, July 23, 2012
Put me in, coach! I'm ready!
Not only so, but we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
Romans 5:3-6
Meg wanted to watch “Facing the Giants” last night because of the whole “praying for rain” metaphor. While I like it as well, I latched onto the second verse of “Voice of Truth” by Casting Crowns. (If you haven’t heard it yet, go to You Tube and listen before continuing, just because it’s a good song.) It’s a summary of David’s fight against Goliath; fitting for a movie where a football team is defeated by a field goal kicked by a kid named David.
Anyway, it got me thinking. I have been struggling the last couple months with the teacher call process. I feel that I have worked so hard and that I deserve to get a call. It is frustrating that it seems everyone else is getting to go out and serve God, but not me. It's like I'm a soldier who just finished training and all I get to do is stand on the pier and watch as my fellow warriors, orders in hand, board the troopship and head out to battle. And here I stand, ready to go, practically screaming at God: "HERE I AM! SEND ME!" I keep hearing an echo of part of the refrain of "Unbreakable" by Fireflight, repeating it almost as if it is a prayer. "I want to go there; this time I'm not scared!" The whole song is quite inspirational, I think, but that part is particularly powerful to me.
While watching "Facing the Giants" I was reminded of an Israelite shepherd. The night before I had this urge to read about Joseph. In the case of Joseph, he was humbled because he claimed to have the ability to read dreams and be a great manager. It was only later, when he had nothing, that God called for him. With David, he immediately declared God to be the ultimate power, specifically the one that would deliver his enemy to him. Both men acknowledged God as their source of strength; the source of everything.
That is something I have been struggling with.
I keep saying that it was "I" who did all the work. Was it really? The most important lessons I have learned were not ones I created, but rather life-changing events that God blessed me with. Going back to the soldier analogy, God has been the Drill Sergeant, providing me with challenges to "reshape" me into what He needs. A song by Family Force 5 emphasizes that, though their slant is looking at God as the potter. "Crush me, tear me, break me, mold me, make me what you want me to be." But I still wonder why things have been so difficult. He said that all things work out for those of us who love Him (Romans 8:28). At the same time, though, He has given us the ability to do more than just conquer our trials (Romans 8:37). The struggle, then, is in persevering to the end.
And that lead me to the section at the top of the post. "Suffering produces perseverance." If things were not hard, would anyone ever develop a "stick-to-it" attitude? And don't we consider that attitude, that work ethic, to be a characteristic that is to be admired? Especially because hard-workers tend to be very optimistic and hopeful about the future. How can they be when life is so hard? Because they know that God does not disappoint.
"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly." This isn't about whether I get my "dream job" or not. This is about God giving me an opportunity to let everyone know how awesome He is. While I was powerless, worthless, without hope, unable to do anything, He DID. I must put aside my fear of giving Him the glory. I should humble myself as His willing servant.
O LORD, truly I am Your servant; I am Your, the son of Your maidservant; You have freed me from my chains. (Psalm 116:16)
He has bought me, given me new life, given me gifts and a purpose and a mission. Why then should I doubt that He will continue to provide for me?
And that lead me to the section at the top of the post. "Suffering produces perseverance." If things were not hard, would anyone ever develop a "stick-to-it" attitude? And don't we consider that attitude, that work ethic, to be a characteristic that is to be admired? Especially because hard-workers tend to be very optimistic and hopeful about the future. How can they be when life is so hard? Because they know that God does not disappoint.
"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly." This isn't about whether I get my "dream job" or not. This is about God giving me an opportunity to let everyone know how awesome He is. While I was powerless, worthless, without hope, unable to do anything, He DID. I must put aside my fear of giving Him the glory. I should humble myself as His willing servant.
O LORD, truly I am Your servant; I am Your, the son of Your maidservant; You have freed me from my chains. (Psalm 116:16)
He has bought me, given me new life, given me gifts and a purpose and a mission. Why then should I doubt that He will continue to provide for me?
Monday, July 9, 2012
Fear Factor: Holy Land Edition
Mark 4:40
He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
In the movie “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” the title character has to pass three tests to reach the Holy Grail. One of them is the “Leap of Faith.” Standing at the edge of a seemingly bottomless pit without any visible way to cross, Indiana Jones has to do something many people have trouble with: trust.
Luckily for him there is a camouflaged rock bridge that keeps him from falling to certain doom. He took a “leap of faith,” placing his life on the line without any proof of safety.
The Disciples were in a position of even greater peril. Out at night on the Sea of Galilee, there were caught up in a massive storm. As they struggle to keep from sinking, Jesus, the God of everything, is taking a nap.
Terrified, the Disciples wake Him up. With one word, Jesus calms the storm. The Disciples are amazed, but so is Jesus. They’re amazed that He is able to stop a massive storm with a single word. He’s amazed that the Disciples could not set aside their fear for but a moment and believe that God is in control and will protect them.
As Christians, we take comfort in knowing that God will protect us. But sometimes we don’t take that “leap” and give all our worries to Him. What are we more afraid of, the unknown thing before us, whatever it is, or removing ourself from the equation and letting God handle it?
Father,
We know you are all powerful. Help us to remember this and to place our trust in You alone. Help us to take that “leap of faith” and surrender to You and Your plan.
Amen
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Destroyermen
Sometimes its hard being patient. Right now, I'm talking about a fictional world I've gotten drawn into. I grew up on Star Wars; stories feed on the classic "good versus evil" conflict. So, it is no surprise that while wandering around the stacks at Barnes and Noble I found this series.
This is not the first time I've found a literary gem while wandering. One was "The Law of Nines," an odd mix of mystery and fantasy, while at a WalMart. Another was "Dead Iron," a "steampunk" western, the latter of which is somewhat uncharacteristic of me. But the "Destroyermen" series is, superficially at least, almost a no-brainer. Why?
Well, its quite simple: there's a destroyer on the front cover. Not just any type of destroyer, but a classic US destroyer; a "four-stacker" from back during the "Great War."
I really like military history, so I every time I passed by "Into the Storm" (book 1) while at B&N I would pick it up and glance at it. The alternate history angle kept stopping me. Finally, without any interesting Star Wars, and nothing else grabbing my attention, I pulled book 1 off the shelf and sat down to read the first few pages.
I was hooked.
The book starts with the Battle of Java Sea. USS Walker, a Wickes-class destroyer launched in 1918, was one of a small allied group on the run from the Imperial Japanese Navy. In the end, Walker and her sister Mahan (another Wickes four-stacker) are all that is left, and they're being hunted. The battlecruiser Amagi chased them into a squall.
That's when things went "weird."
The crew of the destroyers were drawn into a war between carnivorous human-size lizards and a race of "monkey-cat." In our world the four-stack destroyers were considered disposable in a battle, with little ability to contribute to a victory. But in a world where the most advanced ship are based on East Indiaman and there isn't a single firearm in sight, Walker tips the scales in a big way.
I could probably go on and on about the plot, but I'd suggest reading the books yourself. Word of warning though: the lizards (called "Grik" in the story) represent evil in a pure fashion. Not only are they a carnivorous, and cannibalistic, society, but their fighting style has no concept of retreat or prisoners.
This stands in sharp contrast with the Americans, who have a distinct sense of the "rules of war," and their allies. The "monkey-cats" (known as "Lemurians") are a peaceful society. Convincing them to defend themselves was something of a challenge at first. Converting the pacifist race to one with the will and material to fight an offensive war took significantly more.
Now, there's a world war going on. Americans and Lemurians in the west fighting a empire of insatiable predators. Descendants of British citizens in the east are protecting their home from an enemy practicing a horrific mix of medieval Catholicism and Aztec sacrificial practices.
I just realized I rambled on now for over 500 words and haven't even gotten to why I like this series.
There are, basically, two kinds of stories: those driven by the plot and those driven by the characters. The "Destroyermen" series has a good mix of the two. Without the conflict there is no story, but the characters are what make it worth reading.
There are a lot of characters in the series, but there are about a dozen who I consider the "main characters," which the story follows the most. The one is captain of the Walker: Matthew Reddy. Officially he is the main character, and watching his story play out is why the story is worth reading. But I keep coming back for two of the supporting roles: Dennis Silva and Chack-Sab-At.
Gunner's Mate Dennis Silva is a cross between a mad scientist, melodrama villain, pirate, and classic anti-hero, and one of the most interesting characters to follow. He is rude and crude, he plays practical joke on crew members, been known to booze, and wantonly destroys anything labeled "enemy." His exploits range from creating a musket rifle from an anti-aircraft cannon, to blowing up an enemy frigate using a bottle of rum for a fuse. Over time he has become the de facto bodyguard of the captain and those close to him, especially his girlfriend nurse Sandra Tucker and princess Rebecca. He all but adopted the latter as his "little sister," and consider's her friend, a "friendly Grik," a mix of sidekick and pet. In spite of himself, Silva is one of the most important fighting men on Walker. His exploits have saved countless lives. His somewhat eccentric way of things has left some wondering if he is a strange instrument of God on this "other Earth." His exploits, and characteristics, takes the story from a mix of "alternate history" and "political thriller" to an honest adventure novel.
The character of Chack-Sab-At is the reason I stuck with the story and got hooked. At the start of the story this Lemurian teen was a pacifist whose biggest worry was trying to get some girl to date him. He quickly transitioned through many roles. He was the first non-human to join the Walker, gaining the rank of Bosun Mate and acting as look out. Of all his people, he has the best grasp of English, having worked past pronunciation issues that often plague his people. He soon proved himself in battle, earning the title of "marine" and being placed in charge of some of the first Lemurians trained specifically as marines. His exploits gained the attention of a young queen who's people often conduct small wars for "fun." He has been on the forefront of the war, becoming a capable leader. Like General George Patton, Chack is a legend among the troops.
Seeing how Chack has "grown up" is impressive and even a little depressing. At the end of the latest story, "Firestorm," he is fighting alongside British marines in what we call Hawaii. The fighting has been extreme at times, with this part of the war having started with an attack on civilians. Near the end, Chack is in the hospital tent, having a few minor wounds stitched up. The description could not have been any different than the one presented when we first met him. Weapons and armor sit nearby as he stoically sits there while the woman who had rejected him so long ago tends to him. All the while he is more concerned with the outcome of the fight than reconciling. His resolve and fighting spirit is impressive, so much so that he is a precious commodity, being requested on at least two fronts. But it is somewhat depressing looking back at how things have changed.
I'm in an odd position, since I started reading this series recently. I've been playing catch up with the author, which has allowed me to keep in the stories pretty consistently. But now I've had a few day to wait for the next book to come out, which gave me time to reflect on things. And to try to adjust to the ending of "Firestorm." I really did not expect things to get as bad as they are. I'm just not sure how this little four-stacker will be able to contend with combat across half the globe, and I'm anxious to find out how they rescue two of their own from the greatest evil this side of the "Final Solution." The next book cannot come fast enough.
Just got to be patient as a wait to get my copy.
This is not the first time I've found a literary gem while wandering. One was "The Law of Nines," an odd mix of mystery and fantasy, while at a WalMart. Another was "Dead Iron," a "steampunk" western, the latter of which is somewhat uncharacteristic of me. But the "Destroyermen" series is, superficially at least, almost a no-brainer. Why?
Well, its quite simple: there's a destroyer on the front cover. Not just any type of destroyer, but a classic US destroyer; a "four-stacker" from back during the "Great War."
I really like military history, so I every time I passed by "Into the Storm" (book 1) while at B&N I would pick it up and glance at it. The alternate history angle kept stopping me. Finally, without any interesting Star Wars, and nothing else grabbing my attention, I pulled book 1 off the shelf and sat down to read the first few pages.
I was hooked.
The book starts with the Battle of Java Sea. USS Walker, a Wickes-class destroyer launched in 1918, was one of a small allied group on the run from the Imperial Japanese Navy. In the end, Walker and her sister Mahan (another Wickes four-stacker) are all that is left, and they're being hunted. The battlecruiser Amagi chased them into a squall.
That's when things went "weird."
The crew of the destroyers were drawn into a war between carnivorous human-size lizards and a race of "monkey-cat." In our world the four-stack destroyers were considered disposable in a battle, with little ability to contribute to a victory. But in a world where the most advanced ship are based on East Indiaman and there isn't a single firearm in sight, Walker tips the scales in a big way.
I could probably go on and on about the plot, but I'd suggest reading the books yourself. Word of warning though: the lizards (called "Grik" in the story) represent evil in a pure fashion. Not only are they a carnivorous, and cannibalistic, society, but their fighting style has no concept of retreat or prisoners.
This stands in sharp contrast with the Americans, who have a distinct sense of the "rules of war," and their allies. The "monkey-cats" (known as "Lemurians") are a peaceful society. Convincing them to defend themselves was something of a challenge at first. Converting the pacifist race to one with the will and material to fight an offensive war took significantly more.
Now, there's a world war going on. Americans and Lemurians in the west fighting a empire of insatiable predators. Descendants of British citizens in the east are protecting their home from an enemy practicing a horrific mix of medieval Catholicism and Aztec sacrificial practices.
I just realized I rambled on now for over 500 words and haven't even gotten to why I like this series.
There are, basically, two kinds of stories: those driven by the plot and those driven by the characters. The "Destroyermen" series has a good mix of the two. Without the conflict there is no story, but the characters are what make it worth reading.
There are a lot of characters in the series, but there are about a dozen who I consider the "main characters," which the story follows the most. The one is captain of the Walker: Matthew Reddy. Officially he is the main character, and watching his story play out is why the story is worth reading. But I keep coming back for two of the supporting roles: Dennis Silva and Chack-Sab-At.
Gunner's Mate Dennis Silva is a cross between a mad scientist, melodrama villain, pirate, and classic anti-hero, and one of the most interesting characters to follow. He is rude and crude, he plays practical joke on crew members, been known to booze, and wantonly destroys anything labeled "enemy." His exploits range from creating a musket rifle from an anti-aircraft cannon, to blowing up an enemy frigate using a bottle of rum for a fuse. Over time he has become the de facto bodyguard of the captain and those close to him, especially his girlfriend nurse Sandra Tucker and princess Rebecca. He all but adopted the latter as his "little sister," and consider's her friend, a "friendly Grik," a mix of sidekick and pet. In spite of himself, Silva is one of the most important fighting men on Walker. His exploits have saved countless lives. His somewhat eccentric way of things has left some wondering if he is a strange instrument of God on this "other Earth." His exploits, and characteristics, takes the story from a mix of "alternate history" and "political thriller" to an honest adventure novel.
The character of Chack-Sab-At is the reason I stuck with the story and got hooked. At the start of the story this Lemurian teen was a pacifist whose biggest worry was trying to get some girl to date him. He quickly transitioned through many roles. He was the first non-human to join the Walker, gaining the rank of Bosun Mate and acting as look out. Of all his people, he has the best grasp of English, having worked past pronunciation issues that often plague his people. He soon proved himself in battle, earning the title of "marine" and being placed in charge of some of the first Lemurians trained specifically as marines. His exploits gained the attention of a young queen who's people often conduct small wars for "fun." He has been on the forefront of the war, becoming a capable leader. Like General George Patton, Chack is a legend among the troops.
Seeing how Chack has "grown up" is impressive and even a little depressing. At the end of the latest story, "Firestorm," he is fighting alongside British marines in what we call Hawaii. The fighting has been extreme at times, with this part of the war having started with an attack on civilians. Near the end, Chack is in the hospital tent, having a few minor wounds stitched up. The description could not have been any different than the one presented when we first met him. Weapons and armor sit nearby as he stoically sits there while the woman who had rejected him so long ago tends to him. All the while he is more concerned with the outcome of the fight than reconciling. His resolve and fighting spirit is impressive, so much so that he is a precious commodity, being requested on at least two fronts. But it is somewhat depressing looking back at how things have changed.
I'm in an odd position, since I started reading this series recently. I've been playing catch up with the author, which has allowed me to keep in the stories pretty consistently. But now I've had a few day to wait for the next book to come out, which gave me time to reflect on things. And to try to adjust to the ending of "Firestorm." I really did not expect things to get as bad as they are. I'm just not sure how this little four-stacker will be able to contend with combat across half the globe, and I'm anxious to find out how they rescue two of their own from the greatest evil this side of the "Final Solution." The next book cannot come fast enough.
Just got to be patient as a wait to get my copy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)