Your Best Plan Now

Genesis 22:14: "So Abraham called the name of that place, 'The LORD will provide.'"

I don't like to go at things unprepared.  I take my time.  I do some research.  I get the right equipment, and I learn how to use it.  I read through the instruction manual all the way before I start the project.  I'm that kind of person.  The worst thing you could do to me is say the word "Go" before handing me the map.

That is why passages like Genesis 22 (excerpt above) and Exodus 16 scare me.  They tell how the Lord sent some great people out into the unknown, only promising to provide for them along the way.

In Exodus, the nation of Israel had just figured out that although God brought them out of Egypt, Moses and Aaron didn't have a plan.  They'd been out in the desert for weeks and had nothing left to eat.  If I were there, I have no doubt that I would join in the grumbling against God and Moses.  The parting of the sea was yesterday's news, and they were hungry now.

In the midst of their faithlessness and forgetfulness, the Lord provided.

He made a substance appear out of the heavens to cover the ground each morning.  It was something so unknown (initially) that they simply asked, "What is it?"  Even though they grumbled against him, the Lord gave them food to meet their need and he provided it morning by morning.  Sunday through Thursday the manna appeared, enough for the day (around 2 quarts per person), and if they took too much, anything left spoiled overnight.  On Friday, God provided twice as much and made it last for two days.  Those who presumed that they could gather manna on the Sabbath in spite of what God said woke up to bare ground and an empty stomach.  More than just meeting their daily needs, he mandated times of rest along their journey.

This journey continued for 40 years.  Every single day, God was faithful in doing what he said.  Every single day, the people had to trust him.  At the same time each week, they rested.

I often look at the participants in Biblical history with my "better-than-thou" attitude, but I honestly find myself sympathetic here.  I wonder if they ever reached a point of willingly and joyfully trusting God for his daily provision, or if a small doubt always lingered as to whether or not the bread would appear.  Trusting God daily for a new portion of his grace does not come any more naturally than the manna that appeared.  Personally, I have to fight to give up my assumed control and rely on his sufficiency.  Rest only comes when I recognize that he has given me enough- that he is enough.  I see it over and over again, but I still need reminding.

My best plan is to trust in God's provision as grace for today.

Luke 11:3: "Give us each day our daily bread."

Coming soon...

"Neither snow..."

I learned this week that the U.S. Postal Service has no official motto. The line we associate with their faithful service, "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds," was penned by the Greek historian Herodotus. The "motto" became associated with the Post Office when the architects for a New York City Post Office included the inscription on the building's facade.

For the record, we haven't received mail in two days.

Satisfying

There's something so satisfying about a productive day. I checked off numerous tasks from my "to-do" list today, including (but not limited to):

- Washing and drying three loads of laundry
- Cutting Sam's hair at home for the first time
- Clearing the basement of unnecessary trash and boxes
- Moving several boxes into newly available basement storage
- Sorting and cataloging our entire DVD collection
- Preparing and filing our federal and state tax returns
- Blogging!

I'm not sure why "blogging" is the only item on that list that I feel the need to punctuate. I'm also not entirely sure what spurred me on toward completing these tasks today, except for a lesson that has been reiterated to me numerous times over the last month: be faithful with what you have.

Whether it looks like it or not, almost all of the tasks on my to-do list stem from trying to make the most of what we already have. Sometimes life feels so disorganized and chaotic, and when that happens, I find it easier to purchase a solution than deal with it. I'm not the only one: no less than three of my favorite TV shows deal with what people do when they have too much stuff. Of course, the "solution" is only a band-aid, and without treating the causes it only masks the problem for a short time. This is both disheartening and expensive.

By taking the time today to work through many simple tasks like sorting and cleaning at home, we are peacefully combating the chaos and taking a stand against our own disorderly conduct. We are working toward faithfulness with what we have been given, which bears contentment, and frees up resources for God's work.

Thorns

"The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity."

This verse is troubling me today, because I read what it actually said and not what I assumed it said.

Normally, I get to the word "thorns" and my brain interprets that as "trials", where the ones who have heard the word of God face trials and either pass or fail. I figure, as long as I overcome the trials, I will prove my mettle like the fourth kind of seed.

The NASB equates the thorns with "worries and riches and pleasures of this life" (emphasis mine). I've never really considered that my smartphone, my Netflix membership, or even my red Swingline stapler might be thorns placed in my life, but in this context they all fit that description.

This verse forces me to take inventory and realize that so many of "my" things are simply that: mine- and I have no intention of using them for God's Kingdom. Instead of producing fruit, I sit on the spoils as a happy hoarder. I worry about what I have and whether or not I will lose it, when God's word teaches me to give it away.

There's no way to soften the blow: I need a new attitude, or my thorns will choke the life right out of me.

Macro

It's the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, and while I have many Christmas photos to post, I have also enjoyed extra time to work on another part of my hobby- macro photography.

The following pictures were taken of our table centerpiece using a reversed 50mm lens on extension tubes.





[Editors note: These photos are uncropped.]

Rainbows

There are 10 kinds of people in the world...

... a note on binary.

Our normal decimal system is a base 10 system, meaning that each digit represents 10 to a different order of magnitude. We learned in school that there is a ones place, a tens place, a hundreds place, a thousands, place, etc. Each of these places can also be represented by the number 10 raised to an exponent. The ones place is 10⁰, the tens place is 10¹, the hundreds place is 10², the thousands place is 10³, and so on. (This is also true for the tenths, hundredths, and thousandths, places, except 10 is raised to the -1, -2, and -3 powers respectively.

The digits in each place are then multiplied by that base, and added together.

Let’s use 1234 as an example. Here are several different ways of writing it out:

1234 = 1234
(1 x 10³) + (2 x 10²) + (3 x 10¹) + (4 x 10⁰) = 1234
(1 x 1000) + (2 x 100) + (3 x 10) + (4 x 1) = 1234
1000 + 200 + 30 + 4 = 1234

Each digit can only be 0 to 9, since 10 or more would carry over to the next place.

Now take those principles and apply them to binary. Binary is a base 2 system, so each place can be represented by the number 2 to an exponent: 2⁰ = 1, 2¹ = 2, 2² = 4, 2³ =8, etc. Instead of ones, tens, hundreds, and thousands places, we have ones, twos, fours, and eights places.

When writing a number in binary, each digit will only be 0 or 1, since 2 or more would carry over to the next place.

In binary, the decimal 2 is written as 10. The 1 digit is in the 2¹ (twos) place, and the 0 digit is in the 2⁰ (ones) place. Multiplying out like we did before, we see:

10 = 2 (decimal)
(1 x 2¹) + (0 x 2⁰) = 2 (decimal)
(1 x 2) + (0 x 1) = 2 (decimal).

The decimal 13 would be written as 1101:
1101 = 13 (decimal)
(1 x 2³) + (1 x 2²) + (0 x 2¹) + (1 x 2⁰) = 13 (decimal)
(1 x 8) + (1 x 4) + (0 x 2) + (1 x 1) = 13 (decimal)

This can be done using any base. Another common base is 16, referred to as “hexadecimal”. However, in order to use single digits, the decimals 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 are replaced with A, B, C, D, E, and F respectively. Remember the digits for any base may only go from 0 to one less than the base, so hexadecimal digits go from 0 to 15, or more appropriately, 0 to F.

For practice, solve the following problems and check your answers in the back of the book...

(Just kidding.)

Vision

Every few months (or weeks, or days) it seems I find myself looking at a new lens, thinking that if I only have one more, I will be taking better photographs. Before I left on my trip, I found a few new pieces that honestly did make my life a lot easier while traveling, however most of the time this idea is just an illusion. I have been doing well for years with what I already have, and I often return to the same pieces of equipment over and over again.

I was reminded today on a photography blog that good photography is all about capturing the vision of the photographer. The best equipment in the world is useless in the hands of someone who lacks an artistic perspective, and the simplest, most inexpensive cameras can be used by a master to great effect. The right camera and the right lens do not make excellent photographs, they only make it easier for the photographer to do his work.

This is true in our relationship to God. In his hands, the most inadequate of us is wholly useful for accomplishing his purpose. At the same time, without his masterful touch, those of us who think we are the best and most capable cannot accomplish anything of value. Our value is not in what we are, but what he makes of us. It is his vision and how he uses us that makes all the difference.

Summertime

Happy Birthday Dad (Grandpa)

Why hasn't Adam blogged in six months?

December 1

I hate to say it, but I am SO glad that November is over. This was one of the longest, most hectic months I can remember. It started off well with me becoming an uncle (congrats, Nate and Sarah!) but quickly turned to mourning with the passing of my grandfather a week later. His funeral came just halfway into the month. Days later, my manager and four coworkers were let go, a heavy blow to my already battered sense of stability. The next week brought our son's first birthday and my grandmother's 80th, and finished off with Thanksgiving, all without fanfare. December 1 arrives with great anticipation of peace and hope that we can restore our priorities and regain a sense of normalcy before Christmas and the new year.

EDITOR'S NOTE: After I completed writing exactly what you see above, I opened up our church's daily scripture reading for December 1. The first five verses for today are Romans 5:1-5: "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also 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."

Grandpa Griffin

My last post included two pictures each with four generations of my family. I’m glad my brother took the one with my Grandpa Griffin, because Grandpa went to be with the Lord while he slept on Saturday night.

To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure I really believed this day would ever come. Grandpa was always a hard worker, and didn’t know how to quit. He retired before my older brother was born, but retirement didn’t suit him and he un-retired a year later to begin a new career spanning two more decades. Even when we visited as kids, he was up and out the door by dawn. I remember that in his free time, he loved to work with his hands. His masterpieces included (but were not limited to) the house where he and my grandmother lived, a hand-turned wooden lamp that he made for my parents, and a gliding rocking chair we used to play on in his living room.

In 1994, we almost lost him when he suffered a devastating stroke. The doctors did not know if he would live, let alone recover any normal function, but he surprised us. He worked hard at his rehabilitation and while he never quite made it back to 100%, he lived a much better life after his stroke than I would have thought possible. It was a joy afterwards to sit in his living room and throw a ball back and forth with him, knowing that this simple game was a small triumph for his once-strong hands.

Ten years later when my grandmother died, I was again worried that he would not be with us long. He loved her deeply and depended on her care following his stroke. Once again, he surprised us. I think he needed to prove to all of us that he could make it, and he did for five more years. During those five years he saw two of his grandchildren get married and was alive for the births of two great grandchildren. He met my son, who is named after him, on two occasions. I have memories of Easter and his 89th birthday that I will cherish, along with photos to share with Sam as he gets older.

I appreciate that his eyes were always full of life and the wheels were constantly turning. I remember the Rubik’s Cubes, wooden puzzles, and brain teasers he kept on the table next to his recliner and our shared excitement when we would solve one of them after hours of trial and error. His wit was also never lacking. Last week when my mom told him that his second great-grandchild was born with lots of red hair, he told her slyly, “I don’t care much for red hair.” When my mom, also a redhead, pointed out that she too had been born with red hair, he replied with a wink in his voice, “I didn’t care much for it then either.”

I read through Grandpa’s obituary several times this afternoon, still surprised at how much he lived in 89 years, yet profoundly saddened that such a full life could be summarized in less than 300 words. To those words I add all of these, as I remember a man with a sharp mind, skilled hands, unyielding determination, and a deep love and appreciation for his family.

We miss you Grandpa.

Genealogy

Dad's mom's side:
[Photo credit: David]

Dad's dad's side:

The icing on the cake

I watch a lot of Food TV.

In one show, professional cake decorators compete by creating unique, often elaborate designs based on a particular theme. Most of the time they construct their towers out of edible components like cake and crisp rice and marshmallow treats, then cover them with frosting, fondant, or even chocolate and candies to incorporate the theme in their decoration. Sometimes, they are also allowed to use non-edible components, such as Styrofoam blocks or wooden rods, as long as they are still decorated and covered with edible material.

While I enjoy watching these programs, I hardly think of this as useful knowledge, and I certainly didn't expect it to come up last night in Bible study group. We are going through a series by Chuck Colson about the basics of the Christian faith, what they mean, and why that matter now as much as (or more than) ever.

Part of this week's session was a discussion on God's grace and the relationship of "works" to our faith. Two key scriptures are often quoted in reference to works: Ephesians 2:8-10, and James 2:14-18. While these passages are not at odds with one another, they can lead to some confusion. In our study, we were asked to consider the implications of having a life of faith that was void of good works, and whether or not it was possible to do good works without having a life of faith.

In many ways, the relationship between faith and works can be demonstrated in terms of cake decorating. Think first about a cake that is expertly baked, stacked high, and cut to form, but has no frosting on it. The structure is all there, but it is completely unattractive. It is crusty, porous, and after a short time it will begin to dry out. The cake may be delicious, but without any decoration there is nothing about it that draws us to it or makes us want to eat it. Think next of a piece of Styrofoam decorated with beautiful frosting to look like a cake. As good as it looks to everyone on the outside, it is inedible and tasteless. Once you get past the frosting, there is simply nothing there worth consuming. In order to have something truly worthwhile, you need both elements: a delicious cake covered in beautiful frosting.

Our faith in God is like the real cake, the kind you can sink your teeth into. Our works are like the frosting. Without works, our faith in God is not attractive to anyone else. Like a cake without frosting, there is little to draw people to it no matter how good it may be. At the same time, no amount of good works will turn us into a Christian, any more than decorating a Styrofoam block will turn it into a cake. It may fool a lot of people, but it is ultimately useless without faith at the core. It is only when good works are added on top of our genuine faith that people understand what they are seeing is real and come to find something that truly satisfies.

Oh My!

My Beautiful Flower

Therapy (or, "Tell me how you really feel")

Time goes by

It's been another month since my last blog posting. I hope I haven't lost too many of my readers since the previous update.

For once, it is not a lack of activity that has led to my lack of activity. On the contrary, we have been so busy that I simply have not had enough time to sit down and write a coherent post. In the last month, we have:
- celebrated Allie's birthday
- celebrated our third wedding anniversary
- been to two different zoos
- babysat overnight for a sick friend's baby
- been in a parade
- attended a Cubs game in a suite box
- taken Sam swimming for the first time
- learned to use a new photo editing program
- attended Allie's high school reunion
- thrown a baby shower for my sister
...and so on.

As you can see, we've had a ton going on, with plenty more to do in the next few weeks. As always, I'll post more when time allows.