I had a scheduled check-up with my doctor that day.  I’m on blood pressure meds and I had gone months without checking my BP.  I knew I had gained weight and I figured my BP was going to be high.  To be honest, the only reason I actually scheduled the appointment in the first place was that I had run out of refills on my meds.  We discovered that my BP was ridiculously high – 171/100 (should be 120/80).  My doctor was very alarmed.  I weighed in at a hefty 304, the heaviest I’ve been in ten years.  Well, to make a long story less tedious, I ended up in the ER.  I had no other symptoms, but I couldn’t get my BP down, even with additional doses of my meds.  They had some great meds that brought it down quickly, and we’ve developed a different prescription regiment to control it going forward.

I have to admit, it all scared the crap out of me.  Sitting in the ER, with wires attached everywhere, looking at my wife sitting there trying not to look scared.  And I felt guilty – it was my laziness and selfishness and sin that had put me and us in that situation.  I was also mad at myself for letting all that time go by without monitoring my BP.  That’s just plain stupid, and I’m smarter than that.

The great news is that God did exactly what I asked Him to do – He gave me what I needed.  It was not the relaxing, refreshing, rejuvenating Sabbath day I had hoped it would be.  But it was an amazing outpouring of His love for me.  I could just as easily have stroked out or had an incident with my heart.  When they tested me at the hospital, they found none of the damage that is often caused by sustained high BP.  So, God brought me the wake up call I needed.

And I am responding.  I am counting my calories and exercising 5 days a week with direction from my doctor.  Until everything gets regulated and I start losing some weight, I’ll likely be seeing my doctor weekly.  I log my activity, caloric intake and BP several times a day.  I am working hard to establish some lifestyle changes.  I’m not trying to get it all done in one week.  I’m trying to make some substantial changes, but do so with the idea that this needs to be the life I will be living from now on.  In other words, it’s going to be a marathon rather than a sprint.

Thanks for reading my story.  I ask for your prayers and accountability.  I’ll keep you posted on my progress.

The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,
but man is tested by the praise he receives.  (Proverbs 27:21)

The crucible is the mechanism through which silver is refined and prepared, where the application of extreme heat forces the impurities to rise to the top.  The furnace serves the same purpose for gold.  But scripture says that we are tested by the praise we receive.

How are we tested by such praise?  Praise will test our metal by bringing out the truth about what we see our:

1. Identity – Our internal response to praise will show us whether we consider ourselves creator or creation.  As creator, we have all that was needed to accomplish that which was praiseworthy.  As creation, we enjoy and employ the gifts given to us by a sovereign God and acknowledge Him for every good work, both in and through us.
2. Worth – How we receive praise bears witness to how we really assess our own self worth, and more importantly, from where we derive our worth.  On one hand, we can receive praise as affirmation.  In other words, “The work you did is good.”  If we know that we have worth because we have been adopted by the King, we understand that nothing that we can ever do can or will increase or decrease our worth.  We are able to take praise at face value and enjoy the affirmation for a job well done.  On the other hand, we can receive praise as approval.  Rather than hearing, “The work you did is good,” we hear the words, “You are good” and “I approve of you.”  The actual words of praise did not change, only our interpretation and application of those words.  The person who lacks a genuine appreciation of their worth is always seeking to find it in the approval of others.  And sadly, there will never be enough.
3. Integrity – Let’s be honest.  We all like praise.  It makes us feel good.  And like anything that makes us feel good, we can begin to desire it, even crave it.  But what we do with that desire will reveal a lot about our character.  A person of high integrity will remain faithful to all that God prompts them to do.  They’ll do what He tells them to do, when He tells them to do it, how He tells them to do it – all with little or no concern for the praise they will or will not receive.  A person of lower integrity will be so drawn by the lure of potential praise as to set aside the things of God.  They become addicted to praise, and that praise becomes a drug just as intoxicating as any street drug.  They are always looking for another fix.

I don’t know about you, but God is showing me some things I need to work on?  How about you?

So, said MacBook is now in the shop being repaired.  Needless to say, this has crimped my style, more than just a little.  But, it has not all been without merit.  This experience has proven out several universal truths:

1. Macs rule! Ok, so my MacBook can’t swim.  But it still has the best operating system and user interface available today.  The loaner laptop I’m using is running Windows (I’m not specifying version, because it doesn’t really matter…they are all lame, IMHO), and I’m reminded just how much clunkier everything seems to be in PC-land.  I’m infinitely grateful to have a loaner to use during this period of mourning, but it makes me miss my MacBook even more.
2. Technology is addictive. I love technology.  The more the merrier.  I have infused ever increasing amounts of technology in my life, becoming increasingly more dependent year after year.  Being without my MacBook has been really tough.  I have been experiencing serious withdrawal.  The only thing that keeps me from curling up into the fetal position is being able to stare lovingly at my amazing iPhone (another great Apple product).  It calms me.
3. Water and technology don’t mix. One leaky water bottle transformed my MacBook into a gurgling mess.  Never again will a liquid of any kind find its way into my bag.

Oh well, this too shall pass.  In a few days I’ll have my MacBook back, all restored to its former glory.  And I shall revel in the joy of my technology once more.

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

for attaining wisdom and discipline;
for understanding words of insight;

for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life,
doing what is right and just and fair;

for giving prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the young—

let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance—

for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.

I’ve read this verse a bazillion times, but have never really seen the return that God is promising as a result of our investment in studying the Proverbs.  Ok, so check this out.  The book of Proverbs was written so that we could experience the following:

• Wisdom – I don’t know about you, but I could use more.  Not just a little more, but a whole lot more.
  
• Discipline – I hate being disciplined by God, but I do desire to have a more disciplined life, where I’m not controlled merely by impulses.
• Insight – I think greater insight into the lives of the people around me would make me more compassionate, available and approachable – all traits that were important to Jesus.
• Prudence – Couldn’t each one of us benefit from God growing us up in our ability to care about the future?
• Knowledge – The more I walk with God, the more I realize how little about Him and His kingdom I really know or understand.  But that realization doesn’t make me want to give up.  Instead, it reminds me that I will spend all eternity trying to fully know my God.
• Discretion – I want to behave in ways that avoid offending people, but I’ve got a long way to go in that.
• Guidance - It seems like every one of us has enough problems and difficulties to fill up a lifetime.  And in the midst of those times of hardship is when we most often need someone to show us the way.

I’m not sure where you find yourself in each of these areas, but there isn’t a single one that I couldn’t use a super-sized order of right about now.  I’ve always enjoyed Proverbs, but I’ve never before read it with the expectation of being transformed with all these things at God’s hand. But these words have built in me a radical new expectation – that when I meet with God to study the Proverbs and apply them to my life – that God is going to pour out His great blessings upon me in ways that I can’t even imagine.

Every once in a while, I realize that I’ve been failing to approach my time in His word with the red-hot expectation that I’m going to encounter God in the midst of His living word.  Then God ignites my passion once again, so that I can hardly wait to meet with him again, bible in hand.

Here’s an example of what I mean.  One area that I’m passionate about is marriage.  I have a real passion to see couples actually living out their life together according to God’s plan.  I’ve read literally dozens of books on the subject, books you would recognize, by authors that are well-known and well-respected.  Most of what I’ve read I would describe as ’scripturally aligned.’ What I mean is that the the author lays out all they want to say, in the way they want to say it, packaging and presenting within their preferred paradigm.  And at some point, most of these authors will present a few scripture passages to support what they have presented.

In theory, there is nothing wrong with that approach.  I’d rather have something aligned with scripture than misaligned with it.  And I can’t say that I’ve read much in those books that I would classify as contradicting scripture.  But to me it seems to lack power somehow.

There are a few books on marriage, however, like Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs, where the content flows out of the very scripture.  He starts with scripture, and the unique perspective of his book flows from the actual words of scripture, rather than a preferred packaging paradigm (say that three times!).

I guess this particular quirk of mine comes from an ironclad belief that scripture really is sufficient.  If we’re going to teach out of the Bible, then let’s let the Bible do the teaching.  I want to hear what God has to say rather than the well-constructed argument of man, even if it does align.  I was taught to be skeptical of teaching that bounces around, plucking a verse here or there that supports the teacher’s own view.  It’s so easy to isolate a verse out of its context and use it to support a position never intended.  That risk is significantly mitigated when the author starts with the passage, explores the context, and let’s his teaching emphasis flow from the intended meaning.

And yes, before you jump on me and tell me that I have been guilty of the same thing at times here in my blog, you are absolutely right.  And when you see me doing it, feel free to call me on it.

One of the lessons taught to me by a great teacher was to pay close attention to the first time a particular word surfaces in scripture.  The context within which that word first appears can tell us a lot about its intended meaning.  You might be surprised to learn that the first time the word ‘worship’ appears in scripture is in Genesis, chapter 22, with Abraham and Isaac.  But before I share the actual verse, let me indulge in a little storytelling as I set it up.

God tells Abraham to do something outrageous – to take his one and only son, travel with him on a three-day journey, then sacrifice him as a burnt offering.  Can you imagine?  Here was the son that God had promised, the one for whom Abraham had waited so long, the boy he loved so much.  God had brought Abraham a child in his old age as a miraculous blessing and fulfillment of his promise.  But now God was telling Abraham to put him to death.  Can you imagine Abraham’s grief?

But scripture tells us that Abraham obeyed.  The next day he set out with Isaac and some servants.  The passage spares us the gory details of the agony that Abraham must have experienced during that three day journey, knowing what he was traveling towards.  Somewhere along the way it must have dawned on Abraham that God was commanding him to sacrifice his son because Abraham’s love for Isaac was competing with his love for God.  I imagine that Abraham must have experienced great remorse, even pleading with God.

We all know the climatic ending to the story.  Abraham puts the boy on the altar and raises his knife to slay him, when God intervenes and stays Abraham’s hand.  It was the exact moment of Abraham raising his knife where complete surrender to God took place.  That’s when Abraham’s devotion to God became complete and unrivaled. It is such a compelling vision of surrender.

But I have to back up a little.  On the third day of travel, when they got close to the destination God had indicated, Abraham said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” He knew exactly what he was about to do.  He was going to surrender everything he had to God right there, right then.

I believe that is the essence of genuine worship.

As we talked that out, we talked about the importance of being a man of character, a man of faith, a man dependent upon a loving God.  I saw the wisdom of his words and it challenged my paradigm, which had been heavily focused upon the ultimate outcome of the uncertainty.  The person I am today will be most revealed in times of uncertainty.  You’ll see the quality of my character when I feel threatened.  You’ll see the degree of my faith when I’m worrying about the future.  You’ll see my level of dependence upon God when I’m trying to orchestrate.  At the same time, such seasons can also be the perfect crucible in which I can grow in character, faith and dependence.

James wrote about this in the New Testament:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. – James 1:3-4

God uses the inevitable trials we encounter to test our faith.  As we grow in faith, it develops a character of perseverance.  That perseverance leads to maturity and a life of fullness.

Now having passed through that season, I can see my friend’s wisdom.  It was far more important, to me and to God, how I lived that season of my life rather than the eventual outcome.  The growth came through and in my character, faith and dependence.

If you are in a time of trial, that almost always involves uncertainty, ask yourself if how you go through this time may be more important than how it all eventually works out.

The reality is that the United States is one of the most advanced in the world when it comes to understanding Down Syndrome and helping kids and their families to maximize each person’s individual potential.  There are amazing organizations here, like GiGi’s Playhouse, the National Down Syndrome Society, and the National Association for Down Syndrome, just to mention a few.  If you have a child with Down Syndrome, this is the place to live.  We have tons of great resources available to us.

Trust me when I tell you that all countries are not like us in this regard.  In many countries around the world, the view of those with DS can only be described as archaic.  Nowhere is this worse than in the Eastern European countries where, at the advice of medical professionals, babies born with DS are immediately placed in orphanages.  The care in a majority of these orphanages is very poor.  Inadequate staffing, medical care, and facilities further exacerbate their developmental delays, making them unattractive to couples seeking to adopt.

In most of these countries, when the children reach 4 or 5, they are transferred into a mental institution.  The care they receive there is simply inhumane.  We would be charged and convicted of a crime if we treated an animal in the same way they are treated.  Tied to their cribs, often wrapped so that they cannot use their hands, receiving a single diaper change per day (if they’re lucky), many don’t survive their first year.  They succumb to the effects of malnutrition, dehydration and hypothermia.  And the lucky ones die early.  The survivors will continue to grow, but are often kept in the same crib for the rest of their lives.

I read this blog post about 6 weeks ago.  That same night I read this one.  I’m glad it was fairly late at night and that I was alone, because I sat on the couch and cried my eyes out.  I don’t know that I’ve ever witnessed such injustice, especially inflicted on those who are completely unable to act on their own behalf to stop it.  Please let me both encourage you and warn you.  I encourage you to read them both.  It tells the story far better than I can.  Look at their faces.  Imagine your child in that crib.  Watch the video.  Please don’t look away.  But I’ll warn you, you will never free yourself of those images.

Finally, let me answer the question of “But what can I do?”  Resse’s Rainbow has started a new program called “Connecting the Rainbow,” to provide information, support and resources for families caring for children with Down syndrome living in countries around the world where, until now, there has been none.  If God wrecks you, and you need to do something, anything, you can find out how on their site.

The premise behind the movie is that this is an alternate reality that is taking place within our point in history.  What makes it alternate is that there is no such thing as lying, imagination or fiction.  Everybody tells the truth.  Of course, within the first five minutes you’re hit with the stark realization of what that would really be like.  People say things that are incredibly insensitive and rude.  But it’s an intriguing premise and makes for some pretty interesting dialog between the characters.

The main character is down on his luck and suddenly realizes that he can gain advantage by telling a lie (in telling his best friend later, he describes it as “telling something that wasn’t”).  Of course, he begins to play with this new found talent and begins using it to tell people what they want to hear.  His ailing mother is on her death bed and is being wracked with fear of the forever nothingness that she is about to enter, when he begins to weave a new set of expectations for her about the afterlife.  He describes what most of us would consider heaven.  But he is overheard and word begins to spread that he knows what happens after people die.  Soon, the whole world is waiting to find out how he knows this.  This is when he makes up, “the man in the sky.”

I don’t need to share any more of the plot, because that is all that is pertinent to today’s rant.  It immediately became aware, to me and everyone else watching, that the writer of this particular story believes that God is a pure fabrication.  I’ve thought about that so many times since viewing the film.  And I feel my heart stirred with a painful reality – the gap between kingdoms is widening.  The gulf between the kingdom of this world and the kingdom of God is growing.

I really don’t want this to sound like the crazy Christian ranting about the depraved world we live in, but there is a reality that the world we live in – the kingdom of this world – is spiraling into ever-greater depths of ungodliness.  Things that were considered socially unacceptable just a few years ago have become commonplace.  As Christians, we face enormous pressures to be tolerant of all sorts of behavior and choices that our bible and our faith tell us are not pleasing to a holy God.

I’m not grieved that an atheist made a movie.  I’m actually glad that they did and I hope all sorts of people see it.  It will spark conversations all across this land.  Minimally, it may entice people to think about what they believe and why.  I actually liked the movie.  It was very entertaining and I would encourage anyone to see it.  But it does give a window into the writer’s soul.  And it let me take a sneak peek at what my life could have felt like if I didn’t believe in the God of the universe.

This is a subject near and dear to my heart for a couple of reasons.  First, I did not receive any such training and like Sangl, it took me years of painful on-the-job training to learn these important lessons.  I don’t blame anyone for that.  It wasn’t a high value to prepare a young person in that way when I was growing up, and it still isn’t one today.  Second, some of my older children have suffered because I lacked the resources to teach my kids these lessons.  It was not for lack of trying.  I devised a board game to teach my kids about using enveloping as a budgeting system (I know…must have been the most fun dad on the block!).  They all listened to me and understood the concepts I was trying to cover (usually within the first 5 minutes), but NOT ONE OF THEM actually applied what they learned, or even REMEMBERED the core concepts.  We purchased the Crown resources specifically geared towards teens, but couldn’t get our kids to actually finish them.  They would start them, but wouldn’t stay engaged.  So, all that to say that I was excited to read and review Sangl’s new book.

There were several things that I really liked about this book:

• It is short and concise.  This could easily have expanded to 200+ pages with countless stories, but Sangl gets to the point and jam packs a ton into 88 pages cover to cover.  It can easily be read in one sitting.
• It starts with his personal story.  His story is compelling in its ordinariness.  His story is not an uncommon story of ridiculous excess, but instead a story of common indulgence born out of ignorance.  I think a lot of younger folks will see themselves in his journey.
• It explains complex issues using everyday language.  For instance, rather than going into a long drawn out explanation of the what and how of budgeting, he talks about “planning your money,” by spending your money on paper before it is spent for real.  Even I’ve never thought of budgeting in that way.
• It is comprehensive in its scope.  He covers all the pertinent subjects, such as giving, saving, debt, credit scores, compound interest, purchasing a home and insurance.
• It covers the impact of finances on relationships.  This is often ignored by such work, where the focus is on the financial concepts, rather than the impact upon those around us.  I thought this was a big value add.

There was only one thing that I didn’t like in the book.  Chapter One is called, “Plan for Life.”  In it, Sangl starts off with talking about the importance of understanding your own hopes and dreams and writing them down.  He encourages the reader to stop and complete that exercise BEFORE continuing to read the rest of the book.  Here’s the problem, at least from my perspective.  This would’ve ended up being another book from which my kids read only the first chapter.  Maybe my kids were uniquely clueless, but they would have no idea what to write down.  I agree with Sangl that this is an important endeavor, but I would’ve rather seen this chapter at the end of the book rather than the beginning.  Putting it at the beginning creates the mistaken impression that one cannot employ the subsequent lessons without having the life plan clearly in mind.  I think having that chapter at the beginning will unnecessarily dissuade some from reading any further.

Having said that, I highly recommend the book and plan to purchase a copy for each of my kids over 17.  (Of course, I have not yet planned said spending, so I’ll have to invest a little time with my budget.  Fortunately, the book is very reasonable at $12.99.)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author as part of his Blog Tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”