Sorry for the delay . . .

Hey all,

Just wanted to drop a quick note and let you know that I probably won't be posting very much until July of 2011. The internet connection here in Afghanistan is spotty at best, and not really conducive to posting. So, have a Happy New Years and check back next summer!

The Penguin Played in the Snow!

Hello from Afghanistan!

In case you were wondering, I have really been wandering this past week! After I left my heart in San Francisco, I began a series of flights. Over the next several days, I stopped in New York, Virginia, Germany, Kyrgyzstan, and now finally Afghanistan. I got to walk through the rain & snow in Virginia, the snow in Germany, and sort and palletize my luggage in the rain & snow in Kyrgyzstan. Fortunately, everything important stayed dry, and my luggage has already dried out!

Afghanistan will be my new abode for the next six months, and the only wandering I'll be doing is to the gym, the dfac, the hospital, and occasionally the BX. However, since I am only responsible for myself, I'll probably have plenty of time to wonder, so check back often for more musings from the mind of the Penguin.

Work is going to be awesome as there are a bunch of people here I already know from stateside, including some I haven't seen since my last deployment! And I'll have plenty of free time, as I will only be working 8-12 hours a day. Living space here is very limited, so I am going to get to know my 7 (yes, count them, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7!) roommates really well, I would imagine.

Well, that's all the news that is the news from the other side of the world, at least for the moment. Seems like Mrs. Penguin and the littles are adjusting to life without me. Not necessarily well or easily, but adjusting. Surprisingly, the one that seems to be having the hardest time without me at home is Buck! He has been so bad since I left that he is now confined to linoleum only spaces or outside 24/7. Mrs. Penguin said if/when I deploy again, I have to take him with me, because he has been atrocious!

I Left My Heart in San Francisco

     It's wandering time again! Yes ladies and gentlemen, the Penguin is on the wander. At this moment, I am gracing the Eastern Seaboard with my presence, at least for a few hours.

 It was very sad in San Francisco last night. I had to say goodbye to Mrs. and the Little Penguins. We drove down from our house and stayed in S.F. to avoid the hour and a half drive at four a.m..

While we were in San Fran, Boy Wonder tried to get hit by a car. Fortunately Mrs. Penguin's piercing shriek alerted the driver to stop short of making penguin paste out of him!

Once we got to the hotel (Millwood Inn and Suites), I was privileged to spend some time talking with all the Penguin pack. I really enjoyed reminiscing about my childhood with them. I wish I took time to do that more often, but I always seem to find an excuse not to. Last night, there was no excuse, just a chance to spend good quality time with the Little Penguins and the Mrs.

Speaking of, Mrs. Penguin seems like she will really miss me, which of course makes me feel very loved.

Stay tuned for updates from around the world as I continue to wander!

Don't be Afraid to Get Your Pearls Dirty

Just be warned, this is one of those preachy posts!

  As part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus made this statement, "Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces." (Mt 7:6, NASB) Unfortunately, there are a lot of us who claim to be followers of Christ, who have this fear: any effort to evangelize on our part will be "casting our pearls before swine." 

Paul told Timothy, ". . . God has not given us a spirit of timidity (fear), but of power and love and discipline." (2 Tim 1:7) We should not be afraid that someone is going to tear us to pieces. That is not what Jesus was warning the disciples against. It can happen. It has happened in the past. It will happen. Jesus promised His disciples that, " . . . If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; . . ." (Jn 15:20)

If we eliminate fear of persecution or reprisal as our reason for not evangelizing, we are still left with this fear of "casting our pearls before swine." It can be a paralyzing fear, preventing us from even speaking when opportunities clearly present themselves. Perhaps if we define what "casting our pearls before swine" is, we can overcome our fear of it. The simplest explanation is that when we present the gospel to someone who rejects it, the gospel is the "pearls," and the rejections are the "trampling under foot." Are there those who clearly will reject the gospel no matter how lovingly and truthfully it is presented? Yes. Are we capable of making that determination? Jesus clearly expected His hearers in Matthew 7 to be able to make that determination. All scripture is given for our benefit, " . . . for correction, for training in righteousness." (2 Tim 3:16-17) I'd say 99% of the time, no, we are not able to make that determination without first offering them the gospel! Go back and look at the context in which Jesus presents this admonition not to "cast pearls before swine." He starts off by saying, "Do not judge, lest you be judged. For in the way you judged, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you." (Mt 7:1-2)

Many of us are guilty of what Jesus talks about in the next few verses, judging someone as not fit for the Gospel, not realizing that we are in the same, or worse condition as them.  If you look at the parable of the sower in Matthew 13, and the explanation that follows, nowhere do you read, "and some seed he sowed not, because he judged the soil to be unfruitful." That is exactly what so many of us are doing, when we think we are "judging righteous judgement." In this parable, we read about seed (God's word) that was eaten by birds, fell on rocky places, fell on thorny places and fell on good soil. The sower sowed or planted. Paul said, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth." (I Cor 3:6) We need to not worry so much about the soil the seed is falling on, but worry instead about planting the seed to allow it to have an effect!

What effect am I talking about? Jesus described the effect the seed had in Matthew 13. But consider further. The seed that birds ate (vvs 4, 19), what happened to it? There are many plants who use birds to spread their seeds to other soils. Do you think there is even a remote possibility that the seed we sow with one person might get relayed to another, more receptive, person? Picture this: You talk to someone you meet at the grocery store for a few minutes about the Gospel. That person may even be rude to you. They go home, or go back to work, or to the gym, and they say, "You're never gonna believe what this crackpot told me today at the store. He/She said there is this guy named Jesus who loves me no matter what I've done! How ridiculous is that?" The person they are talking to, or another person overhearing the conversation, hears exactly what they need to investigate and begin the journey towards becoming a Christian!

Consider what effect seed can have on rocks or rocky soil (vvs 5, 20-21). There are giant boulders which have been split and shattered because a tiny seed took hold, was watered and grew. Maybe that seed died, but its fine little roots broke down the rock or crevice it was lodged in, just a tiny bit during its short life. Maybe over a long time, several seeds landed there, each had a tiny effect, and cumulatively, turned a massive boulder into gravel! We see the example in nature. Why do we have such a hard time believing it can happen in the spiritual world?

How about the thorny places (vvs 7, 22)? We all know that plants compete for soil, sunlight and water when they are crowded together. How do weeds take over a garden? By being allowed to repeatedly seed. Those weeds, based on shear numbers, eventually crowd out the plants that were there originally. Is it not possible that enough good seed sown on thorny soil, with watering, can eventually crowd out the original thorny crop?

We don't know what effect the seed will have. That's why this discussion is titled, "Don't be Afraid to Get Your Pearls Dirty." We worry so much about casting our pearls before swine, when we should be concentrating on planting the seed. We might never know if we are a Paul, planting that initial seed, or an Apollos, watering a seed already established. Or some other worker, planting another seed because the first died out. Maybe the soil changed. Maybe the shear volume of planting is overwhelming the thorns of their hearts. Maybe they need one more seed to crack that rocky edifice they built trying to protect their heart. The point is, we don't know. None of us is capable of correctly judging another's heart. 

What we can do is recognize when our efforts are not making progress. If we talk to someone two or three times, and are clearly rebuffed each time, then, by all means, stop "casting your pearls before swine," and move on. As Jesus said, "And whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake off the dust of your feet." (Mt 10:14)

However, we should never confuse moving on with giving up. Each of us that are saved are in that condition because God didn't give up on us, and most likely because a fellow Christian didn't give up on us. The next time you are "in town," so to speak, it might be worth a visit to the person who told you “no thanks” previously. You may end up shaking the dust off again, but we never know when the seed will finally take root.

While we should never miss an opportunity to plant a seed, there are places where we are more likely to find “good soil” for sowing. Consider the Apostle Paul. His custom was to go to the synagogue when he first came to town. (Acts 17:2) Why? Because there were spiritually minded people there! In verse 17 we read where Paul was reasoning in the synagogue and in the market place. He went to where he could find “good soil.” If we are to make the most of our evangelistic efforts, we would do well to imitate Paul.  By going specifically to places we know should provide “good soil,” we are less likely to encounter situations where we might “dirty our pearls,” or be faced with a situation where we need to “dust off our shoes.” We can be smart in our evangelism, but let us never make the mistake of being too smart. Don’t miss an opportunity to plant or water, because you are afraid of dirtying your pearls.

In conclusion, don't be scared. In the end, it's all about the message, not the messenger. Don't be afraid to get your pearls dirty!

Wonders of the Internet

So I'm wondering, does anyone see anything wrong with this? It just appeared on my yahoo homepage. 

I managed to capture a screen shot to share with you.

I'm not sure what Warcraft and John Lennon have to do with each other. Maybe if I click on the link, I'll find out?

What's the weirdest mess-up or mistake you've ever encountered on the internet?