The Drive Down Home (Travelogue 09/16-18/09, Day 3)

09/18/09
I slept in, partly to recoup more of Tuesday night's lost time, and partly to continue restoring rest to my mind and body. Made short work of preparing for the day, and was presently on my way. I chose to travel a new route. A rumor that the route was shorter accompanied an adventurous and exploring whim. The rumor proved quite false, adding about 30 minutes to travel the same distance. But the whim was well-satisfied. The route proved to be very lovely and inspiring. My only real regret is that I had no camera, for often I wished one.

The day was pleasant enough for travel, but as I descended from the cool altitudes, the beading sweat encouraged me to close my window and switch to A/C. The first 2 quarters of the trip were spent relatively quietly, without music or audio book, and the only conversation being with myself (naturally) and with God (graciously).
Following, I began The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, a book which promises to be very good, inspiring, and thought-provoking. It requires attention and repose for thought, and thus makes an excellent book for travel. I may wish to have it in hard copy for the purpose of real study.
Alternating, I took in some mysteries by GK Chesterton, finishing "The Innocence of Father Brown," of which I will write shortly.

And so it was that I came safely back to my home.


Editor's Note: This is an incomplete version of this blog.

On a Rock Near the Top of the World (Travelogue 09/16-18/09, Day 2)

I slept in (which contributes to a non-thinking day), and did not rush to get ready. Took care of some small business (completing Tuesday's project). Then I went to Cooper's Rock State Park. Kisners recommended it to me when I told them I was looking for a place I could be alone and have a great view. Cooper's Rock is a place where I could spent a lot of time. For those of you familiar with Red River Gorge, think taller, less cliffy, and a whole lot more huge granite rocks. The main overlook was way too populated for me. The social PR side of me is still too close at hand, and I had conversations with about 8 people before I went to a different trail. So, packing the essentials (such as a laptop and cell phone), I headed to Raven's Rock. I had to hike almost 2 miles to get away from people, but it was definitely worth it. The view was great, and the solitude was superb. It would be something like Battleship rock at Natural Bridge, but again, much higher. I could see for miles and miles. I spent several hours there, and enjoyed it very much.
This evening, I had dinner with Kisners, then a meeting (did I mention I have a tendency to do this wherever I go?). It had been nice, and (for the most part) real, vacation. I am not yet fully recovered, but we're making progress.


What on earth does "spect" mean?
I suspect a prospect, and therefore expect respect and inspect one aspect. Perhaps I'm too introspective?
Why don't we conspect, unispect, omnispect, prespect, postspect, unspect and despect?
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/specio#Verb

"Hugh, why do you hew with an axe of that hue?"
"I knew gnu weren't new."

Editor's note: This is an incomplete version of this blog.

Driven by Death; Vacation Begins (Travelogue 09/16-18/09, Day 1)

09/16/09
"I press on, guided not by an inner light;
not by vision or by sight,
but following the trail --
cut and marked
by men who have gone before me."

All of humanity seems to be swallowed up in one attitude:
"We are human, and we are gods."
I readily repeat the speech, but rewrite the sentence:
"We are human, and we are God's."

Driven by Death
Up at 5:15am, left around 6:30am. True to form (and amazing that such a long journey consistently returns such scientific exactness), just inside of 6 hours, I was at my destination. Greatly aided by a lack of sleep (I netted about 4 hrs), mixed with long-term exhaustion compounded by recent inactivity, the trip was largely uneventful, thoughtless, and mellow. A book of Scripture, a few good mysteries, and some high-society essays by Francis Bacon carried the otherwise silent and mentally spastic trip. The trip was prompted by death, as I return to pay honor and my respects. Berlin Wilhelm, founder of Aldersgate Camp, and a man I rapidly learned to love, admire, and respect.

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." (Psalm 116:15)
It is a blessing to attend the funeral service of one whose heavenly destiny is unquestioned by all. In a real sense, sorrow was supplanted by rejoicing.

Thoughts Upon Death
Those who pass on before us have somewhat of an advantage over us. Their race is complete; their journey is done. They have nothing left to fear or face in this unforgiving world. They have survived; they are saved. They have faced their trials and agonies, and they are done.
We are those who are left to face the uncertain future. It is we who must peer trembling into the fear of the unknown. We are left to face the enemy, trials, calamities, disasters, woes, and persecutions. They won. Will we?

King Solomon said in the book of Ecclesiastes, "It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth." (Ecc 7:2-4)

I say, live close to life. Be present always in the house of death and mourning, for it is man's end. We will all conclude there, and that on level ground. It puts one's life into rapid perspective, for all our works will be tested by fire (1 Cor 3:13). It is the face of the end.
But lest one be torn down and become useless by never-ending introspection and nagging despair, let him frequent the place of new birth. For it provides hope and joy. Fresh life has come, with new hopes, new dreams, new energy and vision. As death takes away, so God gives more. Let one visit the tabernacle of marriage, for it is the joining of lives, of joy, happiness, and promise. It is a place of dedication, and a level, firm, and resolute challenge to life. Know well the place of sickness and of tragedy, for reflection, a new perspective, and loving care are sure to result. Never get so absorbed in the man-made world that you forget our beginnings and our endings. Live close to life.

After the Funeral
After the funeral, I attended the committal, and the dinner following. Public Relations must have stowed itself away in my backseat, for it met me there, and we spent significant time together. I did have the pleasure of visiting with friends, some of whom I have not seen in some time.

And Then to a Swamp
Later, indulging a desire for solitude, quiet, and adventure, I ventured to what is known as the Cranesville Swamp -- a habitat preserve. Whatever would possess a man to go traipsing about a bog, still in formal attire, I can only conjecture. This I do know -- it happened, and was no worse for the wear. (On a slightly more practical note, the mountains of West Virginia are already quite cool at this point of September, and as I had neglected to pack a jacket, the formal coat suited me nicely [no pun intended]. I never even broke a sweat, which is much more than could be said for the funeral chapel.) The place was wonderfully still and quiet, where every sound dropped dead on the soft ground. The cool cloudy weather produced a singularly morosive effect, and much to my delight, kept the mosquitoes down a bit as well (I have killed more while sitting here writing this than I saw in the swamp). The flora is somewhat artificial, as evidenced by the expansive rows of tall, straight pines; and yet unnervingly unnatural, as demonstrated by the short, scrubby trees and bushes in the marsh, and the variety of strange plants, tinged with dull, but uncommon color. All was short and stunted, as though struck by an early frost, and seemed to hover above the surface of the stagnant, stinking water. The forest floor (at the side of the swamp) appeared to have years of needles all piled into a thick soft bed, yet not decaying, as though they had been frozen when once they hit the ground. The dry peat of the swamp path also gave the same effect, softly cushioning each step, but strong and binding if one tried to dig in it.

Evaluating Vacation
Today is day 1 of vacation, and it has placed me in touch with life, with death, with feeling and impression, and put me again back to the elementary principles. It has also made me to see humanity as people; each one as a real person, and I wish for God to reach them all.

(Editor's note: This is the incomplete version of this blog)

The Pilgrim's Regress

Finished reading "The Pilgrim's Regress" by C.S. Lewis tonight.
I really enjoyed the book, and highly recommend it.

It's one person's progression of thoughts and beliefs throughout life, in an allegory form. If you liked Pilgrim's Progress, if you like philosophy, if you like the study of thought, if you like Lewis, if you like to think about life, I think you would like this book.
I agree with Lewis that in general, it was unnecessarily obscure. But it didn't do very much damage to the message.



For those who have read it:
I was struck --finally-- by an understanding of Sweet Desire (I did not grasp the concept until he explained it in the Afterword). When I got it -- Wow -- Everything in life points to God. Anything that calls to us, producing a desire, but then never delivers, points to the greatest desire Fulfiller of all. God has put a longing in our hearts for Himself and for heaven, and it is evidenced everywhere. The far hill that calls to be explored leaves you yearning for the next hill when you arrive. The call of the sea is never abated, for the sea flows on. The call of the wild is not satisfied by your arrival. The desire for love and security is never fully met in humans alone. The desire to be right is never fully achieved. "There's gotta be something more." Every desire we experience points us to God. I knew, somehow, down in my heart, that my desire to hike, adventure, and explore turns my heart toward God. The two are kin. But I hadn't ever seen it in this light. Sweet Desire draws us to God.

I find myself a pretty strong "Northerner." Lewis states in the Afterword that [for a Southerner] "every feeling is justified by the mere fact that it is felt: for a Northerner, ever feeling on the same ground is suspect." (p. 206) Indeed, I find that when a feeling (often, any feeling) arises that calls for emotional reaction, the ready solution is to whip it and beat it until it is gone. Discipline, dedication, and defiance are the ready men-at-arms. "Weakness," potential instability, and an open heart can easily be crushed into subjection. I think at some points in my travels, I have seen Mania in the distance.

God, would that you send Vertue south to catch fire!

In The Image of His Holiness

I was struck with a new thought tonight. Often, I view God's work too small. I still think like a native, instead of the alien that I am. God should be involved in so much more than we often think.

Perhaps God was asking me to consider this tonight --
God is holy. I have been redeemed though the blood of His Son, and He has called me to be holy. I know that my life is to reflect God's holiness.

"Just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."" 1 Peter 1:15-16

By this I understand that my actions should reflect the image of His holiness. But am I thinking too small?

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own." 1 Corinthians 6:19

By this I understand that it's even bigger than that. My spirit, my attitudes, my life, my actions, the way I live, the way I talk should all reflect the image of His holiness.

"To look at the Temple was to direct one to God. The symmetry, beauty, and purity of the Temple is to represent God." - Selected

But am I thinking too small?

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

It's huge! Everything I do should reflect the image of God's holiness.
What if my room is to reflect the image of God's holiness? What would that look like?
What if my office was to reflect the image of God's holiness? What would that look like?
What if the way I dress was to reflect the image of God's holiness? What would that look like?
What if my notebooks were to reflect the image of God's holiness? What would that look like?
What if my car was to reflect the image of God's holiness? What would that look like?

I had never thought about some of these little areas of my life before. Should they be object lessons that point to a holy God? It was the thought of my car that struck me tonight. My car should reflect the image of God's holiness? Wow, time to make some changes!

"Lord, may I reflect the image of Your holiness. Help me to understand that every part of my life -- large or small -- has been touched by your Holy Spirit, and should represent you. Continue to teach me how to reflect the image of your holiness. Help me to be a little picture of a great big God. Amen."

Death Didn't Win

It has been almost 3 weeks since the passing of a great man who won my love and respect. He was a humble, Godly man, who was loving and caring, dedicated, and hardworking.
When death, our final enemy, began plotting against him, the news came back -- Cancer. He entered battle after battle, from chemo to waiting, from physical pain to emotional torture. But in it all, he remained firm and resolute. He not only believed in God, but had a close relationship with God that was real and active. From the day he got the news he had cancer, he testified every Sunday. I cannot remember a Sunday where he did not praise the Lord, in spite of his situation. In spite of death.

Death fought hard, but could not defeat the Power working inside. He never missed a Sunday, and he testified to God's goodness until he could no longer talk. He kept his mind and his humor to the end. He was in church the Sunday before he died.
Death tried to kill him. Death tried to crush his spirit. But when I look at it all, death didn't win. Oh, he died, yes. But he died in glory. He died in way that made death to be nothing. You see, he was redeemed by the power of God through Christ. Jesus died for him and rose again, conquering death and the grave! This same Jesus lived in and through him by the power of the Holy Spirit. Death didn't win, because death had already been defeated by the Power that was working in him!
He son relayed that His last audible prayer was, "Lord, I am learning to lean on you."

May God bless the memory and legacy of Kenneth Amspaugh.

"...Our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." -- 2 Timothy 1:8

Would Christian Socialism Work?

A Comparison of Christian Socialism

--Story from the internet--
Many people have sent this one to me. I don't know if it is true or not, but it is a fine example of socialism in action.

An economics professor at Texas Tech said he had never failed a single student, but had once failed an entire class.

The class (students) insisted that socialism worked since no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer. The professor then said, "OK, we will have an experiment in this class on socialism."

"All grades will be averaged and everyone will receive the same grade so no one will fail and no one will receive an A."

After the first test the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who had studied hard were upset while the students who had studied very little were happy.

But, as the second test rolled around, the students who had studied little studied even less and the ones who had studied hard decided that since they couldn't make an A, they also studied less. The second Test average was a D.

No one was happy. When the 3rd test rolled around the average grade was an F.

The scores never increased as bickering, blame, name calling, all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for anyone else.

To their great surprise all failed.

The professor told them that socialism would ultimately fail.

The harder people try to succeed the greater their reward (capitalism) but when a government takes all the reward away (socialism) no one will try or succeed.
--End of Story from the internet--



Socialism fails. But the early Christian church practiced a form of socialism, which we can call "Christian socialism," and it worked (see references below). But there is a very major difference.
Why did Christian socialism work?

If this were Christian socialism, the story would go more like this ...
The class immediately went to work. Those who were fast readers read out loud to a group who could not read as fast. Several study guides were distributed, so they could be compared and studied together. Study groups were set up, and everyone was involved.
Well, everyone except Albert. Albert has always done very poorly in school. Albert didn't show up to the study group, and he never looked at the study guide he received. Trying to help, the class organized a study group at Albert's house. They made sure he was involved, asking questions, and challenging his responses to make them better. Albert did not tolerate this for long. He sent them all away. He did continue to show up to the "coffee and cookies" study sessions, though he didn't seem to participate in much other than the cookies.
When the grades came back, most were As, a few Bs, and 1 F -- Albert.

In Christian socialism, standards and judgment are not taken away. It is community helping fellows, not averaging of results. It is everyone working together to meet the same standard, not redefining the standard to the average.

In socialism, judgment (result) is spread out so all share equally.
In Christian socialism, all share and work together to prepare each for the judgment.



The book of Acts shows us the example of Christian socialism.
Acts 2:44-45 "All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need."
Acts 4:32-35 "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. . . . There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need."

However, we notice this striking difference that I mention above in these verses:
Acts 5:1-5
"Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet. Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God." When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened."

2 Thessalonians 3:10
"For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat."

I Timothy 5:8-10
"If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds."