Moving Day

We live in an older neighborhood with several rental properties. We have seen quite a few folks come and go over the five years that we've lived here. One of those rentals is directly across the street.

I've noticed a pattern over that time. You can usually tell when they won't stay long. For instance, the last tenants. They moved in with one minivan full of stuff, and that was it. One friend showed up to help. And maybe I'm over-thinking it here, but at one point later in their "stay" the man came over and asked to borrow a screwdriver. It seems to me that anyone committed to settling down, being on their own, etc., would own a screwdriver. But, I'm digressing from my point. He had ONE person show up to help. It seems he had no support system; No family that I ever saw. This particular guy had the police kick in the door and drag him out in handcuffs a few months ago.

Tonight, some new neighbors are moving in. It is currently 3:45 a.m. (I couldn't sleep) and they are still moving in. They had nine cars here about an hour ago, but they are down to three now. (Seriously, thats a good friend that will help you move 'til almost three in the morning). And they have stuff-- probably even a screwdriver in there somewhere. And I saw a baby... might not be the tenants' baby...we'll see. I think these folks will last a while.

The common denominator that I have noticed is the people there to assist the move... or not. People who will help you move means people who care. People who have built time into your life... like parents. And friends who share common interests and encourage you to keep going when life gets tough.

This brought to mind a part of a poem by John Donne I had to memorize in High School:

No man is an island, entire of itself.
Every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.

This also caused me to remember Romans 12:4-8:

For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

God designed the family, and specifically the church in the passage. The unbelieving world imitates God's perfect design with things like "community" and "a village" (if you're a Hillary Clinton fan... for the record I am not). But, this brings out a truth that even non-believers recognize; we cannot do this on our own. And even if you think you can, Romans 12 tells us that God has gifted you for service in the Body of Christ.

For even the most dedicated Christian who might say that he is praying to the Lord for his needs to be met, and trusting God's strength, may well be missing the blessings and power to live godly if he neglects the Body. How many times have I heard (and even said), "I am trusting God in this trial, but I just wish I had an answer with some skin on it?" Behold, the Body of Christ. The Lord Jesus knew you and I would feel that way and gave us to one another to minister until he returns. God help us connect with believers to avoid the danger of robbing one another of spiritual blessings and ministry.

Work it Out

When I was a kid, I lived in a pretty unique place. At least, it was unique by the standards of most of the people who know me. Most of the people I know, myself currently included, live on postage stamp sized lots. And, the concrete jungle surrounds us. Sure, there are bastions of nature here and there, but not like where I grew up.

My parents were saving to build a house throughout most of my young childhood. I remember being stuck in the back seat with my brother as we would drive for hours looking at one piece of vacant property after another. Finally, after nearly a year, my parents purchased lot that was over an acre in size. Now, for those that are not familiar, that is about the size of a football field.

The next nine months were mostly consumed with building the house. My mom, who is not an architect, designed the house and taught herself to draw the blueprints. We stood in countless lines as she pulled all of the county permits for the building. Then, there were the weekends spent at the building site as my dad literally built the house with his own two hands.

In addition, there was only one home for as far a you could see, and we were surrounded by woodlands. In my tweens and teens I would explore the woods for hours a day. There was usually adventure to be found, if you looked. Growing up there was nice, except for one thing: the lawn.

My dad purchased a riding mower shortly after we moved in to the new place. After several years, at the start of summer, that mower broke. My dad had it examined and found that it would cost $300 to fix. Instead, he bought a brand new push mower with absolutely no special features for $100.

For the next three summers (my young teen years), my brother and I mowed the grass every week with that mower. I would mow half in the morning (it took me about 4 hours), and my brother would mow in the evening (another 4 hours). If you're not from Florida, take my word, this is unpleasant in a Florida summer.

My dad would pay us $4 each to do this job. One time, after many weeks over a couple of years, I decided I didn't want to do it anymore. I told my dad to keep the $4, and I was out. He said he would indeed keep the money, but I was going to do the yard anyway (for free), as part of my contribution to the family.

I began to loathe that yard. And truth be told, I loathed my father to a degree, as well. It wasn't until years later that I realized something. He was not doing it to be mean. He was teaching us about hard work, and sacrifice.

You can't really learn that from a book. You can't study hard work, watch a video on hard work, and then take an exam on hard work. You have to DO hard work to learn about it. Life is difficult, at times, and the Bible is full of examples and stories, and Proverbs about the benefits of labor, and the pitfalls of laziness.

My parents demonstrated hard work by their efforts to build a house, then they taught us kids how to work hard by forcing us to DO it. I hope you have someone in your life who did, or will, teach you about hard work by forcing you to DO the work. If/when they do, don't give them such a hard time. They probably love you and want you to learn something that can't be taught any other way. If someone has already done this in your life, be sure to thank them.

I need to go call my dad.

Magic Tricks

To distract you from the fact that there are still no new posts here. Anyone have any topic requests?

Spending Some Time with Nature

Going camping with the Youth Group this weekend. It will be cold... and likely rainy on Saturday.

Time Ain't On Our Side

Ever since I was a little kid, I have had a fixation on time. If I was at an amusement park, or some other fun place, I was always monitoring in the back of my mind how much time was left 'til we had to leave. I received my first wrist watch at four years old, and I have pretty much worn one ever since. I have a tan line under my watch if that tells you anything.

It works in reverse for me, too. I have always been that guy counting down days until Christmas, or summer vacation, or whatever. I usually keep good track of what has happened and what is about to happen.

There's one major draw back to this that I have found. I am rarely enjoying what is happening. Take the amusement park example: I was not taking in the sights, I was looking at my watch and calculating how much time was left. Or, the days 'til Christmas: Can any Christmas ever live up to the extraordinary hype? Usually not (except for the original).

I often miss a lot of life's enjoyment now because I am trying to "get" somewhere.

I got to thinking about this because of some cheesy movie I watched on the WB while I was sick this week. The title and plot are unimportant, but you'll recognize the cinematic sequence. Boy and girl fall for one another, and then you get to watch a five minute song. You know, the one where they picnic under a Fourth of July fireworks display, bike ride through a forest of fiery fall colors, and cuddle beneath the Christmas tree. I was getting sucked in to thinking that their lives were great, when I finally realized that 6 months of real life just passed in a musical montage.

Where were the scenes about their disagreements over whether they should see an action thriller or a romantic comedy at the movies? What about that time he broke their plans to go watch UFC with his buddies? Or how about when she gets "emotional" and just wants to be left alone with a half gallon of Edy's? Or what about the days when they wake up and just have to go to work, and nothing happens at all?

My point is, real life requires you to live every moment; the fun ones, the tough ones, the heart-wrenching ones, the mundane ones... all of them. And, sometimes I cannot stand that fact. I want to get to the good parts. The fun stuff. The mountaintop experiences.

But God, in His wisdom has ordained time. The only way we can redeem the mundane moments is to live them for Him. I Corinthians 10:31 says: "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." What could be more routine than eating or drinking? Most of us do this many times per day. We are commanded to give God glory in these times.

I will close with this. God alone is eternal. He is not bound by time at all. I am excited by the idea that we will enjoy eternity with Him one day. I believe that in Heaven there will be nothing mundane, ever. There will be no reason to look forward to the next moment because this one will be, well, Heavenly. Further, what is a moment in eternity?

But there I go again looking forward to the next thing instead of making the most of this moment. God grant me wisdom.

What Was I Thinking?!?

I am sitting up late with what appears to be the flu. If this is a rambling mess, I hope you will forgive me.

Today we enjoyed a professional development day at the school, sans students. These are usually days we look forward to because there are no students (weren't you listening?), but secretly hope that the meeting will end early and we will be out the door by shortly after noon.

Not so today. The meeting lasted well into the afternoon, and I stayed for an hour after it ended just to hear the man talk, impromptu. His name is Allen Peu and he has a doctorate in something-or-other, and his overall premise is kind of hard to even put into words. So why was I so riveted?...The depth of thought. I actually commented that I felt like a little kid with floaties on my arms in the deep end of the the pool of thought. The thoughtful, reflective, biblical analysis of our culture, history, church, and Christian school compelled me to pay attention. More than that, I have been lost in reflection upon his concepts since leaving the meeting (it is now past midnight).

I am hard-pressed to give you a specific short version of what has challenged me. I will attempt with this: he challenged our traditions. He exposed our culture. He caused me to think about why we do what we do in ministry, and is there a more effective way to do it? Of course, we keep the main point giving God glory. But how can we do this excellently?

In all of this, I realized that I am not an extremely deep thinker. I used to think I was, but that was my young college student mindset that thought it's deep to wonder out loud if the professor knows anything.

Years, and miles down the road, I have become complacent in my thinking. This has been somewhat necessitated by being a family man. It really does not seem to matter what deep thoughts you could have when you are awakened at three in the morning by a hungry baby. Life becomes routine; diapers, formula, bills, home/auto repairs. I love the little diaper-using, formula-drinking, expense-makers. However, it starts to suck the brain power out of you just to survive it all.

By God's grace, we have survived. Our youngest is four and for the first time in 5 and a half years we are not buying any type of diaper/pull-up/night-time pant thingies. It seems luxurious.

Survival mode is giving way to deeper thoughts about the direction I think God would have us go in the next 5, 10, 25 years. How will I prepare? What will be our focus of ministry as a family unit with growing, grown, and grand kids?

I don't have the answers yet, but I am encouraged that God has prompted me to start asking what I think are the right questions.

The Call of the Wild

College was a great time for me. Probably not the way you're thinking though. I was never that frat guy that went to all the parties. I really didn't date very much, so it was not the girls either. My sports career was nearly over after high school-- so nope, not sports. I have a couple great lifelong friends I made in college, but that is about it--I was never the super popular guy.

I enjoyed the freedom I got when I entered college. I enjoyed coming and going as I pleased, and doing whatever I wanted whenever I wanted.

I was blessed to earn a scholarship from the State of Florida as I completed high school. I was doubly blessed because my dad wisely prepared financially for us kids to go to college, and generously paid for all of my tuition and books. What that meant for me was that I got to pocket about $1250 per semester.

I lived at home for free, ate at home for free when I was there, and had my medical/dental, etc. expenses paid for. I worked part-time at the local grocery store, and paid for my car insurance and gas, but had no car payment.

The extra cash led to some great adventures. I bought a dirt bike and learned to ride the trails. I bought fishing and camping gear. I bought guns and ammunition, and all kinds of fun toys men like.

One of my favorite things to do was with my cousin. We would leave on a Friday afternoon and drive his 4x4 north for several hours to a camp his dad (my uncle) owns. Once you reach the dirt road that leads to "Camp," as we called it, you have about an hour of winding, muddy, four-wheeling type roads to get to the actual camp site. All of this we did in the pitch black night. If you have never experienced this, you can't imagine what you are missing. The darkness is enveloping, yet the clarity of the night sky without the city's light pollution creates a sense of freedom from its sheer vastness. Thus began our weekend of campfires, and outdoor cooking, and hunting, and target shooting when the hunting was no good.

It as a simpler time for me. No real responsibility. No real bills. And, an hour's worth of nearly impassible roads insulating me from the world "out there."

Today, when the bill collectors are encircling me like sharks with blood in the water, and home repairs, and auto repairs, and the daily grind starts wearing on me, I can feel something inside of me long for the simplicity that was. Financially, it isn't feasible for me to go gallivanting around in search of adventure. To be clear, I wouldn't really want to go back if I had a chance. Especially if it meant that I would have to undo the choice I've made to marry my beautiful wife, or give up the tremendous blessings that are our children. It's not even a question.

But when life get's complicated and just plain difficult, I do wish for simplicity. And when the stuffiness of life crowds me, I do long for an adventure. Something inside me hears a call to go be "wild" again.

As I thought about this, I came up with a spiritual parallel. As a Christian, my old nature was crucified with Christ, yet that dead flesh will often rear up and try to convince me to go back. I love Jesus and would never go back on Him, but those old sinful patterns of thought/life try to remind me of "fun" I had, and call me to return.

Just as I am compelled to know that this is not the right time for me to spend the family's finances on adventure, I must master the sin that is crouching at my door (Genesis 4). By God's grace, I'll find rest and adventure when I reach Heaven's gate. May we all expend our energy on faithfulness to Jesus until then.

Grace and peace to you.

Thou Art the Man!

Throughout adolescence and young adulthood I often harbored the unspoken need to prove my manhood. I felt that getting in fights, or getting a girl's attention, or proving my physical prowess in some contest or another proved my manliness. Later, my feats became slightly more refined... but only slightly.

In high school (and part of college)I delved into judo with gusto. I went to judo practice 4 nights a week for 2-3 hours a night for several years. I won tournaments and trophies and medals. I thought this made me more of a man.

I concurrently discovered that I was not entirely disgusting to the female gender of our species, and I became proficient in male/female interactions. This made me feel that I had arrived as a man.

In subsequent years I learned to fish, drive a stick shift, ride a dirt bike, race motorcycles, work on cars, drive a forklift, drive a delivery truck, and do moderate construction. Now I was sure that I possessed the skills necessary to be a man among boys.

Unfortunately, I have found that none of these skills have helped me in the slightest now that I am an actual man among an actual boy, my son... (to say nothing of being a man among a wife and a daughter).

It turns out that being a man is more about controlling your temper, your tongue, and your strength rather than driving fast and furiously, or performing a judo maneuver on anyone that challenges your prowess. It's easier to seamlessly shift gears on a motorcycle at 100 mph while changing lanes(slack throttle, grab clutch, upshift to 6th gear, slack clutch, grab throttle and go), than it is hear your baby son cry for the 5th time that night when you want sleep. It is easier to drive a 24 foot box truck back from Orlando on I-4 on Friday at 5pm, than it is to listen to a 5 year old's story about a matchbox car during your favorite football team's only game for that week.

I recently had the privilege to teach the youth group about the humanity of Jesus. (Don't worry, one of my colleagues taught on His deity the week before). As I studied for this lesson, I came upon this thought that comes from Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem. I am paraphrasing here, but he states that Jesus is not only fully man, but He is more man than any of us because He is the only man (besides Adam) that truly lived up to the prototype God designed. In other words, we are marred images of the man God first created because of our sins. However, Jesus is man minus sin, making Him the only one that truly exemplified the original.

It is only in Christ that I can become a true man. As His follower, His Spirit works in me to make me more like Christ-- the True Man.

Footnote 1- I do not advocate nor seek to glorify the sinful ways in which I used to ride my motorcycle. Young men, please do not try to use me as an advocate when trying to persuade your parents that a motorcycle is a good idea for you. It will backfire because I will give them more reasons than you can imagine why you should not have one.

Footnote 2-- This post was getting lengthy so I am cutting it short. With the help of God's Word, I will endeavor in the future to dispel the myth that Jesus was some kind of wimp. It just ain't so.

It's Ground Hog Day!

"I got you Babe."

Say hello to Punxutawny Phil.

Dear Dad

I am Dad! Daddy! The Man! El Hombre! Chief! I get called up for middle of the night response to bad dreams. I am the great bug slayer. I am expected to know how to fix every broken thing. I wrestle, joke, and tickle 'til smaller stomachs might erupt. I am the Enforcer (a job I do not like). And, on Saturdays when my wife works, I am Mom (a job I really don't like).

I enjoy my children immensely, and they enjoy me. My mind is flooded with memories and thoughts and worries about them. My wife and I half-joke that we can't remember life before children. Seriously though, the older memories are vague. To those who have no children, it is difficult to explain the energy expended (both physical and mental) raising kids. My deepest darkest fears (things I won't say out loud, and especially will not type here) all revolve around my children.

But, the love is intense. It is unbelievably intense. I really cannot describe the joy that I felt when they handed my son (our oldest)to me for the first time, the night he as born. He was (and is) beautiful. My hands were trembling, eyes tearing, heart pounding. We had a moment in the room when the nurse stepped out, my wife was still in post-op, and the in-laws hadn't come in yet. It was just us. He wasn't crying, and he wasn't asleep. We just looked at each other. It's indescribable, but it was powerful. I was dad.

In the same way, we can give God joy. It is amazing to me that the God of the universe can receive joy from us.

Luke 15:7
I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

And this repentance along with faith in Jesus makes us sons (and daughters) of God (John 14:6).

Roman 8:15-16
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.

I am an extraordinarily flawed father. But God, the perfect Father, loves us perfectly and calls us His children, and rejoices over us when we come to Him by faith in Jesus Christ.

This is an amazing, glorious, truth.

Riches I Heed Not

Recently I had a chance to catch up with an old friend. He is a young business owner on the cusp of a deal that he thinks could become more than a little lucrative for his family. I sincerely desire that it does, especially because of what he said about it. His desire is to take care of his family (as he should), but he wants to live modestly and invest the rest in people's lives. He is a Christian who wants to do the most good he possibly can with the resources God provides to him. He is a man I respect and I believe he is sincere.

As I was thinking about this, I remembered a time when I sincerely desired to be rich. It sounds silly now, but at the time I actually prayed for a windfall. I thought of all of the things that I would do with the money. Contribute a healthy portion to my local church. Pay off all of my debts and provide a modest, comfortable lifestyle for my wife and children. Finally, I wanted to buy decrepit homes in my area, restore them, and rent them to low-income families for really cheap. I envisioned myself showing up at tenants' homes around the holidays with a swing set for their children, and putting it up in the yard for them. To be honest, as I type this I would still like to do some of these things eventually (if God wills).

However, in the midst of my musings at that time, I was convicted by God's Word. I thought especially of the widow who gave the "mite" (all she had), and the other widow who gave the last of her oil and flour to the prophet Elijah.

The first story reminds me that God is not respecting the amount we are able to give, but the condition of the heart that gives it. The second story reminds me of what God is able to do with a little when we give it willingly, and faithfully.

Further, we know that the earth is the Lord's and all that dwell therein. Does God need my money (His money He loaned to me)to accomplish His plan? No, of course not. He graciously allows us opportunities to be part of the work he is doing. Indeed, it is our privilege to give back to God.

Finally, and this is my point, our lives are to be a living sacrifice to God. So money is part of that, but certainly not the extent of our service. Offer a smile to a neighbor, a word of encouragement to someone who is hurting, a meal for family that is struggling, and share the Gospel in spite of apprehension. These all cost little or nothing financially, but they may be used by God to accomplish much for His kingdom.

If God gives me financial wealth, I want to use it for Him. If not, He has given me so many more things to offer. May we all be found faithful in using what God has given us for Him.

Life on the Open Road

"BJ and the Bear"
This was a show when I was a kid about a trucker named BJ McKay and his "best friend" Bear, who was a chimpanzee. Why this was only on TV for a few seasons I'll never understand. It has all the makings of an instant classic: late seventies fashion, big rig trucks, and a monkey. What more could you want? I loved this show as a kid.








Feeling a little uninspired on the blog-front right now, but thought I would post this to let anyone interested know that I am still alive-- and I hope to post something awe inspiring soon. Okay, at least worthy of reading.

Merry Christmas! Sanborn Family Musings...

If you are looking for a truly thoughtful, spiritual, and eclectic post on the true meaning of Christmas you should go to Dan Philip's blog called Biblical Christianity here:
Biblical Christianity

I could not possibly do a better job than he does.





Instead, I am going to reminisce about Christmases past. I wish I had more photos to post, but my mom has all the old ones from my childhood.

I grew up in a family that was lower middle class, and we were downright poor when I was very young. Yet, my parents always sacrificed at Christmas time. There were always plenty of nice presents under the tree. Thanks Mom and Dad.

I believed in Santa as a kid. I was also an annoyingly observant kid. One year, I pointed out to my mom that she and Santa use the same kind of wrapping paper. After that year, she was always careful to use two different types of paper... some from Santa, and some form Mom and Dad... she disguised her handwriting, too.



When I was 6, we (my little brother and I) had a good haul. We loved He-man and the Masters of the Universe action figures and we scored plenty. Christmas afternoon the new toys were laying on the floor and I stomped on a couple on my way out of the room. My mom chided me gently, to which I replied (again at 6 years old), "Ah, what do you care, you didn't buy them. Besides, they prolly only cost a buck-fifty." That got her ire up and she promptly sat me down and told me that she DID buy them and they cost five dollars, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. No Santa? I was crushed... but deserved it. I went in my room and laid on the bed for about an hour (my mom says). I came out and looked at my mom serious as a heart attack and said, "I understand about Santa, mom, but what about the Easter Bunny, is he just a big fake, too?" "Yes," was her reply and then she swore me to secrecy (I have a younger brother). Apparently it takes an hour to connect the dots when you're six. (And the tooth fairy had not entered the equation yet, being a lower class mythical figure).

On year (about 1985) we moved into a new, much bigger house, that my dad had built mostly himself, in a fairly secluded wooded area. That Christmas we really got a lot of G.I. Joe toys. I am serious. A LOT! and my aunt who lives in Texas sent us camoflage clothes (BDUs) and Army MREs (field food). We thought we were soldiers in our camo out in the woods eating army food for lunch. It wouldn't have been the same without my brother. And today, he is a soldier.

My brother, Tait, and I used to be up really early on Christmas Morning. I am talking like 12:30 a.m. It was always my fault. I would try to go to sleep (and I would), but I would wake up at midnight, go out and see all of the presents under the tree and be too excited to go back to sleep. Then I would wake up Tait. He was never very happy about that. But once he was up, we had a good time. My parents always said we could open the stockings whenever we woke up (but touch nothing else, of course). We would find cans of Pringles chips, Slim Jim beef jerky, mixed nuts, and assorted chocolates. We would feast, play games (usually cards), and talk. One year, when Tait was about 6-7, I spilled my guts on the Santa issue. His reply was in typical (analytical) Tait fashion, "I thought so". Apparently, by first grade guys at school start to talk about what they know. Another year, when we were a good bit older, I shared what I knew about the "birds and the bees." Awkward! Sorry Tait.

One tradition we had was that Mom would always read us the "Night Before Christmas," and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (yes, it was a book before Jim Carey got a hold of it) while lying under the Christmas tree. That was always a special time, and I think we kept doing it long after the books became too young to us.

One thing that makes all of this more meaningful is something my Dad did one summer. He had the courage to leave the Catholic Church he (and we) grew up in, and took us to a little Bible church where the true Biblical Gospel was preached. If you aren't Catholic, or if you don't know Catholics, then you won't realize why I say this took true courage. Being in a Catholic family is almost like being in a Mafia family. You don't leave the Catholic Church, and if you do you risk being shunned by the family. Okay, it's not that bad, but not good either. Anyway, we all heard that good news that Jesus is God who became man, and that our sin is offensive to Him. NO works can satisfy God (whew! that is good news to a Catholic), but rather repentance and faith are needed and Jesus accomplished all of the work on the Cross. That was truly a great Christmas present Dad brought us to church to receive one Summer.

My family adopted a little girl (Amanda, age 3) when I was 13. She had a rough life up to that point and watching her excitement in her new life was a joy for all of us. She still is a joy. We love you Amanda (Now 23 and the favorite Aunt in this pic)!

In 2001, on December 23, Sarah Joyce Steinorth accepted my proposal for marriage. We ate at Victoria and Albert's at the Grand Floridian Hotel at Walt Disney World. This was/is the only true Five-Star meal I have ever eaten. I was so nervous that night I can't remember much about it. It was, and is still, one of the best nights of my life. Aside from Jesus's birth, life, death, and resurrection for my sins, Sarah is the best Christmas gift I've ever received.

In 2004, another summer gift, Jackson Curtis, came boldly in to our lives. On Christmas Eve he was exactly six months old and we were starting to get the hang of parenting. I was so excited to be a daddy, and to have a boy, that I went out and bought my six month old son a giant red fire truck. He still has it.




Christmas 2005, Sarah was 2 weeks away from delivering Hannah Joyce into the world. Typical of my precocious little daughter, she was late for Christmas, but came at her own sweet time.






Tomorrow, I will watch my own two children open gifts. I wonder if they will bond in the night-time while their mom and I sleep, unaware. I am thrilled that Jackson has put trust in the Savior, and reminds himself (and us) regularly that Christmas is not about presents, but Jesus' birthday. I continue to pray that Hannah will come to Jesus soon, too. I'll sit back and wonder at how quickly it seems to have all come full circle. I'll blink, and I'll be watching grandbabies open gifts.


Jesus truly is the greatest gift of all for those who repent of sin and trust in Him alone for the forgiveness of sin. If that was all we had, we would be truly blessed. God has been so gracious in lavishing so much more on all of us. May we remember to worship Him as we enjoy what He has given. Merry Christmas!

Irreconcilable Differences (Part 2)

In part one, I laid out what I believe are the four main reasons that divorces occur. They are: failure to take the covenant/permanent nature of marriage seriously, sexual sin, unkindness/meanness, and an improper focus on money.

I wrapped up by stating that one or both of the marriage partners are guilty of at least one of these things when divorce occurs. Also, I stated that the only hope for avoiding these pitfalls is a genuine, committed, and growing, relationship with Jesus Christ.

Now I have reached the point I have been aiming at from the beginning of these two posts.

You; the child of the parent(s) who failed at marriage. Mine are together, so I must be honest and tell you that I am not speaking from experience. I am close to many people who have experienced this in their lives. It is tragic. You feel devastated. You never wanted this to happen, but no one really asked your opinion. I've met kids who are emotionally distraught all of the time; some who cut themselves, others who are just angry and never seem to enjoy anything. Still others who hide behind jokes to mask the pain. You wonder why no one seems to understand that your world collapsed, while everyone goes on with business as usual.

Imagine seeing a naked, alone, starving (nearly to death) child at the mall. You see him too weak to even cry out for help. You feel compelled to help. This is urgent. He's all alone. He's so sad looking. He needs food, and clothes, and love. This is important. This is a huge tragedy. Now supposed you saw a child like him everywhere you went, everyday, all the time.



I pray to God that I would never become calloused to those kids.

However, divorce is a huge tragedy. Kids are often the collateral damage. But our society commits these tragedies so often that we see it as normal. (Just another starving child--what time's lunch?)

Divorce is NOT normal. What you are feeling about your parents' divorce is a natural response. God designed marriage to be permanent, and the home was to be the safe-haven for children to be nurtured and to grow up gradually in the security of the family. But, now the family is fractured, the security is gone, and you had to grow up fast to the reality of the sinfulness of the world. I am sorry for you. This was never supposed to happen.

The pain runs deep, and sadly, it's more complex than being hungry. We can feed a hungry child, and clothe him. I cannot so easily alleviate the pain of divorce. In fact, I can't do it at all. But please, read a little further.

There is hope in Jesus Christ. Jesus did not come primarily to meet our emotional needs. So please do not misunderstand me. I am not saying that if you turn to Christ that all of your pain will go away. Or, that your dream of having a whole family again will come true. I really couldn't promise you that.

You have learned a very hard lesson at a very expensive price. Here it is: Everything you trust in (EVERYTHING), will eventually let you down... because of sin. Money, success, sports, beauty, friends, boy/girlfriend, even parents. All of them will fail you if your hope is in them. Jesus said that all whom the Father brings to Him He will never cast out. He said He is with us always, even to the end of the age. He said He will never leave us nor forsake us. Jesus is trustworthy, dependable, pure, sinless.

I am not minimizing your hurt. But, you cannot change your parents' decisions. If any good is to come of this situation, let it be that God used this circumstance in your life to help you realize that you need Jesus Christ....To save you from divorce? No, from your own sinfulness. From the wrath of God toward your sin. Turn from your sin. Repent. Turn to Jesus to save you. In Him you will find faithful love. In Him you will find peace for your soul. In Him, you will find life everlasting. By His Spirit, you will find strength to endure.

Perhaps you're saying, I am a follower of Jesus. Praise God! Christian, ask God's help to forgive your mom and/or dad for what their sin did to you. Ask Him to help you relinquish your anger. Ask for help to honor an obey your parents(assuming you still live with them), so that Jesus will be glorified in you in the midst of this difficult situation. I am praying for you, too. If not by name, then by category.

May the peace of God guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Love and grace to all who know too well what I am talking about.

Wing "Sings!"

This one is just for fun... if you can call it that.

This is one special lady who "sings." She covers some of your favorite classic and contemporary songs.

ALERT! Do NOT have a beverage in your mouth when you click this... your screen will be covered when you either spew it out from laughing so hard, or when your jaw drops open from the shock and horror.

NOT for the faint of heart.

Click here:
Wing "Sings"

Want more? Click here:
Wing "Sings" Even More...Can you handle it?

You are welcome!

Irreconcilable Differences (Part 1)

Divorce. A word that should strike fear into any heart, but has become so commonplace that it has almost no impact in society. It has become a mere statistic.

In my daily goings-on I have been confronted by the effects of divorce no less than five times this week alone. I must admit that I am guilty of a certain hardness toward the term, but upon reflection found my heart aching for those involved.

In my last post I talked about the lie that sin always tells. The lie that something other than God is needed. However, it is precisely God that is needed in all things, and especially in the realm of marriage and divorce. Here it is necessary to lay a couple of foundational principles, though in no wise do I intend for this to be an exhaustive study.

First, Genesis chapters 1-2 tell us that God created the man and woman and instituted marriage. He blessed them, told them they were one flesh, and instructed them to cleave to one another. Later we see in the Levitical Law a prohibition against divorce. Jesus, in answering the Pharisees challenge upholds God's righteous standard for marriage (with the provision for divorce being made only for the jilted spouse who has been cheated on). Later, Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit advises that if an unbelieving (non-Christian) spouse leaves (the marriage), let them go. So clearly, God created marriage, expected it to be life-long, but in His mercy allowed for divorce in two extreme cases.

So why does divorce happen? Specifics are limitless, I imagine, but I want to explore a few overarching principles.

1)Failure to recognize and take seriously the permanence of the marriage relationship as outlined above. God made marriage and expects you keep your promise to Him and to your spouse, "'Til death do us part." (Side-note: modern day revisions of wedding vows do not exempt from God's reckoning of marriage as permanent).

2)Unfaithfulness. God forbids adultery in the 7th commandment and even coveting what belongs to your neighbor (note wife on the list). So don't touch her (7th), and don't even think about touching her (10th) (Exodus 20). In addition, Jesus says in Matthew 5 that if a man looks lustfully at a woman, he has committed adultery in his heart. In Proverbs we have a disdainful look at the adulterous woman (she is loud and defiant and her feet never stay at home). And, that chapter states that the one who goes to her is simple (dull, stupid) and lacks understanding. Elsewhere, we are instructed to be satisfied with the physical love of the wife of our youth. And throughout the prophets God calls Israel's spiritual adultery "dealing treacherously with God." Before I move on from here, let me say this... Men: if you are looking at pornography, you are heading toward destruction. Ladies: If you are reading trashy romance novels, watching soap operas, and pining for some false sense of romance you are headed for destruction. And to all: if you are entertaining any kind of intimate emotional relationship with anyone not your spouse, destruction is at your doorstep. The only hope is to repent, break off all unfaithful activities, confess your sins one to another, seek biblical counseling from a trained Pastor, and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. This assumes, of course, that I am speaking to a true follower of Jesus Christ. If not, the remedy is the same, but must begin with repentance from your rebellion against God and submission to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior for the forgiveness of your sins. (I will post more about that at another time-- or you can email me for further clarification).

3) Mean/Harshness-- Men, we are instructed to live with our wives in an understanding way. We are commanded to love them the way Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us. We have a beautiful description of what love is in I Corinthians 13. We are commanded to let our speech be seasoned with grace according to the need of the moment for the building up of the hearer. Further, in Galatians, we have the fruits of Spirit outlined for us. These are characteristics we should be demonstrating if we are indeed followers of Christ. Often, people begin to take each other for granted. They get self-focused, rejecting the command to let each esteem others better than themselves. Instead of patience and graceful speech, we demand our way and verbally accost our spouses for anything we deem a breech of our plans/expectations/needs. Christians, we need to repent of harshness, sarcasm, complacency, anger, mean-spiritedness, and the like. Men, as the leader in the home you need to be setting the example and the overall tone in the home. One final word, these types of behaviors, while painful to be sure, are not grounds for the "victim" to violate principles one and two above.

4)Money- The love of money is the root of all sorts of evil. Those who desire to get rich pierce themselves with many a pang. Love of money can come in many forms. It could be the desire to get rich... the workaholic who is constantly putting his/her family at the bottom of the priorities list so he/she can "get ahead" at work. It could be enjoying spending money too much. An unhealthy focus on things that leads to overspending and heavy debt loads. Eventually, the things break, wear-out, get boring, and never actually satisfy. Eventually, the banks who will say yes to more credit cards run out and all that is left is stuff you don't need or even want anymore; along with a whole lot of debt, resentment, and stress under the debt load. Proverbs warns us not to wear ourselves out to get rich, but to have the wisdom to show restraint. (Note: Proverbs is also replete with prohibitions against laziness. Paul affirms in the New Testament: If a man will not work, let him not eat). Further, Jesus taught us to pray that God would give us this day our daily bread...just enough for now. Further, the Bible is full of examples of how we are expected to share with others to meet their physical needs if we do find ourselves having more than enough. Paul says that he has learned the secret to having much or having little. Finally, he tells us that godliness with contentment is great gain. So, men and women: stop making money your love. Give your love to God (the greatest commandment) and let that love spill over into your love for your spouse.

I conclude with this. Divorce is the result of at least one of the marriage partners violating at least one of the above mentioned of God's principles. The key to strong marriages is a strong relationship with God through Jesus Christ, and a strong commitment to His commands. If this is lacking in your marriage, there is hope. Turn to Christ. Pray that He will forgive you for your sins and grant you strength to obey Him. You cannot force your spouse to comply with God's Word, but you can pray for him or her. And who knows, "By your godly conduct you may win your spouse" to the Lord (faith in Jesus).

I have more to say in the next post.

True Lies...

Really, the truth about lies.

Romans 1:25

"For they (mankind) exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen."

And there it is. The indictment of all mankind. This is the reason we have false religion, cults, humanism, atheism, and sin of every conceivable variety.

Mankind is not on a quest for truth as some would suggest; he is ignoring the truth that is evident. Verse 18 of the same chapter says: "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness..."

The temptation at this point would be to wag an angry finger at those sinners and press on. However, these verses really get at the heart of all sin, especially my own. I have never bowed the knee to a statue of some winged, dog-faced, animistic god; however, when I sin against my Creator I place myself (the creation) on a throne.

We (Christians) of all people have had the image of God restored in us, by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We too once suppressed the truth, but now have the righteousness of God revealed in us, by faith. The lie has been exchanged for the truth. Old things have passed away, behold all things have become new. Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost (sinners, now Christians). We are washed. We are justified. We are regenerated.

Titus 3:4-6

"But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior."

THAT is THE truth. The King of all truths; The Gospel.

However, we can (and do at times) believe the lie that in creation we will find fulfillment. Phrases like these are sure indicators: "If I could just make more money...it's been a long week, I need to be entertained...if only I had that body, spouse, job, house, education...My life would really be great if..." (The possibilities really are endless). We suppress the truth. Worse, we exchange the truth for a lie. Really THE lie. It's the fundamental lie that has been told in various forms throughout history starting with Eve and continuing to this very moment. Here it is: "Something other than God is needed..."

But when we boil it down, they are things. God alone is eternal, and everything else is a created thing. That is ALL the lie can offer you. Always a thing. It can never last. It can never satisfy. It can never replace God. Even Satan at his most diabolical moment, the temptation of Christ, had nothing to offer except a thing. In Matthew 4, he took Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem and offered Him all the kingdoms of the world. Satan has this one shot to try to corrupt the Savior. He offers the best fare he can muster... and it is still just a thing. The supposed benefits of sin are just temporary things, and can never satisfy.

Jesus saw through the lie... by His grace I pray we will, too.

Can't We All Just Get Along?

In a word, no.

I was visited at my home by some Jehovah's Witnesses this weekend. Their approach is pretty salesman-like. "Hi. We are passing out information that answers some of life's difficult questions. Why is there suffering in the world? Why do bad things happen to 'good' people? Have you ever thought about these questions?"

I used to be in sales. One of the "tricks" is to ask questions that you know people will say "yes" to. Do you like saving money? Do you want to cut your business expenses while increasing your productivity? You get them comfortable saying yes with the hope that they will still be saying yes when you go in for the commitment.

So, who hasn't thought about the questions of suffering in the world? However, I am not ready to let them run away with the conversation. I say, "I am sure your answers are interesting and I might even agree with some of them. The disagreement that you and I will have is on the person of Jesus Christ. John 1:1 says 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.'"

However, the New World Translation that the JW's use translates the last phrase "...and the Word was a God." They insert an English indefinite article where no article exists. They use an obscure translation method, that treads upon normal translation rules. No article exists because in the Greek construction the definite article (translated "the") is implied. So a literal translation could read ..."and the Word was the God."

What's the difference you may ask? Their doctrine states that Jesus is not God-- Yahweh, but rather a god (little "g"). They do not believe in the Trinity--triune God. Beyond the subverting of the clear teachings of the Bible, the implications are huge. The Bible says in Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." If Jesus is not God, then he is mere man. If he is a man, his death on the Cross was merely a sinner dying for his own sins. If that is the case, then there is no payment for my sins, and I am most miserable above all creatures.

So I shared these things with my dear friends, the JW's. This brings out the truth that they do not really believe in the sufficiency of the substitutionary death of Jesus to pay for our sins. They believe in a works-based hybrid religion that (surprise, surprise) requires them to be out spreading their doctrine for the salvation of their own souls. So, try Ephesians 2:8-9, "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, Not by works, so that no one can boast." Blank stares. Blink, blink.

"Well, you know, Jesus never claimed to be God." Oh no you didn't. Really? Try John 8:58, "Jesus said to them (the Pharisees), 'Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.'" What else could Jesus have meant than He is God? We especially see that the Pharisees understood that He was claiming to be God, because they tried to carry out the Levitical prescription of punishment for blasphemers (what they thought Jesus was). Verse 59 says, "Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him..."

Further, I said, "You are familiar with The Ten Commandments in Exodus 20, yes? What is the 1st commandment? Exodus 20:3 'You shall have no other Gods besides me.' Throughout the prophets of the Old Testament, especially Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel we see God severely judging the nation of Israel for the sin of idolatry, on Earth. Imagine if someone dared to worship someone other than God in the throne room of Heaven. Wouldn't God be furious at the defilement of His sinless presence? If Jesus is not God, then why would God allow the worship of Him in the Heavenly throne room?"

Revelation 5:11-14

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands,

saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."

And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever."

And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen " And the elders fell down and worshiped.

So we have the Father (the One on the throne), and the Lamb (beside the throne) being worshiped simultaneously, in Heaven. Their response, "We can agree to disagree." I agree that we disagree. I warned them that taking away the deity of Jesus Christ takes away their only hope of salvation. I pray for their souls and the many who are blinded by the enemy.

Oh Baby, Baby

August 30, 2008.

Early morning. Sun's just breaking through the windows. A rare Saturday. My wife is not at work today (truly rare). We haven't been bombarded by the kids (even rarer). Enjoying the silence. I watch her stir a little...eyes peak open...a slight smile. I take her hand...a kiss...small talk. Then, a grimace. More intense now. She's hugging her own abdomen. The blurriness flees. I sit up straight; alert. I can feel needles throughout my body. My stomach wrenches. "The baby?" I ask. A nod. Deep breathing. "Labor pains?" A shrug. Concern. It can't be. We're only 15 weeks. Dear God, please don't let it be! Pain fades. Take a breath. Calm down. Be confident; for her.

Driving fast! Irritated that Floridians drive slow in the LEFT lane. Hospital is too far away. Talking calmly; reassuringly. Dear God, please, "no."

Monitors. Ultrasounds. Conjecture. Opinions. Noise. Chaos. "Squeeze my hand." Try to relax. Breathe. Dear God, please, "no."

Waiting down the hall. Hurting. It's so late. Tired. Drained. What could be taking so long? "Mr. Sanborn, she's awake now."

Tears. A hug. Hold her hand. More tears. No words. Be strong. Dear God, why? This little one gone. Just like last year. What'll we do? What to say? Hurt. Tears. Sad. Empty. Loss.

1) I am thankful that God is sovereign over all things.
2) I am thankful that "children are a blessing from God."
3) I am thankful that God lets us participate in His creative attributes, especially
in procreation.
4) I am thankful to hug and kiss and hold two of my beautiful children everyday.
5) I am grateful that Jesus hugs and kisses and holds two of my beautiful children
every "day" in Heaven.
6) I am thankful for the peace that surpasses all understanding that guards my heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
7) I am thankful that "he who finds a wife finds a good thing" has become so
blatantly true in my life in the person of Sarah.
8) I am grateful that "all good gifts come down from my Father of Lights, in whom
there is no variation."

Thanks for the Memories...Reminders Really.

Every so often I am tempted to fall in with the Health and Wealth Gospel folks. Make no mistake, I am truly not one of them, but I will sometimes catch myself thinking in their terms.

For instance, this school year has been one of personal growth for me, by God's grace. After seeing my beautiful wife's remarkable success, I decided to put myself on Weight Watchers to deal with those pesky pounds I added after getting married, taking a desk job, and just being older than 25. (All of those milestones in just one year). And you know, it's been slow, but it's working. I combined that with a decision to get up early and walk 2 miles every morning. Unlike most of my past New Years' resolution-type delusions of grandeur, this seemed to set the bar high enough to be beneficial, but low enough to be attainable. Also, I used the walk as a daily time of prayer (the real reason it's working, by God's grace). 30-35 minutes of concentrated, consistent, daily prayer has been a life-transforming practice. To be clear, it is not that prayer is some powerful personal mantra, but that looking daily to my personal Savior Jesus Christ has created in me a clearer understanding of His majesty; and my inability to meet God's standards in any area of life without Him. The list continues: consistent daily Bible reading, delving into good Christian books, more responsibilities at work; I even dug out my old Greek books from college and am starting to work on re-learning it.

Yes, I was really starting to make progress. Until... you ever have that one week at work where it all just explodes and it seems like you did nothing that week, but in fact you worked just as hard or harder than usual? Combine that with one of the cars breaking down (God has blessed me with a few automotive skills... which is good because we rarely have money to pay someone else to fix a vehicle). So I am in for a couple of nights of wrenching on the same week. Then, last weekend hits. I come home Friday night to a broken washing machine. Again, by God's grace I am able to fix it. Now the second vehicle is in need of repair. Suddenly the kids are sick; then, the wife and me. I spent all of this past week dragging my sorry sick behind to work, and basically nothing else.

And so, on this beginning to Thanksgiving Week, I want to thank God for two weeks of broken stuff and a broken body. These are great reminders of the truths of His Word. Truths that debunk my misplaced trust in health and wealth.

Sickness and death are a result of sin:

Romans 5:19
For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

So through Adam's sin we were made sinners (and received the condemnation he received, namely: death). But the One, Jesus, obeyed God (to death on the Cross), and His obedience makes me righteous because of repentance and faith I have in Him. Look at what the verse does not say. That through the obedience of the One the many will be made well, or healthy, or rich.

In fact, Hebrews 9:27 states:
And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.

Death is still coming, and so is judgment. I thank God that in Christ I am spared from His judgment because of Jesus' righteousness credited to me.

So physically I will die (it has been appointed by God). Getting sick, and stuff breaking, is a reminder of the Fall. For which, I thank God for the reminder because it inevitably brings to remembrance the mercy of Jesus in saving my soul from destruction; and, the eventual health and wealth waiting for me in Heaven. (Revelation 21-22; Matthew 6:19-21).