Porno Pastors

Interesting article from last week’s paper. It talks about pastors specifically because of a conference that was held to help pastors.

I know that some people who read this article will look down their nose at church leaders, thinking of them as hypocrites. I think that if pastors are having such a problem with porno then the problem is probably as widespread if not more with the public.

Of course, there is a segment of people who want to praise porno, they see nothing wrong with it and think of it as beneficial. I think they are probably in the minority. It seems that even a lot of people who use porn see it as a problem.

The Archbishop of the Catholic Church in Colorado spoke out after the pastors conference. Here are some of his comments:

The sexual confusion at the top of U.S. society now has an echo in every corner of American life. Sexually transmitted disease, child sexual abuse, adult Internet predators, divorce, cohabitation and nearly every other indicator of a dysfunctional society stand at epidemic levels. But very few people want to name the biggest single environmental crisis we face: a multi-billion dollar pornography industry that pours garbage into our homes every day through the Web and other media.

Forty years ago, when steel mills pumped hundreds of tons of toxic waste each week into the Great Lakes — literally “killing” Lake Erie and damaging the health of tens of thousands of families — citizens got organized. They forced the mills to clean up or shut down. We need to do the same today. Citizens need to stop the pornography industry now — not out of some kind of Victorian prudery, but because pornography poisons the human heart, imagination and soul just as those steel mills once poisoned our air and water, only worse.

Pornography is never “innocent entertainment,” no matter how private it might seem. It turns human beings into objects. It coarsens our appetites. It darkens our ability to see real human beauty. It creates impossible expectations about sexual intimacy. It kills enduring romance and friendship between the sexes. And ultimately it’s a lie and a cheat. Pornography is a cheap, quick, empty copy of the real thing — the real joy of sexual intimacy shared by a man and woman who have joined their lives in a loving marriage.

Click here to read his complete comments.

I think the ideas behind his comments will be echoed far and wide. People will crystallize in their understanding of the damaging effects of porno and a change will happen similar to what happened with cigarettes. More and more people will see the damaging effects and the groundswell of public opinion will turn the tide. At least I hope so.

So back to pastors. I’m sure it is hard for a pastor to admit a problem with sexual immorality. One reason is many times it means an end to his job. As hard as that is, there probably isn’t many other options. It is good when he can continue to be supported for a time while he undergoes rehabilitation. If you are a plumber or carpenter, you are not going to face the same consequence but Scripture does say that there is a higher standard for leaders. (James 3:1) Something that makes a big difference as well is if he admits it on his own or only after being caught.

Regardless of who we are talking about, it is a horrible thing to be caught in any addiction. Sin can surprise in how quick it gains control and then where it leads. The internet has brought the porno bookstore into our home. That has helped people come across material they would have never sought out on their own or at least would have been afraid to. It’s way too easy now.

Various filters and accountability software can help push that bookstore out of our home. I am not very familiar with most of them. If you are, I would appreciate if you would pass on your tips.

I do know of one and have used it for over a year. My son came across it and installed it on his computer. I did the same on mine. Every few weeks it sends a report of questionable internet sites you have visited to you and another person you designate. It’s not perfect, there are sites it questions that are fine. My blog is flagged on occasion because of content like what you are reading right now. Aside from that, it is a good, free option in the right direction. The software is called X3watch. You can find the free and a paid version at http://www.x3watch.com.

May God help us to be what we should be. May we help each other as well.

In the battle together,

Philip

Taming the Sex Drive

From my morning reading

Take a moment to read Matthew 5:27 -30.

Matthew 5:27 -30 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.”

Now consider your own thought life. How does it match what Jesus said? It’s sobering to realize that even looking at a woman with lust is a violation of the seventh commandment of the Decalogue (Exodus 20:14).

What does all this mean, anyway? Christ taught that mental adultery occurs when we cultivate the desire to have sex with a woman other than our wife. In other words, it’s not only the act itself that is wrong but also the intent to sin.

What are you, as a Christian man, to do? You must look to Jesus to tame your sex drive. Yes, Jesus knows that you have strong impulses to be sexually intimate with the opposite gender. The issue is not the presence of the desire. Rather, it’s the deliberate and repeated fantasizing of immoral sexual encounters.

Don’t be ashamed that you might struggle in this area. And don't allow the realization of it to discourage you. Rather, depend completely on Christ to give you the power to say no to your impulses and yes to remaining virtuous. Remember, the Lord is always present to help you to behave in such a way that you will not bring pain to yourself or to others.

Let me offer this paraphrase of Matthew 5:28 "But I say to you that every man is to look at a woman respectfully as a sister in Christ. In so doing, he will never think about having sex with a woman who is not his wife, and consequently, never will."

Gracious Father, please help me to bring all of my life under Your sovereign control. Amen.

From God's Man
A Daily Devotional Guide to Christlike Character
Edited by: Don M. Aycock

To My Son and Daughter

Dear Tom and Erika,

Today was your wedding.

It has been a long wait and the last months have been very busy with all the preparations. Does it seem like a blur to you too?

I remember a couple years back when Tom was getting ready to run out the door to meet a girl at Casa Bonita. I was trying to hold him back, cautioning him not to move too quick. Who was this girl that he was all of a sudden smitten with?

Tom has always been one to put his hand to the plow, take a firm grip and move forward with determination. That’s what he did with you Erika. He fell in love with you and wanted to be your husband from the start.

That is one of the qualities that will make him a good husband. He will not be afraid to take the lead as you grow together and build your home. Tom loves Jesus and will endeavor to make your home a place where Christ is the head and you both live to honor him.

The Bible talks about leaving your family and cleaving to your spouse. It is your home that you establish. It will be different from the ones that both of you have left. You are both young and that will make the merge easier than when you are older and more stuck in your ways.

Your families will always be a part of you but a good marriage requires a clean break from those families. It’s now Tom and Erika. Together you will both lengthen your existing families and make a new one. You will decide new traditions and pull in some that you grew up with. Together you will decide what the Tom and Erika Faustin family will look like.

Your loyalty will be to each other. You will have secrets that no one else will ever know. You will be careful of how you talk about your spouse to others, even when you are mad at them. You will defend each other from attacks from the outside.

In many ways, the world will try to make you like itself. Romans 12:2 says, “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God remake you so that your whole attitude of mind is changed. Thus you will prove in practice that the will of God is good, acceptable to Him and perfect.” Study God’s Word so that you will know how he wants you to live. The world is crafty in how it tries to trick us. It will send things our way that will rob us of the blessings God wants to give us. The only way to avoid this is to know what God says in the Bible so we can recognize the counterfeit.

Be bold in your trust of God. He loves to amaze us. Let Him expand your vision of what is possible. You will never be disappointed by trusting Him too much. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Look beyond what is possible with just two and see what God can do with three. He will be your provider, your strength and your protector.

I want you to know that I will continue to pray for both of you daily. I look forward to seeing what God has for Tom and Erika Faustin. I know it will be amazing!

Dad

Graffiti

I live in the City of Denver. I used to live in Lakewood. There are many differences between the cities. Denver picks up the trash as a city service. We had to pay separately in Lakewood although in Denver we do pay through taxes – probably more. The police are less responsive in Denver. We always appreciated the quick, caring response in Lakewood. Denver cleans up graffiti for free. In Lakewood, neighbors organized to keep neighborhoods clean.

A few months ago, there was a big meeting in Denver about what to do about the graffiti problem. The City spends about $1 million annually to clean it up and that is increasing. A committee formed after the meeting is now recommending that the City quit doing the cleanup and make home and business owners do it within two to three days.

I am not in favor of government doing things for us that we should do for ourselves. It may be a good idea for each home and business owner to be responsible to take care of their own area and you may have to force the lazy ones to do it. So, I can’t really oppose this new idea.

But here is what bugs me. It seems like a copout on the City’s part. They call a meeting to figure out what to do and then announce that they are getting out of the business and are going to put more pressure on the little guy. Thanks a lot.

There is a nice white fence down the street from me. It looked good when it was installed. Now it has become a favorite target of paint vandals. I feel sorry for the owners. I wonder if they now regret their choice of material. It seems that as soon as they clean up one mess, another appears.

From what I read awhile back, gangs are doing most of the graffiti and they use violence to protect their marks. They will go after another group who covers their tags. I hope that the homeowner will not become a target as well.

It seems what was left out of the committee recommendation was more enforcement by the police. As I said before, the Denver Police are not very responsive. If you look out the window and see a crime being committed don’t expect them to come running. Now there are times they will turn on the lights and siren but small crimes are a low priority. If they show up, it may be 20 to 30 minutes later, long after the criminal is gone.

If the attitude of enforcement was changed then maybe the graffiti problem could be curbed. It also does no good if once someone is caught they are allowed to breeze through the system with little consequence. These are two areas that government can do something where the average citizen can’t. I hope they will.

Philip

Bong Hits for Jesus

Is this statement pro drug, pro Jesus or nonsense?

The U.S. Supreme court heard arguments related to this controversy yesterday. Back in 2002, a group of students held the banner as the Olympic Torch passed by. I would think anyone with common sense would see the banner as a publicity stunt with a nonsense message. Would anyone think the message made sense?

The kids were across the street from their school and on their own time when this happened. The school principal ran across the street, took the banner and suspended a student. Click here for more details.

I can relate to the suspended student. I take a group of prolifers to local high schools each spring and fall. The students are usually receptive; it is the teachers and administrators who have a fit. Of course, we are not welcome in the schools so we have to set up on the public sidewalk in front of the schools.

On many occasions we have had officials from the school tell us we are not allowed on the sidewalk. After we educate them on the constitution, they usually leave us alone although the police have been called many times. If they had their way, we wouldn’t be allowed anywhere near the schools. Thank God for our constitution!

In the Bong case, we have students on their own time across from the school. No laws were violated yet a principal decided her authority supersedes the right of free speech.

I hope the court rules the right way on this case. If they don’t, it would set a row of dominoes falling and you can be sure the Christian and prolife message would suffer harm.

Philip

He is Praying for Me

The following is from a devotional I read by Bill Bright called Promises. It is usually very encouraging and thought provoking. This entry from last week really spoke to me.

Promises for: March, 15

"Therefore, because he always lives to intercede for them, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him." Hebrews 7:25

George had tried to live a Christian life for many years, but finally gave up.

"It's no use," he said. "I have tried and tried and failed and failed. I have dedicated, rededicated, consecrated and reconsecrated my life to Christ, and nothing happens. I am a total failure."

Whereupon I read him this and several other key verses of Scripture, emphasizing the role that Christ plays in our behalf at the right hand of the Father.

"Did it ever occur to you," I asked, "that Jesus right now is aware of your every need and is interceding for you?"

That very thought overwhelmed him, and he fell to his knees with tears of gratitude.

"Oh," he said, "I knew that Jesus died for me and shed His blood for my sins. But somehow I had never made the connection between the cross and His present role of interceding for me."

"If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room," declared the famous Christian statesman, Robert Murray McCheyne, "I would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference. He is praying for me. 'He ever liveth to make intercession.'"

When Satan tempts me with discouragement and frustration, often I can visualize a scene that brings instant victory over the enemy. At the right hand of God is a room - a prayer room, if you please - and kneeling there is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, praying specifically for me and my needs. He is interceding for me!

Bible Reading: What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that, who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. (Romans 8:31-34 ESV)

TODAY'S ACTION POINT: I will allow no burden or problem or need or frustration or discouragement to defeat me any longer. Instead, I will visualize Christ Himself praying for me, and since all authority in heaven and earth belongs to Him, I will expect victory over Satan and all the unseen forces of evil in order that I may live a supernatural life according to my spiritual heritage. I will also seek to share this exciting truth with someone else today. Oh, what good news to share!

Trust Your Madam?

If you live in D.C., you may not have to; there a judge will protect you. He will make sure you can sin to your hearts content and not have to worry about public embarrassment.

The story is of a prostitution service that operated in the Washington area for about 13 years. After being busted, the owner planned to raise money for her defense by selling the list of her clients to news organizations.

I wonder it she thought that threat might end her legal troubles. Instead, a judge decides there is a right against public embarrassment.

I bet there would be a lot of embarrassment if the list were released. I wonder who sued to keep the list private? I guess it shows the power certain people wield in our nation’s capitol.

Num 32:23b says, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” Men on earth may try to cover for us, but the day will come when all will be revealed. Only the righteousness of Christ will be able to cover our sin. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1John 1:9)

Philip

Know Your Bus Driver?

Do you know who is driving your bus or your children’s bus? It may be a member of a local terrorist group according to the FBI. Click the image to read the article.

But don’t worry, even though they sent the bulletin to the police, a spokesman says there is nothing to worry about. Is that doublespeak or what?

I don’t get worked up over worries of threats. I have enough present stuff to keep me busy. But you have to wonder if the right hand of government knows what the left is doing sometimes (no pun intended).

I guess you should worry if the bus driver never learned to back the bus up. “Just show me the gas pedal!”

Philip

To My Son

Happy Birthday!

You are sixteen today. It is a milestone and a time to look back and to look forward.

Looking back, you can see that you have grown into a young man and you have grown very tall (I wonder where that comes from.) You can remember many good times and times you would rather forget.

There is a saying that says, “Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.” That means at least two things to us. One is history in general. We can read of the mistakes that others have made and try to avoid them ourselves. The other is learning from our own past and the mistakes we have made.

I hope you can look at my life and see some things to be avoided. You know a little of my past and I would welcome your questions regarding any of those things as well as other things you may not know about.

My mother died when I was your age. She had been very ill for quite some time before that. It was also during that time that I was making my decent into the world of drugs and alcohol. I had no idea where these things were leading but I loved them. I spent the next two years keeping as stoned as possible. I did whatever was necessary even if it meant stealing from my own family.

Last Saturday, I was at Red Rocks. In the visitors center there was a wall with a listing of the concerts that had been held there. I looked for the year, 1971, when I was sixteen. Down the list I went to June 10. There it was – Jethro Tull. That was the name of a band. It was one of my favorites. I would be sixteen in a month. I was at one of the most awesome concerts of all time: Jethro Tull under the stars at Red Rocks!

My friend drove us there. We arrived early in the afternoon and sat in the car smoking pot. We wandered around and climbed on the rocks. Finally, evening arrived. We sat close to the top. The concert was sold out and a thousand people or so were hanging out on a hill behind the amphitheatre. They decided to rush the SWAT team who was keeping them out of the concert. Soon the place was engulfed in tear gas. We pulled a blanket over our heads but it did little. All the while, the concert was going on. Finally, the tear gas cleared. We smoked more pot and had the time of our lives.

That was the last rock concert at Red Rocks for many years because of the riot. Cars were turned over and burned, people ended up in the hospital. But I was there!

I remember the next day as vivid as the one before. It was a day of an incredible sinking feeling of something. I was down and bummed out. I don’t think I have ever felt more empty in my life than that day. The most incredible experience of my life left me empty. It would take two years for that hole to be filled.

Finally, two years later I became a Christian. I had been very religious before that. I went to Mass every week and did all the things I needed to do to keep out of hell. What a relief once Jesus forgave me and showed me that there was more to life than Jethro Tull and drugs. So I know all about religion and have no use for it.

I would hope much better for you my son. I would hate for you to have to experience what I did, whatever form it may take. I would hope that my history would show that the world will never satisfy. It makes many promises but in the end delivers just pain and misery.

Look back into your own life too and see the things you need to avoid. Identify your weak areas and endeavor to make them strong. Find out what pushes you over the edge and then try to avoid getting to that point. Learn from the times that you have realized that sin brings pain and misery.

Looking forward, you have the rest of your life. It is a gift from God. What will you do with it? The decisions you make today will affect your future for good or bad. Learn from history; learn from others who have done good and bad.

Remember that the devil is real. Know that his mission is to steal, to kill and to destroy. That is the plan he has for you. He would like to have a part in messing up your life. Don’t be fooled by the traps he sets; they will look good on the outside but the reality is something else.

Remember this: For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? There is only one success that really matters.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1Jn 2:15-17) This covers about everything. The desires of our bodies, what we see with our eyes and the things we may accumulate. If we are not right with God then they will never satisfy. It becomes an endless search. If we do the will of God, there will be satisfaction forever.

Someday when you have a son, you will know how much I love you. I’m very proud to be your dad. I pray for you daily that you will experience God’s best.

Looking forward to a good future,

Dad

Offend Not the Homosexual

It seems a new cardinal rule is: do not offend homosexuals. Hollywood fawns over them; even Christians hold them in high regard. It’s so vogue to be one.

But whatever you do, don’t infer in any way that there may be something wrong with them morally or in any other way. In fact, they are probably superior to straight people.

The story to the right is a good example (click on it to read). The objective is to silence the opposition. If someone at any level of government praises sodomy, they are applauded in the media, so we know the dither is not because of a job someone may hold.

Or what about Super Bowl winning coach, Tony Dungy, who is being harassed by homosexuals for agreeing to speak at an Indiana Family Institute dinner. The offense? The group defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

There is also pressure against Christian ministers who speak out against this sin. Many politicians are working on strategy to make it illegal but for now, many in the pew will do the job. If a pastor speaks out, he will face a firestorm in many churches. He is accused of being anti-gay. We get caught up in the hate the sin love the sinner thing but are afraid to speak with the same intensity that the Bible uses.

Yes, God loves them and we should too but we should not accept being bullied. We must fight the effort to make homosexual behavior seem mainstream and just another of many equal choices. It’s not, and the homosexual activists know it, that’s why they resort to harassment and force to advance their agenda. It won’t happen otherwise.

Stand strong!

Philip

Not My Vote

If Newt Gingrich ran for president, I don’t think I would vote for him.

He identifies as a brother in Christ. He has been married three times. He has had at least one “affair.” He resigned from Congress after ethics problems surfaced and most of this fairly recent.

I’m not sure I trust him. He may have repented but I wonder if enough time has passed. Is he admitting things so he can put them behind him and run for president?

When Ted Haggard was exposed, the overseers who came in to deal with the situation made it clear that he would never return to New Life Church as a leader and the question was raised if he would ever be able to do public ministry again.

Chuck Swindoll has said that if a pastor is involved in immorality, it’s a one shot deal and he should be out of the pastorate for good.

I don’t think these ideas reek of unforgiveness but rather of a high standard. I think the same should hold true for politicians. We really do need political leaders of unquestioned ethics although that seems like one of the biggest jokes of all time. We seem to accept that most guys will be corrupted by power and compromise is part of the game.

Maybe we get what we accept.

Now don’t get me wrong. We are all sinners and none of us are qualified to throw the first stone yet we need to hold the standard high.

Your thoughts? Are certain sins consequences different from others? Are certain people judged differently, by a higher standard?

Should I shut up because I’m a sinner too?

Philip

Stolen Laptop

For several weeks now, a stolen laptop has been news in the Denver area. It’s not just any laptop because they are stolen every day. The one in the news disappeared from the Colorado State Court office. By itself, that wouldn’t be news either.

The interesting twist on this story is the laptop had Lojack on it. That’s a hidden program that sends it’s location when connected to the Internet. With that information, a stolen laptop can be found.

So this stolen laptop ends up being traced to the home of a former judge, Larry Manzanares, who just happened to work in the building where the laptop was stolen. His story was that he bought it in a parking lot. Wow, what a coincidence.

At the time of the theft, the former judge was the Denver City Attorney. He also teaches ethics classes at the University of Denver. Of course, he has now resigned.

In today’s news, it’s revealed that certain people in the State Court office tried to get the case dropped after they found out who had the laptop. A Denver Deputy District attorney was going to drop the whole thing but thankfully, superiors overruled her. Maybe they paid attention in ethics class.

There is an old saying which is also in the Bible, “be sure your sin will find you out.” Can you imagine the surprise Larry Manzanares felt when the police knocked on his door? How did they know?

Sin makes you stupid. That is the only explanation of why we do such ridiculous things and think we won’t get caught and nobody will get hurt.

Little things lead to big things. Don’t mess around with the small, the grey area, and you probably won’t end up in some horrendous situation.

Philip

No More Christian Nice Guy

I came across this book awhile back. For various reasons I thought I was going to be disappointed with the content and message. I wondered if it was going to be one of the books that define masculinity as drinking, guns and cussing.

I checked it out from the library and began to read. It took me a little time to get into it. I held onto my reservations but it started speaking to me. When I was all done, I was very pleased. I have a few questions of what some things mean exactly and where they would lead but overall I can recommend the book.

Following are my thoughts from the book and some from where my mind drifted on it’s own. A point made in the book is the difference between nice and good. Nice is where a man is passive, avoids conflict, and is safe.

How does he get there? In the author’s life, he pointed to abuse that put him there. There is also the pressure from the feminized world of what boys and men should be. The message is that we should be more like women. There is even the sanitized Jesus, the supreme nice guy.

Men have been encouraged to focus on domestic responsibilities. This is a good thing that went too far. Being over domesticated, men have missed out on courage and bravery. In being nice and responsible we are living by the creed of “Let’s not make things any worse than we already have.”

It doesn’t take much exposure to the message of the world to see why this is. The mocking of men is common. Men and fathers are made out to be unnecessary, stupid, bumbling, disrespected and in need of fixing. Of course, sometimes this is true but not just because we are male.

There is a section on the problem of woman worship: “Home life is portrayed as the near exclusive domain of women, who define right and wrong through feminine sensibilities and often don’t understand (and, consequently, discount) masculine ways.”

There is a message sent by the world and sometimes the church that women are “naturally” good and more spiritual. Men are wrong and women are right. If there are problems, it is the man’s fault and he needs to conform. Think about the old saying, “If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” Many times this is just emotional blackmail; men can’t fix everything.

It is good to encourage men to be better fathers and husbands but we need to be careful not to go overboard. Many men live under the condemnation that all the problems in their home are “because I’m not the man God wants me to be.”

The author speaks of the abuse in his childhood and the effect. “The abused carry a belief that there is something wrong with them not because they are sinners but because they are defective.” One thing he shows is this results in confusion between guilt and shame. Listen to this:

Guilt is not destructive to a person, because it's a response to what he does, and because something can be done about it. We can acknowledge our wrongdoing, change our behavior, and experience forgiveness.

Shame, however, goes beyond the understanding that "I did wrong things" to "I am worthless through and through." This is an anti-biblical view of creation, a lie that, when believed, robs YOU of how you perceive your own value.

Many men carry that shame either from childhood abuse or from the pressure of a world that views them as defective.

He goes into the sexual tension that is present in many marriages. It’s almost a joke anymore of the man wanting more and the woman wanting less. We have something created by God for good and yet we have so many problems associated with it. So what’s the problem? If we listen to a lot of the counsel and teaching these days it goes back to the man. He must not be honoring his wife. If he were only the man God wanted him to be, then there would not be these problems. The reality is that women are not always pulling their weight in marriage either.

One section of the book showed how important fathers are. The truth is that the presence of a father is the most critical factor of whether a child will graduate high school, attend college, avoid crime, reject drugs and not become pregnant before eighteen. That’s not the message we usually hear from the world.

There is some good advice on a man and his work. The nice passive guy ends up with all kinds of problems.

In the raising of boys, there are lessons to be learned. He tells of being a soccer coach and dealing with injuries. When a boy is hurt he approaches with care and respect. Is the injury real or will it be okay in a few minutes? If the latter, then don’t overcrowd or smother with concern. This is when the boy can learn that pain is a part of life that has to be lived through, endured. It’s part of the journey. You can see the difference this makes. Either a boy will dust himself off and go on or end up crying about every little pain and want to give up. Treated properly, he will learn what it means to be a man.

I thought it was good to read that men show love by things they do like fixing things and not just by doing the sentimental, perishable things. Maybe there are not flowers and love notes but he works hard. He changes the light bulbs, replaced the sewer line, fixed the roof in the rain, puts gas in the car, etc. It is good when the man does some of the things that are more meaningful to women but if he doesn’t, that doesn’t make him defective. Women need to understand this.

Some of the other things mentioned in the book that spoke to me were a discussion of true humility, deliverance from fear and optimism.

What did I dream about before I stopped dreaming? Wow, that hit home. I'm looking forward to dreaming again.

I’m going to buy a copy of this book so I can mark it up and get even more out of it. I hope what I’ve said here hasn’t made the book seem strident. If so, then that’s my communication problem. It really is a good book that has a lot to say to us today.

I want to be the good man God wants me to be and not the one the world says is nice.

Here is a link to the book on Amazon. No More Christian Nice Guy by Paul Coughlin

Philip

Stolen Art?

Here is a story from today’s Rocky Mountain News about two Picasso paintings that were stolen.

I guess I will show my ignorance by wondering aloud why someone would want them. The top one is of his daughter and the bottom of his second wife. Well I guess they are not photographs. Apparently the paintings are valued at $66 million? Imagine that.

I know I’m prejudiced but I think my five year old son could give Picasso some competition. Here is one of his drawings. It’s called Andy and Dad. I’m probably taking a big risk by showing it here. I hope someone doesn’t get the idea to break into our home and steal it. After all, the drawing is worth more than $66 million, it’s priceless.

Now about those Picasso’s, I read a story in World Magazine that might explain where they are. Here it is:

Mistaken identity
Kudos to the Santa Cruz, Calif., sheriff's department for recovering an important and expensive piece of public art that was heisted from the area's Triangle Park in November. A deputy found the copper origami crane, which had once presided on top of the park's Peace Pyramid, in a black trash bag in the middle of a street. But after the deputy booked the sculpture into the police evidence room, someone tossed it out with the trash. "Somebody thought it was garbage," sheriff's Sgt. Fred Plageman said, noting that the sculpture probably rests under a few tons of garbage at the county dump. But they were wrong: It was modern art.

So there you have it. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

Philip