Kreeft on the Problem of Evil: "shiny reason is not the answer"

"Shiny reason founders; only opaque paradox stays afloat."

As Kreeft lays out the plan of the book he says he will first work through ten easy answers to the problem of evil -- answers which turn out to be inadequate. See how artfully he explains this rationale:

Each of these ten answers is a nice, clean shortcut around the mystery. Who wants to steer into the fog bank when there are roads running through the clean air? 

The Bible looks like a fog bank. Its story centers on mystery. Christianity is not one of the neat, clean little roads. It is like Noah's ark, a big, sloppy, cumbersome old boat manned by a family of eccentrics and full of all kinds of animals who have to be tamed, fed, cleaned, and mopped up after (remember, Noah had no deodorants!).

The ten easy answers are like sharp, trim, snappy craft with outboard motors skipping over the surface of the great deep and leaving the drippy old ark behind as hopelessly inefficient and outmoded. Their only problem is that they don't reach port. They sink. Shiny reason founders; only opaque paradox stays afloat. (page 28)

Blogging Daily, Unknown Merit

Blogging daily fetching thoughts

from passing notions fraught

with ephemeral concerns.

Bloggers publish more than print

and so in this immediacy lent

the words are more unworthy.

Media forms of past at least

tended to a better feast

for hungry mind and soul.

Of course it's not immediate

this one often indigent -

can tend to empty words.

And poems that are not at all

though definitions hear the call

define some 'poets' who are not.

Blogging daily may have merit

Gives ambitious author carrot -

but that is meager feast.

Do Words Make Real?

Do Words Make Real?

Do words make real?

Letters, concepts shaping,

sounds and shapes reflecting

light that shines on cave's stone wall?

Words give thought --

form reception, perception;

toy with what we see,

determine what we say,

define and form.

Do words make real?

Would saying so be real?

What of music -- surely

this is real. Emotive.

Speech of soul elicits;

drawing, leading,

calling tears and laughter --

dancing, otherworldy.

The Muse and those who tease,

embedding ring in soul,

pull us where they go.

But is it real because we feel,

because we yearn, because we know?​

Sartre, Camus

and brothers told us yes -

and no, for answers cannot

be their own undoing, 

words saying words not real.

Muse - wordless -

leads in world with million

points of bearing, candles

tossed about the seas:

now raging, now calm,

now lit, now gone.

What is real?

“I. Is that enough?”

Why ask? The heart knows

eternal without knowing.

To question this must speak

with empty voice;

“no” requires “yes”,

meaning nothing when “I” is gone.

Irony is weak for this,

hopeless to explain:

eye curses light,

fish defies sea,

woman denies man or man, woman.

It's very real we see

when ask

why skeptic mind alone

is given shrine, driving

masses thinking, blinking, bowing.

“The only real knows there is not,” we say,

smug but dead. We implode

in word, truth, reality. Too late.

Mortality does not lie.

The end of educated ignorance,

knowing what but never why.

A call of faith breaks through,

the soul of grasping words,

the secret home of Muse:

faith, fraught with

unfriendly friends, ideas

foreign to her person.

The true heart hears her voice,

wisdom's call: “There is,

and knowing knows it so.

Question as you will;

question the questioner.

I will be here still, rejected

lover whom to lose is

to be no more.”

A Tribute to Jane's Wonderful Mother

I clearly remember getting up one Sunday morning and there she was dressed so beautiful ready to go to church. It was that Sunday in the main service that I saw my precious mother go forward to receive Jesus as her Savior! I remember seeing her kneeling at the altar crying and not understanding why, and a dear lady, Mrs. Hurt, sat down beside me saying, “Janie do you understand what's going on?” 
She explained to me that mom's tears where tears of sorrow that turned to tears of happiness and joy because of Jesus!

A tribute to my dear mother who went to be with Jesus on this very date, 6 years ago...

She was small in stature --  not much more than 5'0” -- but had a heart bigger than the universe! She was a farmer's daughter from Kentucky with 14 siblings. Her maiden name was Conner, Irish descent so she had a good mix of fight and stubbornness! She never flew on a plane, didn't want to. She never drove a car and only went to school to the 8^th grade. In the world's eyes she would appear very simple, uneducated, no titles, no fame, no fortune. But in the eyes of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren she was a saint representing unconditional love, wisdom – not wisdom from a book but from just living. She was strength, she was an over comer, a force not to reckon with or if you did you would regret it! She knew her mind, could speak it and yet knew when best not to. She was lovely with a beautiful smile and contagious laughter. Sang like a song bird, dancing about, light on her feet. Always doing something, never lazy, working hard. Doing what needed to be done.

For her, life dealt some very hard blows, a lot of pain, a lot of burdens. But if you were to meet her you would have never guessed it. She was an incredible person full of life, love, endurance and persistence. If life was hard you just dealt with it. She had 12 children, 2 passed on. She loved her children deeply. Oh, she had her opinions and her ways of discipline and for many of us children we felt it at the end of a switch or a hand.... much deserved! But we all knew she loved us and was there for us!

I remember one particular time playing all afternoon at a friends house (did not get permission) and of course mother was worried sick. I snuck in the back door and I ran upstairs to my bedroom, thinking I could pretend to fall asleep and not get in trouble, only to find a switch laying on the bed waiting for me. So I took the switch, broke it in two and turned around and there was mom standing in the doorway ...calmly she told me to march right down stairs and go get another one. I thought that's fine I'll get a thin one, it won't hurt. Needless to say that I had a lesson to learn and many more!

There were no strangers to her, she loved people. She had an unusual way of reaching out to others and making them feel loved and important. They walked away feeling special... I remember as child going with her door to door calling for bus ministry, inviting people to church. She always took the time to listen to many who were hurting. She didn't drive a car, but that didn't stop her. We would just walk to a certain street and start at one end and go door-to-door to the other end. She wanted people to come to church and find Jesus!

Mom loved music. She played the guitar and oh how I loved hearing her sing. She had that sweet mix of slight Irish/country/story ballad type. I can see her now strumming the guitar and singing. What a Day that will Be, There is an Unseen Hand, Take My Hand Precious Lord, Some Through the water some through flood, some through the fire but all through the blood, Where the Roses never Fade, Thirty Pieces of Silver . She loved singing in the church choir...music was a part of her life. Whenever we would go to Conner reunions you could understand why...lots of music...lots of singing; it's in their blood! She passed that love on to her children! Every one of my brothers play the guitar and a sister plays the piano!

Mom knew how to cook. She could take a few ingredients, work her magic and make something absolutely delicious out of it..She was known for her yeast rolls, her pies, her fried chicken on and on the list goes. She would always have a spread ready for her children to eat no matter what time they got in. Something was always on the stove or in the oven ready to be devoured. At Thanksgiving everyone always wanted her turkey dressing. Even now when I smell certain spices they bring a flood of memories of watching her cook, pouring love into what she made.

Mom loved Jesus! And that was it clear and simple. We were living pretty close to downtown Indy, off of State street when a knock on the door started a chain of events that changed her life. A pastor, a bus ministry and mom agreeing to send me – I must have needed it more then my siblings! -- to a little Nazarene church on Washington St. I remember seeing children riding the bus with their moms or seeing families coming to the church and I would go back home and ask mom to please come with me.. not knowing Jesus was already beginning the work. I clearly remember getting up one Sunday morning and there she was dressed so beautiful ready to go to church. It was that Sunday in the main service that I saw my precious mother go forward to receive Jesus as her Savior! I remember seeing her kneeling at the altar crying and not understanding why, and a dear lady, Mrs. Hurt sat down beside me saying, “Janie do you understand what's going on?” She began to explain to me that mom's tears where tears of sorrow that turned to tears of happiness and joy because of Jesus! My dear mother came to church that day with a broken heart and left totally changed, transformed by the healing hand of Jesus! She loved her Lord and wanted her family and others to know Him. Calling became her mission! If she couldn't go door to door she was on the phone making calls. I think how every Saturday she would call her children. If they were not home that was ok she would call till she got them even if it was very late at night. I'm sure my siblings are smiling remember those calls and some sermons too! We would always be there for her on Mother's day though...10 children, in laws, grandchildren...she was so pleased to see us all there!

Oh how she loved us, full of spunk, vim and vigor. You couldn't hide anything from her! She had a mischievous streak, loved to play pranks. She ran, played, climbed right along with us. She cried with us, laughed with us, prayed untold hours for us. She talked to us, listened to us, always, always loving on us with hugs and kisses. Those small arms and hands of hers wrapped around our lives the greatness of who she was to us...our dear little mother.

And so it was right about now as I am writing this, six years ago that she was taking her last breaths. The doctors were amazed scratching their heads that she lasted as long as she did from the massive strokes. But her children knew she would fight and hang on till she was ready! That's just how she was. I had the privilege of having her in my arms those last moments and singing, Where the roses never fade. All was quiet and peaceful when she took that last step here from us and entered another place to see her Lord!

I miss her today, and know the rest of my dear family does too. We all have many stories, many memories of this sweet little lady who gave us life. How do you put into words a lifetime of treasures, to put it on paper seems so inadequate to what the soul really feels. My soul feels so incredibly blessed by this little woman. So much that to some degree I understand the depth of love for her family. Here I am reminded how the Lord has blessed me with a wonderful loving husband and two precious sons. What a privilege I have in being a mother. What gifts from the Lord Lawrence and Elliot are! My prayer is that I can be to them what mom was to me. My heart is full of thanksgiving and gratitude for this life I have been given. Happy Mother's Day, Mom! I love you!

Ronald Lee is 30!! (a re-post on the occasion of a later birthday!)

It must've been somewhere in the summer after my Senior year of High School when, just like a few years earlier when number six came along, Dad called us in for an announcement: “Your Mother and I are going to be adding another baby to the family. Sometime next Spring number seven will arrive!” And did he ever arrive! On this day those 30 34 years ago, Ronald Lee Huff joined our family and we've never been the same – a good thing!!

Unfortunately for me I was off to college when he was born but I still remember Mom flying to South Florida from Kansas with an 8-week old boy so she and he could be with me and my older sister for a week or so. It was some kinda hot and the little brother made some kinda noise, but it was all good!

A few years later I was home for a year and was around for Ronnie's birthday-suit trek through the neighborhood and his attempt to climb on the roof at age 3. I still remember how determined he was to get up there and help us on that hot, steep roof. One time he climbed a radio tower up to the eave of the roof. Mom was the only one home with him and had to climb up and retrieve him herself! Even though I was not home a lot during those years, I always remember how huggable and lovable he was as a boy, a lot of fun for the family and all who knew him.

As he grew into elementary school it slowly became just he and older brother Robb at home with Mom and Dad because the rest of us were gone with our own families or college or work. Robb and Ron were close buddies. Then when Ron was nine we all suffered the loss of Dad. After 20 years it still hits you in the gut, and perhaps Ronnie most of all. I still remember Ronnie – nine years old, trying to take it all in, resting in the strengthening presence of family. After the graveside gun salute he was gathering the spent brass cartridges out of the grass. He held out his hand to show me 9 cartridges: “I saved nine of these for the nine years I had with Dad.” This was Ron – thoughtful, tender, missing the biggest man in his life, and knowing enough to always remember.

In the years to come and up through High School we always loved it when he and Robb could visit our home with Mom. He always had a ready smile and laugh, and we loved him so much. Couldn't help ourselves. I remember once after our first son was born and Ronnie was visiting. He went out to ride around with me and he was old enough by then to help me some. He was only eleven so I should have known better, but I found myself pushing him, insisting that he 'get busy'. I didn't let up very well either, mean ol' big brother that I was! And then I noticed that he was just quiet and thoughtful – not doing much. “What are you thinking?” I asked. He took a moment before he replied.  “Life isn't just all work you know," he said. "Just 'cause I want to be out here with you doesn't mean I'm wanting to work all the time.” It was late, cold and he was right -- "wanting to be with me".  There's a life lesson in that.  Maybe a 30-year old guy could think of something more fun to do with his eleven-year old brother than work and more work. Ya think?

And so along the way we have had a great deal of fun. I wish I could remember some of the jokes. They were often nearly unspoken. One time in particular we were in Indiana for Thanksgiving, enjoying a domino game around the table. He would've been about fifteen I guess and we had discovered a very kindred spirit, meeting somewhere in the exquisite world of “Far Side” and “Calvin and Hobbes.” The worst of it was that we could seldom make our remarks without busting into uncontrollable laughter. Before one of us could finish some wise-crack, the other knew where it was going and we would lose it. The rest of the table had no idea how whatever-it-was could be so belly-laugh funny. Maybe we didn't either – it just was, and this is a special connection we have always enjoyed.

Another connection is this sort of crazy love of big-word-talk, for lack of a better description. It goes something like this: Instead of asking “Why did the chicken cross the road?”, Ron might proffer the following: 

     “Should inquisitions propose grammar leading to quest of determining poultry motive in situations  where horseless carriage ambulations must be transversed by said poultry, such determinations shall be disallowed from being sought via annoying query signs beside said routes of transversing.” 

Perfectly clear, right?

My favorite expression of his was when he referred to people as “sentient beings.” It was LOL funny -- after I looked it up to know what it meant.  Soon I shamelessly stole it for my own retorts. Of course mystified onlookers wonder what marbles we have left, but we don't mind. We might even describe said state for you if you like!

So there has been a lot of fun, and some hard times along the way as well. I remember when Ron decided to join the Army. I had the very poignant privilege of taking him to the airport for his departing flight to boot camp. The memory of that trip and his departure is surreal. I wish I could go there again, hug him again and shake his hand, feel the mix of pride and challenge and knowing life can never be the same again. We drove some 60 miles and made small talk. My kid brother had grown up and was going to do something none of us had done. And it was a life step I will never forget.

I am so proud of Ron for joining and serving in the Army. He has been less than enamored with his memories and experiences, not uncommon I am sure. But the love we all feel for him, and the pride and appreciation for his service and sacrifice will always be real in our hearts.

In the last ten years there were times when Ron lived within a few hours drive and 2 or 3 times I was able to meet him for his birthday. Once we met at this cool sub place in Cincinnati. Another time he took me to a new-to-me Mexican place that served huge portions. It was always so very good to get together with him, talk about old times, new times, good times, life. Like always he was funny, thoughtful, articulate. Good times.

Now he is 30 and I can't believe it, but I get to take a few minutes and say something real, something I mean, something like this straight to my much-loved kid brother: “Hey man, I miss you. Wish Kansas and Virginia were not far separated by, you know, roads and mountains and miles and stuff. You OK? Working hard I'm sure – that makes me happy and proud. I love the memories, Ron, and the blessing of a brother like you. I'm thankful for the now and all we can know and love. I believe in a better Tomorrow but am very thankful for all the todays. Let's stay in touch better – ok?  

"That's all for now except to say again, Happy Big 3-0.  I hope you have many, many more and that I get to celebrate some of them with you.  This thousand miles away stuff just doesn't cut it.  Oh and I almost forgot -- I love you, Bro.”

 

Life According to Phillip

I was grateful and honored to speak for the PCA commencement, 2013.  I wound up speaking about what I have learned from the life and phone calls of my cousin Phillip.  It is written for the ear not the eye but if you have a few minutes skip over the commencement verbiage of the first paragraphs and learn 7 life lessons according to Phillip!

Life According to Phillip

Pastor Dave, Mrs. Dixon, Dr. Burton, honored guests, PCA board members, faculty and staff, parents, family, friends....graduates! What a great day this is – wow!! We are here, you are ready to graduate, and I'm supposed to say a few words and sit down so you can! I understand. I feel deeply honored to share this time with you in this way and have looked forward to it for months. May God be pleased to bless these few words.

This class and I go back two years to when I was blessed to serve as Dean of Students at PCA. This is payback time! They had the audacity to write a song about me – something about Mr. Huff – and there was this little green puff ball, and the song said I was buff (well, I didn't mind that of course – it rhymed with Huff, I know) and then they said something about falling asleep in chapel. Hard to not love you – each of you: Austin, Ben, Daniel, Lorelai, Lorin, Anna, Holly, Bridgit, Amber, Harmony, Sarah, Hailey, and Bailey. Maybe I should write a song about you – not sure how I'd get all those names to rhyme! Along with all those in this room today, I honor your achievement and pray God's richest blessing on your life.

I have been blessed in life with a large family – both of my folks had 7 siblings and there were 7 kids in our family and then I married Jane and she has 11 siblings – family was everywhere! And there were a lot of cousins. One of those cousins was Phillip. Phillip is a special man. He lives alone in Texas not far from his sister and parents. One of my earliest memories of Phillip is when we were about 6 years old and he had found this long pipe and he was chasing me around with it. I realize now that was his way of saying “I love you!” Go figure! Phillip is a large man as you can see in this picture. When we used to play football we would say, “OK Phillip, you be the line.” He is 5' 9” and about 180........plus a few!

Phillip calls me everyday. Sometimes several times. No I do not always pick up.  Phillip is a man of few words – usually – and many phone conversations only run 2 minutes, after which he often abruptly says “bye” and hangs up. But across these several years I have learned some things. If you have someone like Phillip in your life you know what I mean – he has some special insight into what matters and he is a real blessing. I want to share some of that with you today – I call this “Life according to Phillip.”

Lesson One: Limits (calling)

Phillip knows his limits, which enables him to know his calling. Phillip will not be an aerobics instructor or a zip-line demonstrator or a skydiver. Instead he finds his daily calling within the gifts and abilities he has.

I know, we usually don't say this – instead we say, “The sky is the limit, you can do anything you set your mind to do.” I get that, but really? Maybe. But it seems far wiser to know yourself and follow a path that is within the limits – and gifts – of who you are. The standard answer is to find the place where your gifts and passions meet. True enough but if you leave God and loved ones out of the equation you are doomed to fail. Each of you have gifts that will be a great blessing to the world. Know your limits – don't try to be someone you are not supposed to be. Discover your calling and live it with a passion!

Lesson #2: Phillip cares about people

Did I mention he calls often. I am putting this phone on the podium here just for fun to see if he calls during this address. When we talked earlier today, you know how he finished? Very simple – and wonderful: “I love you.” Phillip knows that people matter. The things that matter are not things – Phillip knows the truth of that saying in his bones. But this means suffering. Loving people has rewards built in but it also has pain and frustration. Phillip has time on his hands but he has to put up with me not answering. And he still calls and leaves messages. The greatest gift you have to give is yourself, made in the image of God. Give yourself away in love for people and your life will be a thing of beauty and blessing. It takes time and self-giving but as Jesus said, giving brings blessing.

And Phillip is tender in his spirit. Over twenty years ago he visited in our home and accidentally broke the glass cover on our stereo. Now and then he still mentions it: “Sorry about that glass I broke that one time.” And often he will say, “Sorry you don't have your Dad here to be with you [I lost my Dad 20 years ago] – I know it must be hard living without a Dad.”

Phillip knows what matters – he cares about knowing and loving people.

Lesson #3: Remember the forgotten ones

When Phillip calls he often prays. And one thing that he often includes is this: “And Lord be with Jane and the boys and all they are doing this Sunday...and the dog.” Yes we should love animals – it is part of honoring God and this amazing world He has made. But I draw from this a larger lesson as well. What Phillip doesn't know is that our dog, Oreo, is a gift from God to us, showing up abused and starving, afraid to come close to me for about 3 months. We nursed Oreo to health and love him like crazy. But we are busy and we too easily neglect him. Often Phillip asks, “Have you walked the dog today?”

The lesson is this: Take time for the neglected, for those starving for affection. Sometimes Oreo wants our attention so much I think his tail will fly off from wagging. You will encounter people every day in your life who are dying inside, hurting, begging for someone to care about them, to just “love me for me” as the song says. It's true. Pain is one of the universal human realities and you are called to give the salve of kindness and attention and a listening ear whenever you can. Know your calling, love people, and especially give attention to those who are starving for love.

Lesson #4: Enjoy and embrace the fun and goofiness in life

Twenty years ago this summer Phillip and I attended a Promise Keepers event in Boulder, CO with our Dad's and my younger brother. On the last day some 25,000 men were making their way across this enormous field to the sack lunch stations. Crazy! How do you manage that many people?! Somewhere in the middle of this huge, moving crowd a man was standing on a scaffold, yelling repeatedly: “Craig Hogie! Craig Hoagie!” For some reason that scene tripped the funny meter in our brain and all these years later, often times when Phillip calls I will answer like this: “Craig Hogie!” I know, I know, you are not blown over by the humor in that. But we are! 

You have your own craziness to laugh about and if you keep your eyes open and live out loud you will always have plenty to laugh about and enjoy. I know that is true because I heard Mr. Bryan's excellent roasting of each of you at the Junior/Senior banquet. You guys are a hoot. My favorite line was about Harmony – “she comes to class late and leaves early just to make it fair.” This is a key part of “living like there's no tomorrow, loving like you are on borrowed time, knowing it is good to be alive!” Learn to enjoy and embrace the fun and goofiness in life.

Lesson #5 Encourage always

Do you know what Phillip says most of the time? “I love you. You are a promise keeper. You are God's master piece. I'm praying for you.” He says it over and over and over – and I never get tired of it. He means it and he stands behind it with prayers and time and love and care. Life will press you down to be sure. This is a fallen world with struggles and challenges all around. Deeply held hopes and dreams will be cruelly crushed and there will be days when you do not want to go on. This is not doom and gloom – it is reality.

Can I tell you something? Other people are feeling the same.

So, look to Jesus, trust Him to pick you up, and encourage those around you. This is a life lesson that always pays and as soon as you step out of yourself and encourage others you will find yourself encouraged. And one more thing – this business about being God's masterpiece. Don't let me hear you saying you are an idiot or some such nonsense. God doesn't make junk – don't go disrespecting God like that. Yes we do dumb things and sin messes up our lives and we need forgiveness and redemption. But when Phillip says to me and I say to you, “You are God's masterpiece” it is the truth: As you surrender your life to Jesus, He is healing a life that was broken, turning night to day, making a great blessing of you. So look up and believe: know God is working and let that faith encourage those around you.

Lesson #6: Forgive always

This is a tough one but Phillip seems to have it down. Many times when I have hurt him in some way I have apologized and before I can finish he butts in by saying, “That's OK!” and then changes the subject to remind me to walk the dog or something. Forgiveness or lack of it will be a touchstone of your life, a key arena that will determine much of your success or failure. It starts with knowing you yourself have sinned and desperately need forgiveness. Once you know the sweet honey of forgiveness you can begin to truly forgive others.

Can I speak plainly? You have been hurt, deeply, by various people in your life. This does not mean you are bad – it means you are human. But if you do not release it – that is what forgiveness means, to release – that hurt will own you. I have been bound by pain that I would not let go and it kept me imprisoned for years. Jesus set me free and I continue to learn to forgive because I myself have been so well forgiven.

Consider this:

The first to apologize is the bravest,

The first to forgive is the strongest,

The first to forget is the happiest.

Forgive always.

Lesson #7: Pray always

Phillip is always praying for me. Often his first words are, “Heavenly Father, bless Randy today and Jane and the boys....” Sometimes when he is done praying he says 'bye' and hangs up. Once as he was praying he got his words tangled and couldn't figure out what he was trying to say so he just said, “O well, Lord – you know what I mean” and went on.

Pray always. The world needs saints. Your neighborhood, your friends, your family need for you to be godly, holy and wholesome, honest and hard-working and reliable and kind and considerate and fun and serious, too. People want that from you – know how I know? Because that's what you want from other people!!

But it doesn't come easy – for this reason I remind you that looking to God, talking to Him and listening to Him is the highest goal of life, the greatest good. To know God is eternal life. Hear the words of Jesus: “The greatest command is to love the Lord your God with all your heart soul mind and strength; and your neighbor as yourself.”

Solomon said it this way: “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” This is not a slavish fear, a paralyzing dread; it is seeing God for who He is: It is remembering that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”

Pray always because in prayer you carry on the greatest adventure of life – knowing God! I urge you to live beyond petty ideas and careless thinking about God. I plead with you to read the Bible and good theology at least as much as you watch – what is on TV these days? :) The point is this: the world is dying for lack of people who think deeply and understand life and are walking with God so they can bring His life to their world. YOU do not have to be a great thinker or philosopher – God wants to help you whatever way of life you find your selfcalled to. But you will never live the vibrant life of God in that world unless you diligently and fervently seek Him and leave off careless thinking.

You will not be like the person in Wilbur Rees' poem who said:

I would like to buy $3 worth of God please

Not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep

but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk

or a snooze in the sunshine

I don't want enough of God to make me love another race

or pick beats with a migrant.

I want ecstacy, not transformation

I want the warmth of the womb, not a new birth

I want a pound of the eternal in a paper sack

I would like $3 worth of God please.

If you are going to have a life worth living look to God – always. Let Him search your heart and lead you in His good and everlasting way. He rewards those who diligently seek Him and I promise you, I promise you – you will never regret surrendering your life to Him.

Pray always because knowing God is the greatest possible treasure. That is

life according to Phillip.

Conclusion

How would you wrap this up? What is the lesson of Phillip? I didn't tell you that 12 years ago Phillip tried to take his life. He had a good job for many years, good basic work in a print shop. But due to some painful mistakes over time they had to let him go. Along with the mix of everything else in life this crushed Phillip and one day I got the call that he was recovering in ICU from an attempted drug overdose. What happened? The pain of sin weighed him down. No doubt he needed limits, encouragement, forgiveness, prayer, joy, and fun. For sure he felt forgotten even though his family loved him dearly. The wound of sin led him to a point where he decided life didn't matter.

Can I tell you – please listen – we are all born with the deep wound of sin – the estrangement from God our Father, made in his image but broken and lost, knowing deep in our soul that we are made for something great but sin has knocked us down. Eventually we act out that pain in sinful deeds that hurt others and we are hurt by others who are equally wounded. But Phillip found the cure – and now his life is one of blessing to me, and many. He is being redeemed in new and fresh ways within the calling he is able to fulfill.

You know this is what your church and family and PCA have been pressing into your life for all of these years, and it is the charge I leave you with today. Life is broken but Jesus came and was broken for you and for me. And because of Him – this is the Gospel! – we can live life according to Phillip. We can know and live our calling, we can love and feel deeply for others, we can have fun and love life, encourage others on the journey, forgive always and walk in communion with God! This is the good life, the right life, the only life – go live it and be a miracle of blessing wherever you go!

Missing my Dad...

Nineteen years ago I lost my Dad.  I have spent these years slowly knowing how much he means, how much he loved me, how much I loved him.  If you still have your Dad, appreciate him, love him, spend time with him, tell him how grateful you are.  If you know someone who doesn't have their Dad, see how you may be a blessing to them.

Today I listened to this song by the inimitable Michael Kelly Blanchard and the tears came.  As Michael has it, "I miss you, Pops."  I miss my Dad.  And things are never the same.  Others I can look up to, and do -- but none can take his place, or should.  Others give guidance and wisdom and example, but none like my Dad.  Others give inspiration, but his life and memory give insight and help when I am at a loss.

"Springtime flowers", as the song says, will indeed bloom and renew, but there are times the heart aches and Spring is too far away.  But as Dad would tell me and the song says so well, "You're gonna make it through."  Yes, I will, but I still miss you, Dad.  Thank you for all you gave to me, easily overlooked at the time, but deeply treasured today.  There are no words, except, "I love you."