There’s No Place Like Home, Home, Home and Home…and Home

So, the Christmas madness has come to an end, and the regular, day-to-day madness can once more kick into gear. It is an accepted fact of life that Christmas around here is a multi-day and multi-location event. And along with the sheer number of places to go comes the knowledge that there will once again be an obscene number of gifts to haul. This year we actually took two vehicles to ensure we had enough space (especially since this is the first Christmas with two kids). My wife took the car with the boys, and I followed with the pickup truck which, I am almost ashamed to say, were both utilized in hauling the "haul."

This year's booty included books and bikes and the ubiquitous clothing. There were gift cards and appliances and all manner of other goodies. As I grew up, I really looked forward to all the different places I had to visit because I knew I'd be getting lots of stuff. Now that I'm married and have children of my own, the amount of gifts has grown, the number of places to visit has increased, and something a little unexpected yet important seems to occur more frequently with each passing year.

As I sit here in my recliner, trying to relax just a bit prior to walking the piles of pre- and post-Christmas trash to the road, I can't help but feel a bit awash in some level of what I would characterize as shame or embarrassment. Each Christmas most people in America have their "wish lists" and wait until Christmas morning to see how many of those little wishes go from the list to the gift pile. Some are disappointed, others are satisfied, and still others are surprised by the extravagance of things they never thought to ask for and, quite frankly, do not need.

I know in our family, extended and otherwise, we got far more than we need. And at moments like these, it almost seems wrong somehow. As I look above me I see a ceiling. Around me are walls, a floor, a refrigerator filled with more than we can eat. There is light, and heat, baubles of all kinds, and most importantly there are those who love me. What more does a person really need?

There are lots of folks in the world today who, unlike us, haven't spent two days visiting five different houses. They were lucky to have a warm meal or get a gift of any kind. The Lord has truly blessed me, has blessed all of us. It's a shame we take all we have for granted.

NOTE: I will be returning to a regular(-ish) schedule next week, writing each Monday on a variety of topics here on Soulscape. And while I have but a few regular readers, I would like to let you in on the possibility of an exciting and hopefully interesting venture. In the early days of the New Year I may be publishing an e-newsletter to be sent straight to your inbox. Whether this will take the place of this Soulscape Blog remains to be seen, but it most certainly will augment this blog's outreach and ministry. So be in prayer for that endeavor. Should I undertake it, you might just have to visit your Inbox for the latest Soulscape entry. At any rate, it's good to be back (in any shape or form) and I look forward to many more days with you! God bless.

© 2007, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by leaving a comment (with your request) which will be forwarded to Chris Keeton. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

A Bonus Entry for Pre-Christmas

At Christmas, some families have a tradition of opening one present on Christmas Eve, then the rest of them on Christmas morning. That I grew up in a "divorced" family, I had a full-blown experience on both days, because of spending time with both parents. Now that I'm a parent myself, and my kids have grandparents and great-grandparents, Christmas is spread out over several days. So while this tradition is good, it doesn't apply to us because, logistically speaking, it can't.

I have intentionally stayed away from the blog over these last two-and-a-half weeks, even though I have been tempted to dive in and write a few entries (blog withdrawal I suppose; I haven't had the time, but that hasn't stopped the desire to do it anyway!). So this morning, after I received a comment on my last entry, I decided that the aforementioned tradition would be a good thing to practice for Soulscape. So, with that in mind, I decided to write a little entry before Christmas, just one, then get back into the swing of things in a week or so. I guess the real issue is whether or not my readers will stop by since I pretty much said I'd be gone for a month!

Anyway, after checking the Soulscape visitor statistics, I found a reader had visited from a particular service provider. The city showed up as Cincinnati, Ohio, but that's just where their server is located (many service providers, even local, show up in other cities). I don't know exactly where he or she is from, or even their real name, but that's okay. I really enjoyed the comment, and wanted to share it with you, along with my thoughts.

So, someone with the screen name "Unhappy-Workaholic" left the following comment: "…Speaking of work, what should we think about it? Is it a necessary evil or a gift from God? Okay, perhaps that is extreme, but still, should we go to work everyday with a kind of – "arg. Time to make the donuts!" attitude or should we view it as a service to god. How do we find joy in the donuts—without eating them all… any thoughts?"

Why yes, Unhappy Workaholic, I do have some thoughts! Your great comment got the old brain cylinders firing and so I wanted to share my initial impressions (by the way, I would love to make the Soulscape blog a source of practical inspiration, so if you ever have any questions or thoughts about any topic, just let me know, because I'd love to do an entry on what you, the reader, are thinking about).

Staying within the confines of the comment quoted above, given the "extreme" choices I would have to say that we should embrace work as a gift from God and a service to God. I base this opinion first on what we read in Genesis. Prior to the whole "eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil" fiasco, God had given man the task of tending the Garden of Eden. So we see right there that "Paradise" was not a vacation spot, but a place to work. After man's fall, God tells Adam that the work of his hands will be much harder, that the earth will not be as cooperative as it had been in the garden, producing thorns and weeds, making the work very difficult.

But work remained. Unhappy Workaholic's comment uses the word "extreme," but that is what we find: extremes. Work was originally created as a gift from God; He gave man life and then gave man purpose for that life. That purpose was service. Now that gift and service continue, but yes, it is hard now. Even if we don't "tend the ground" as a farmer or herd the beasts of the field for a living, work is hard. In an ideal world we would all see work as a privilege an honor, a way to put our life to good use by doing for the glory the Lord whatever it is we do.

However, not everyone likes their job; truth be told, if everyone were completely honest we would all have to say that at one time or another we have despised our job. That is a by-product of Adam and Eve's sin. Work is hard. But work still serves a purpose. It all depends on our outlook, and that all depends on us as individuals. We have a choice how we will view our work. "Making the donuts," as it were, isn't always fun, but it can be rewarding, especially when someone is hungry. No job is perfect, because imperfect people are always associated with it (whether it's the boss, the co-workers, the customers, or [gasp!] even us!); still, our jobs serve to help us meet our basic needs. We get our money for bills and food, and maybe even some of the frills life can occasionally offer. Our work also helps us occupy our lives.

Every day I check out the Associated Press feature called "Today in History." At the end of each daily article there is a quote for the day. On Wednesday, December 12, 2007 (just a day before this blog entry) was a quote by Franz Kafka (1883-1924), a Czech author. His quote applies to this entry: "There are two cardinal sins from which all others spring: impatience and laziness." I believe that in essence this is a very accurate quote. If you go through Scripture you discover how often terrible sins (and even more terrible consequences) came from these two other "sins." Just a quick example from each: Abraham was impatient waiting on the promise of a son to be fulfilled, so he got into a mess with Hagar and Ishmael; and King David was lazy, laying around while he should have been leading his army in battle, when he saw and lusted after Bathsheba, and began a downward spiral.

Had Abraham and David been working, doing what God gave them the ability and responsibility to be doing, they would have been able to focus on the task and on God. Instead, they allowed themselves to drift, to forsake their work, and they got into deep trouble. Above all, our work is to be the very best Christians we can be, to serve God no matter what we do or where we go. When we approach our earthly jobs and careers with this attitude, that we will use it to serve God (even if it takes a little creativity), we will find that our work isn't really all that bad. Why? Because the Lord helps us through it all. I guess you could say that in this way we get to make the donuts, and eat them, too. Proverbs 28:25b (from the King James Version) says, "… but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat." This, of course, means "prosperous," but it's a good analogy. Let God work through YOUR work, and you can gain a greater appreciation for the Lord and the blessings He gives you, including the work. Or the donuts. Whatever you want to call it!

Thanks to Unhappy Workaholic for the comment, and getting me to thinking! I look forward to future comments, or feel free to drop me a line at Soulscape E-mail. I'd love to hear from you!

So, until Christmas, God bless you!

© 2007, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by leaving a comment (with your request) which will be forwarded to Chris Keeton. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

All Good Things…

There is something to be said for working. When one enjoys that work it is even more special. Yet there are times that in order to give your best or do your best, it is necessary to step back for a little while. Have you ever looked at one thing or one spot for a long time? Pretty soon your vision begins to act up and you don't see things as clearly.

This is a busy time of year for everyone, and it is no different for me. In order to kind of refocus and get some prayerful insights for my own life, family, church, general spiritual direction, and for this blog, I am going to take a few weeks off. While this might disappoint the two or three regular readers I have, and anyone who happens to stop by, I would ask that you rejoin me around Christmas. I plan, with the Lord's will, to return to the world of blogging around that time. But this brief cyber-sabbatical will give me the opportunity to spend a little extra time with my family and with the Lord, and return with some fresh perspectives and new entries.

I would also encourage you to read some of my past entries in the mean time. Hopefully you won't forget Soulscape between now and the time that I return. I look forward to rejoining you here. And, if you have any thoughts about topics or something you'd like me to address, Scripture or otherwise, don't hesitate to contact me. Just leave a comment and I'll get back with you.

So, until we meet again, may God bless you. See you around Christmas!

© 2007, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. This entry is protected, blah, blah, blah. You know the drill!

Thanksgiving 2007

It hardly seems a year since Thanksgiving was last here, but that's the way time works. Still, this is not the season for lamenting the all-too-rapid passage of time. It is the time to be thankful. With that in mind, I'd like to share something with you which I may have mentioned before, but it is worth mentioning again.

Each year for the past nine years the churches in our community have an annual Thanksgiving service, usually held eight days before Thanksgiving itself. As of this year, we have five churches, five different denominations, coming together under one roof and together worship and praise the Lord. For the 364 other days of the year (sans leap year, of course), we often identify ourselves with the name out in front of our own congregation's building. But for that one day, the names are set aside and the only name that matters is put forth: Jesus.

Our community is very special in that the churches have a very unified relationship one with another. But during the Thanksgiving season we are extremely grateful for this unity. Jesus Himself prayed that His followers would be one, just as He and His Father were One. While the unity spirit is something we in our community seem to have all year round, it does something for the soul to look out into a large crowd and see not church-ES but THE CHURCH, made up of every blood-washed believer.

Some think that this oneness or things like unity services are when all the congregations of a particular denomination in a given area come together. This isn't unity; it's a conference. True unity comes when we lay aside all that separates us and focus instead on the one and only thing that matters. Jesus is the reason we're here, the reason every Christian church exists. Therefore, since we are one family in Christ, it's nice to share a spiritual meal together every once in a while.

We have a lot to be thankful for. I am thankful for so much that I can't even begin to make a list. But over these next few days, I will thank the Lord for the unity He provides for His family. If you haven't yet done it yourself, thank Him for that. If you haven't yet experienced it yourself, then look to other believers as true family, and let God bring you together in Spirit and in truth.

Have a great Thanksgiving this week, and may God bless you and yours!

© 2007, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by leaving a comment (with your request) which will be forwarded to Chris Keeton. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

Aargh, With a Capital A

As I sit here, I seem to recall some previous entry in which the subject had something to do with the old saying, "When it rains, it pours." I don't know if that was indeed an entry I wrote, but it most certainly describes my situation at present.

Today has been one of those days, perhaps a series of days, when I have most certainly been "under the rain," so to speak. Nearly everything that can go wrong, has gone wrong. The most frustrating thing is a water leak underneath my kitchen sink, a leak that has been going on for a few days now, but was only today realized as such. The unfortunate thing about the leak is that it is in the valve. What does this mean? Well, I'm no plumber by any stretch of the imagination, but even I know that this means the water must be turned off at another location in order to replace the faulty part.

So, I go under my house (one story, so there is just crawl space) to locate the shut-off valve. Now, crawlspace would infer the ability to crawl; this is an ability I do not possess, especially under the house and considering that the valve was located on the exact opposite side of the house from where I entered. Halfway through, I had to come back out. But it didn't seem all that bad (not counting every other thing that has nearly overwhelmed me today), because after examining the little drip, we decided it was just the joint that needed tightening. After this step, however, we found the crack, a teeny, tiny, nearly microscopic crack which was now spraying water in an almost imperceptible little stream and soaking everything, including running out onto the kitchen floor.

At this rate, the only option is to find someone with a water key and shut off all water to my house from the city's water main, and then replace the part. I'm much calmer at the present, hence my ability to actually type this entry (albeit through shaking hands and shortness of breath). There are a couple of options I'm going to implement as a stop-gap measure until then, but this was absolutely the last straw for today.

I can't take any more.

As I sat here trying to lower my blood pressure and avoid a stroke, I couldn't help but think that this is absolutely typical of life in general. There are little cracks that cause major leaks in our heart, mind, life, and they usually occur in the one spot that is the most difficult to reach. You see, I couldn't just go under the sink and twist the valve, because the crack is below the valve, and so the water pressure remains constant. I can't get to the other cut-offs, so I'm sitting here with a leaky sink, hoping beyond hope that severe or long-term damage is not being done.

Our lives are sometimes out of control, and we can't find the cut-off. The pressure is still there, and we're still "leaky," but there's not much we can do about it. So we sit, hoping to make it through, but more than frustrated at the helpless feeling of, "I can't do this."

This is where the Lord comes in. He has been called King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Prince of Peace, the Great Physician. In times like these, we might be able to call Him the Master Plumber, because only He can patch the holes in our life and stop the leaks from those tiny little cracks that Satan makes (or in most cases, we ourselves make). Sometimes, though, it might take Him bringing us to a place where we can't take any more in order to truly fix us.

And as far as not being able to take anymore…my computer crashed as I was creating this entry. Aargh indeed.

© 2007, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by leaving a comment (with your request) which will be forwarded to Chris Keeton. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

Restaurant Escapades

"We're not the luckiest people in the world." This was my response to the manager of a local restaurant this evening following quite the adventure. When it comes to purchasing, locating, or stumbling upon those things which are broken before they're ever used, I am my own worst enemy. Last week we purchased new cordless phones for the home, only to discover that there was an "issue" which required a new phone system to be sent from the factory. I'm the guy, yes, THE guy who makes the last payment on a car and the "check engine" light comes on in the bank drive-thru lane. So, why should restaurants be any different?

The appetizer was great. Once completed, we were anxiously awaiting the arrival of our main dishes (a greatly anticipated event in any case, made all the more intense with the presence of a four-year-old who wants his chicken and fries). And wait we did. After waiting, we waited. After this waiting period, we waited some more. The waiter comes by and says, "Your food isn't here yet?" Surprised he returns to the kitchen to discover that, due to a reoccurring printer error, our order was not submitted to the cooks. The manager comes out, a sweet little girl who says it will be seven minutes. How she arrived at this figure for two steak dishes and the aforementioned chicken and fries I cannot say. But, in the neighborhood of seven minutes or so, out comes the food.

My son decides to cut his own magma-hot chicken tenders himself, and after doing a good job on two of them, mom decides to help. As she cuts, I glance over and realize that the chicken looks less than healthy, at least for cooked chicken. Why? Well, because the chicken tenders were very well cooked on the top 1/16^th of an inch. The rest was raw. So, after about 45 minutes or so of waiting, we now had raw chicken for the toddler.

After this is resolved, the waiter comes back and says, "You didn't get your side of shrimp." Had he not said anything, I would never have remembered. I said, "Don't worry about it. I probably couldn't hold it anyway." He says he will take it off the bill. Actually the one thing we seemed to have in abundance tonight was apologies. The manager returns and says, "You're going to love me…" and proceeds to tell me that she's refunded the price of the appetizer, the chicken tenders, and the shrimp, but is giving me the shrimp to take home with me anyway. After several more apologies, I told her, "We're not the luckiest people in the world." And so we return to the subject. (Let it be known that at that same restaurant about a year ago, a mug of soft drink spontaneously split apart, akin to the parting-of-the-Red-Sea scene from The Ten Commandments; not so lucky.)

So, I come home, grab my trusty notebook computer to create a blog entry, and suddenly it comes into focus. The fault (or faults) at dinner tonight had nothing to do with the waiter, nor the manager, nor the cooking staff; it had nothing to do with us or what we ordered or that big comet thing that got brighter last week. Nay, it didn't even concern that pesky printer situation. It just happened.

This got me thinking. The Lord does so much for us, has desires for the lives of each and every person, especially His children. And what does He do? He places His order and we say, "We'll get right on that." And we might do a little appetizer-esque thing, you know, doing or being good in some area or another. But then the Lord waits…and waits…and waits some more. Finally He calls our attention to it and we apologize. "I'm so sorry. I'll straighten up and get things taken care of." And even then we sometimes mess things up, not living up to what He, or even we, expected from us.

The key to good customer service is making sure the product is right and the customer is pleased. When it comes to the spiritual aspect of our lives, things are right when our service and fruit are what they need to be, as well as the customer (in this case, the beneficiary of our efforts: the Lord God Almighty) being pleased. Are we doing our very best to offer Him our very best? Is He well-pleased with our desire and efforts, or does He sit, waiting, frustrated that we have not yet completed what He has asked of us?

Something to think about. Now, if you will excuse me, there are five shrimp which are begging to be sampled. See you next week, Lord willing.

© 2007, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by leaving a comment (with your request) which will be forwarded to Chris Keeton. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

Sixty Years

Okay, so you caught me. The titles for each of the entries for October increased each time by a decade (Twenty Years, Thirty Years, Forty Years, and Fifty Years, for those who don't want to do the math). But since October has five Mondays, that meant that I had to come up with a "Sixty Years" theme to keep things nicely in order, as I like so much.

Didn't happen.

Oh sure, I could ruminate on how I've aged sixty years over the course of this month, with all that has happened (new baby, wife going back to work, Homecoming revival services, and a myriad of other things). I could figure out some clever little way to tie all this together, but quite frankly, I'm tired and I just don't feel all that creative at the moment. I'm sure I'll snap back before too long, but for now, I'll just keep the "Sixty Years" title and figure out something else to talk about.

I know! Our Homecoming services! As I mentioned earlier in the month, my congregation is marking 20 years since its founding, and so we kind of had a month of celebrations and activities to keep us focused not only on the past, but on what is possible in the future. The culmination of these celebrations was a Homecoming revival, complete with a fund-raising concert with a nationally-known singer and songwriter, and messages by a guest evangelist. It went better than I could have hoped: attendance was decent, the Spirit was moving, and there was a true sense of togetherness, growth and revival apparent throughout the week and even through the weeks leading up to the series of services.

As we concluded events yesterday, I said to the congregation that most if not all of us were saddened that the week had to end, but were confident and desirous that the spirit of revival continue through us in the months ahead. As wonderful as the time had been, there is still much to be done, and little time to do it. We could easily revel in the glories of a wonderful week, or we can use its memory to inspire us forward for the Lord. We choose the latter.

October was also Pastor's Appreciation Month, and there was much appreciation to be had yesterday. The pastors in the room, myself included, were honored and lauded, perhaps far more than any of us deserved, but to know that we have made a positive impact on souls we've met over the years is something that we all cherish. And as I told everyone in attendance, without a congregation a pastor is just a guy who talks a lot. So Pastor's Appreciation Month cannot truly be celebrated unless the pastor appreciates the congregation he or she serves. For all the pastors out there, I say thank you on their behalf. Thank you for your attendance, your prayers and support as we serve Christ together.

Well, after a week of sermons (which you can listen to at http://feeds.feedburner.com/westwoodonline or at iTunes [search for Westwood Church of God in the store]; sorry for the commercial), there's really not much left to say. Autumn is finally in full swing and the holidays are approaching. I can't wait to share them with you. Thank you for reading, and if the Lord wills, I'll see you back here next Monday. God bless!

© 2007, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by leaving a comment (with your request) which will be forwarded to Chris Keeton. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

Fifty Years

Everything in the Old Testament is important. If examined properly, it is possible to find out some very interesting insights into the Christian era and into the life and ministry of Jesus. Over this month I have attempted to follow a pattern of blog entry titles which, if nothing else, would spark interest. I don't know how successfully this has happened, but nevertheless I wanted to give it a shot. The topic of this entry, Fifty Years, deals with something that many people know little about, something that just isn't talked about much. The subject is what is known as the Year of Jubilee.

In order to get some of the background, I would ask you to read the 25^th chapter of Leviticus (I would quote it here, as well as giving definitions and backgrounds, but that would take up the entire entry; instead I will proceed as though you have already read Leviticus 25, and will discuss some of my thoughts on the matter).

All of us are familiar with the Sabbath day, the seventh day of the week. What some might not be aware of is that there was a Sabbath year, celebrated one year out of every seven, as well as the Year of Jubilee which was a celebration of seven Sabbath years. After seven cycles of the seven years of Sabbaths (49 years), the Year of Jubilee was observed, and there were some interesting conditions for this fiftieth year.

During this fiftieth year, the soil was to rest, no planting or sowing, and whatever grew was not to be harvested, but left for the poor, for the traveler, or for the livestock. There was a promise from God that there would be enough of a harvest in the sixth year (prior to the Sabbath and Jubilee year) to sustain the people until they could harvest again at the next cycle. During this time, the people were allowed to do other work (fish or hunt, manufacturing and whatnot); it wasn't a vacation year.

This jubilee year also brought about what is called "reversion of property." The land (and what was on it) was divided to each family like modern lots of land. Even if it was sold, it was with the understanding that it would be only for a certain number of years. At the Year of Jubilee, the property was returned to its original owner. In this way the land, in a way, remained the property of the person/family to whom it was originally given.

And then there was the release of the slave/servant. Whether a Hebrew person had offered himself or herself to be a slave/servant to provide for the family, or sold to pay a debt or a crime, the person was to be released, which honored the rights of every class of Israelite servant.

The Year of Jubilee was, in a way, a God-instituted way to fix all of the evil which man can bring upon himself through government and society. It was away to start over, start fresh, and what could be more worthy of a celebration? In fact, the word "jubilee" comes from a Hebrew word which means "joyful shout or sounding of trumpets," which were ways that the Year of Jubilee was announced. Bondage and poverty were eliminated, the people were given rest and a sense of joy, and what's more, they all knew they had this waiting for them after the period of fifty years.

Now what does this ancient practice, of which we know relatively little, have to do with us in the modern world today? Well, the Sabbath is not just a day set aside for rest and worship. Jesus Himself IS our Sabbath. In Him we find our rest and worship, and it is much fuller than just a day of the week; it is a state of Christian existence. So if Jesus is our Sabbath (which I might do an entry on sometime), then He must also be our Year of Jubilee in a symbolic way.

As we have seen, the Year of Jubilee itself was a year to be anticipated, to be celebrated. Jesus offers us the same things not only today and every day, but also promises it for our eternal future. When we accept Christ's forgiveness, and make Him the Savior and Lord of our life, we, too, are set free from the bondages of our sin. The poverty of our souls brought about as a result of that sin will be eliminated, resolved, and we will be filled to the overflowing with the treasures of salvation and eternal life.

It is in Christ and Him alone that we find rest. In Jesus alone do we find that sense of joy even in the midst of the most dire of earthly crises. Only in the Son of God can we find our true rest and joy. But most importantly of all, we know that this condition of freedom, richness, rest and joy is ours every day, and that it is an absolute certainty that it awaits every single Child of God (and through the blood of Jesus we who accept His sacrifice as our salvation are made spiritual Israelites). No matter how bad things are, no matter what we must face, we know that there is coming a day in which the word "jubilee" will not be sufficient to describe the level of eternal praise and joy that lays ahead.

So embrace the "Year of Jubilee" as not only a quaint Old Testament law, but as a promise for our today, our every day, and our future. Allow Jesus to be your Jubilee, and let your praises ring forth for all the world to hear! Rejoice!

© 2007, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by leaving a comment (with your request) which will be forwarded to Chris Keeton. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

Forty Years

In looking at the visitors' statistics here at "Soulscape," I have found there are a few topics which are highly popular in searches, and for those topics, previous entries of this blog are ranked at or near the top in Internet search engines. By far the most popular is the study of Ecclesiastes, followed by a series on the armor of God. But third on the list is "Wilderness Experiences."

What this verifies is what I've said for years: we all have times out in the spiritual wilderness, those times in life that seem so barren and parched and there doesn't seem like there is an end in sight. In keeping with my theme for the month (all the entries increasing by ten years, i.e. twenty, thirty, and now forty), I wanted to take a look not so much at the wilderness experience itself, but the emergence from those types of experiences.

Whether it was forty days (as in the case of Noah and Jesus) or forty years (like the Israelites), the wilderness experiences we go through will eventually end. The Lord leads us through exactly what we need to get us to the place we need to be, and sometimes it takes a long time. But when that experience ends, what do we do? Most of us look forward to the day when we can put that difficult time behind us, but that is not the moment to kick back and relax. Instead it is the time to get to work even harder, and to put the lessons of the experience into practice.

In the examples I listed in the previous paragraph, we can see just how important is the work to do after the wilderness experience. We begin with Noah. After forty days of what my grandparents would call a "frog-strangler," or the deluge of rain and flood, no doubt the inhabitants of the ark were relieved and happy. But they couldn't sit back and do nothing. There was still a lot of work to do. The waters didn't recede for quite some time, and so the animals in the ark (along with the ark itself and no doubt the relationships of the people on board) still needed attention and care. Once the ark came to rest, the job was to rebuild the world and society. That was no small task. While the trial had been severe, it helped prepare Noah and his family for the struggles they would face. Life didn't end on the ark, nor was the work over once the ark stopped atop Ararat. It was just beginning.

As Jesus was driven by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness, it was to prepare Him for His ministry. While there He faced hunger both physical and spiritual. He faced temptation; like us He was forced to live by faith in the most desperate of times. Once He came out of the wilderness, it was a time to fill Himself with the food He needed, immerse Himself with the Father's presence, and go to work in the ministry of salvation.

When the Israelites finally entered the Promised Land after wandering in the wilderness for forty years, they did not have the time to take a breather, to take a vacation and enjoy the scenery. They immediately had to get to work claiming the land. There were great battles to be fought, many struggles left to overcome, but over the forty years of wandering they had grown to appreciate what was possible with the Lord. They were now ready to go in and occupy the land. And when they trusted in God and followed His guidance, they won.

These and other experiences teach us that we have a great responsibility after our wilderness experiences. There is always a temptation to kick back and relax, to kind of give up in a way or slack off. We hear a voice say, "Hey, take a break. You've earned it after all you've been through. Just take it easy for a while." But the responsibility needs to be seen. The wilderness experience was a time of preparation, getting us ready to tackle the obstacles and tasks that wait for us after the wilderness experience is over. God is there through the entire trial, and because of this He is able to help us in the job He has waiting for us.

So as I mentioned in the original "Wilderness Experience" entry, don't give up during the trial, even if it seems to take forever to escape. But once you emerge, don't stand around admiring the view. Instead look to the tasks at hand and go to work, putting the lessons you learned into practice. In this way, and in this way alone, will your wilderness experience not be in vain.

© 2007, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by leaving a comment (with your request) which will be forwarded to Chris Keeton. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

Thirty Years

October, as I have previously mentioned, is a very special month. There are many items of note for me during October, things personal and professional. Last week I talked about how the twentieth anniversary of the founding of our church is observed this month. In fact, yesterday, October 7^th, was the official twenty-year mark, and we had a "Fill-The-Pew" Sunday to mark the occasion. It was a success, and we had a great day.

Today is, I suppose, a special day as well. At the very least it is a day that is marked and/or noted by nearly everyone who reaches this point. Today, as the title suggests, marks the thirtieth year since I was born. I have a few friends who have beaten me to the mark over the last month or so: Karl, Jason, Laura (hers just two days ago). I liked what Jason had to say concerning his 30^th birthday just twenty days ago: "Being in your 'twenties' just sounded cool. But now that I'm THHHHIRRRRRRTY, it's just sluggish coming off the tongue, and it just sounds old."

I'm not sure how some of my other friends feel, but for me, kissing the twenties goodbye is something I've looked forward to for a long time (I know, I know, I've waited 30 years; but in truth I've just been waiting for the last six or seven, and the reason is that a lot of people have a hard time taking seriously a pastor who is still in his or her 20s). Yesterday at church some people said, "How do you feel now that you're turning thirty?" My response was always some variation of the word "ecstatic." Still, my mind cannot help but drift to the more philosophical side of the 30-year-old issue.

I remember looking at the years of a calendar when I was younger, imagining when I'd turn 20, how old I would be in that far-off magical year 2000, what year I would turn 30, and it seemed so very far away. I mean, thirty was just down-right old. Now that I've left the milestones behind, pastor a church, have a family of my own with two kids, I realize that the time has flown by faster than I could have imagined, and more than that I have learned a valuable truth:

THIRTY ISN'T ALL THAT OLD.

Now, I did not arrive at this conclusion merely by listening to older folks talk about how they wish they could go back to their thirties, how a young whipper-snapper like myself has years ahead of me. Nor is it looking at the young people around me, including my own children, and realizing that they will reach their milestones in record time, either. No, what really set it apart for me was a thought I had last year. (You may recall that last week I said that I realized that 20 years isn't a long time at all, and that was well-illustrated yesterday at church.)

So, this is the thought that really made me think: Jesus started His public ministry around the age of 30. Now that I have arrived at that same age, I realize just how young He was when He began going about His Father's business. Having had some experience with some older people who felt that someone of my tender young age had no qualifications to be or no business at all being the pastor of a church (at least, being their pastor), I can certainly begin to see where many older religious leaders would have considered Jesus just some upstart, punk Hebrew kid who didn't have the first clue about what He was talking about.

I know Jesus was the divine Son of God, but I often wonder if He experienced any of the insecurities that I have, such as realizing, "Hey, 30 is old compared to a lot of people, but it's still young to a lot more." He had all power. I do not. I can only rely upon the strength that dwells within me through the power of His Holy Spirit. At this age, Jesus only had three more years to minister. I don't know how many more I have ahead of me. As stated last week, I already have six years as a full-time pastor behind me and almost 15 years as a preacher. Nevertheless, I hope I can be better and do more for Him in the days or decades ahead. All I can try to do, I guess, is try not to mess up so much.

So, today I am a man … an old man, according to some who have yet to reach this point. But hopefully when they get here they will see it's not so advanced an age. It was eleven years ago today that my grandfather died, passing away on my 19^th birthday. As I think back to that day, it seems like only a year or so. Time does fly, far too quickly for all that we would like to do. Plans are made and changed according to the circumstances of the moment. But for now, I suppose it's just a matter of faithfully using the time at hand. The past is the past, the future is uncertain, but right now is a perfect time to work for the Lord.

And I don't know about some folks, but I'm going to enjoy telling people, "Yeah. I'm thirty."

(Also, special thanks to some new regular readers in Bucharest, Romania and Santiago, Chile.  Welcome, and I hope you enjoy the blog!)

© 2007, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by leaving a comment (with your request) which will be forwarded to Chris Keeton. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

Twenty Years

Wow. October is here once again. This is pretty much the start of my favorite time of year: fall and winter. But this particular October is special for a number of different reasons, and I just want to share some of them with you over the course of this month. Once we get into November I hope to go back to some Bible-study-oriented posts, but for now, I want to take this time to share some thoughts with you concerning the special things that are going on here.

October 2007 is the 20^th anniversary of my church, Westwood Church of God in Ashland, KY. This is special to me because I was one of the "founding members" of the congregation, and now I have served as Senior Pastor of the church for the last six years (the anniversary of my installation as pastor was actually yesterday, September 30^th). I remember hearing as a child my parents and grandparents saying things like, "I've known them for 20 years," or "This happened 20 years ago." At the time I thought that twenty years was like an eternity and that the definition of forever was, "Anything 20 years or longer."

Now that twenty years of ministry is now behind us, I realize that it's not all that long at all. Over the last 20 years we have been able to reach a great many people and to have a positive impact on a number of individuals. This is not to say we've been perfect or we haven't had our share of troubles. In fact, we have had trial after trial. Of the original 13 members of the congregation, I am the only regular member left. Many people have come and gone over the years, some under not-so-pleasant circumstances. Close to 60 of our members have passed away over the years. Times have been rough, but times have also been miraculous.

Still, I want to share here what I did with my congregation yesterday (when talking about the sixth anniversary of my pastorate). It's not about me, and it's not about what has been. It's about what CAN and WILL be. I am grateful that I have been around to witness the wonder of God's hand in Westwood Church of God over these past twenty years. I don't know what the future holds, but I look forward to whatever He has in store in the years ahead.

My prayer for me and my church (and the prayer you, too, should have for yourself and your church) is that I and my congregation will continue to be open and willing vessels in the hands of Christ, and that He would work His will through us, that we might grow stronger in our faith and testimony, and that souls might be touched, healed, and saved through His work in us. The glories of the past are wonderful memories, but the prospects for the future are beyond imagination.

My thanks to the Lord and to those who have made and are making Westwood Church of God what it is today, and may God's will be always done in our little corner of the store.

© 2007, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press.  All rights reserved.  All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States.  It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by leaving a comment (with your request) which will be forwarded to Chris Keeton. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted.  Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

Highway to “The Comfort-Zone”

Author's Note: It's interesting how things seem funnier in your mind or when you say them, rather than when you write them. The title of this entry is, of course, a play on a song title from the movie "Top Gun," and I won't tell you how many years it took me to figure out what they were actually singing. Anyway, on with the entry.

Yesterday at Church I decided to do something I've talked about for a while. Speaking with the chairman of services, I instructed him to have the congregation sing "Amazing Grace," going around to welcome each other, shaking hands and hugging as we often do at our Church. Then, I threw in the monkey wrench: when the song was over, everyone was to grab their stuff and sit in a different pew. Yes, it was officially "New Pew Sunday."

I had hinted that I wanted to do this sometime, and a week before I used an illustration in a sermon which highlighted the need for "New Pew Sunday." I said, "Without going to the doors and looking outside, I would guarantee that I could tell at least 90% of you exactly where you parked your cars this morning, because it's where you always park your car." I went on to say that had I not already seen those in attendance, I could close my eyes and tell them exactly where they were sitting. While this is sometimes good when it comes to figuring out who is and is not in a worship service, it shows well the truth that we are, by nature, creatures of habit. I went on to say that as creatures of habit we often fall into a rut without even realizing it, and that sometimes it's a good thing to get out of those "us-shaped indentations" we've made in OUR pew.

Having been in Church since I was four days old, having grown up in the home of my minister-grandfather, and having been a minister in my own right for fifteen years, I have learned that one of the most dangerous things you can do in a church is mess with where a person sits. The number of God-fearing, fellowship-loving, Christ-like believers who turn into less-than-cordial individuals when someone has invaded their pew is more than disturbing. I've seen it many times, but my grandfather had a great anecdote on the subject. He said he was visiting a church during a revival, and noticed someone standing right next to him, looking down with a pretty angry look. "Can I help you?" he asked the lady. She said, "You might not know it, but this is my seat." He said to her, "Well, I'm sorry. I'm a visitor here tonight. Would you be so kind as to point out a seat that DOESN'T belong to anyone? I'll be happy to sit there." This from a so-called Christian.

"That's MY pew. Everybody knows that. I've sat there for twenty years." That is the problem. Many people just "sit there" for years and years, never doing anything different, never stepping out, content to sit in their comfort zone and go through the motions. But the problem with staying in a comfort zone is that a comfort zone is, by definition, a specific area. If you stay in a comfort zone, you will never get anywhere. You simply stay in one spot. Allow me to illustrate this point by giving you some definitions of the word "zone" from dictionary.com.

ZONE:

• An area or a region distinguished from adjacent parts by a distinctive feature or characteristic.
  
• A section of an area or territory established for a specific purpose, as a section of a city restricted to a particular type of building, enterprise, or activity
  
• (in verb form) To surround or encircle with or as if with a belt or girdle.
  

These really put into perspective the inherent problems with a comfort zone (and to make another play on the title of this entry, a comfort zone is truly a highway to a danger zone). Applying this spiritually is something that all of us need to do, from the pastor to the parishioner. Our comfort zone becomes the area in which we live that becomes distinguished from all the parts around us. The distinctive characteristic is us; we no longer fit in with the plan of the Lord, with the purpose for which He created us.

Moving to the second definition listed above, one word stands out: restricted. Our comfort zone restricts us to limited existence. Yes, it is comfortable because we've molded our space, our zone, to fit us. But who we are becomes limited as well. Our activities become habits, the sphere of our life becomes smaller and smaller, our path becomes a rut or worse, a hole. We become sectioned, set apart from others, and we never move at all.

Then the last one, when something is "zoned" (verb form). "To surround or encircle with or as if with a belt or girdle." That is a great description of the comfort-zoned Christian existence. A belt or girdle is meant to be restrictive, to hold something in place, whether it is clothing or, as in my case, the stomach. The belt tightens, holds, and if worn for a long time, begins to hurt. So in effect, a comfort zone soon becomes less than comfortable, and the longer you stay there, the worse it gets. We stay because of habit, not because of comfort; we stay out of fear of anything different or fear of failure rather than out of necessity.

So it is time for all of us to look at our comfort zone. If we have one, it might be good to step out. Even if it is sitting in a different pew for a service, it might help us see things a little different way. You don't have to be out of your comfort zone long to make a big difference. If you will take the time and make the effort, to take an exit off of the comfort zone highway even briefly, you might make all the difference in the world.

Think about it.

© 2007, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press.  All rights reserved.  All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States.  It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by leaving a comment (with your request) which will be forwarded to Chris Keeton. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted.  Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

I Have Returned

I would say "Welcome Back!" but for one thing: I'm the one returning. I've been keeping track of daily visitors, and I've been astounded at the number of visitors this month alone. Thanks to my stats counter (StatCounter.com; go figure!) I have been able to see what people around the world have been looking for, and while my blog entries might not have been exactly what people were desiring to find, at least I know that the word is getting out there, and I can tailor entries to meet the needs of those who stop by.

Just a little bit of news before moving on. As you recall from my last entry, the latest addition to our family has arrived. Our son Daniel was born on Thursday, September 6^th, weighing in at 7 lbs, 3 oz, and 20 inches long. Since then it's been a roller coaster with the health of the baby and mommy, but Lord willing, everyone is headed toward health. I appreciate your prayers and support during this time, and it's good to be back. Now, on with the entry.

I've recently confronted the question, "Why does life have to be so hard?" Boy, wouldn't it be great if, by the end of this entry, I had an answer for us. Unfortunately I don't know if that is possible. It always seems that when it's crunch time, hard decisions have to be made. In the greatest trials of life it seems that no matter what you choose, there is some level of disappointment. At times that disappointment is almost more than a person can bear. But it's during those moments that one discovers who they really are, who they want to be, and who they can be.

How many times have each of us thought, "I can't do this," no matter what "this" might be? There have been countless times I've been confronted with that feeling, a time when those hard decisions are more than hard; they're impossible. I've found, though, that it almost always comes down to one thing: what is best?

What is best is not always what is easy. What is best is not always what we want. What is best is not always popular and what is best is not always something that pays off in the short-term. But without fail, what is best works out in the long run. Sure, you may have to wait a while, but in the end (and that's what the goal should be: not always the "now" but the "end") you discover that what was right is what was best, even if it was difficult.

While I could present a laundry list of situations in which I confronted these ideas, I will present only one. When our first son was born, I recall thinking, "There is absolutely no way I'm ready for this. I can't do it. I can't be a father." Now there were a lot of issues behind those thoughts, and I won't get into them because they are private. But when I finally accepted that I was indeed a father, I determined to learn what that meant, and how I could be the best one I could be. Have I failed? At times. But my determination has never been stronger. Now that I have two sons, it's time to learn some more and work harder and do the very best I can, no matter how hard it might be.

So why does life have to be so hard? Maybe it's supposed to be. Maybe life is hard so that we learn what life is truly all about, to learn what strength we do have within us, to see what determination and desire and drive can do when we put them to use. Maybe life is hard so we can appreciate what we have, and strive for what we don't. Life is hard, and sometimes it's not very fun. But it's life, it's ours, and it's up to us what we do with it. I encourage you to live it to the best of your ability, for the glory of God, and achieve what is hard. Then take pride in that accomplishment and use it as a stepping stone to even more. God bless.

© 2007, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press.  All rights reserved.  All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States.  It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by leaving a comment (with your request) which will be forwarded to Chris Keeton. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted.  Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

For Your Information

Just wanted to let my readers know that I will be taking a week or two off. Our new baby, originally due September 18^th, will be here before that. Everything is fine, he is full-term already, and he is big (all according to the doctor), and my wife is already been having contractions for about a week. She went to the doctor today and he said that the baby would be here by next Wednesday, and he seriously doubts it will be that long. Because of all the stuff we have to get done between now and then, as well as the first few days with a new baby, I will be pulling on to the shoulder of the Blogging Highway and idling for just a bit. After everything happens, I will let you know, but I wanted to make you aware that I will be taking an official break for a couple of weeks.

Thanks for your readership and support. Talk to you soon, and God bless you!

Why Did God Make Weeds?

The title of this blog entry was suggested by my father-in-law the other day, and I thought it would make a good sermon or blog entry. However, this isn't it. The main reason I used this title now is so that perhaps next week I can do a full entry about it. I'm not so great in the memory department, and since I've forgotten and remembered and forgotten again this title, I thought this might be my best hope. So, what to talk about today?

I guess I could get into a deep theological discussion, some high-minded and long-winded discourse on Scripture (which I am sure I'll do before very much longer, as I've missed doing that), or I could go a different route. A different route it is. I suppose I'll use this time to get some housecleaning issues taken care of, and then figure out some way to cleverly tie them all together.

Today is my wife's birthday. She's 29. No, really; this one is legit. From now on, they will be anniversaries of this one. But for now, twenty-nines-ville for her. We just returned from dinner at her favorite place, Red Lobster, continuing a birthday dining tradition far too sacred to break. I had the steak and shrimp, with some snow crab legs on the side. Boy, those cheese and garlic biscuits are great!

My sister-in-law, a senior in high school and soon-to-be 18-year-old, didn't seem to enjoy very much some of the comments I made about her in some recent MySpace surveys. I'm a jokester and so I said some things about her just because I knew it would rile her up and I knew for a fact she'd read them. She did. Anyway, she called my hand on the matter, then said, "And to think I was going to tell you that I listened to an ENTIRE sermon of yours on the way back from Washington the other day." I appreciated that, and so I told her I'd say something positive about her in my next blog entry. So this was it. Now I feel all icky.

Less than a month to go before our new son arrives. Mother-to-be is quite pregnant but still doing well in her new elementary teaching position. The doctor told her last week that the baby was going to be "big." Taking after his older brother and his old man; I'm sure the birth will be a pleasant experience.

This past week, over the course of six days, I had five friends/acquaintances/family to pass away. One was a girl I went to high school with, graduated a year before me; we used to eat lunch at the same table quite often. No one knows what happened there, but she left a positive testimony for the Lord. The son of a couple who formerly attended my congregation was killed when a tree fell on his truck during a recent storm that passed through the area. A former church member died of pneumonia after a severe injury the week before. The brother of a former member passed away. And my great-aunt, the last of that part of the family, died. So I'm pretty much "deathed" out for now.

We had one person saved at Church this past Sunday. We'd been praying for her for a while now, and after the message I just had this sense that the Lord was going to do something spectacular. He did. Whenever a person comes to know Christ it is a miracle, the birth of a new person into His family, and I am so glad that I can't take the credit for it. The Lord did it all, and I was just fortunate enough to be there when He did. I'm always amazed to see what God can do.

I have way too much to do over the next couple of weeks, and I don't know how I'm going to get it done. Starting would probably be helpful. There's still furniture to move, things to organize, other things to throw away or give away. There are visits to make, sermons to prepare, services to plan, and the list continues.

So how do I tie all this together? I will attempt to do so in two ways (as you can observe, there is nothing up my sleeves; in fact, I don't have any sleeves at the moment). First, it's not all that bad having so many things going on. It could be worse: I might not be here to experience any of these things, and even though some of them are bad, the good more than makes up for it. God is good. Second, the Lord is always here; whether it's birthdays or funerals, new babies or sisters-in-law, hectic schedules or big projects or new Christians, He is always giving guidance, support, strength, and hope. Anyone who knows Christ is fortunate to have this kind of foundation, and anyone who doesn't know Jesus is really missing out.

Well, that will do it for me. Next time I just might talk about weeds. There's some good stuff there, just wait and see!

© 2007, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press.  All rights reserved.  All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States.  It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by leaving a comment (with your request) which will be forwarded to Chris Keeton. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted.  Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

Aren’t They Just the Cutest?

Just when you think you've mastered the subtleties of the toddler, they throw a monkey wrench into the works. My son has been in the "terrible twos" for about three and a half years now, and I have at times thought I'd seen it all. But like most children my son never ceases nor hesitates to amaze me.

This week, more specifically yesterday, my son decided to innocently get into more trouble than he has been in over the course of an entire month. "Dad? Guess what?" Those few words were the precursor to numerous adventures, all of which were in the negative category. My grandmother's baby powder bowl? Four pieces, Gorilla-glued back together. Small lamp used each night at bedtime? On the floor, bulb shattered into 73-112 shards. The list could go on and on…and on.

It seems that in the last week or so my little bundle of sunshine has been pushing the envelope, really testing how far he can push his mother, me, any authority figures. And without fail, he discovers that line in near-record time.

It has been a challenge, I tell myself it's just a phase, that all kids do things like this, that I should thank the Lord every day for blood pressure meds. Why, even as I speak the child is making more noise than a pack of dogs at a dropped hamburger convention. I ask myself, "What is it you're trying to show me, Lord?" And then He answers.

We are much the same, spiritual toddlers for longer than we probably should be. We push the envelope, step over the line, try to rationalize and explain away our behavior, hoping beyond all hope that we can get by with it. All the while we are growing and learning, but are often slow to put the lessons into practice. How must our heavenly Father feel?

As an earthly father, I can kind of relate. I can imagine God looking down, perhaps a shade on the frustrated side, maybe thinking, "It's a phase. He'll grow out of it. He'll learn this time." And time and again, like the toddler I am, I ask "Why?" I tell myself (and God), "I learned my lesson this time. I won't do it again, I promise." And then, not too long afterward, I'm telling Him "I'm sorry" a few more times for the very same thing.

But I'm learning. I'm learning what it means to be a father, and through that I'm learning what it means to be a son, a son of the heavenly Father. So the next time my son yells and screams and bangs things together (as he currently is right at this moment), I might be a little more patient, knowing that the Lord is watching me in kind of the same way.

© 2007, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by leaving a comment (with your request) which will be forwarded to Chris Keeton. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

And The List Grows Longer

So, I'm sitting here today, a shoulder in pain after what I can only assume is some effect of over-usage in yesterday's furniture moving adventures, and I figure I can use the time to make a new blog entry. Since it's only my hands that are involved in the typing (my shoulder is making sure the rest of my arm isn't involved in any way), I suppose I can get to it. Last week I posted a few bits of "advice," and I'd like to continue that thought; I'd like to add some practical things to the list which might assist in the everyday spiritual workings of your life.

1. Give Your All. This goes along with number 2 in my last entry, and so it is important that we examine it. When we hold anything, anything back from the Lord, we are not only denying God what He deserves, we are also limiting ourselves and what we can do for Him. For the most part, the majority of Christians try to get by with as little giving as possible, doing only what is necessary to "get by." Some justify it by saying, "Well, I give way more time than anyone else, and so I shouldn't be expected to give more in other areas." For instance, someone might say they attend every Sunday and Wednesday service, even Sunday School, and so they are not going to go to additional meetings because they're more faithful an a lot of others in that way. Others may say, "I tithe my money, my time, my energy and efforts. I calculated out 10% of everything. I've done my part and I'll do no more." This is restrictive.

I would never suggest that every penny and every moment be spent at your local church, but I would most definitely state that we should be willing to offer God everything, not just the tithe (the 10%) He asks of us in His Word. By simply being willing, ready to offer anything and everything if the Lord asks, we are freeing ourselves to be all God wants us to be. God is only limited by the restrictions we ourselves place upon Him. He will never force us, never drive us like a slave-master; recall that Jesus said to the sick that "your faith has made you whole." If the faith wasn't there, the desire to be healed and the willingness for the Lord to do the healing, it would not have happened. I recall when Jesus went back home one time, the Bible said he could not do many great works there "because of their unbelief." The more we hold for ourselves, the more we keep back, the less the Lord can do in our lives, the less we are able to do and experience and feel. We must give our all.

2. Seek Godly Counsel. Often times we believe we can handle any situation that comes our way; we feel invincible and smart. But sometimes we need some godly counsel. This does not mean you ask a friend what they would do, or what you should do. Your friend might not be the best person to ask (perhaps they aren't a Christian at all or perhaps they're not as strong in the faith as they need to be to offer advice; and also those closest to you might not be as objective and unbiased in a given situation). It is important to pray for guidance from the Lord, but you should also pray that He would show you someone with whom you can discuss an issue and get the kind of counsel God would have you to follow. This kind of advice comes usually from seasoned Christians, those who have lived a life of faith for a while. Other factors come into play as well: personality, maturity, intelligence, but these are really side issues. If you pray for guidance, remember that God can help guide you through your brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray that He would show you whom to talk with and that He would be working on that end as well, to prepare them to help you. In this way, not only are you helped, but the counselor is helped and the work of the kingdom and your relationship with Jesus is strengthened.

3. Don't Cheese-Off Your Pastor. This is a personal one for me. Of course I don't mean it the way it might be taken; I don't think a pastor should be a dictator and blindly followed no matter what. I include this because I believe it is vital for the life of the congregation that the pastor be listened to and respected because of the office and position he or she holds. The job of pastor is a difficult one, because while the pastor is there to offer sermons, counsel and support, to be a problem-solver and a helper, but who is there for the pastor? Let's say a congregation has 100 members. That one pastor now has 100 people to pray about, 100 people with problems of their own, 100 people to lead, and that's in the best of circumstances. I can tell you that in my own life there are so many issues that require attention. Add those to the ones that come along with church, and it's a big burden. Pastors are to encourage, they are to be pillars of faith and lead by example. But pastors are often overwhelmed with worry and despair; not because of a lack of faith in what the Lord can do, but because of the awesome responsibility which God has given him or her. That can sometimes be too much for a person to bear. Most churches have a pastoral staff while others, like my own, have only one pastor. No matter what kind of staff your church has, don't wait until October to appreciate your pastor (that's the official Pastor's Appreciation Month). Be a support, be a helper, be there to listen because many times the pastor could use a shoulder to lean on as well. If you do this, everyone's burden will be light enough to carry together, and your church will grow stronger. And, you'll find a renewed sense of appreciation for the tasks God has called all of us to do.

That will do it for now. Who knows? I might give a few more sage wisdom McNuggets next time; wherever the Lord leads, though, is where we'll go. Thanks for stopping by today!

© 2007, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by leaving a comment (with your request) which will be forwarded to Chris Keeton. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

A List of Advice

Well, I have been checking up on the stats for the daily visits here at Soulscape, and since every day has had visitors, and I haven't posted a new message in about a week, I thought I'd give you a little synopsis of what's been going on. The wife has a new job as an elementary school teacher (3^rd grade) and is frantically trying to get her classroom in order and take care of professional development before school starts eight days from now. The weather has been frightfully hot, and so I have decided (after a little experience with weed trimming) to just let the glass grow; I no longer care how much higher it gets, but I will definitely be waiting until it cools down just a bit. All tests results for my grandfather have come back benign, yet whatever is growing in his mouth is still undiagnosed. The church is going pretty well, had a conversion a week or so ago. And our son will be arriving in the neighborhood of September 18^th. So, a full plate I have (sorry I channeled Yoda, there).

Anywho, as I was thinking about what to write this evening before diving into putting the final touches on tomorrow evening's Wednesday Bible Study Series Lesson (a series entitled "What the Bible Teaches," currently on lesson 23, many of these lessons available at http://westwoodchurchofgod.org/podcast/ or http://feeds.feedburner.com/westwoodonline/ or on iTunes), I thought a list of Pastor-ly advice might be beneficial. At the very least, it will take up time and space. These are in no particular order, and while there are only a few posted here in this entry, the next few might contain some more. So just consider this an update and a preview, all in one.

1. Try the small stuff. Sometimes the biggest blessings can be found in the smallest places. I know the desire (or dare I say "temptation") of some people is to go for the big, the flashy, the areas that get a lot of attention. But when you go "behind the scenes," when you help a person or assist in a place that might not necessarily have it all, you know you really make an impact. You can really make a difference. The greatest journeys of life are made up of the smallest steps, and at the end of the journey you appreciate your destination all the more.

2. Give your best. I know this sounds cliché but it's something we really need to be doing. I think we sometimes just give enough of ourselves to get by, to get the job done. But that extra mile is filled with blessings. The Lord does not expect you to give someone else's best, just yours. Even if you don't feel like you contribute all that much, trust me when I say that it most definitely adds up. Plus, when you give your best, you are at your best. When you tie the small stuff and the best together, it really adds up. And you're not the only one who is blessed. Others reap the benefits of your efforts.

3. Stop and listen. Am I the best person to give this advice? As a pastor, probably not; just check out the time lengths of some of my sermons. At some level I believe all of us have a tendency to do more talking than listening. But if we will pause long enough to hear the voice of the Lord (whether that voice comes from within, from a sermon, from our study or prayer time, or through the advice of Godly friends), we will find that there are many things we overlook in our daily walk. The Lord wants to be an active part of your life, not only on Sundays and Wednesdays. He wants to be involved in everything in your life, not just the "religious" stuff. When He is allowed the first place in your life in every part of it, you will discover what it really means to be a Christian.

I hope these little pieces of advice help in some way to strengthen you or just help you a bit. Next time (which should be within a week) I'll try to add a few more which might give you a little insight into the pastor-parishioner relationship, which is essential for the functioning of the local congregation. God bless.

© 2007, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by leaving a comment (with your request) which will be forwarded to Chris Keeton. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

What? Me Worry?

What does worry accomplish? Very little, save for some digestive difficulties and as a way to eliminate valuable time. I have discovered that life itself is a lesson in learning how to deal with worry. As a pastor I have preached many sermons on living by faith, messages dealing with trusting God and not giving in to worry or fear. Yet pastors are notorious for dwelling on things beyond our own control. Most certainly we know that the Lord will work things out, and there is a peace which is given, but the fact remains that we tend to worry.

Allow me to elaborate on the most current situation. Three years ago my wife was hired as an elementary school teacher; specifically, she taught second grade in this, her first opportunity as a teacher. The year went well. Our lives and lifestyle greatly improved. Having a second source of income helped us with bills and improvements and such, and all was "peachy." Then, on the last day of the school year, the principal (for reasons still beyond understanding) did the equivalent of firing her, giving her extremely negative and damaging remarks/comments which would hamper future employment opportunities. This inexplicable incident caused us great anxiety but, after union intervention, she reversed her position, save for recommending her for rehire within the district.

With this black cloud over our heads, we didn't know what to do when, at the eleventh hour (so to speak), she was offered a job at the high school level. Some did not want to give her the chance because of the negative things still in her report from the previous year, but a high school principal gave her the chance. The pay was significantly less than what existed the first year, but the opportunity could not be passed up. She took the job, and for the last two years had the opportunity to work with some fine people and fine young people, helping them as they make that all-too-difficult passage from adolescence to adulthood.

Things have been tight for a couple of years. Poor planning and taking things for granted placed us in a difficult spot, at times wondering how we would make it through the month. There were even times when without the kindness of Christian friends and family, it would not have been possible. At the end of this past school year (2006-2007) the job my wife worked came to an end, as it was only a temporary, grant-based position which expired. But these past two years, as difficult and worrisome as they sometimes were, a foundation was being laid which would prove invaluable. Professional relationships were cultivated, a reputation rebuilt, and new opportunities made available.

After a couple of interviews within the school system, it became a waiting game... a tense, nerve-destroying waiting game. Let me tell you, with bills due, a church that has had some rough patches, and a new baby coming in September, it has not been easy. Yet both my wife and I knew that God would have His will done, that everything would be all right no matter what happened, and that we had a peace that we were not alone, especially spiritually. We still had to be responsible, still had to look for other positions to pursue, to make sure we could provide for our expanding family. But we knew all would be well.

Today the faith paid off. My wife received a call from the principal of one of the schools which had interviewed her and offered her a position as a third grade teacher. Our biggest worry was the timing of the new baby, as the child is expected to come in mid-September, still early in the school year. But God always knows what He is doing. Our faith in Him has been justified more times than we can count, and today is one more to add to the list. In a few weeks school will start, a new teacher will grace the halls of one of our local elementary schools, a family will be able to have some peace of mind in the areas of finance, security, and ministry, a church will be able to gain a bit more in tithes and offerings and thus help more people in whatever way the Lord directs, and most importantly, a great and mighty God will get more praise from a few insignificant individuals who have benefitted from His goodness and grace.

So, I've learned a valuable lesson. Actually it's not that I've learned it; it is that I've seen another example which will make me stronger in my own faith and ministry. When it comes to trusting in the Lord, you couldn't trust in anyone better. Even though things seem bleak, unable to understand, or even hopeless, when you give it all to God there is no reason to worry. Looking back it's clear to see that He had a purpose for all that has happened, three years ago and before. It seemed bad at the time, but look at us now. There's still a lot to learn. My prayer is that I'll have enough grace in the future to remember what God CAN do, what He has already done, and know that He'll always be there to do it again. 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 bring it to pass.

Amen to that.

© 2007, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by leaving a comment (with your request) which will be forwarded to Chris Keeton. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.