Memorial Day

How did you pass your Memorial Day? If you're like me, then it probably involved friends and food. Before leaving to visit with some of my oldest friends, I took note of the local newscast. Every so often they have a segment which includes responses to viewer emails. One message in particular caught my eye. Apparently on a newscast earlier in the day the anchor wished everyone a "happy" Memorial Day. This viewer wrote in to express her feelings on that particular wish. She said (and I paraphrase), "In this area we decorate graves on Memorial Day. There's nothing happy about it. In fact it's one of the most somber days there are. I'll probably be crying my eyes out. There's nothing happy about this day, so just knock off the 'Happy Memorial Day' business."

Okay, everyone is entitled to their opinions, and everyone has lost someone close to them. This is a day to remember them. Sometimes those memories are sad. But I don't believe Memorial Day must be all "tears and solemnity" to be respectful. In fact, I believe that in some measure a wonderful way to remember the life of someone we've lost is to have some fun on this day. I'm not advocating throwing a parade or a party at the cemetery, but enjoying the day and enjoying life, while recalling the good times we had with our loved ones is a great way to remember them.

If anyone is interested, my sermon delivered yesterday (Sunday, May 27) entitled "In Remembrance" speaks about how we remember, and this memory applies not only to those who fought and died for our country, those of our loved ones who have passed away, but also to Jesus. If interested, it is available at http://feeds.feedburner.com/westwoodonline or at iTunes by searching the store for "Chris Keeton." I believe this message describes how we are to best honor the memory of those no longer with us.

I enjoyed the time at my friends' home, the dinner and conversation. But I also realize that the best way to honor the memory of those I've lost is to live my life to my fullest potential, to use their example and make the lives of my friends just as happy as my life has been made by those who have passed away. Memorial Day is more than just a day off of work, more than just picnics and war movies on television. Just remember to live each day as best you can, being the best Christian you can be, and you will be doing great honor to those who have come before.

Hope you had a nice day, and with that, I'll let you enjoy the rest of this one. Even bloggers need a holiday from time to time. Next on the agenda: tackling that confounded grass again…

© 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.

Staying Sharp (To a Point, pardon the pun)

Tuesday I accompanied my mother to yet another disability hearing, my mother having been disabled for the last 8 years. Unfortunately, the state of Ohio has not necessarily agreed with her and her doctors in that matter, so a very protracted battle has taken place for quite a while. As I sat in the hearing room in Portsmouth, listening to the droning of legal jargon of lawyers, interjecting my own views when called upon, I was struck by the difficulty to keep my mouth shut. Yes, I am a preacher, and trying to keep a preacher's mouth shut is like trying to keep his hands out of a bucket of chicken. Still, I knew it would not be conducive to my mother's case to start incessantly rattling off.

One thing I did notice was the overwhelming desire to do physical harm to the lawyer on the opposition side, the advocate for the state who says that my mother is not disabled in the least (anyone who knows mom knows that is most certainly not the case). "Don't do something to get you in jail," I kept repeating to myself, struggling to keep in check my desire to wipe the expression off of this man's face, or to suddenly and rapidly accelerate my foot into the gentleman's posterior region. I knew this man had never seen my mother, knew nothing about her, and was just doing his job. But when someone's talking about your "mama," it gets a shade more difficult.

The hearing over, I came home and began the finishing touches to the next evening's Bible study. I did not notice it at the time, but a devotional for that day had the following verse: Proverbs 27:17 – Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (NASB) As I sat in the hearing room, I couldn't help but think that the opposition lawyer was, simply by speaking, chipping away at me like a hammer; more specifically, he was like what my grandfather would call a "cleaning hammer," one which has a flat, chisel-like end used to chip the mortar off of old bricks. I could have easily stood up and verbally (and yes, perhaps physically) defended my mother, but something kept me in check. As I read this verse, I realized what that something was.

This verse speaks of how friends are there to keep you sharp, to peck away at those rough places in your life, to give you constructive criticism when you need it and the encouragement to change it when you need to. This is what the Christian friends around me have done simply by being there for me, and it is what the Lord does for me daily. As a pastor I have occasionally had to provide some unwelcome and difficult advice, things which were both hard to hear and hard to say; but the advice was needed and it was right. Now don't think that I'm some perfectly holy specimen sitting on a high horse above my ivory tower. Many times I have been the recipient of the same kind of advice. I didn't like it. It didn't feel good, and there were times I would have liked nothing better than to write down these sage words of wisdom and carefully shove them back down the throat from whence they came. But the advice made me better.

Sometimes God has to do a lot of chipping, and He does that through our study time and prayer with Him, or through sermons or songs, or through our brothers and sisters. Sometimes the advice is Biblically sound and should be heeded. At other times it is merely an uninformed human opinion which should be avoided at all costs. But whenever advice is given, my policy has always been to check the Scriptures. If it conforms to God's Word, then it's sound advice. If it does not, then I thank the individual who gives it and respectfully decline to use it. But even during those times when poor advice is offered (or in some cases followed) there is something to learn. Each situation in life can bring you closer to the Lord if you will approach it that way. Positive and negative, joyous or painful, each moment, each circumstance is designed to enlighten us in this journey of life. What we do with that enlightenment is entirely up to us. We can choose to draw close to the Lord in those times, or we can choose to run away. But take my advice: only one of those choices is the right one, and it's the right one every time.

So the next time someone or something is weighing you down, and you feel that you can't take another step, I encourage you to look up. See the situation as a way that God will bring you closer to Him and as a means of opening your mind and heart to things you never thought possible. The Bible never says you have to like every trial that comes your way, but you can learn from them. And don't be afraid to open yourself up to Christian guidance (through pastors, friends, family, study resources, blogs such as this, and other ways). Not only will you be sharpened, but through the exchange you will be able to help sharpen others, too!

Just try to avoid the temptation to use your new-found sharpness to inflict an injury!

© 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.

RoundUp, SchmoundUp

When comest the Spring, with its new birth of life and growth and warming temperatures, the familiar battle begins once more. I like to call it "The War of the Roses…and Every Other Kind of Plant." This is the time of year when each day you look out upon your lawn and say, "Hmmm, not too much growth. I can wait another day before cutting grass." Then one morning you wake up and it seems your yard has expanded, gaining an intelligence of its own, working out ways to defeat you. That first step in your destruction is the initial blow to the gut, the depression that says, "This is going to be a long, hard day," as you pull the ripcord of the lawnmower.

At this most special of times, the temptation is always there: RoundUp. Green grass is beautiful in other lawns; brown grass is beautiful when you're the one taking care of it. I recently purchased some RoundUp in order to get rid of some brush and unwanted grass. I was also going to prepare a flower bed for the walkways and such, but I purchased the kind of RoundUp that not only kills all kinds of grass but also prevents new growth for four months. So the flower bed option was out. Still, there were other places to use the product: driveways, gravel lots, out-of-control brush. I put the RoundUp in the sprayer and began to spray, but not before reading the directions.

I was struck by some of the instructions. There will be a momentary pause while I go get the bottle so I can directly quote the appropriate passages.

Thanks for sticking around. With bottle in hand, I quote (or paraphrase as the case may be; I will be skipping around, because there's a deeper point here): kills and prevents all types of weeds and grasses…weeds begin to yellow and wilt within hours with complete kill in 1 to 2 weeks…WHERE NOT TO USE—DO NOT SPRAY plants and grasses you like because they may die too; DO NOT USE in lawns or for lawn renovation as it prevents desirable grasses from growing too; DO NOT USE for vegetable garden prep or in and around fruits and vegetables; DO NOT SPRAY around young plants or in an area that will be planted or seeded within four months…shield desirable plants from drift with a sheet of cardboard or plastic…If desirable plant is accidentally sprayed, rinse off immediately with water…for fastest results apply during warm, sunny weather…rain or watering 30 minutes after application will NOT wash away effectiveness.

So, those were the highlights of the instructions. Pretty self-explanatory, don't you think? Well, as I read these directions, I was struck at a possible spiritual application (pardon the pun). This RoundUp product is a great comparison to the effects of sin. Sin will kill every good and decent thing within us. Almost immediately it begins to take effect, dulling us and robbing us of all that gives life, and before too long complete kill occurs. I particularly liked the WHERE NOT TO USE section of the instructions. When we sin we believe that it's an isolated experience or incident and doesn't affect those areas of our life which we like. But when sin comes into our life, even those good things we want to keep are affected and we will lose them as well. Desirable things cannot grow in this environment; sin kills what we have and stops things we want. We are to produce spiritual fruit, we are to provide spiritual and emotional nourishment to others, but sin keeps this from happening as well, poisoning the fruit of our life. And young Christians can be poisoned as well from the drift of our own experience. They see our example, they hear our words and follow our path, and they too are destroyed.

But there is hope. Once we realize that we have sinned, that we have made a mistake and stepped into the devil's trap, being sprayed with his venom, we can take steps to immediately rinse ourselves with the "water of life" which "is the Word of God," the only thing which will cleanse us. As for the remaining instructions for the RoundUp, we notice when fastest results can be seen. When you are going about your life, thinking all is well, things are going great, if we dive into sin the effects are immediate and devastating, perhaps even worse than at any other time. And if we don't get things taken care of as quickly as possible, the damage could be permanent, at least in this world.

One additional thing I noticed as I put the bottle down a moment ago. There was a money back consumer guarantee, promising a replacement or refund of the price is not completely satisfied. There are two ways to apply that spiritually. Satan is not going to give you a "money back guarantee" if you're not satisfied with sin. You're stuck with it. But it doesn't matter, because the product he's pushing works every time. It will destroy everything it touches. The other way to spiritually apply this by looking at it from God's point of view. Sometimes we make mistakes and by into something we don't fully grasp, and we want out. If we return to Him with our purchase (the sin in which we've engaged), and ask Him to forgive us and restore to us our relationship and joy and peace with Him, He will say to us, "The price was paid on Calvary. I have the Receipt sitting at My Right Hand." The Lord will restore to us all that was taken by our mistake, and that's a guarantee to live by, and even to die by.

So, the battle is on. One comes and goes with the seasons. The other is constant. In either case, we need to look at the instructions, see what can happen and what is possible, and confidently move forward. The battle with Satan has been won. The battle with my lawn is another story…

© 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.

Cover to Cover

1500. That number is the conservative estimate of books in my possession. My more generous estimate is somewhere over 2000, though. The oldest book I have is currently at the ripe young age of 157 (yes, one hundred, fifty-seven years). Probably between 2% and 5% are 100 years old or older. Perhaps 50%-60% are fifty to ninety-nine years old. The remainder of books is more current. If I started reading right now, and read every moment of every day, I probably would never get through them all. Some I've never read; others I have merely used as resources for specific items. Then there are those that I have read several times. I am currently re-re-re-re-re-reading an historical fiction series on the Civil War. Now this is just a preliminary prediction, but I am fairly certain it's going to end the very same way: the Union's going to win. The same people are going to live and the same people are going to die. The same battles will turn out the same way. That's the nature of books like this.

But not so my favorite book of all. The Bible is most certainly a unique book, for a number of reasons. For me, I think one of the most unique characteristic of the Bible is its ability to remain new and fresh. While it is an ancient collection of smaller books and letters, it is as contemporary as "tomorrow's newspaper," as my grandfather used to say. If you read a passage of Scripture five times, ten times, 1500 or even 2000 times, you can get that same number of new insights. For unbelievers this seems foolish, but most if not all Christians will understand what I'm talking about.

When you hear me or someone else say that the Bible is the Living Word of God, or that the Scriptures are "alive," it is true. Not in the sense that it breathes air or has blood pumping through it, but when you think about it, these things are true in a spiritual sense. The Bible has the ability to breathe fresh air into our mind and heart, and the blood of Jesus which flows across its pages most certainly affects our existence.

Yesterday evening I was speaking with my wife and I mentioned my fascination with the Bible. I love what it has to say. I love to find the deeper meanings within the pages, to go beyond the words and discover the truths of our Lord. Additionally, I said that it was amazing how two people can read the same words, hear the same sermon, study for the same amount of time, and come to two entirely different conclusions. There need not be animosity or argument in the differing ideas. In fact, open discussion of both points of view can be of great benefit to both parties, in that new avenues of thought and understanding can come from them. Too often people believe it is their duty to convince everyone that their way of thinking is the only "right" way. But when it comes down to it, we are to help edify one another, build one another up in love, support and understanding. The best way to do this is to follow the words of the Bible: study to show ourselves approved, approaching the Word as a laborer or workman, trying to discover all its truths.

I joke with my wife about how there is really only one difference between us: that I am right and she is wrong. I joke with her, saying that although I don't believe in gambling, it would be interesting to place a wager on who is right about certain issues (but of course, we won't know until we're in heaven, and since we can't take anything with us and it won't matter then anyway, what's the point?). But even though we might disagree on certain interpretations or have different points of view about some topics, what holds us together (and maintains the spirit of love and fellowship with other believers inside and outside my congregation) is the essential doctrine of salvation in Christ. Everything else is designed to help us in our walk with Him, to guide us, to give us hope for now as well as the future. If we can agree on Christ, that's all we need. Our unity, the unity which is required by God, comes from this truth, and nothing else is worth fighting over.

So I would suggest you spend some time with the Bible. Don't be afraid to discuss your ideas with those around you, with the understanding that Jesus is the center of it all. Find out what other people believe and why they believe as they do, and that will help you grow in your own spiritual life: inspiring change or reinforcing your original belief. If I didn't have a single book other than the Bible, I could read it alone from now on, and never be able to exhaust its wondrous truths. Try it for yourself, and I promise you won't be disappointed.

© 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.