Critical Repairs, In Many Ways

They say that the "third time's the charm." I hope so. This is hard drive number three that I have had to utilize in my notebook computer. Now I can understand if the computer was old and abused, or even infected with some dastardly virus of some sort; but I've only had this computer for a few years at the most. After losing my first hard drive and everything on it, I have become much more studious about back-ups, so when things started going haywire I was already well on my way to being prepared for the worst.

This computer has been, for lack of a better term, a piece of junk. Yes, there have been far more good days with it than bad, but those bad days really taxed patience. Aside from the keyboard, nearly everything has been replaced: the screen, the CD/DVD drive, and of course, a twice-replaced hard drive. But now I have a brand-spanking new, not-refurbished-or-otherwise-substandard, 120 GB (upgraded from 80 GB) hard disk on which I have spent at least 15 hours over the last two days trying to recreate this (for all intents and purposes) new computer in the image of the old, installing and downloading and uploading and overloading and any other form of loading one can do. Who knows how much longer it will be? But at least I have all my essentials returned to me.

A friend has said to me, on this and other occasions, "You've had nothing but trouble with that computer." But, truth be told, as I sit here thinking about all the times the computer let me down, about all the times and all the things done to fix said problems, as I think about the two-week ordeal in getting the part in, which should have been two days, and as I think about the $180 used to pay for all of this work (which I didn't really have to spare this week, but that's a different story), I can honestly say I'm not that upset at all. The rebirth of this computer has allowed me to see something much more personal, something that has been taking place over the last several weeks in my own life.

After a very long time, I finally came to a sobering conclusion about my own life that I had to confront in order to move forward. In a sermon titled The Choice Between Two, I addressed something that I had been guilty of without fully realizing it: I had for far too long tried to serve two masters. (NOTE: This message has not been put on the Internet for podcasting because of the computer issues over the last month, but I hope to perhaps put "the best of" sermons online over the next week or so, in case you wish to listen – if so, visit http://feeds.feedburner.com/westwoodonline or visit the iTunes store and search for Westwood Church of God podcast.)

As a pastor, it was very difficult to admit that I had drifted away from everything I held dear to me, without even realizing what kind of slippery slope I was on at the time. Intellectually I knew, but denial is a powerful force. After hitting rock bottom in almost every area of my life, gripped with overwhelming depression and despair, I realized there was only one option. As I said in my sermon (and explained in further detail), I had to apologize to my wife for failing her has a husband; I apologized to my kids for failing them as a father; I apologized to my church for failing them as a pastor; and I apologized to the Lord for failing Him as a servant. We all have faults, we all make mistakes, we're all human. But whether I mentioned it at the time or not, I had forgotten to apologize to myself, because I had let myself down as well.

It's hard to be everything to everyone. In fact, it's impossible. What is equally impossible is being everything to yourself. Living with the memories of failures and defeats, or placing too much emphasis on one's own importance, can be a difficult thing to live with. When I had gotten so low that I had to re-evaluate my life and once again look to the Lord as my only refuge and rescue, I finally grasped what I had preached and taught for so long: Jesus MUST always be first and everything, and we can only survive if we rely totally upon Him. This total surrender is often the most difficult things to understand and embrace, but it's vital.

So with all that happening right around the time of this whole computer mess, I have been able to look at things in a much different light. This computer, earlier described as "a piece of junk," is a perfect illustration of my own life. When I signed on with the Lord I knew what He expected of me, but little by little things kept breaking and going wrong: my heart, my mind, my habits and personality. And sometimes the same part would continually fail. I would go to God and ask for some "heavenly tech support," and He would walk me through a fix or replace the defective part, and things would go well for a while. Then something else would bring me down until, finally, I was really beyond effective use.

I went to the Lord and asked Him what I needed, knowing full well that it was a complete overhaul. Just like the last couple of weeks, the entire process was difficult and inconvenient and costly. And just like the last couple of days, getting everything back up and running and fixed better than before, it's slow and sometimes frustrating. I have had this computer fixed time and again, and there were moments I just wanted to throw it away and be done with it. But when I think about how the Lord has been so patient with me and has fixed me time and time again, not throwing me out like He would have every right to do, I can't help but feel peace and joy, and also feel a little bit grateful that this computer has shown me so much about my own life.

And just like this computer, unless you stay connected to the Power Source, pretty soon you won't work at all. Keep that in mind, and remember: JESUS KNOWS HOW TO FIX IT!!!

© 2008, 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!!! SORT OF

I just wanted to let you know that, after a two week fiasco, I have my computer back from the shop with a shiny new hard drive.  I have spent the last 9.5 hours loading all the software and back-up files onto the new drive, but hope to create a new entry in a day or so, then back to the original schedule.  Perhaps I'll even tell you about all this computer mess!

At any rate, it's good to be back, and I hope to see you soon.  Hope you haven't forgot about Soulscape!

A Conspicuous Absenc

Some of you may have noticed that I have not posted in a couple of weeks.  I just wanted you to know that I have not forgotten Soulscape.  I have had to deal with several issues, including physical and spiritual issues, and haven't had the opportunity.  Also, my computer is in the process of dying and will possibly require a new hard drive (the third in this particular computer).  

I hope to get the computer back in a week or so, at which time I will be better able to compose som more entries.  So don't forget me, and I'll not forget you!  See you soon.

The Mouths of Babes

What makes me feel very good is the fact that my son loves church. He goes for friends, he goes to have fun, but he learns stuff as well. Growing up in the household of a pastor isn't the easiest thing in the world, and many times you find the children of pastors rejecting what their parents stand for; it's almost a natural reaction affecting nearly all youth. Rebellion is natural. Unfortunately for those parents who have a relationship with Christ, the rebellion is often manifested in a resistance to all things "church."

Now there's plenty of time for my son to really start rebelling (truth be told, we're never too young or old and as adults we ourselves are too often guilty of trying our own way over God's way), but I am impressed with his faith thus far. Before telling everyone goodnight, he makes sure to say, "See you tomorrow, Lord willing." He is not afraid to pray for food, for needs, whatever. The other day he told me that Jesus was his best friend.

Complex thinking for a four-year-old? I don't think so. In fact, I think it's so simple that a four-year-old can understand it when we sometimes forget. Lily Tomlin once told a joke that said, "Why is it when you talk to God it's called 'praying,' but when God talks to you you're schizophrenic?" My son came out of his room the other day and said Jesus told him something. He does that every now and again. I am not claiming to be the parent of a modern-day Samuel; there are times his imagination and creativity form the basis of his messages (i.e. Yesterday he said, "Dad, Jesus told me to bring you this can of Pringles Mini-Bites." Don't know if Jesus indeed say that, but they were appreciated…and tasty). But he knows the concept that the Lord can speak to him.

Do I believe Jesus is audibly speaking to my son? I don't know, and I wouldn't say that He is not. But I do think that the complexity of Godly, spiritual communication is much more simple than we think. A child is told that God can hear them, and they believe it without question. That's faith. As we grow older, our faith decreases as our cynicism increases. "Prove it," we say. But if a child is given the chance, they will exercise their basic faith in the Lord. It's then that we can learn from them, because as Christ told us, in order to approach Him we must have the faith of a child.

A child's faith is not complex, it is not difficult. It is simple, it is full, and it is complete. I used to ask my son who his best friend was because I knew he'd say, "You are, Dad." And I liked that. But knowing my son has a new best friend is just fine with me.

© 2008, 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.

Pattern for Prayer

Mark 1:35

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place, and there He prayed.

I doubt there will be many who would minimize the need for prayer. Even many non-Christians (at least those who don't actively practice what the Bible defines as a Christian lifestyle) pray and may encourage others to pray. No matter what the religion or method, prayer is something that seems embedded in the human consciousness. During those myriad crises of life it seems that everyone is a proponent of and believer in the power of prayer.

Sadly, the majority of folks, Christian and non-Christian alike, seldom see the need for serious and continuing pattern for prayer. Prayer is much more than "Help me!" although that is most certainly a good and necessary one. Prayer is a time of spiritual devotion, a time to set aside for the purposes of coming to know more about yourself, your God, and His plan for your life.

If Jesus, the very Son of God, felt it necessary to get alone with the heavenly Father and pray, how much more should we have that need? How much more should we recognize just how much we need Him? The above verse is a wonderful pattern for our prayer life. You have heard preachers say that the Holy Scriptures remain a vibrant, living, and applicable source of hope and direction, an ancient book "as modern as tomorrow's newspaper." This is truly one verse that increases in truth with the passage of time.

The last time I checked, there was no shortage of things to occupy our attention. Job tasks, hobbies, entertainment, telephone calls, worry and stress all contribute to this busy lifestyle we all have. In fact, I would say that things such as this suck up our time like a sponge, and we are left with the questions: Where did all my time go? How can I make time for the Lord when I don't have time for anything else?

Well, it is in this instance that a rearrangement of priorities is required. The Bible tells us that God must be first in our life, but if we are truly honest with ourselves, too often all of us push the Lord down the list. But when our spiritual survival is in play, we must make sure that if we have time for nothing else that we DEFINITELY make time for God. To be most effective this requires us to not necessarily remove the distractions, but remove OURSELVES from the distractions.

Notice that Jesus didn't ask the crowds or disciples to leave, nor did He just wait around for them (and any other distractions) to leave Him. He made the move. During an otherwise quiet time (no one else was probably awake) He still got away to Himself, totally alone. Often our answer is to wait until the distractions leave us. We wait until our work day is over, we wait until the TV show is finished, we wait until dinner is concluded, we wait until our visitors or our families bid us a fond adieu, then we try to squeeze God into whatever time is left.

This can and will lead to spiritual ruin if we don't make the change. We must choose to get alone with God. If that requires going to a quiet room, going outside, going for a drive or just sitting in the car, we need to dedicate some time to talking to God, just Him and us. I know it might not always be convenient, but that is never been the point. The point is actually deciding to make the time no matter what. Jesus did, and it gave Him the strength He needed. It will do the same for us.

© 2008, 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.

Auld (and New) Lang Syne

So another year has come and gone, and we stand at the door of 2008. What things lay in store for us? None of us knows for sure, but we can make the best of each day. I'm not talking resolutions and determinations. I'm talking about adopting a philosophy to govern your life and decision-making during this year; a motto, if you will.

There are some perks that come along with being a pastor, and one of those perks is being able to set the tone for the congregation in a given project or for a given time frame. For 2008, it is my desire to continue building upon the spiritual success of the church by making our motto and philosophy "Answering the Call."

What is it God is calling you to do? Maybe you have some sense that there is something, but don't know what. Maybe you've had this feeling, this leaning toward a certain thing, some activity or project or attitude, but you've resisted it. Perhaps you know something you want to do and feel like you should, but doubt or fear has prevented you from doing so. Well, 2008 can be the year for you, if you will "Answer the Call."

There is no doubt it will be a bit frightening, perhaps even difficult, but "Answering the Call" isn't about anything but obedience. If God calls you to do it, keep a few things in mind:

• He knows what He's calling you to do and why.
  
• He is responsible for equipping you to do exactly what it is He is asking of you.
  
• He will not let you down.
  

Our ways are not God's ways. There are always unknowns with us. But as far as I'm concerned, I'd rather go into a thing looking through the eyes of faith alone, with the Lord beside me, than to see everything with my own eyes and risk messing things up. That's what stops most of us from being what (and all) the Lord wants us to be: fear of failure. But as I said, "Answering the Call" is about obedience alone. Success and failure are not the criteria God is looking for in you. The world may see a tremendous success or a colossal failure in you, but all Christ wants is obedience. When you trust in Him and do as He wants you to do, answering His call on your life (no matter what that call might be), then the only thing He judges you on is your obedience to that call. The results are up to Him. If we are responsible to His call to us, He will be responsible for the rest. So let Him be responsible for the rest, and you hold up your end: ANSWER THE CALL!

I look forward to this year, as I hope you do. No matter what might happen, know that we are not alone. We have a friend who is closer than a brother, and who sticks with us through the best and worst of times. He is calling to you today, right now, to be something for Him. And whatever He is calling you to do is something magnificent, something that fits right into His plans for you and for the world and for His Church. All you have to do is answer that call. Join me, join my congregation, and join others from around the world as together we stand, confident, and as we all start "Answering the Call."

© 2008, 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.