Thanks for being a part of this blog journey.
May the light of Jesus shine in your heart!

Here is William Lane Craig’s take on the absurdity of life without God:

Man, writes Loren Eiseley, is the Cosmic Orphan. He is the only creature in the universe who asks, “Why?” Other animals have instincts to guide them, but man has leamed to ask questions. “Who am I?” man asks. “Why am I here? Where am I going?” Since the Enlightenment, when he threw off the shackles of religion, man has tried to answer these questions without reference to God. But the answers that came back were not exhilarating, but dark and terrible. “You are the accidental by-product of nature, a result of matter plus time plus chance. There is no reason for your existence. All you face is death.

Modern man thought that when he had gotten rid of God, he had freed himself from all that repressed and stifled him. Instead, he discovered that in killing God, he had also killed himself. For if there is no God, then man’s life becomes absurd.

If God does not exist, then both man and the universe are inevitably doomed to death. Man, like all biological organisms, must die. With no hope of immortality, man’s life leads only to the grave. His life is but a spark in the infinite blackness, a spark that appears, flickers, and dies forever. Therefore, everyone must come face to face with what theologian Paul Tillich has called “the threat of non-being.” For though I know now that I exist, that I am alive, I also know that someday I will no longer exist, that I will no longer be, that I will die. This thought is staggering and threatening: to think that the person I call “myself” will cease to exist, that I will be no more! …

And the universe, too, faces death. Scientists tell us that the universe is expanding, and everything in it is growing farther and farther apart. As it does so, it grows colder and colder, and its energy is used up. Eventually all the stars will burn out and all matter will collapse into dead stars and black holes. There will be no light at all; there will be no heat; there will be no life; only the corpses of dead stars and galaxies, ever expanding into the endless darkness and the cold recesses of space—a universe in ruins. So not only is the life of each individual person doomed; the entire human race is doomed. There is no escape. There is no hope.

If there is no God, then man and the universe are doomed. Like prisoners condemned to death, we await our unavoidable execution. There is no God, and there is no immortality. And what is the consequence of this? It means that life itself is absurd. It means that the life we have is without ultimate significance, value, or purpose.

Read more: http://www.reasonablefaith.org/the-absurdity-of-life-without-god#ixzz3Ez3hCliz

Sam inspires Frodo to not give up, no matter how dark the story gets.
“They kept going, because they were holding on to something!”
What Sam describes as ‘some good in this world’, I believe, points to God.
If there is no God, no standard of good or evil, then there is such thing as good or bad.
What is is; who’s to say that one thing is evil and one thing is good.
But we all intuitively sense that there ‘something good’ and it’s worth fighting for.
That’s because God created us to know – and to long for – good.
And yes, God is working towards a happy ending, no matter how dark this world gets.
Don’t give up, keep hanging on, keep pressing on, God and good will triumph one day!
A new day will come!!!

Apparently, men are fixers.
But often women do not want to be fixed, they want to be listened to.
I’m learning how to do this, but I have to admit, it’s hard.
Sometimes, fixing something just makes more sense…

We have an election for Ontario provincial government tomorrow.
Many people are expressing discouragement, frustration, and uncertainty about how to vote.
I also have little confidence in any of the parties or their leaders.
Each one makes bold promises, each one dreams big dreams.
But we’ve been there before, year after year we end up disappointed.
In fairness, I think their hands are tied, they are hindered by circumstances beyond their control, and by human nature (which always seems to interfere).
Many people will not vote (advance polls have reported lower turnout already).
Some people are contemplating protest votes, spoiled ballots, or turning in their ballots unmarked.

Does voting matter, does it make a difference, can we really expect anything better this time?
As I’ve prayed about this, I am getting the sense that I should turn my vote into a prayer.
Each party has something in their platform that is good, whether financial stewardship or social justice or concern for the poor or cleaning up corruption or investing in jobs or concern for the environment.
And when discerning the times, we may feel compelled to focus on one or more of these.
Prayerfully choose your social concern(s), prayerfully select the party that best reflects those concerns.
Commit yourself to addressing these concerns (1) with your prayers (2) with your actions (3) with your vote.
Don’t just expect the government to do it, and don’t just hope that God will do it.
Make these concerns YOUR concerns, and express them through your prayers, your actions and your vote.
Even if your party doesn’t win, you and God will still be working toward those causes.
Voting alone cannot make a difference, but voting with your prayer and your life and your ballot can – no matter who ends up in government.
Identify the social concerns that God is laying on your heart; select the party that best reflects those concerns; pray to God regarding those concerns; commit to God to doing what you can regarding those concerns; and vote with your life and your ballot towards those concerns. Turn your vote into a prayer.

According to Muslim tradition, there are 99 Names of God (Allah).
Reading this list, all of them are true for Jews and Christians too.
But how these names are understood depends on which Name takes priority.
For Jesus, the Name that takes priority over all others is “Father”.
This is the starting point, and this Name/Idea gives shape to all the others.
Related to this is John’s idea that God is first and foremost love (1 John 4:8).
Certainly God is The Exalter and the Abaser, but only as an expression of His fatherly love.
Certainly God is the Giver and Taker of life, but only in the context of His fatherly love.
Yes, God is to be feared (respected), “with deepest, tenderest fears”, but not cowered before.
Jesus presents to us a God that we can respect AND love.
Jesus models to us a God that loves us so much that He stoops to our level and  suffers for us.
God may be all these things listed below – here we agree with Muslims – but most of all, God is love.
God is our loving Father, our Father exalted in heaven, over all powers and realities.
God has many names, but according to Jesus one Name stands out: “Our Father in heaven, holy is His Name!”

• Allah (????) God
• Ar Rahman (??????) The All Merciful
• Ar Rahim (??????) The Most Merciful
• Al Malik (?????) The King, The Sovereign
• Al Quddus (??????) The Most Holy
• As Salam (??????) Peace and Blessing
• Al Mu’min (??????) The Guarantor
• Al Muhaymin (???????) The Guardian, the Preserver

Continue reading ‘The Name above all Names’ »

I’ve shown this video before, but I love it.
May praise be the song in your heart and mind as you go through your day!

I watched this fascinating interview with Nicholas Carr. It has something to say about our growing inability to engage in deep thinking (contemplation, meditation, focussed thinking, reading books, concentration). People often tell me that they can’t concentrate when praying or reading the bible. I wonder if this has anything to do with it… rhetorical question! The internet is not bad, but out of balance it skews our ability to think in other ways. Watch it and let me know what you think… or if you can relate. If you want to go deeper, this two part interview goes further into it.
— How the Internet is Rewiring Our Brains (Part 1) (25 min)
— How the Internet is Rewiring Our Brains (Part 2) (25 min)