My Wife, the Snake Slayer

Life never ceases to present comical situations. Today at work I received a phone call from my wife, Erin. It isn’t unusual for her to call; however, this call was rather unusual due the hysterics coming from her end of the line. It turns out that she had spotted a rather large snake in the backyard. Furthermore, I was to drive home immediately and kill the snake, thus ensuring the safety of her and the children. Rather than leaving work in the middle of the afternoon, I suggested that she get a picture of the snake. With the picture, she and I could both try to identify the snake using the web of the wide world. She informed me that she would try, and she also said, “I think that it is sleeping, because it didn’t move. When I saw it, I screamed, so maybe I woke it up.”

After taking the picture and getting a good look at the snake, which still had not moved, she emailed me identifying the snake as a Mississippi Green Water Snake. The snakes are not venomous, but they will bite if harassed. This was kind of concerning, because my children harass any living creature they can find (except for the smallest bugs, which terrify them at times). Shortly after, she sent me a picture of the snake, which was no help to me at all, although it did help me put the size of the “large” snake into perspective. Based on the size of the snake in relation to the width of the fence boards in the picture, this was not a large snake.

I spoke with a few people at work, and decided that the easiest and most practical thing to do would be to leave the snake alone. When I called the house to inform Erin, the line was busy. While fervently praying that Erin had not called 911, a thought began to form in my mind. My next conversation with Erin would help to flesh out the idea that has become this blog post.

This is what was said when Erin next called me at work:

“Hello, this is Ron.”

“I did it. Well, actually, you did it.”

“I did what? What are you talking about? You killed the snake?”

“Yeah, I killed it. Well, it was already dead. It was all smushed.”

“So you killed it with the shovel, but it was already dead.”

“Yeah, I think you killed it when you were moving those blocks. I think you dropped one on it. I watched it for so long before I did it, and it wasn’t moving at all. But I did it.”

“Oh, good. Who did you have on the phone with you while you did that?”

“No one, why?”

“Because, I tried to call you, but the line was busy.”

“Oh, I gave the phone to Dylan and told him to call 911 if something happened to me. When I came back in he had called 222221111111.”

After that exchange, we went back and forth about the need to move the snake.

I said, “Okay, well just keep the boys inside for now and I will move it when I get home.”

“Well, it will be dark when you get home, I can get it.”

“Okay, well just get some gloves and move it to the front yard, I want to look at it and then I will throw it out.”

“Can’t it just stay there?”

“No, other animals will come and try to eat it, and the boys will mess with it. Just leave it until I get home, I guess.”

“No, I will put it in the wheelbarrow with a shovel.”

“Okay, then just push the wheelbarrow into the front where the boys can’t get to it.”

“No! There is no way I am pushing around a dead snake!”

And that is how the conversation went. And this whole episode reminded me about how we are in life with sin.

When God makes us truly aware of our sin, it convicts us. We feel grimy. We don’t want to touch it. But we can’t bring ourselves to put an end to it. Something about it traps us in fear…and maybe trap is the key word. Erin knew that the snake needed to be killed. It posed a threat (albeit a small one) to our family. But she couldn’t bring herself to kill it.

It is much the same with sin. Continuing in sin will harm our reputations and our families, but so often we cannot muster the courage to kill the sin.

When Erin finally mustered the courage to confront the snake, she found that it was already dead. Much in the same way, the believer that will confront his sin will find that the sin had no power over him in the first place. Being in Christ means we are dead to sin. Our desire to go back to sin over and over is evidence of a problem in our heart, and not evidence of the power of sin over us. Jesus Christ took care of our sin on the cross. Trusting in Him freed us from sin’s power. In the same way, Erin discovered that the snake was already dead, and held no power at all.

Unfortunately, we oftentimes find it difficult to take the next step. Once the sin is realized, the next step is to get rid of it. This is where we struggle. We let sin hang around. Erin’s first solution was that she and the boys “would never go in the backyard again.” And many times we think the same way. One says, “I have a problem with pornography, so I will never be around a computer again.” Another says, “I have a problem with gossip, so I will stop hanging around my gossiping friends.” Both of these scenarios externalize an internal problem. Sure, the man who lusts can limit his access to a computer, but can he limit his access to women who choose to dress inappropriately? A woman can stop hanging around those who helped her gossip, but can she ultimately guarantee that she will never hear gossip elsewhere? These things may be necessary guards to erect in one’s life, but they are means to an end, and not the end itself.

This is why we must get rid of sin in our life, and we must deal with it in a very real way. Leaving the snake in the backyard will only create future problems. It will demand our attention every time the boys are outside. It could attract larger scavengers, or any number of other animals. Staying inside the house forever is impractical, and in a way, giving the snake power even though it is dead. The same is true of our sin. If we do not deal with it head on and remove it from out life, it will always demand our attention, it could present larger problems in the future, or it could lock us into impractical situations.

How many times do we want to visit the same sin again? How many times do we want to worry about how it may affect our family?

When God brings a sin to your attention, deal with it! Realize it has no power over you, and get rid of it completely!

Fyodor Dostoevsky by Peter Leithart

Considering that Dostoevsky is probably the greatest Russian author ever, and in the discussion for the greatest universal author ever, I was ecstatic when given the opportunity to read and review Fyodor Dostoevsky by Peter Leithart. Unfortunately, whatever excitement I had about learning more about my favorite author quickly dissipated after reading the opening disclaimer of the book.

First, let me tell you what is right about this book. The book itself is fantastically written. I felt as if I could not put it down. It is written in such a way that it flows like a story rather than a narrative about a man’s life. Tragically, that strength is also the book’s Achilles’ heel.

This book is not a biography. It is a crime to call it such. If you are looking to read a biography of Fyodor Dostoevsky, do not read this book; you will be disappointed. This book can only be described as Historical Fiction. This is not merely my opinion, for the book itself admits to such in the opening disclaimer: "Conversations in Fyodor Dostoevsky, unless specifically cited from another work, were created by the author as a literary device and are to be read as fictionalized accounts of his life." Since no less than eighty-five percent of the book is written using this nifty literary device, the reader is left to decide what is true and what is a fictionalization.

The instructions for the reader to use when deciding are also confusing. Apparently, whenever there is notation of a footnote, the reader should identify that as being factually accurate. However, this causes the reader to have to flip back to the notes in order to track down the source for the quote. What the reader does not know is how this quote was contextually used in the original source. This makes for frustrating reading, especially when one is expecting to be reading a biography of a person’s life.

I found this book to be annoying. There were times when I read something moving, and I thought, “that is an awesome quote,” only to find out that there was no footnote. This signified that what I thought was a great quote, was actually just the author writing something that Dostoevsky might have said.

Despite my aforementioned criticisms, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the writings of Fyodor Dostoevsky. If you put aside the notion that you will be delving into a fact-filled adventure story of his life, I think you will find that this book is well written and enticing.

You can check out the details for this book at http://www.booksneeze.com/blogger/request/9781595550347

*the publisher of this book provided me with a complimentary or advanced reading copy through BookSneeze®.

The Jesus Inquest by Charles Foster

I recently read a book called The Jesus Inquest by Charles Foster. This book looked closely at the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and included both for and against arguments in detailed fashion.

I am a born again Christian that firmly believes in the resurrection account contained in Scripture. Having spent time reading this book, I find that my largest complaint is that the author never explicitly states his own opinion. I understand and applaud the idea of writing a book while trying to be as objective as possible. However, what is the point of writing a book detailing explicit arguments if the results of the effort do not lead you to embrace one side or the other?

To be fair, the author does tell the reader that he has reached a decision based on the evidence. Unfortunately, this only added to my frustration at not knowing what that decision was. Imagine for a moment if the President of the United States proposed a bill that had many negatives and positives. Imagine if he concluded his presentation by saying, “In light of all of the evidence for and against this measure, I have made a decision; I hope you can make one as well.” That kind of incomplete and shady statement would make even an ardent supporter scratch his head.

Again, I understand the author’s desire to remain objective throughout the book. However, if the point of one’s book is to cultivate an opinion in the reader, then the reader should know how the research affected the opinion of the author. What the readers of this book are left with is exactly what many of them had before they picked it up: the case for both sides.

Despite the one flaw that I have detailed, I found the book to be incredibly informative and thought-provoking. Not only did the author put forth every argument in painstaking detail, he also explained where each argument stood in relation to mainstream thought. For example, some arguments against the resurrection are not even considered valid by those most opposed to the idea of it. Instead of leaving those arguments out of his research, the author included them and detailed the pros and cons, regardless of how ludicrous they were.

Since I started out biased toward the Christian viewpoint, I found myself appalled at some of the accusations against the resurrection. I also found myself cheering when the evidence for a certain aspect of the resurrection clearly debunked an argument against it. The author did make one statement that caused me some concern. He suggested that no one could believe in verbal inspiration after a close examination of the Gospels. His argument stemmed from the many differences and omissions between Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I disagree wholly with that suggestion.

Overall, this book has caused me to examine some things more closely, to lean more fully on faith, and to take Scripture at its face-value. I think that this book is a must-read for those interested in apologetics, as it really does a good job of trying to “prove” both sides of the argument.

You can check out the reviewed book at <http://www.booksneeze.com/blogger/resources/9780849948114>

*the publisher of this book provided me with a complimentary or advanced reading copy through BookSneeze®.

Excellence Worth Noting

Life can get busy. Sometimes it takes a concentrated effort to do the things I like most. Writing is one of those things. I love to write, but it takes effort, and when the kids go to bed on most days, watching a movie requires far less of my effort than writing does. This is strange to me, because I enjoy writing. Many times I think about things to write during the day, only to forget them somewhere between the drive home and the kids' goodnight prayers. If things that I enjoy doing can get set aside for weeks...how much greater is the danger of neglect regarding the things that I do not enjoy?

On November 29th, 2010, Erin and I welcomed our third son to the family. Since that time our life has been a roller coaster of emotion, both good and bad. Anyone who has had a child knows that the first two months are both trying and joyful. We were able to experience an added element to the situation, because Erin has not been well. At first we were not concerned, but the problem continually got worse. Several doctor trips resulted in Erin being put on a medicine to try and force her body to correct the problem. Basically, this medicine was going to send her into labor...and it pretty much wiped her out for a day and a half. During that time I learned some things about my wife.

I have always said that I could never be a stay-at-home parent; until yesterday it was mostly just lip-service to encourage Erin. Friday was my day to be Mr. Mom. Three kids, all under the age of three, all day...just me. Also, there was Erin in the bedroom in pretty severe pain that I had to keep my eye on. It may shock you to know that this is the first time that I had been "in control" of all three of our children by myself for an extended period of time.

I discovered quickly the little things that I did not know how to do. For example: Swaddle Donovan correctly so that he didn't break free of his blanket while he was struggling not to fall asleep. I also had to learn all of the little sacrifices that I pay no attention to on a normal basis. Like when I caught my breath and warmed myself some pizza up in the microwave for lunch - completely forgetting that Dylan and Ronin needed to eat as well...and that meant that I had to get them something. Before I could even sit down I had two children clawing at my legs for the food I was carrying. After they had finished eating the pizza I made for myself, I went to eat something of my own, and the baby woke up to eat.

It was literally a never-ending parade of diaper-changing, feeding, juice-filling, crowd controlling, laundry-doing, toy-removing, and aspirin-taking.

Around seven-thirty last night, Erin emerged from the bedroom for the first time saying that she was feeling a little better. Dylan brought me his cup and began chanting juice, and when I got up to fill it, Ronin started screaming because he wasn't getting any. I told him to bring me his cup, which resulted in him running in a circle crying looking for it. I looked all over the house before I realized that I had picked it up and put it in the sink earlier in the day. Both boys were practically pulling my pants down while I was trying to fill their cups. They were in the way of the refrigerator, they cried when I told them to move, they cried when I didn't fill their cups fast enough.

I had reached my breaking point, and I almost started crying. All I could do was laugh because I was about to go crawl under my bed and cry myself to sleep. Erin helped me put the boys to bed, and I put my tail between my legs and retreated to the shower. I was more worn out than I had been in a long time...and in the moments of peace and refreshment that the shower offered I had some time to reflect.

My wonderful wife deals with this on a daily basis. I don't know how she does it, but she does. The little things that made my day so difficult, she knows them by heart. The sacrifices that seemed so unapparent to me - she makes them constantly without complaining. The effort that she puts forth in a day astonishes me and leaves me to wonder if I have ever put that much effort into anything. She also works during the day. She does medical transcribing, a job that requires great attention to detail, while balancing three children. She is also the one that gave birth to Donovan only two months ago...and her body still has not recovered from that. As a final act, she gets me to deal with when I come home from work.

I picked up all of the toys in our house so many times yesterday that it made me sick. Regardless, when the kids went to bed, the living room looked like a mess because they had been playing. I did more loads of laundry yesterday than I did my entire college career, but at the end of the day there was still a pile of the clothes we had all been wearing. I did dishes three times during the day, but at the end, there were still bottles and juice-cups and plates and pans in the sink. I took out the trash, but by night fall there was a decent pile of diapers, apple cores, and banana peels already filling up a second one.

And Erin does this everyday...by herself.

I go to work each day and put forth my best for my employers. However, I guarantee that I have never put forth the sort of above-and-beyond, selfless effort that my wife displays on a daily basis. Maybe that says something about me, but I am thinking it says far more about the woman I share my life with.

God help me if I am ever tempted to question the toys on the floor when I come home from work, or the dishes in the sink, or the clothes in the hamper, or my exhausted wife's seemed disinterest in me. I was ready to quit after 9 hours...and I didn't have medical transcribing...and I didn't make dinner, McDonald's did.

Sometime I can't summon the effort to sit down and do something I love...Erin summons effort each day that I can only imagine possessing. She is amazing...and I love her.

I am so ready for work on Monday.

Hollow Cycle

Crumble to pieces and completely fall apart: over the same rock broken again and again.

Gasping for life, choking on death, frantic for rescue, but failure’s the current…strong, relentless.

Thrown upon the shore: battered, frightened, disillusioned, remorseful, ashamed, but resolute.

Strength to stand is gathered; strength to move is gradually coming. Must move forward, away.

Danger falls with the tide and shadow is cast over the memory of the very real danger.

Giant rocks appear above the surface…knowing their location allows for distance and security.

The beach is a beautiful place, so warm and inviting. The sunrise is awesome; paralyzing.

The strength to move becomes a desire to stay and dwell in this calm, serene and safe glory.

Tides are rising…already the jagged rocks are disappearing, waves breaking against them.

Water touches the feet, but the scenery and comfort are captivating.

Crumble to pieces and completely fall apart, over the same rock broken again and again.

Gasping for life, choking on death, frantic for rescue, but failure is the current…strong, relentless.

Thrown upon the shore: battered, frightened, disillusioned, remorseful, ashamed…

With a new resolve to stand and then to move…move forward…away.

But danger falls with the tide and shadow is cast over the memory of very real danger.

And we stay, and we fail.

*Analogy of temptation, and then sin. The cycle that we often find ourselves in. Sometimes we never learn. God help us.

The Seeker

Despite our best warnings, you hurdle the fence; we watch as you struggle for meaning on the other side.

Not quite knowing when it ceases to be our place to protect you from yourself, we hesitate as you falter.

As one we reach out to comfort and to heal, but your pride overwhelms us and we are turned back.

You know what you know and you continue your search among the dead and buried,

Still hoping to uncover something that may be revived…thinking it unchanged and savable…but we know better…and so do you.

You ignore the stench arising from your actions (nothing good…nothing good); we can barely breathe.

You are blinded by rage, passion, and discontent – driven to revive flames that have long been ashes; dust.

Frantic and delusional, you wander trails long ago forsaken. You hope to God they now lead somewhere else.

You know, and we know…yet you continue to search among the dead and buried.

Mesmerized by the thought that something may be revived…thinking it savable…but we know better; you used to.

*A short writing about one who scours the past for a better future. The “dead and buried” refers to the graveyard that is our past. It is important to remember that things, once done, cannot be undone. Obviously, then, the “stench” refers to the smell of decay one would encounter when digging up a grave. Decaying flesh is an offending stench indeed. The comparison here is that the one digging ignores the “smells” that are so obvious to everyone else. He is delusional to the point of actually thinking he will find the contents of the grave exactly as he left it, or perhaps, that some “life” may actually remain in what has been buried. The analogy behind the “trails long ago forsaken” is much the same. Blindly, the seeker hopes that choices he made in the past can be changed (or forgotten), resulting in different results. Scattered throughout are glimpses into the hurt and confusion that this search casts upon friends and family members – as this is written ‘by’ them.

One for me, tattoo for you.

Last week I received a wonderful gift. The holiday season is full of giving and receiving (and by holiday season I mean: Thanksgiving - New Year). We are having a baby in a week, and so some of our Christmas gifts are coming early. Like most young couples with children, the object of our yearning is most often the almighty dollar, because there never seems to be enough to go around.

After we put some of our gift away in savings and got some presents for the kids, I chose to use some of my early Christmas gift to get a tattoo. Well, four of them, actually. I already had two of them: Ronin's name on my left shoulder, and Erin's name on my left forearm. Now, I have Dylan and Donovan's names above and beneath Ronin's as appropriate. I also have the word 'AWAKE' tattooed on my right forearm. Underneath that is a tattoo that says 'Rom. 13:11-14'. I will explain that in a minute.

I have received varying responses to my tattoos, and I want to share my view on them so that there is no confusion.

There is no doubt that I was taught growing up that ear piercings for boys and tattoos were wrong. However, just like in previous generations, I am finding little Scripture to back up the teaching. For example: generations before mine were taught that women should never wear pants. When my parents were my second grade Sunday School teachers, they had to sign something saying that they would not go to the movie theater. So through time we have discovered that plenty of things on our list of right and wrong was simply that: a part of OUR list.

What were the most common things I heard about tattoos growing up? A) your body is the temple of Holy Ghost, B) satanic and bad people have them, C) tattoo parlors are not Christian places, D) it is a form of self-mutilation.

Let me attack these issues in reverse order. Eating at McDonald's is a form of self-mutilation. So is getting one's ear pierced, but women have been doing that for ages with no apparent issue. Did you know that exercising is self-mutilation because you are actually tearing your muscles down so that they rebuild stronger? How about an example from the Bible. The most epic form of self-mutilation I can find: God gave Samson the power to commit suicide in order to get vengeance. Don't believe me? Check out Judges 16:28-30. Here is a snippet of Samson's final prayer: "strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes." And you know the story, God granted his request and the house came tumbling down killing more people in his death than in his entire life. Does getting a tattoo hurt? Yeah it does. But so does eating too much and running on the treadmill. Here is something to chew on...standing up for Christ hurts sometimes too.

The idea that tattoo parlors are un-Christian places is probably accurate. If you have ever been in one to view the pages and pages of tattoo pictures they have, you understand that you probably shouldn't look through them again. But what constitutes a "Christian" place? Does your favorite restaurant have a bar section? All seven of my favorite restaurants do. Do I drink? Nope. Do I go to the restaurant and eat the awesomeness that is Olive Garden? Yeah, I do. Does your local movie theater show movies that a Christian shouldn't see? I guarantee they do...mine does. Do I still go to the theater to see other movies? Not really, because I can't afford it, but when we have money, yeah, we hit up the theater. So, when I walk into a tattoo parlor and I hand the artist a printout of what I want on me, it is no different than walking past the bar in a restaurant to my seat where I tell the waitress, "No, we don't drink. I do not want to sample your wine," or when I walk past the theater showing an inappropriate movie as I head toward the one showing Toy Story 3. Seriously, folks, your local Walmart is dirtier and more inappropriate than a tattoo parlor. If you don't believe me check out http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/.

Satanic and bad people do have tattoos. There is no denying it. I would dare say that in the past the vast majority of tattooees were less than friendly types. Remember when playing cards was a sin because the only people using them were in casinos and bars? Satanic people have a bible too, and they read it and practice what it says. It was written by Anton LaVey. Trust me, I have seen it and read it. Does that stop me from reading my Bible? No way. It is a bible, but it is not the same as my Bible. Just like my tattoos aren't the same as a bad person's tattoos. I think that is the big difference, and leads me right into my next point.

My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. When I received Christ my body became rightfully His property. Over the years I have heard this verse used to tell Christians that all kinds of things are sinful. From the aforementioned pants on women and piercings, to tattoos and certain types of clothing. Most people totally disregard the fact that in context this verse is talking about sexual perversions and Paul is literally flabbergasted by it all and says, "WHAT!!!!!!!!??????????" As if to say, 'do you guys seriously not understand that your body is God's and you shouldn't use it that way!' But allow us to wrench the verse out of context (since it is hardly EVER used in context) and apply it to tattoos. No one should get a tattoo because that is putting graffiti on God's body. Now let's apply it to piercings. No one should get piercings because that is adding decoration on God's body. Now let's apply it to make-up. No one should wear make-up because that is making an improvement (usually) on God's body. Now let's apply it to hair cuts. No one should get hair cuts because that is altering God's body. Now let's get straight-up redonkulous and apply it to clothes...maybe we shouldn't wear them because we don't want to cover up God's glorious design? Before you massacre me, I understand that other portions of Scripture state the importance of proper garments. I was using that as an illustration to show the lunacy and the natural progression that comes from using that verse as a high horse.

Also, could someone please step up and show me one example in the Bible where the temple wasn't highly decorated? For Pete's peppers people, the Temple of Solomon would make the most lavish Catholic Church appear rundown.

So, I think it boils down to this: The Glory of God. Does what I do with my body glorify God? It is the same with everything. Does what I do with my time, money, emotions, glorify God? I think that my body does glorify God. My most important roles in this life are as a Father and a Husband. I have the names of my children on me...just like carrying a picture, the tattoos are a constant reminder that I am a father. I even put them in Japanese so that people can ask about them and I get a chance to talk about my kids. I have the name of my wife tattooed on my arm where everyone can see it...where I can constantly see it. Why? Because I am a husband and my heart belongs to Erin and I want everyone to know it. Sure, I wear a wedding ring, but men with wedding rings have affairs all the time because you can take them off. I can't remove my wife's name from my view, or from the view of someone else. That is how I want it.

Those of you who know me well know that for the past few years I have struggled greatly in my Christian life. This past June, when God started to get change my heart and we began attending Bible Baptist Church, I kept telling Erin, "I feel like I am finally awake. I feel like I have been walking asleep in my Christianity for so long...I am awake and things finally make sense."  If I were to tell you how far my life had slipped, you would be shocked. I am shocked to remember it. And you know what, I fell before and I know that it is possible for me to fall again. And trust me, I never want to go down that road again. So God led me to some verses in Romans.

"And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkeness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye one the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof." Rom. 13:11-14

You know what? God woke me up. God changed my life. I need a testament in my life to that fact. I want to set up a marker in my life. I want a constant reminder that says: Hey, you're awake now buddy, things are different. Jesus made a difference, and you know the other road well.

I have it on my arm, where I can see it every single day for the rest of my life. I have already had the opportunity to share my story with two people at work.

You may not like tattoos...you may not like earrings...you may not like movie theaters, for all I know you may not like me, but I wanted to share what my thoughts were on a subject that has recently become dear to me.