seeking questions

Youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtweZxNGk1Y

Nick Vujicic is an Australian without arms and without legs. Not with non-functioning limbs, but without limbs entirely.

One of my most vivid memories as a small child (not more than ten, because I remember we lived in Tahlequah when the event happened) was seeing a man without one arm (just a "flipper") play pool. We were at a party. A really crowded party. And I was amazed by this man, just transfixed, watching him balance the pool cue between his flipper shoulder and his chin, whilst shooting with his good arm. He was the best pool player I'd ever seen. Not saying much, cause I wasn't exactly a pool hall regular. But still, he was the first evidence I'd seen of a man overcoming something quite that big.

So here's Nick. He has no arms. He has no legs. Just a little flipper below one hip. And yeah, he can do cool physical stuff despite his limitations. Turns on lights with the aid of a putter. Goes swimming. Climbs stairs. But I'm not eight years old anymore. I've seen a one armed man play pool. I'm all jaded and worldly now. :) But Nick does something I haven't seen...not in many able bodied men, even. Nick freely bears testimony. Nick has an obvious love for his fellow man, for God who allowed his mortal life to be physically limited this way. Look at his face, and see a man at peace despite his nothingness before the world.

There are many excellent lessons to take from his testimony. I've heard new things with each listening. Among those things though, is that the seeking questions of his heart led him to God.

"What kind of hope and future can I have?
How can I hold my wife's hand?
How can I dance with my bride on our wedding night?
How will I be able to hold my children when they're crying?"

Those are seeking questions. They are not accusatory. They are not filled with blame. He had moved past his eight year old self, too - if God would not heal him, he would accept that. Not without a fight, I'm sure. He moved to the solving of the problems his condition presented. His first questions were seeking questions. How will the Lord do this? How will he accomplish his work with me? How will he keep and prosper me?

Clearly, those answers bring him peace. They lead him to proclaim despite his condition and despite no physical healing, "I stand before you today as a miracle of God."

Not because his life is different. He still only has a little flipper.

Not because God healed him when he was eight. This is no mere physical miracle.

Rather, because "circumstances do not need to change...its our heart that needs to be filled with the Holy Spirit." With love. With understanding, gained spiritually, of the plans God has for him and that they will come to pass.

The uncertainties of how, and what, have been replaced with the certainties of IS. WILL BE. AM. Each is reflected in his language.

True, earnest, seeking questions directed to God are what brought him there.

I saw another quote, this time on the ABC 20/20 website from an interview he granted with them last year. From ABC: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=4531209

"The unanswered prayers he made as a child haven't left his mind, nor has he stopped praying occasionally for arms and legs.

'I totally surrender [the healing miracle] to God. I would be obviously elated if I had arms and legs right now ... but I know that God's in full control. And do I believe that He can give me arms and legs? Yes, sir ... The world doesn't understand how you can have these two parallel thoughts, where you can say, on one hand ... 'yes, I believe in the miracle,' and on the other ... say, 'You know what? I'm fully content. I'm not discouraged if He doesn't give me arms and legs.''

'That's where I am. That's the freedom and victory I have. I believe in a God who can do all things, but if He chooses not to give me arms and legs, I know it's for the better. And I may not understand it, but all I need to know is that He's going to carry me through, that there is a purpose for it.'"

Fits very nicely with the teachings of Christ.

ebay makes me cry

So I listed a laptop on ebay. That was my first mistake. I can see why people do the ebay thing full time, cause it's a pain in the rear to get something listed.

Once listed, I was exposed to all the world has to offer - quite literally. Foreign buyers galore asking all kinds of questions, wanting to know if I would ship overseas (I provided no overseas options for a reason), accept other payment methods like wire transfer (umm, how about no), if I could get the package to a certain location by X date (naturally not enough time for the payment to clear). *sigh*

On the plus side, hopefully the final buyer will complete payment and my one foray into ebay can finish a very educational death. Craigslist is paradise by comparison. At least there I'm offered a straight up trade for a used mattress or an old single room air conditioner...you know, something of real value.

scriptures that speak

I like talented people that can make the scriptures come alive. A few weeks ago, I read the Gerald Lund series The Kingdom and the Crown. Good stuff. He has an unusual ability to put ancient things into a context that has meaning today. Much of it comes in thorough explanations of the traditions and customs of that time. It lends fullness and humanity to our view of those the came before us.

In seminary this morning, we talked about Jesus' role as The Good Shepherd (John 10). That parable is unusual in that Jesus is represented by two things in the parable, as opposed to the usual one - he is both the shepherd and the door of entry into the sheepfold (pen). While I don't have the gift for putting those things in context, I did begin to see the more deep symbolism in a different way than I did when I first read the chapter. As the door, Jesus is the way in which we must enter. And so our thoughts naturally go to the difficulty of the straight and narrow. But a door is also a protection from the outside, just as the door to your home is locked at night...it's there to not only let you in, but to keep others out. Jesus stands as a guardian for us, and as long as we choose to enter in, then he will make sure we are kept safe as we feed and find rest.

I'm thankful for those times that the scriptures speak to me in a way that gives clear visualization of a principle.

it's good to be on the way back

Today I was fortunate enough to play a round of golf with a friend. It was slow going, being 75* and sunny in January it seemed everyone in town was looking to play. But we did, and I hit the ball well. That's several rounds now since I discovered what was the matter with my swing and began to do otherwise. (Note: there's nothing like a swing that is more technically sound but doesn't produce. I looked great on video, but ball flight was awful). Hitting it well doesn't always translate to score, and my lack of practice translates rapidly to a rusty short game. But certainly after a frustrating couple of years of hitting the ball poorly, I'm ready to stripe a few again, even if the rest of my game has fallen off at the most inopportune of times.

My drives on 17 and 18 (the wind had finally died to near zero) were both things of beauty, at least for a golfer. 17 plays 420 yards, I had 125 left to a frontish pin, so 285 total. 18 plays 515, I had 210 left to a solidly middle pin - 305 for a final tally. Both were crushed and dead center of the clubface. I thought the one on 17 was about as good as it gets, but the shot on 18 was just that little bit sweeter. I love the feel of true flushed and centered contact shooting up the forearms. Ended up closing out with a three foot birdie putt that dropped. Yay.

Likewise, I am happy that my Lora is "on the way back". She finished the composition of a poem today, and read it to me when I returned. She has such a special talent for poetry, and I'm grateful she feels the desire to be about those things again. Life is good.

i am a crazy golfer

I am one of those crazy golfer people.

Several friends and I have a tradition of golf on New Year's Day. Some of the courses around here are closed that day, but the pro shop will quietly concede to letting groups play without supervision and without carts. And so we did. Golf is meant to be played without carts anyway - one of my peeves.

Tee time this morning: 35 degrees, with a 15mph wind. Felt like 25. Not the worst, but definitely no picnic. I enjoyed it. But...

I also had a new top secret secret weapon: my Under Armour style cold weather undies (fleece lined compression pants and shirt). Mine are by Starter (Nike), bought on the cheap at Walmart. I love them! Definitely a great golf investment. At 45*, I should be able to play in comfort and without many extra layers. Extra layers (especially thicker ones) are doom for a golf swing. Today's lower half was just the compression pants and a pair of jeans. Upper half was the undershirt, a turtleneck, and a long sleeve golf shirt. I wore a fleece beanie and took my jacket off for shots - as it warmed up to 40, I left it off.

So I shot an ugly +6 that should have been closer to +3, save for poor putting and general freezy butt coldness - the greens were still frozen early on. Warm undies can't fix putting. :(

Lora says the undies give me the look of a really hot woman's butt. I'm not sure what to make of that. At least I have one now, where I didn't growing up. :\

debt and dave

I was glad for a day off work today. I am in need of several more, but instead I will put my head down and work.

I was thinking quite a bit today. It's been almost a year since we finished our debt free plan, due much to the inspiration of my family and the messages of Marvin Ashton and Dave Ramsey, and the support of my bride. This has been the most peaceful year of my life. I believe I have done more good and made a better self this year than in many others combined, and I believe that to be due to the lack of conflict I feel in my life.

Previously, I felt as all of us do, that there is an either/or mode to life. Either you can be with your family, or you can make enough money. Either you can do what you want and expect the consequence of lack of work (and compensation), or you can work hard but get less enjoyment. And as with all things, there is a balance to be struck, even now. But I have to choose a lot less frequently now. I can leave consulting behind and enjoy my family and teach seminary for teenagers and still have more than enough to meet my needs. It's because I control my money now, rather than letting my choices with money enslave my future labor. Debt is a claim on future human labor. Being debt free means I am not forced to labor.

I wish more families at church (and elsewhere! This is something I desire for everyone) would catch the vision of being debt free and the peace that it brings. During the last six months, we have depleted much of our savings because of the happenings of life - helping family, repairing sewer lines, and that kind of thing. Thousands upon thousands have passed through to another destination, but I felt the peace of having prepared. So often we forget that the bad stuff is part of the plan, too - it still hurts, but after scratching the check, it is forgotten.

Lora shared a scripture with me yesterday. It applies to many things in life, but also readily to this topic. A piece of it says the following:

2 Nephi 9:41
...Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him...

So often we find The Straight and Narrow to be The Scary and Hard and Demanding and Not Fun and Why Bother. But it is not. It is plain. It is laid before us. All that is left is the choosing. Being debt free is plain. It requires sacrifice and effort and choice(s) to follow, but it lieth in a straight course before us.

Dave Ramsey - www.daveramsey.com
Chris Martenson - www.chrismartenson.com