truth, values, and influencing society (and such)

"Christian values...cannot be accepted as a superior utilitarianism, just as a means to an end. The biblical message is truth and it demands a commitment to truth. It means that everything is not the result of the impersonal plus time plus chance, but that there is an infinite-personal God who is the Creator of the universe, the space-time continuum. We should not forget that this was what the founders of modern science built upon. it means the acceptance of Christ as Savior and Lord, and it means living under God's revelation. Here there are morals, values, and meaning, including meaning for people, which are not just a result of statistical averages. This is neither a utilitarianism, nor a leap away from reason; it is the truth that gives a unity to all of knowledge and all of life. This...means that individuals come to this place where they have this base, and they influence the consensus. Such Christians do not need to be a majority in order for this influence on society to occur." -Francis Schaeffer in How Should We Then Live, The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture...Very well said, and very refreshing in this modern liberal, everything goes, hopeless, no meaning to life, quantitative, measurable, faithless society we live in. We are not here by chance, and that should make us grateful. He is reason, He is truth. And we have been blessed with values and morals to live by. Many times people believe that standards, values, and guidelines are put in place to discipline us, to put us in our place, and to keep us humble. This may have some truth to it, but it is not the entire picture. Without reason, without God's revelation, without His truth and holiness, and high standards, we are hopeless, wandering this earth by chance, on our own, to live to whatever truth we deem relevant at that chosen time. But here we sit pursued by a passionate God who desires us. Desires our hearts, our minds, our service. We can resist His truth and values, choosing to live our life as another meaningless statistic. Or we can embrace His holiness and change the world...

service...

Some things in life just hit you harder than others. Many things you see and hear about on a daily basis can suddenly become more significant when God puts you through situations. I guess you can call it the refiners fire, or maybe using the situation as a lens, to put things in focus. However you want to look at it, when He puts a burden on your heart, it's unmistakeable. Like last week. God had been working through many different things to show me that I need to be burdened about something. Not burdened down with guilt, or shame, or the like. A holy discontent. Something that gave me passion. And vision. Needless to say, it had been awhile since I had even prayed about this. Complacency had set it. God had been faithful, and I had gotten comfortable in Him. Until Tuesday night. Thats when Tucker spiked a 104+ fever, and had a seizure. A terrifying moment, a frantic car ride, panic, E.R., hospital, tests, probes, sleepless nights, scary thoughts...and a burden? It didn't seem right. My son needed me, my wife needed me, and here I was walking the Hemby Childrens Hospital floor late this one night, and God showed me things through His lens. Surely He did not do all of this to bring me to this moment. Surley not, but, who am I to know His ways? The peace that came over me was much needed, but confusing. Tucker was not out of the woods yet, and here I sit wondering if all this was to get a hold of me. But nevertheless I was there. Stuck. For days. And nights. With God. And people all around me that were hurting alot more than any of us were. Kids battling cancer, toddlers walking down the hall hooked to who knows what. Children who were paralyzed from the neck down. Parents who looked like they had no hope. Nurses and doctors who had developed an emotional immunity to peoples hurt to cope with the reality of doing their jobs. And this is just one wing, of one floor, of one hospital, in one city, in one state, in one country. People need hope. People need compassion. People just need someone to just be there. Where have I been? My pompous position of "life's all about choices" and "there's consequences for every action" had left my heart cold to the needs of others. Its not as black and white as I had seen it. People hurt, and sometimes there is no good explanation for the situation. God bestowed mercy and grace upon me in my time of need, who am I to decide who to give it to? And so my burden became real. Service. To others, for others. Being there for people in time of need. They say time is precious, and it's true. But time is a gift from God that does not cost us a thing, and only becomes valuable when you give yours up for someone. Serving others with the time God has given me is the last thing my flesh wants to do, but the absolute best thing for my pride and humility. As I went back to the hospital room to put Tucker back to sleep, these thoughts were put on the backburner of my mind. As I sat there holding my son against my chest, hearing his soft breath over the hum of the air vents, I was relishing the moment that I had right then and there to spend with him. And on the far side of the room, the light was coming through the hallway window, illuminating the entire room with unwanted light, and reflecting off something that caught my eye. It was my watch. Reminding me that God has given me this time to be the person He wants me to be. A father. A husband. A servant to all.

hope...

Tonight, I was cruising down 485 thinking about the path that God has taken us down to get us here. As I thought about the past few months, and the week ahead of us, I felt so blessed and privileged to be a child of God. The tears in the bad times, the laughter in the good times, He's been there with us through them all. Who am I do doubt His ways, or to try to question His will? All I can do is honor Him with what He has blessed me and my family with. I was also thankful for such an amazing church. This morning, everything that has been inside of my head all week was put to rest, taken care of by the peace that Christ, and the worship of Him, can bring. Pastor Clint ended his "Hope" series today with an unbelievable sermon on putting your life in focus, and how we need to center our hope, direction, and goals on Christ, not our fleshly desires. In Sunday school, David Wade talked on getting our life, our house, our prayer life, and our career in order. It could not have been a more perfectly timed lesson for me, as I have been struggling with some real life issues in a few of these areas. It was like I had been praying all week for God's help in some key areas in my life, and after worship, He providentially spoke to me through these great men of God. Now I dont have it all together. As I prayed going down the road, Christ revealed, through the lens of His holiness and redemption, how much of a train-wreck I can still be. But I have hope finally. And that hope is not found in my strength, abilities, action, or leadership. My hope, my future, my sanctification, my all...is found in Christ alone.

faith and hope...

"God takes pleasure when His children participate in His purposes"

What an incredible journey I've been on lately. Tucker is growing like a weed, and it is so much fun to see him learn new things, and develop into or "little man." He is such a blessing, and I cannot wait to see what God has in store in our future with him! And between him and our jobs, Julie and I have had quite a time trying to juggle what time we do have around. This past weekend, a huge burden was lifted off me, as we traded in my truck for a new SUV. As some of you know, mechanical problems with the truck had just about drove me to the nuthouse, and constantly worrying about travel safety for Julie and Tucker on the road was always bogging me down. We were so blessed to find a good deal on the Explorer, and after much prayer and guidance, we feel we made a wise decision in purchasing it... On another note, we are so glad that winter is almost over, and already signs of spring are starting to show here in Tennessee. And even though I am not looking forward to cutting grass all the time, having warmer weather is definitely a plus to take Tucker out in, and spend more time outdoors. It will be awesome taking him to the park, and walking him down to the pond, and to see him starting to explore! God has definitely been good to us, and we look forward to seeing what he has in store for us this spring.

On a more personal note, the subjects of faith and hope are definitely being revealed to me in great ways. The majority has been shown to me in Steven Furticks book, "Sun Stand Still." I have loved reading it, and much of what he speaks about is exactly what God has been stirring in my heart lately. I loved the verses he pointed out in he most recent chapter I read..."Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead" -James 2:17; and "Faith is the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for, the EVIDENCE of things not seen." -Hebrews 11:1. Such well known, Bible 101 type verses, yet so many times, not fully comprehended. My life has been so full of hope, yet so lacking faith. Alot of times, we pray for guidance, miracles, and mountains to move, yet we want to sit on the sidelines and expect Him to play the game for us. We cannot expect great things in our lives if we are not willing to first be obedient and put some effort in the equation. The great thing is, not that God needs our help, but that He desires it. He has big plans for me, and in this I have hope. He has empowered me by His spirit to accomplish great things, and in this I have faith. And I choose to not stand around, but to walk by it...

a new page...

Alot has been happening in the Long family since my last blog! Wow, almost a month since the last one. Christmas, New Years, my birthday, and life in general has been a blur the last month, and I'm kinda glad that life is returning to normal. We have had alot of snow, between Christmas in Charlotte, and a few good storms here in TN. The last snow was piled about 3ft on our deck, with the drifts. Being a Carolina boy, this has taken alot to get used to. At first, I was trying to enjoy it as much as possible, but it has finally wore me down, and I am really looking forward to spring. Ok, enough about the weather.     .;/i908mkobhj m vg ...haha, this is Tucker's addition to the blog, I think it says "hi guys!" Ok, enough banging on the laptop for him... This past week, Julie and I have started a new diet, and we love it! It's the "17 day diet" and it has really motivated us to take better care of ourselves, physically, as well as spiritually. We have loved setting goals, getting in a routine, and feeling better. It's amazing how just adjusting your diet, and adjusting your daily habits, can make you feel so much better, give you energy, and jumpstart a new you. I think this is more than just a typical "New Years resolution." From cleaning out all the junk food, and going through and throwing out all the unnecessary crap in the fridge and pantry, to having it look like a farmers market, it feels so good to finally live to our potential. For my birthday, I got an xbox, and we have loved doing the kinect fitness every night, as it gives us quality time together, and really is a great thing we can do as a couple to motivate and support each other as we strive to live healthier lives. From Mt. Dew to green tea, McDonalds to broiled fish and steamed veggies, and brownies to yogurt, it has opened our eyes to a more organic and simple way to live. I've even started to help Julie cook the meals, and I am loving it. (still have to work on my patience, but I'm making baby steps)  It's just a conscious effort we are making to spend more quality time together, and not just lounge on the couch and watch tv. (Julie is even going through some books with me!) Anyways, all this has defined the new page in our lives. To take better care of ourselves, to set goals, to be more organized, to be better with our finances, to always strive to learn new things, to push ourselves, to grow in our marriage, to glorify God. As Tucker grows older, and we grow with him as parents, we are excited about the opportunities and blessings that God gives to us each new day. It is my prayer that we set a worthy example of how we are to live in Christ, and by His Spirit.

pictures in time...

I don't know if the holiday season is bringing out the reflective and sentimental part of me or what, but lately, flashbacks to my childhood and even more current memories have been popping up in my head. I like to think of them as pictures in time. An invisible album that, Lord willing, I can hold on to as long as I am alive. And not just visual memories either. Some smells and sounds can take you back to a place in time just as easy. It's so easy to forget the small things that made you who you are. Yes, there are the major things that shape you, and influence our lives in big ways, but recently, I have started to see that it is the combination of the everyday little things that have more of an impact on who you really are. Having that said, I started writing these little things down as I thought of them, and thought it would be great to share with friends and family. Some of these may even be the same ones that you cherish, or possibly have even forgotten, but I have found out that writing them out has opened a floodgate of things that I have not thought about in years. These could be actual events, or real things, or even just an emotion, but nevertheless all equal in my heart. These are just a few examples:

-I loved running barefoot in the summer at Grandma Collins house. Whether chasing each other, playing soccer, or baseball, I always loved the cold grass on my feet. (Despite the many bee stings)

-I would give anything to have one more Sunday afternoon a Grandma Long's house. The smell of her kitchen, playing with all my cousins, and the sound of her window a/c when taking a quick nap before choir practice is just some of the few things that many of us took for granted all those years.

-Meeting half the family after church at Harward's Fish Camp in Richfield. Man I miss that place!

-Every time I have a Sundrop or chew Double Bubble, I'm right back at Mcallister or Frank Liske  watching the "Rude Dogs" play softball. (While we rolled down that big hill!)

-Ever time I have a Cherry Lemon Sundrop, I'm right back at the old Troutman's BBQ on a Sunday night after church.

-I still love the smell of freshly plowed dirt, and tractor fumes (thanks Gpa!)

-I would have loved to have played guitar with Gpa Long, if just once...

-I use to love going with Dad and Gma Long down to the river to pick wild onions. To me, it might as well have been going on a vacation. Every time I see or smell one I think of that

-The trip my Dad took me on to Santee Cooper was one of the best weekends of my life

-I will never forget the feeling I had when I "shot" my first shotgun...(wow!)

-Looking back, the "4th pew and up" rule wasn't so bad after all Mom...

-There will never be another smell like the hallway at Bethany (or Forestview) Baptist. Call me crazy, but you could blindfold me, and take me there, and I would know exactly where I was. The combination of the block walls, glue of the old tiled floor, and the carpet made it a distict place. Side note: I loved the way the sun would hit that stained glass on the front on Sunday afternoons at dusk...the mixture of colors on that brick was so inviting...

-I used to love walking out to the shed behind Gpa Collins house late at night to watch Mike do his models. I think of him, and that workshop everytime I smell paint thinner

-On cold, icy nights at the Hickory Grove house, our family use to pile in one bed, by the window, and watch cars wreck at the intersection. Yes, we are crazy, and a bit demented, but may have been of the most fun things we ever did together!

-I loved playing bass with Mom's piano. More fun than any band or group I have ever played in.

-I still can't drink orange juice without thinking of the Disney trip...(thanks alot Mike!)

-I still smile when I think of riding in the back of the old red Ford. That truck was the best.

-I use to love cruising with my uncle Mike Rabon in his old black Chevy Bel-air to the old Cabarrus Creamery on Saturdays and Sundays

-The smell of a woodstove will always make me long to be at Gpa Collins house. There's nothing like that smell. (despite the unbearable heat it puts out!)

-Shooting mistetoe out of the trees before thanksgiving meal at Gma Longs house was always neat to me a a child

-There will never be any better candy in the world than some hard candy from a ziplock bag from Gma Long's purse during the middle of a sermon

-My Mom will always have the best potato salad in the world

-My senior year was the most difficult, but most rewarding year of my life. I learned more and grew more that year because of the trials than I ever would have if I had not faced them.

-It still doesn't seem right to not have the Cabarrus County fair at the "triangle." Despite space issues, I liked it better there

-There's no bigger smile on my face than when I hear, by chance, one of the old "quartet" songs on the radio. Those songs will always be special to me.

These are some some of the examples of things that I have written down, and I hope to sit down and share many more, but just wanted to share these. I would love to hear feedback from family and friends, and to hear some other memories and "pictures in time" that others would be glad to read! I love each and every one of you, and by no means is this an exhaustive list, or my favorites. Like I said, there are many more, (even more special to me), that I did not list, but for sleep purposes, I will end this list here. I would love to hear from you!

an inconvenient snow...

Most people who have spent alot of time with me during the winter know that I hate snow. I can't stand it. It's cold, messy, and disrupts everything.  I guess this stems from one thing: it is inconvenient. It disrupts my normal activities, dictates schedules, and compromises safety. Yes, I have always thought that it was beautiful, but never had I valued the beauty of it more than the inconvenience that it brought with it...until this week. It was one of those cold nights, and I had just fed the dogs. Usually I head right in the house, especially when it is 10 degrees outside and 2 inches of snow on the ground. But for some reason I put on a couple more layers of clothing and headed back outside to just watch it snow. I sat there on the bed of the truck and for just a moment, just enjoyed the snow. It was almost as if I had to put my life and priorities on pause and just soak up the beauty and peacefulness of the moment. And that moment put such an amazing picture of what God has been trying to show me lately in focus. I just had to push pause and see it. It was the most real picture of sanctification that I had ever seen. The Lord wants to sanctify me. To cleanse me. And just like the blanket of snow covering all the lanscape around the house, He wants to cover my imperfections, my unholiness. But like the frozen condensation all around me, I have not allowed the process of justification to permeate my soul for one reason: inconvenience. It's not always easy to live by faith. In fact it's impossible. And just like my inability to control the weather, so is my inability to become the righteousness of God by my own power. And no, it may not be the most convenient lifestyle to live, but the peace He gives is more satisfying than the luxuries of this world, more beautiful than the first winter snow.