Some Good News and Some Bad News!

I have lived in the State Of Washington for 17 years now, and it has taken most of that time to become a genuine Seahawks fan.  You see, during high school  I lived in the San Francisco area for a number of years and got to witness the 49ers as they developed an awesome dynasty.  Joe Montana, Dwight Clark, Ronnie Lott, Jerry Rice, Keena Turner etc...!  I got very spoiled to say the least.

Since I moved to Washington, I have had to endure watching Seattle sports teams break their fan´s hearts over and over again. Somehow I determined ´twas better to flirt than make any commitment.  To love is to hurt.  To commit myself to the Seahawks was to prepare for the "Dear John letter" to come.

After all, I watched the Sonics win 64 games in 1996 only to be beaten by the Jordan-led Bulls in the finals.  Wouldn't you know the Sonics would have to face the greatest team in NBA history the year the Bulls would set a new record for the most wins in a season!  Soon after, the Mariners equaled the greatest regular season in MLB history by winning 116 games and then promptly losing to the hated Yankees in the playoffs.  Last year, I remember watching the Seahawks melt down against the Rams in  the fourth quarter of a regular season game and then go on to complete that process in the playoffs.  Could this year be any different?  Well, I think I am finally "getting serious" because I am actually starting to imagine the Hawks in the Superbowl this year.

I have been following these Alexander-led Hawks while down here in Mexico and I can say I think we have some good news and some bad news for fans everywhere.  First the good news.  The Hawks are winning games they had the amazing ability to lose last year.  They held on against the 49ers, and then won a squeaker against a Giants team intent on losing.  The New York fans now know what it feels like to be a Seahawks fan for a change! 

The bad news must come though, so here it is.  There is nobody right now that can or will stop the Indianapolis Colts as they march undefeated to the Superbowl and establish themselves as the greatest individual season team in history.  I have watched them play several times now, and I can honestly say that they are the best team I have seen since my Joe Montana Niner days.  Peyton Manning is far and away the best quarterback in football and on his way to becoming one of the greatest ever.  So, we have the privilege of watching our Seahawks peak right when Indianapolis is going to make history. 

A couple weeks from now, these two teams will meet on the field, and after the Hawks have been humbled as everybody else has, we will be content to sit back and play for second best.  I know, I must be getting old, for cynicism has taken hold where fan-faith used to dwell.  I can see the "Dear John letter" now.

Blowing Away Stereotypes!

Dear friends and readers of IllumiNations!,Today, I have a very special treat to share with you all!  The most beautiful, wise, creative and intelligent woman in the world is going to share her profound insights with all of us mere mortals!  Peggy Sherman the virtuous, has some thoughts about Mazatlan and the Mexican people that have been burning in her heart.  Please enjoy, as I sure do! ;)

"I will praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works and that my soul knows very well." Ps.139:14

Ever since we arrived in Mexico a little more than a month ago, I have been continually fascinated by the beauty and the diversity of the Mexican people.  I confess that my image of the average Mexican was someone with beautiful dark skin, shiny black hair, and brown eyes.  Growing up in Southern California, these were the majority I had been exposed to.  Granted, coming from a family of eleven children we didn't get out much.  Going on a trip to Aunt Mary and Uncle George's house 40 miles away was major for us!  So my exposure was limited to approximately a 40 mile radius from our home, which I thought was rather ethnically diverse!  Upon moving to Eastern Washington 17 years ago, it was much the same within our largely agricultural community. 

Doug, our son Stephen, and I recently went on a tour of the ministries that the local Vineyard church is involved in here in Mazatlan.  We had some extremely cute little kids following us around at one point during the day.  Among them were two adorable kids with red hair and freckles! (You can catch a glimpse of these little Mexican leprechauns if you go to the pictures labeled Mazatlan dump. They are the boy and girl directly to my left.)  While eating at Cafe Pacifico for our daughter Sarah's birthday, there were two couples who looked as American as apple pie.  Tall, with blond hair and blue eyes and they were talking, laughing, and having a great time all in Spanish!  Now, I understand that being in a tourist town such as Mazatlan you're going to have visitors from all across the globe.  But the majority are from the US, Canada, and other parts of Mexico.  One more example.  Earlier this week, Doug and I were eating at McDonald's (Yes, they have Mickey D's here too!  Two of them in fact!)  In a booth nearby sat three young people.  I glanced over at them and thought, " Oh, some typical American teenagers."  One young man had red hair, blue eyes, and pale skin with freckles.  He was wearing baggy Dickies pants, and the others were dressed in equally trendy clothing.  Lo and behold, they were "habla en Espanol-ing"!  My curiosity almost got the best of me and I was going to ask them in my limited, halting Spanish where they were from.  But they seemed to be in a hurry so my curiosity was left unsatisfied. 

My kids say that I'm just being nosey and that I shouldn't be so concerned about other people.  But at the risk of sounding defensive or as if I'm trying to justify my behavior, I must disagree with them.  I have always been fascinated with the diversity of humanity.  I experienced it while having Korean students with us this past summer.  I've also been grieved at the tragic history of nations being conquered.  And yet how God in His masterful way can, in spite of evil, create beautiful people of various skin tones, hair textures, eyes colors, facial features, etc.

My grandmother Katherine McLaughlin, while in her 80's, did an indepth study of the human cell just for the sheer pleasure of it.  I'm sure she explored genetics and how DNA and RNA, peptides and nucleides and all those other "ides"  work together to bring forth a unique masterpiece.  These all created in the image and likeness of the Master Himself.  Maybe that's where I get this tendency.  That's it!  I am cursed with  the predisposition towards "nosey-ness"!  As Reptevia said in "The Fiddler on the Roof" when he was told that money was the world's curse, "Then may the Lord smite me with such a curse, and may I never recover!" 

Yes, Mazatlan is just one very small example of the diversity and beauty that has been woven throughout all of human history.  May God forever receive the glory for it all!

"Live. And live well...!"

Last week, after my kayaking trip, my friend and brother in Christ, Jim Paul left a comment on my blog about the tragic death of pastor Kyle Lake of University Baptist Church in Waco, Texas.  According to Jim's account, pastor Kyle was killed when his wireless microphone shorted out while performing baptisms!  He died of electrocution while performing a holy rite for God.  I can only imagine the loss and confusion his family and congregation must be experiencing right now.  If you believe in God and the power of prayer, please pray for this grieving family and church. 

Jim passed on a quote from pastor Kyle's last sermon that was profound to say the least.  Please read it, ponder it and then act upon it.  None of us knows how long we have been given, so let's really "Live and live well!"

"Live. And live well. BREATHE. Breathe in and breathe deeply. Be PRESENT. Do not be past. Do not be future. Be now. On a crystal clear, breezy 70 degree day, roll down the windows and FEEL the wind against your skin. Feel the warmth of the sun.If you run, then allow those first few breaths on a cool Autumn day to FREEZE your lungs and do not just be alarmed, be ALIVE. Get knee-deep in a novel and LOSE track of time.If you bike, pedal HARD… and if you crash then crash well.Feel the SATISFACTION of a job well done—a paper well-written, a project thoroughly completed, a play well-performed. If you must wipe the snot from your 3-year old’s nose, don’t be disgusted if the Kleenex didn’t catch it all… because soon he’ll be wiping his own.If you’ve recently experienced loss, then GRIEVE. And Grieve well. At the table with friends and family, LAUGH. If you’re eating and laughing at the same time, then might as well laugh until you puke. And if you eat, then SMELL. The aromas are not impediments to your day. Steak on the grill, coffee beans freshly ground, cookies in the oven. And TASTE. Taste every ounce of flavor. Taste every ounce of friendship. Taste every ounce of Life. Because-it-is-most-definitely-a-Gift."

Hearing, Speaking, Reading and Writing!

Hearing, speaking, reading and writing are amazing God-given gifts with which we express what we call language.  Through language, we can travel to the past present or future and even go to lands that only exist within the author´s mind. 

In the past month I have met Zeus, Psyche, Hades, Cupid, Artemis, Athena, Poseidon and many others and I have spent some time in a couple of ancient civilizations!  I have experienced the grandeur of Atlantis and seen its fiery destruction as the earth rose in travail and devoured that ancient land of myth and fantasy for its exceeding wickedness!  I have watched Atlantis be reborn in the modern world in a work of fiction I read called, "World Without End!"  I have also traveled into the hearts and minds of other authors as they have told the non-fiction accounts of their own grappling with God, life, faith, disappointment and truth. 

As I have read and pondered, many things have passed through my mind that I could write about.  Today, I want to talk about the power of language and the blessing of being able to express thoughts, emotion, passion, wisdom, knowledge and creativity. 

"In the beginning was the Word...", is how the Gospel according to John opens.  In these few profound words, John shows us that everything begins with a thought spoken out into the void.  The ancient Greeks believed that this "Word" or "Logos" was the origination and genesis of all seen things.  Plato believed that the Logos was the original thought or explanation behind the scenes bringing the visible things into existence.  The great saint John goes on to tell a primarily Greek speaking audience that, "...The Word was with God, and the Word was God."  John gives personality, reason, intelligence and many other attributes to this creative concept known to the Greeks merely as the "Logos."

Inspired by the Holy Spirit of God, John further tells us that, "The Word became flesh(human) and lived among us!"  This Word was and is Jesus Christ, the thought and explanation of God to mankind!  Jesus is the Creator, genesis and original thought of God through whom all things seen and unseen came to be! 

When God wanted to disclose Himself to us in a tangible way and let us read, hear, speak, understand and act upon what He wanted to say, He spoke Jesus into the womb of the virgin girl Mary.  With that, the greatest story ever told became an infant inside the young woman overcome by the angel Gabriel and the power of the Holy One.  The language of God to humanity is Jesus, the very Word with skin on!

The language of Mexico is Spanish and I don´t speak it.  Mexico is a wonderful place filled with sights, sounds, smells and a language that is mostly foreign to all of us in the Sherman family.  Language is the one thing that seems to keep us on the "outside looking in" as we try to communicate here in the land that Cortes and the Spaniards conquered.  When God confused the languages at the tower of Babel, He truly knew that the best way to keep people from becoming their own gods was to keep them apart with language.  Not that I am not learning some Spanish, for I am learning "poquito!"  What I am saying though, is that I cannot really enjoy the richness of Mexico and its folk history, fiction, myth and uniqueness as I could if I knew Espanol. Even the language itself contains nuances that are interwoven into all of the aforementioned elements that make up what we call a culture.  Language is key. 

I find myself feeling rather infant-like as I go through the process that all of us must go through to learn to live on this planet.  As a little baby, I first learn to listen to words and recognize their meaning.  After listening for some time, I begin to speak as a baby would with all of the inherent wrong pronunciations.  One of the many differences of course is the simple fact that I experience embarrassment and feelings of incompetence.  Next, I make attempts at reading, which is really humorous!  Forget about writing, I know my limitations!

Language is an amazing gift from God for the purpose of expressing ourselves and being almost god-like in the creation of worlds made from words.  However, I long for the day when all is made right and the curse of Babel is removed and we can all speak a common tongue in the kingdom of the Word made flesh!  Until then, I will continue to stumble around Mexico and other places on this wonderful planet making a fool of myself and saying things like "no comprende."

Check Out The Photo Journals of Mazatlan

Hey all you blog readers,

Scroll down the page and check out the Photo Journals I have posted.  There are some really cool pics of our time in Mazatlan.  As we take more pictures we will keep you posted and publish them. 

By the way, Lorraine and any other readers who are wondering who the pretty blond with the baby is in the first photo journal, it is Peggy's sister Jane.  This is her first baby and a miracle baby at that!  All in the family are rejoicing with her and her husband Steve.  I should have put a caption below the picture.

Moses Lake church family,
You are all loved and missed!  Looking forward to seeing you in January.

Doug, Peggy and family

Kayaking, Climbing and Christ!

This past Saturday, my new friend Rogelio took me kayaking in the Pacific Ocean to a couple of islands off the coast of  Mazatlan.  After we reached Goat and  Deer Islands, we hiked to the top of the highest points on Deer Island and enjoyed the spectacular view and beauty that surrounded us. I saw plant and animal species I had never seen before and enjoyed a peanut brittle type snack that was light and tasty. The thing I enjoyed most of all was the company and conversation of Rogelio. My guide and host went out of his way to make our little expedition a great time while engaging me in dialogue about life, career choices, dreams, God, world religions, family life and Jesus Christ.

The trip itself was a lot of fun as we had to get out to sea through some rather large waves without capsizing and deal with swells and the wake from a fast moving fishing boat. Being in the ocean in nothing but a kayak is a sobering reminder of the power of the great Pacific. To me, this was an adventure, but to Rogelio this was a just another day in life. Rogelio is a tri-athlete! This guy is an amazing athlete who can out-swim, out-run and out-pedal me in his sleep! As I spent time with him, I found myself feeling rather humbled. I guess I'm not the athlete I once was.

After arriving at our destination, Rogelio asked me if I would like to go on a hike up into the rocks. I said yes, though I was a little nervous due to the fact that we were wearing flip flops which are not exactly the best climbing attire available. Well, our little jaunt was quite an adventure, and I can proudly say that I got a number of little cuts and scratches on my legs and feet! Oh, the glory of battle wounds! We reached the top of "Lion King Rock" and spent the next 30-45 minutes enjoying the beauty of the creation which the Scriptures tell us speak of God the great Creator, Architect, Artist, Engineer and Designer of all things seen and unseen.

John 1:1-3 & 14 - In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and he was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn't make. So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father. NLT

Hebrews 1:3 - The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. NIV

I spent several minutes telling Rogelio about my own life and the story of God's loving intervention in this rebel named Doug. As I recounted the amazing grace of Jesus Christ to me, I was once again moved to such gratefulness toward my Father in heaven. I once was blind, lost and dead and now I see, am found and live a new life in Jesus Christ! As we talked, I was reminded that nobody can ever take away from me the power and wonder of my own testimony of God's revelation and saving grace to me. Though all the major world religions have much we can learn and contain truths about God and His nature, only Jesus Christ can deliver a person from sin's power and show us the only pure vision of what God is like. He is the Word made flesh! He is the exact representation of the Divine nature and the explanation of God! He is loving, good, kind, just, gracious and worthy of all our worship and adoration.

Rogelio and I rowed back to the mainland and were on the final stretch as we tried to time things so we could ride the last wave in. The key is to not get cross-ways with the wave, but to stay perpendicular with it. We were only a few feet from shore when I turned us a little too much to the right just as the wave flipped us over and dumped both of us into the water! Rogelio had told me up front we would get wet, but I was starting to think we would pull off this whole expedition with only the splashes we enjoyed while rowing through rough waters. Once again, how you finish is so very important. We finished wet and satisfied with a fun day kayaking, climbing and conversing. Thank you Rogelio and thank you Father God!

An Amazing Inheritance!

Romans 4:13 - It is clear, then, that God's promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was not based on obedience to God's law, but on the new relationship with God that comes by faith. NLT
Are you ready to inherit the earth? Are you ready to be a steward of this creation of God? Are you ready to live now as if everything around you will one day belong to you? Many of the followers of Jesus who have set their future hopes on heaven are going to be surprised to find out that the ultimate purpose of God includes redeeming and restoring this fallen planet for the children of God! The fact is, the way we currently live and work during this vapor of time called “life” will have eternal ramifications for all of us in the world to come.

The “eternal state” of we human creatures is not to be taken up with being chubby babies floating about on clouds playing harps! Neither are we to be phantoms or wisps flitting about in some eternal state of nothingness. We are to be “ourselves”, but more so! We will be eternally strong and youthful in body, but unimaginably wise, creative and intelligent. Our celestial bodies will never get sick, experience weakness or grow weary! We will work in a labor of love, employing our gifts, talents and abilities without toil, sweat or the curse of “burnout!” Work will be play, and play will be work! Nothing will be meaningless or fruitless! We will enjoy the wonders of God’s creation as they were meant to be from the beginning of time. All of the curse of sin, sickness, death, natural disasters, war, famine, corrupt governments, etc…, will be cleansed from creation and we will be put in charge of this new earth to govern in love and justice.

These Biblical truths and more are why it is so important for us to live today as if every word and deed counts for eternity. All of these amazing realities are based upon this new relationship we can have with God through simple faith! We can truly have it all, some now, most later! Now, we are called to enjoy what God gives, while giving much of it away for the purpose of advancing the gospel of the kingdom of God in all the nations of the earth. We are charged to pray for the kingdom to come now and to work toward that end, while understanding that much may not reveal itself till later in the new order to come. We are called to pray, share, serve, love, reach, help, proclaim and give so that others may be benefited and experience the tangible love of Jesus the Christ. We are also called to take care of the creation of God and steward the earth in such a way as to advance humanity and care for the environment and creatures of God. What we do with what we’ve got now, will determine what we receive in the new heaven and the new earth later!

As I have sat on the beach here in Mazatlan and enjoyed the beauty around me, I have been reminded that this current world is only “The Shadowlands” of a lasting reality within the reach of those who have been given the faith to believe. If the “Shadowlands” can be so captivating and glorious, what must the “True Land” of the new heaven and new earth be like? I can only imagine!

Revelation 21:1-5 - Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a beautiful bride prepared for her husband. 3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, "Look, the home of God is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever." 5 And the one sitting on the throne said, "Look, I am making all things new!" And then he said to me, "Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true." NLT

GOOD JAVA AND GOOD PEOPLE!

As many of you who read this know, I love a good cup of coffee.  A number of years ago, before I had caught the vision for specialty coffees, I used to mock the "sophisticated" tastes of my java loving friends.  What can I say, I have now become "one of them" and people mock me regularly as they wonder at the exorbitant prices I pay for a cup of the "drink of the gods!"

As most of you know who read this blog, we are in Mazatlan, Mexico and I am writing you from Rico's Coffee Bar.  The wonderful staff here at Rico's has come to know me by name and "my usual" as I spend hours here 3-4 times a week answering emails and blogging away.  I have come to really enjoy the company I keep at Rico's because these people are very friendly and make a great cup of cafe'.  Rogelio and Marianne are the proprietors of Rico's and some of the warmest people we have yet encountered in Mazatlan.  The staff is very professional and can be counted on for a great big smile anytime of the day.

To top it off, Marianne is a devoted follower of Jesus and a mother of sorts to all of her staff!  I can tell everyone genuinely loves working here and the Spirit of God is very welcome.  As many others have commented over the years, what could be better than a great cup of java and some friends to enjoy it with?  Please, go get a cup of coffee with some family or friends and if you are ever in Mazatlan, by all means, GO TO RICO'S!

P.S. - the Rico's website is not ready yet, but should be by mid December.

HANGIN' WITH JESUS AT THE DUMP!

Psalms 113:7 - and he lifts the poor from the dirt and the needy from the garbage dump. NLT

Luke 6:20-21 - "Blessed are you poor, For yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled. NKJV

Thursday stunk! My wife, oldest son and I went with a group of American tourists and part time residents of Mazatlan to the city dump! We went to the “other side of Mazatlan.” Mazatlan is called the “Pearl of the Pacific”, and a beautiful “Pearl” it is. The beaches are wonderful, the weather fantastic, the food excellent, the people warm and friendly, but the garbage stinks!

Why would a bunch of tourists and part time residents go “tour’ the city dump you ask? Well, because Jesus is there with the poorest of Mazatlan handing out water, oranges and sandwiches. I cannot think of anyone I would rather hang out with than Jesus. I saw Him in the eyes of the beautiful children and the men and women who make their living picking through the mountains of stench-filled refuse. One woman we gave a sandwich to looked so incredibly sad and broken, I nearly wept on the spot. Another man spoke almost perfect English and had lived in Fresno, California most of his life. Peggy and I found ourselves perplexed as we speculated on what his story must be and what could have brought him to this low point in life.

On the bus ride back, I turned to a lady sitting next to me and spoke what I have thought so many times before while among the world’s poorest in some of my travels. I said, “Any of us could have been born here in this dump. We had nothing to do with the sovereign choice of God in choosing our parents, our place of birth, or our initial station in life.” We have some power to change our lives once we are of age, but ultimately so many of the things that make us who we are have been chosen by Another.

I don’t understand the “whys” behind all of these statements, but I do know that Jesus wants us to take some cold water, sandwiches and His good news to the poor. He challenges us to never forget that it is His grace which has given us so much to enjoy. He calls us to remember the poor, because we are just like them. A few small changes in our life story, and it would be you or I sifting through the garbage dumps of Manila, Cairo, Bangkok, Lagos, New York or Mazatlan. Never forget, but remember!

Matthew 25:37-40 - 37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.' NKJV

GUIDANCE FOR SONS AND DAUGHTERS!

Romans 8:14 - For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. NKJV

One of the greatest things about being a follower of Jesus Christ is the knowledge of His continual guidance. I know I am His son because He leads me in such a way as to let me know it is He who is at the helm of this ship I call “life.”

As my family and I continue to walk through this sabbatical we are engaged in, I have been made aware on a number of occasions that my Father in heaven is arranging divine appointments that evidence His providence and love. I have met several people from Washington State, including a man from Ephrata and another from near Quincy, both close to our city. To the readers out there this might not mean much, but to my family and I, it is quite amazing.

Everywhere we turn, we are meeting fellow believers in Jesus Christ as well. Friday, I found out that the wife of the man who owns and operates Rico’s Coffee shop is an American and a follower of Jesus. (Rico’s is the place I go several times a week to blog and email friends and family.) The pastor of the Vineyard Church we attended has also opened his heart to us and offered to take us to dinner. These and many other people have expressed great warmth and favor toward us while they offer help and friendship to our family. All of these events are a manifestation of the Presence and Voice of God saying, “I love you, I’m in charge of you, I’m leading you and I am arranging things for my purpose and will in your life.”

Skeptics would simply say it is coincidence and explain these events as circumstantial only. Many people would chalk up our “divine appointments” as the power of positive thinking and say they were only the manifestation of our belief in these events. I would listen to these explanations and then quietly smile inside and look up to heaven and wink at my Father. We have a secret, and I know I am a son who is led by One who is lovingly crafting a life story that will glorify Him and make Him more appealing to people everywhere. Go on Creator and Maker, guide me with your eye, for I am your son!

Psalms 32:8 - I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.

CHANGING MY BLOG SERVICE

I am in the process of changing the BLOG SERVICE I am with from BLOGGER, to TYPEPAD. This new site will offer several features BLOGGER does not offer. I will have to pay, but it is minimal for the upgrades offered by TYPEPAD. I have been working on my new site, and will give you a link as soon as it is ready. Currently, it is frustrating the heck out of me! I will still call the site IllumiNations!, and will be able to import all of my archives from this site. Keep your eyes open. For now, I will publish the same posts on both sites. Blessings!

Doug

FRUSTRATED IN MAZATLAN!

Technology is a blessed curse!  This new BLOG SERVICE is driving me crazy!  It won't do what I want it to do!  It is proving once again that I would be terribly inept at ruling the world!  Control is really a human issue that runs right through our grain and permeates every fiber of our being.  I know, for I come from a long and distinguished line of "control freaks!"

I'm sure many reading this will come to their own defense rather quickly and announce with much fervor how free they are from the infection of "control freak- itis!"  I wish I could believe it, but I have found that even the very meek outwardly are actually people with big time control issues.  Come on, admit it.  For instance, how often when you pray (if you pray at all) do you find yourself telling God how He should order "your" world?  If only God would take our counsel and receive our wisdom, He would find things much better in the end. 

As a pastor, I have been learning for many years how ineffective trying to control people's lives can really be.  I don't mean that I have been overtly trying to manipulate people, but rather that people can be very frustrating as they go and do exactly what they want to in spite of my best pastoral counseling.  As I vent to my wife and staff, I find that the real issue going on in my heart is one of control.  I cannot get into the hearts and minds of people and make them do the "right thing."  This is really what all of us are trying to do, and the issue that most damages our marriage and family relationships.  We are free moral agents, given the ability to choose and do what we want.  You cannot have my choice, and I cannot have yours.  Oh, what a blessed/cursed gift!

Now, back to this darn computer.  Maybe I can get it to do what I want now!