Keith Urban's Theology of God's Goodness

"Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness
while I am here in the land of the living."

Psalm 27:13

This morning as I walked my three miles I was listening to my hymn and country set when Kieth Urban's "God's Been Good to Me" began to play. The words to the song give an interesting 'theology' of God's goodness and His direction even in life's dark times.

...Hey there ain't no doubt that God's been good to me

'Cause he put me smack dab in the middle of paradise
In the heart of the city where my dreams have come alive
And everything I have, and everything I see
Is just another reminder that God's been good to me

This golden road's been long
And sometimes I've lost my way
I've been down some darkened detours
Leanin' heavy on my faith
But where the devil had me chained
Lord your love done set me free
Hallelujah! God's been good to me.

How often do we take the opportunity to inventory our life and mark God's reminders in our lives. The testimony of the song speaks to life for many of us. Our lives encounter detours that take us off God's path and the only thing that set's us free is our faith in God through Jesus Christ.

Today I am thankful for the gift of eternal life, a wife whose kept her word for 35 years and for children who honor God with their lives. Thank you Lord for the gift of my grandson and his mother. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you teaching and coaching students.

Urban "theology of sin" is found in the reference to loosing his way and taking detours, but leaning on his faith brings him back to God's goodness. King David said it this way, "Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness." Urban sings of the righteousness of God whether he intends to or not.

The message in this song helped to remind me of God's goodness and how He desires to provide salvation. Hope you'll take time daily to be thankful for what God's done in your life!!

Independence Day a Day to Celebrate Dependence...

This morning I rose typically as with many holidays of the past. The anticipation of spending time with my bride, son, daughter, daughter-in-law, and grandson washed through my groggy mind as I rolled from the bed. My grandson, in the arms of his Dad, greeted me with that warm smile that I have so grown to love. His childish embrace making me curious as to what I've done to deserve such unquestioning favor.

The silence of early morning broken further by the phone as our daughter announces the impending departure from her home to join us. The clatter of the clan on the second floor getting ready as my grandson and I catch a few more winks of rest then play with the toys that catch his fancy at the moment.

And as the day unfolds plans are put into motion for our gathering. Bar-b-que is ordered, sweet tea, and other sides picked up on the way to retrieve the meal of choice. We visit about the climate, our freedoms, the forgotten side-order that would have made the meal more complete and the breaking news. We discuss family we miss and plans for the rest of the summer. The time arrives for us to share our son and his crew with our daughter-in-law's family and its just us again, my bride and I.

After moments of silence turned deafening I finally pursed my finger on the remote and found my attention drawn to President Obama's speech as it was being broadcast on Fox News Network. As he finished I was further drawn in to the story of President Bush's invitation and watched a portion of his speech from Woodward, OK. The contrast of the two was interesting, PO's was sleek and warm welcoming the celebrators of freedom at the Whitehouse. PB's was folksy and heartfelt as he spoke to the folks of OK. Both places celebrated the freedoms that Independence Day marks.

Enthralled temporarily by Fox News I stayed for the beginning of Huckabee and Lee Greenwood's performance of "God Bless the USA" and stayed to hear the George Barna interview. The interview sparked the searching that moved me to my titles conclusion. The sparks flared out to remind me of the freedom of dependence that is so important.

Oh I'm not talking about dependence on family, though that is nice. I'm not talking about the dependence on foreign oil or imports, that's a topic for someone of sterner fortitude than I. I'm talking of the dependence on a creator who placed in motion the plan for man to follow Him.

Drawn to Barna's site I discovered the blog of Frank Viola and "A Jesus Manifesto" by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola. While as a Texas grown, fully immersed, Southern Baptist raised and educated, follower of Christ I don't follow creeds. However, the manifesto held sway to remind me of the importance of our dependence on Christ especially in land so full of freedoms.

The manifesto closes with these words

“This ONE THING I know” (Jn.9:25) that is the ONE THING that unites us all:

Jesus the Christ.

Christians don’t follow Christianity; Christians follow Christ.

Christians don’t preach themselves; Christians proclaim Christ.

Christians don’t point people to core values; Christians point people to the cross.

Christians don’t preach about Christ: Christians preach Christ.

Over 300 years ago a German pastor wrote a hymn that built around the Name above all names:

Ask ye what great thing I know, that delights and stirs me so? What the high reward I win? Whose the name I glory in?

Jesus Christ, the crucified.

This is that great thing I know; this delights and stirs me so: faith in him who died to save, His who triumphed o’er the grave:

Jesus Christ, the crucified.

—

Jesus Christ – the crucified, resurrected, enthroned, triumphant, living Lord.

He is our Pursuit, our Passion, and our Life.

Amen.

As I remember the unquestioning love my grandson so easily gives, I am reminded of the undeserved love that my Savior has given to me. As the celebration of this 2009 Day of Independence draws to a close with the fireworks of our city bursting the night sky outside our window I must celebrate the freedom it brings to be dependent on my Christ the author and finisher of my faith.

As you let freedom ring, let the true freedom of Jesus Christ ring louder than any bell in any freedom hall as you live your life celebrating His Crucifixion, His Resurrection, His Triumphant Living Lordship. Let Him, as Frank Viola says, be your "PURSUIT, YOUR PASSION, YOUR LIFE" the rest of 2009 and beyond.

MATH PREP

Spent about two hours on youtube and teachertube finding videos to use for Math 7 this week. Found the "youcube" and added six videos to it. Check it out and see if they help to learn about our topics for the next several days.

PROBLEM SOLVING & SCIENTIFIC NOTATION

Spring Time

As spring arrives our minds conjure up thoughts of wildflowers, spring cleaning, family reunions, trips to the zoo, walks in the park, or baseball. Stop a Texas educator and ask them and you'll hear things like TAKS, spring fever, tutorials, or SSI. Ask a Texas coach and you're more likely to hear FOOTBALL.

Yep, that's right its time for spring football in Texas largest classifications. That time of year where for 15 days young men strap on pads and spend time getting ready for the next football season. Its a time for coaches to evaluate their off season programs. Assess what they're loosing to graduation and determine how to reload the bus for next season.

For the young men its time for them to prove their readiness to move into those vacancies. Or perhaps show that they deserve a seat on the bus. And just maybe show they're in the wrong seat and have something more to offer.

To many the smell of spring is the sweet smell of flowers, but to me the odor of spring is 'sweat-drenched.' Its spring, it must be time for football!

Sunday Night Comfort Food

Tonight my bride asked me "What's for supper?" Her suggestion of Zoe's chicken salad and Michael's Baked Cheese Puffs pressed the right buttons in my comfort zone. As I trekked to Whole Foods for the cheese puffs and swung by Zoe's for the chicken I remembered my childhood Sunday comfort meals.

Growing up along the Texas Gulf Coast provided for many fond memories. One of those was Sunday night leftovers. Sunday always started with Mom's breakfast after which we got ready dressed for church. During elementary every Sunday without fail we were either at FBC, Three Rivers with Bro. Litzler or "at home" in FBC, Cuero with Bro. Sanders.

When we were in Three Rivers (where we lived) Mom would fry chicken, bake a roast with potatoes and carrots or fix a pot of chili or stew. Side dishes would consist of tomatoes, potatoes-mashed or boiled, beans-green or pinto (we called 'em red), peas-green or black-eyed, corn-on cob or out of a can with rolls or corn bread. If it was a special Sunday we'd have Kraft Macaroni and Cheese instead of potatoes.

As grand dinners as all those meals were, the left-over suppers they produced are indelibly ingrained in my memory. Suppers like a cold chicken leg and a side of mac & cheese with corn-bread really hit the spot after evening services.

One of my favorites was left over pot-roast. Mom would reheat it in the oven and rewarm the brown gravy. If we had mashed potatoes, she'd add egg and milk to them and make potato pancakes. In the summer, sliced cucumbers in vinegar were always plentiful, add a little pepper and you were in a fight with Dad to get your fair share.
Any number of combinations of meat and sides consumed while sitting with the family at the table was always filling and fun.

While Michael's Cheese Puffs and Zoe's Pomento cheese on wheat aren't treks into my childhood memories they are great Sunday night comfort today. The memories of the family are often missed in the empty nest days of life, but they aren't forgotten. And every once in a while new 'traditions' trigger old memories and I'm reminded that it's important to take time to see the joys of life in "Sunday Night Comfort Food."