You can't get to Sunday without going through Friday

The quiet little manger scene with Mary and Joseph all huddled around the manger. The animals are all asleep, the stars silently watching from above. Even the shepherds and wise men from the East are all at a respectful distance in silent meditation. The baby become boy growing up and filling his parents with wonder, staying behind in the temple to discuss the things of God. Boy become man who begins to draw others around him and speak amazing things of God. Slowly a movement starts and those in authority begin to feel threatened. That is until they manage to get him arrested and executed. Then those who were supposed to guard the tomb report back that their "guardian" has managed to slip through their fingers and is who knows where. As Christians we observe today as "Black Friday". The main focus of the world in regards to the things of Christ are on Easter (or Resurrection) Sunday. The day Christ rose from the grave, defeating sin and conquering death - the penalty for sin. While Christmas is the celebration of God become man, and Easter is the celebration of the resurrection and the conquering of death, today is the day that is the linchpin that ties it all together. Why did God come to Earth? Why was Christ born? What is the significance of Christ's resurrection? Why are these things important? Because once sin entered into the world the law of thermodynamics was put in motion. The world as we know it began to decay and die. The resurrection is the evidence of death, the penalty of sin, being defeated. The birth of Christ is the evidence and beginning of God entering time to ultimate end with the resurrection, but today is the day of the why. Without death one cannot have a resurrection. Today is the day my sins were hung on another. The penalty of my actions, the penalty of my rejections, the penalty of my own pride were placed upon the very Being i worship and identify myself with... the resurrection means nothing if there was never a death in the first place. Thank you Father God for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ into the world, to live the sinless life and offer Himself in my stead - to pay the price that was mine to pay. Thank You God that His sacrifice was the perfect substitution for what was deservedly mine. Lord God on Sunday i will also rejoice with my fellow Christians in the celebration of Jesus's resurrection and defeat of death - because that reveals that His death leads to my life through Him.

Random thoughts on tools

Earlier this week i rediscovered my old hand held battery Dremel tool. In the box that i found it there were still several of the grinding and rotary cutting edges. No drill bits or the most important piece - the battery charger. An on-line search and then finally contacting Dremel's customer service has led me to discover that the battery charger for the old model 750 is no longer available (figures). However, if i am willing to mail in my old 750, they would gladly upgrade me to the new 750-02 (pictured to the right) for a mere $23.00. Not much less than what i've found that i could pick another one up independently, but i am going to send it on in and await the new upgrade. Mostly because this little tool is quite handy when it comes to doing detail work on little miniatures... or as my beloved calls them - my little toy soldiers. I already have an idea on some customization for a mini and perhaps i will post pictures someday. The other little tool i would like to talk about today is my little Gerber. I picked up the little guy (pictured to the left) in 2001 when i was at Ft Sill - the year i signed my second to last contract extension with National Guard. At the time i was the gunner for my section and i kept finding myself having to borrow knives or other little tools from the other troops. When i was in the PX i saw it and picked it. Since then it has been on my hip almost every day since then. I know that sounds a little odd, but i feel that this little tools is better than a swiss army knife. So much so that if McGiver had a Gerber instead of his handy Swiss Army Knife, i bet he could have established world peace! I have found this thing so incredibly handy that other people come to me from time to time to borrow it. It will never replace the larger versions but it sure does serve in a pinch. The little carry pouch that came with it is starting to wear out and i am considering getting another one. It's not the nylon that is wearing out, but the velcro from being opened and closed all the time. In my artillery unit we found these things so handy that when someone was promoted from Specialist to Sergeant we took up a collection from the other NCO's to buy the buck Sergeant one. That's all i really have for today... not my normal fare but...

Balance in all things

When i enlisted in the Army National Guard back in 1986, i had joined the 29th Infantry Division (Light). A division with a proud history that traces back to circa WWI, and the regiments that make up the division can be traced back much farther. At least one Maryland regiment had found itself fighting for both sides during the American Civil War, and on at least one occasion actually facing one another on the battlefield. That is how the division came to have a blue and gray ying yang symbol (pictured above-right). In a way this is what my blog is about today. Now, there may be some of the handful of people who come by this blog who might wonder, "what is a 'samurai' doing talking about a Chinese symbol"? A far enough question, but it has more to do with the concepts behind it - and in a round about way, a tie in to yesterday's blog entry. While there is a well known eastern philosophy based on opposing forces in constant conflict, and yet making the whole, there is at lease some Biblical agreement to it.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, ESV)

Yesterday i broached the subject of how i liked the background of Elves. I seemed to focus on how these mythical creatures live in harmony with the environment, but that had not been my sole intent. What i wanted to illustrate is that the concept of the Elven race is that they truly try to live in harmony not just with the environment, but within the world in which they find themselves. They pursue whatever they are trying to learn about and understand, not just at face value but in how the particular subject interacts with the things around it. In an ideal world i feel that is how we Christians should be living as well. Before i go much farther i also want to say that in a fallen, sin filled, world - it is impossible to live at peace with everyone and everything. There are some people, and some things, that just don't want to live at peace unless it is on their terms. Christians are not innocent of my accusations here either (the Crusades and the Inquisition come to mind). As i read through the Bible there are several things that speak to me about searching out balance in my walk with Christ. I am completely forgiven (i.e. fully justified), and yet i am to work out my salvation (i.e sanctification). While the husband has been made the head of the wife, they are equals in the sight of the Lord and the husband is to serve his wife. There are many other examples of how "bad things" are turned on its head and result in God glorifying things. I am in no way trying to twist the Bible to make it conform to a form of eastern philosophy. Nor am i attempting to make my understanding of the Bible filter through such a philosophy. But what i am trying to say is that - i am a finite being. I do not have insight to things that i am not directly involved with, and when i am directly involved - even then my point of view is skewed because it is strictly from my own. Even Paul talks about trying to live in balance with those around us:

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23, ESV)

While Paul is illustrating from the point of view of personal relationships, and i am sure that is the way he intends it, i feel that it lends it self to other areas of our lives as well. Because people interact with things and situations, our focus of being 'all things' needs to be more than just the 'thing' in front of us. How does this impact the things and people around it. Will we ever be able to do that perfectly? No. It is impossible to be "all things, to all people" because we are truly finite, but that does not mean we shouldn't try. That is what peaks my interest in the folklore of the elves... at least as they are portrayed in the world of Tolkien (and subsequent 'universes' based where he first trod). Ultimately we find our balance in Christ. He is our ultimate source of the balance that we need to seek out. Why? Because we are finite and it is not possible for us to be all things to all people, but He is. That does not prevent us from trying to adjust as God leads. Can we be what we need to be? Yes, because as we put ourselves in position to be used of God it is He who makes the changes, it is He who speaks through us, it is He who is at work in/through us, it is He who is putting us in balance. So, i guess in a way, not only do i try and live my life as a samurai in the service to my Lord Jesus Christ, i also try and live out my life as an elf would in regards to how i try and interact with my surroundings.

Yet more random thoughts

There are times when it seems that i just cannot get my thoughts all worked out. It doesn't help that my mind has difficulty staying focused on any one thing for very long as well. This has been extremely frustrating for me. I struggle to focus when reading my Bible, when trying to pray. In one sense that helps me keep to Matthew 6:7-8 ("And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." ~ ESV) - LOL it forces me to make sure i get to the point quickly, because if i don't what i am praying for/about has changed at least twice before i've reached "Amen". I joke, but this bothers me. I really do want to be able to stay on task - especially when i am at the feet of my Savior lifting something up in prayer, or trying to read His Word. I have been on medication for the past two months and that does seem to help... but there are times when i get distracted. Odd, i know. Taking medication that is supposed to help me focus and yet... Right now i am listening to my "Blackmore's Night" station on Pandora. Man i love this music source. I discovered this music site through Facebook, and have been hooked pretty much ever since. I currently have several "stations" configured... 'Contemporary Christian', 'Trans Siberian Orchestra' and 'Classic Symphony'. It all depends on the mood i am in while i "tune in" - and it sometimes changes while i am listening... i know, weird right? When i was younger i played a game called Dagorhir (a dark ages/Tolkien world battle re-enactment group). I knew several friends who were into it, and it sort of had deep roots in the area where i was living at the time. While these guys were not Christians at the time (neither was i), they were good guys who really looked out for me and kept me from getting into any real trouble. My game persona was that of a wandering Wood Elf. I never had the money to really get into character, but i wrote out a brief background and did the best i could with what limited resources i did have. I 'fought' with sword and spear and had an uncanny knack for running full tilt across wet logs across creeks, and dodging the 'arrows' (not really as lythe as it might sound... the arrows for this game do not fly all that fast - lol). It was in many ways a formative time of my life. I was heavily involved playing Dungeons and Dragons, playing Dagorhir and things like this. And while i would NOT recommend a similar path for my own sons, let alone other's children, God truly did bring men into my life to help make me into the man i am today through these games. There was a teacher at a middle school who helped run an after school club who was a Christian - and although he never once used the name Christ or Jesus, he lived out his life. The older high school students i played D&D with also had good work ethics and lived some good examples. One of these men i am still friends with - albeit just through Facebook right now - is a talented musician who plays for his church. I wish we were closer. There was also a group that simply called themselves "The Christians". The dressed up like the romanticised crusaders and lived out their beliefs within the context of the game. Although - in hindsight - it may not have been the best portrayal. :) In my opinion the Crusades were by far, not our finest hour. A lot of the foundation in how i see myself as a Christian Samurai were formed then. I'd like to believe that i was as regal and fantastic looking as the wardancer pictured above-right while playing. That is one of the great things about playing make-believe in any of its forms. We can picture the play any way we wish. I still like to fancy myself as an elf... or at least elf-like. In general the lore of Elves and their kin are ones who take great delight in pursuing excellence in whatever they take to study. They look to balance their existence within whatever environment they find themeselves in. I am not trying to say this in some form of mystical, new age sense either. God established Adam and Eve as stewards of the Earth. In the beginning God had said, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so." (Genesis 1:28-30, ESV) Note: This does not say dominate. As stewards we are supposed to be living in the world, not of it, and not destroying it. I am not a zealot when it comes to recycling, etc. but i am of the mind that we should be better stewards than we have been.

Oh what a night

With this being "Music Monday" where i normally choose a song and then blog about it i thought i'd try and at least use a line from a song for the subject line. Unfortunately things are weird today. I did not set an alarm clock for this morning and i woke up when i was supposed to be leaving for work, while my brain seemed to be working fine each of the three times i fully emerged from slumber last night it was completely clear, but then this morning it was quite foggy. Work too, has conspired to keep me from trying to come up with a good song to share. So, instead of just throwing something up i thought i'd just blow it off instead. I survived being a temporary "single parent" over the weekend. My beloved had the opportunity to head out to the ocean with a couple of friends and we took them up on it. She had a wonderful and relaxing time. For me we were too busy for the time to lag. The kids were great and when it came time to get the house in order they did a really good job. For my part i managed to keep them fed and healthy. Saturday evening we went to go see Monsters vs. Aliens. DS1 (who's 13) tolerated it, while DS2 has done nothing but quote lines from it since then. DD3 liked it, but had problems with the "mean" alien. Well, what can you do. Speaking about movies... Wolverine comes out in a little over three weeks. When i was a kid he was my not favorite mutant right away. Cyclops was way cooler. That beam of energy coming from his eyes... awesome! But then, as i got to know Logan over time he really grew on me. He was not just some animalistic berserker barbarian. He had a history, and motives, and a personality that really kind of spoke to me. I am looking forward to this movie more so than any of the others that i want to see in the theater in May. I am looking forward to getting a glimpse of his history some. There is so much to pick up out there that i could never afford to pick it up. It doesn't help that he is so popular among the masses either. The Star Trek rebirth looks intreaguing, but if i miss it - so be it. The other movie i "must" see in theaters is of course Terminator: Salvation. I am out of time for today...

Burning the midnight oil

The thought just came to me, 'where did that saying come from, and why do we actually say it'? Now, i sort of already know the why, but not so much the where. And to be honest, i don't care enough to look it up. Anyway, i have another midnight shift for work and the list i made to keep myself busy for these two nights was completed yesterday morning at about 05:30, so there is less to occupy my mind and time this morning. That makes me worried since i will have a harder time getting through the early morning hours this time. I am very, very thankful that i live only fifteen minutes from work. I just talked with the building custodian. I've met him before, but we don't get much time to chat. His name is James and he seems to truly enjoy his job. Which is rare now a days, especially within the service industry. Have i ever mentioned before that i am addicted to flair? More specifically the flair on Facebook. I don't know why, but i browse it at least once a day. I have 150 virtual pieces of flair, but i must give more than i receive because i have over 2000 flair points, but i can't help myself. One thing i definitely like is that i can use them to spruce up the ol' 'dojo' up while i am writing these incredibly boring entries. I've also created over 20 pieces of flair to share with my friends and the general Facebook world. They are not all listed in the directory (for example one of them is a friend who did not give me permission to share his image, but he looks so cool playing the trumpet... so i shared it with him), but most of them are not all that popular. The one thing that is irritating is that i can only share 56 of them at a time on my Facebook profile. What's up with that! Oh well, if nothing else it will help expand my gallery of meaningless 'art' to post here to help entertain the handful of readers that happen by - as well as those faithful regulars - thanks guys! With a little less to do, and even fewer people around to talk to, i have some music playing (a Tull song just ended, and now i am listening to Your So Good To Me by Sovereign Grace Music), and i've brought some material to read: The Book "The Elements of Style" by Strunk & White, to help me improve my writing; some research material on the 'book' i am writing (i am not sure how to refer to it since it will most likely never be published); the Prologue for said work in progress - this is a piece i've started to help me visualize where the main character has come from; and finally some miscellaneous reading material if i should run out of other things to do. One reason i am confident that my work will never be published is that it is based within a setting wholly created by a company known as Games Workshop (specifically, within the scope of Necromunda). They are highly protective of their intellectual property - as well they should be - and unless i can polish it well enough for their division known as the Black Library, it will never see the light of day (so to speak). Anything is possible, but i like to keep my expectations low, and then if God would so allow, i can be excited. It's ok if my little work is never published because i really do enjoy writing, and more particularly i like writing within their setting. One of the characters that will be in my 'book' i've been writing about for several years now. His name has morphed over time, but the 'person' is the same. One reason i like to write stories within the settings of GW's games is i enjoy playing out a scenario on the table top and then incorporating it into the story i am writing at the time. If anyone is interested, i self 'publish' them on-line at "Samurai's Yarns". The latest work there is a short piece i typed up to help me get an idea of what my characters look like. One last piece of rambling before i have to get up and stretch my legs ~ my beloved is getting away for a couple of nights with some friends this weekend. She was reluctant at first but i had to really encouraged her to go. It would be nice for her to get a break from the routine around the house. Yes, i am jealous of her being away from me and wanting to be there with her, but she really needs to get away for a bit. While her headaches seem to be getting to a manageable level (with the help of allergy shots and some other meds) i feel the change in scenery will be really good for her. Now it will be my job to make sure that not only are the kids delivered to the other end alive and whole, but that the house is not in a shambles and her feeling like it all went to pot without her. She already knows we need and rely on her, i just don't want her to feel like she can't go away without her husband letting the house fall apart. While i've been typing up this paragraph i've been trying to figure out a way to elaborate just how much it feels like God has been doing between us of late ~ but i don't think i could do it justice. I am also scared that i will some how ruin it. Our marriage is not perfect, but i can honestly say that my worst day spent with her has been far better than i had ever hoped for before i met her. Neither of us are perfect, but God did really give me a wife who completes me in a human sense... and by far, i've received the better end of this arrangement. I still remember the first day we met, the sun, the conversation, how i felt. It still took God's hand to gently push me (and some Divine intervention ) , but fourteen months after we met we were joined in marriage. It has been over sixteen years, and i am praying that we are not even a third of the way through it.

The dark side of midnight

When i awoke from my nap last night i had an idea that i wanted to blog about it... but several hours later i can't remember it. :) I will try and write whatever idea i have later today... if one comes to mind. Right now my eyelids are burning and my temples are throbbing. The night air is very cool... very pleasant to breath and is quite refreshing. But when you tucas is planted in a chair, in an overly warm cube where several pieces of equipment is being "burned in", on a conference call where no one is talking... ouch! :-) May each of you enjoy God's grace, mercy, and a palpable sense of His incredible love for you this day. May the fluid in my eyes put out the fires that are just under my eyelids once i climb between the sheets and sweet slumber embraces me... and may it last for at least six hours, hopefully a full 8. ;)