Nonsensical Ramblings of Mark

I have had the opportunity to teach 4 year olds all the way up to 74 year olds and I have determined in my heart that I am going to treat each opportunity the same. The same amount of preparation, mindshare, thought, and creativity has to be present in my teaching regardless of the audience. I have to admit that I get a little frustrated when thoughts creep into my mind that just because I am teaching so-and-so or just because the topic is such-and-such I can get away with giving it a little less than my best. I need to continually remind myself that I am subject to the same Master regardless of what I am tasked to do and that He, rightly, demands all of my energy. There is no "minor leagues" with Him - no gig that He has given me that I can mail it in on. It is all or nothing every week. Every minute. I recall a statement that was made by the lead singer of Whitecross a while back stating that he was tired of Christian musicians not seeking excellence in their art because th...

I had a chance to talk about how God talks to us today to the students at Northridge Christian School (including my own) and I told them that God reveals His sovereign will to us in history. Of course I didn't quite use those words, but I did tell them that I was not sure if it was God's will for me to make it to work after the chapel service because it hadn't happened yet. After the service, as I drove to work, I thought about how awesome it was that I was continually on a journey into, and continually on the edge of, the secret things of God. Every heartbeat that I have is a revelation of God's sovereign will in my life. As he arranges the moments of my living and as they occur in rapid succession I find myself a chronicler of sorts recording my God's sovereign, overarching will for my life and in the lives of the people I come into contact with today. It is mind-blowing to think that as I drift off to sleep and even before I wake I am both a receptacle and procla...

There seems to be a bit of "finality" in my spirit this morning as I heard the news that Osama Bin Laden had been killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan. This finality has brought me some peace, but more than that it has sobered me and saddened me a little. There is a sense of peace in my spirit that justice has been done. There is no question that what Bin Laden did was deserving of the death he died. I do vividly remember the awful attack and the feelings of sheer helplessness of 9-11. I did not lose anyone in the attacks but hearing the stories of people that did stirred up some righteous anger in me and a desire to want to see those that masterminded the attacks held to account.   I am sobered at the same time. The crimes that I have committed against my God are deserving of death as well. As much as I wanted to see justice done I am so relieved and thankful that God has not seen it fit to have a bullet put into my head so the death sentence that I deserve was carried out. Th...