Ryan's Ramblings

Teachable

Proverbs 12:15 says,

"Fools think their own way is right,

but the wise listen to others."

I try to read a chapter of Proverbs every morning.  I have been doing this a long time and every day I am challenged to consider my ways and to incorporate some of the wisdom that I find in the book into my life.

I find it amazing that Solomon, the writer of Proverbs and the wisest person who ever lived, says time and again that it is the wise who seek counsel and it is the wise who listen to others.

In other words, the wise among us are those that put away their pride and who are teachable.

Last February I spent a week at an orphanage in India and during my days there I had the privilege of teaching some Math and Science lessons to a group of 5th graders who lived at the orphanage.   What a delight that was for me.  The students sat up on the edge of their seats drinking in every word of "wisdom" that I had for them.  They were ready to answer questions, participate in the lessons and they were quick to listen.

There is a time to talk and a time to listen.  Listening puts us in a position where we are able to be taught--teachable.

I have so much to learn from the Holy Spirit, King Solomon and those precious orphans in India.  As I put away my pride and live in a teachable manner, I hope that I am a delight to the ultimate teacher--God.

Tuesday Night

It is almost eleven o'clock at night.  I just got home from work for the second time this evening.  I got called away from my home earlier in the evening to go and help solve a problem at one of our school's campus dormitories.  It is late, I am tired and I should be justifiably "grouchy" about putting in a sixteen hour day, but instead I am brimming over with gratitude towards God.

At the International School in South Korea where I work, we board nearly 220 students.  I got called into one of our high school dormitories this evening to assist the Residence Director with a potentially serious situation.  The issue was resolved rather quickly and as I was walking out the front door of the dormitory, headed for home, I noticed the dorm students gathering in the recreation room for a time of late night Bible study and prayer.  I decided to stay.

As the kids gathered and sat on couches, chairs and pillows throughout the room many of them said "hello" to me and acted surprised to see me in their "home."  The evening devotional time was simply a time of silent prayer as the R.A. on duty strummed quietly on her guitar.

As I sat there praying with a bunch of 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grade boys and girls from different places, experiences and cultures throughout the world, I quickly realized that I was in a place that many would call "holy ground." 

Tonight I sat and prayed with children of missionaries whose parents are serving in very "dark" places in the world.  The kids know much better than I of struggle and sacrifice and they know what a privilege it is to be attending school and living in safety in a dormitory with friends and adults that care about them and love them.

I prayed with teenagers who are essentially, "on their own."  They have been living away from their upwardly mobile, affluent parents for years and they are tasked with the responsibility of achieving educational success and subsequently a "ticket" to the good life of Western Education.  They are alone except for the fact that they have dorm parents, good friends and God.

For me there was something special about praying with these kids tonight.  As I prayed, I wondered what the students were thinking about and praying for.  Tears filled my eyes as I remembered the joys, the pain, the fears and the questions that filled my teenage heart so long ago.  Tonight God reminded me that He was with me then and he is with the students in the dorm now. 

God also reminded me that He is with me now too.

It is late. The house is quiet.  My wife and daughters are asleep and I have had a long day.  I am tired, but I am not feeling alone, discouraged or justifiably grouchy.  Rather, I am at peace.  I know that God is with me, He loves me and I am thankful.

By the way, He loves you too.  G'nite.

40 Years vs. 11 Days...You Choose

As I was reading the Bible this morning my mind and heart were arrested by a line in Deuteronomy 1:2-3.  In this passage Moses was getting ready to address the Israelites as they were about to enter into the Promised Land.  Here are the introductory comments in the first chapter of Deuteronomy. 

"Normally it takes only eleven days to travel from Mount Sinai to Kadesh-barnea, going by way of Mount Seir.  But forty years after the Israelites left Egypt, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses addressed the people of Israel..." (NLT)

Wow.  The Israelites spent 40 years on a journey that should have lasted 11 days. That is a tragedy.  It wasn't the distance of the journey that delayed their arrival, but rather it was the path that they chose to take. 

Along with my reading of Deuteronomy 1 this morning I read Psalm 78.  It is a review of the history of the Jewish nation.  Psalm 78 reflects upon and remembers the story of the Israelites from the time of their deliverance from slavery in Egypt to their hopeful days in the midst of King David's reign.  In Psalm 78 I read that God brought them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, guided them by cloud and by fire, and gave them water to drink and food to eat (which is essentially saying that God gave them life).  And yet...they kept on sinning, they complained, they did not trust God, they rebelled against God and they did not remember Him, His ways, nor His presence in their lives.

They spent 40 years on a journey that should have lasted 11 days because of grumbling, selfishness, a lack of trust in God, rebellion, a failure to remember and reflect upon the ways of God in their lives and...sin.

Wow, they spent 40 years on a journey that should have lasted 11 days...

Sin, grumbling, a self-centered attitude, worry (which is a lack of trust in God), rebellion and ingratitude will lead you down a road that you don't want to travel.  It is a way that will strip you of hope and leave you with regret.  It is path that will rob you of precious years-even entire seasons-of your life.

I don't want to wander for 40 years and waste the precious days of my life.  I suspect that Moses and the Israelites didn't want to be on the 40 year plan either.  But it has been said that,

"Sin will take you further than you want to go.  It will keep you longer than you want to stay, and it will cost you more than you want to pay."

They spent 40 years on a journey that should have lasted 11 days...

Please note that not everyone missed out on the Promised Land.  Joshua made it.  May we all heed his words:

"...Choose today whom you will serve,...as for me and my family we will serve the LORD." Joshua 25:15 (NLT)

Silly Signs in Busan

Sometimes I come across some enjoyable signage in South Korea.  Here are a few from my trip to Busan:

 

 

  

This little guy called us over in Korean and then pulled out this sign.

 

 

Taxi Thoughts...

I had just spent a fantastic three day vacation, with my family and some friends, on a beach on the Southern tip of the South Korean peninsula.

I was in a taxi with my daughter Becca and her friends, on the way from the hotel in Busan to the train station.  We were beginning the journey home.  In the back seat the kids were all bemoaning the fact that they had to go back to school and do lots of schoolwork, projects etc.  This made me think about my own responsibilities that I had to face upon returning from vacation.  As I listened to the kids and to my own thoughts of anxiety and dread regarding the "real life" responsibilities that I had to return to, I realized that the good time that I had just had was beginning to recede in my mind.

I don't think this is right.  Real life and worries should not be allowed to consume our minds so that we forget the blessings of God in our lives.

There is always a real life to return to after a time of goodness, joy and blessing in our lives.  God does not want us to allow these pressures to overshadow his presence in our lives.  I want to remember the blessings, continue to smile at the memories of Busan and savor the time that I had together with my family and my friends in that place.  I can't allow the pressures of real life to cloud my thinking and blind me from the goodness that God has bestowed into my life.

As I think about it--most people in the world will never have a time like I just spent in Busan with my family and friends.  Along with that, most people in the world will never have the opportunity to feel the pressure and responsibility of the challenges that I am facing in life.  I have a challenging yet fulfilling job; I am working on a graduate degree and have some deadlines looming; I have many relationships and friendships to maintain and invest in...all of this is weighty...but oh such a privilege. 

I pray that God will help me to see things this way.  I now understand a bit better Jesus' comment that "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven."

God help me to live a life of gratitude and to keep my mind and heart fixed on you.

God Knows...

I am currently sitting in a Starbucks in Busan, South Korea overlooking the East Sea (or the Sea of Japan as the Japanese like to refer to it).  It is a beautiful site, an amazing view...nearly breath taking.  But this is not what holds my attention right now.

My mind is captured by something I just read in Psalm 77:19.

"Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters--a pathway no one knew was there!"

As I sit here and look out at the East Sea and read this scripture my mind goes to the context of this psalm.  The children of Israel were following God's direction away from the Egyptian army and suddenly they were stopped by a seemingly IMPOSSIBLE obstacle--the Red Sea.

They were in what most would consider to be a hopeless situation.  There was no conceivable means of escape or salvation for the fleeing Israelites.  From their perspective they ran into a dead-end along the pathway of God.

The rest of the story is nothing less than amazing.  God parted the Red Sea, delivered the Israelites and destroyed the enemy. 

God made a way where there seemed to be no way.

What kind of impossible situation are you up against?  We need look no further than the daily newspaper to be filled with hopelessness.  God is not bound by our perceived realities.  God led the children of Israel down a pathway that no one knew was there--no one except God. 

Are you up against a seemingly impossible situation?

Be encouraged.  God knows...and he knows the way out.

Sharing the Wealth

I am one of those people that likes to share a good find with others.  It must be the teacher in me.  I feel like I send way too many emails to friends with just a link and a subject line that says, "look at this."  At the same time I feel like I don't share enough of the good things that I come across in my educational experiences and in my feed reader roamings of the internet.

So here is my answer: I am going to share the wealth of my wanderings via my blog.  Every once in awhile I will be "Sharing the Wealth" by posting links and comments about things that I have learned from, have found interesting and/or have enjoyed on the internet.  Please click on the links and enjoy.

Here goes:

This post made me homesick for Montana and it inspired me.

Intention vs. Decision:  After watching this brief interview, Andy Stanley has my attention.

Change some names, apply it to your context and this post by the Tall Monastic Guy touches a nerve.  It almost sounds like something Jesus would say.

I like to listen to audio books while I walk/run and workout.  Here is a link for a free book (every month)... 'nuff said.

I wish I disliked criticizing others as much as I dislike criticism.  Mark Batterson offers some solid counsel here.

Psalm 121:2-5 (NIV)

My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip--

he who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you...

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years--Book Review

I so enjoyed this book.  I received it in the mail on Friday, started reading it on Friday evening and finished the book on Sunday morning (and I had a very busy weekend!).  I didn't even have time to list it in the "What I Am Reading" sidebar of my blog.  I laughed, cried and reflected my way through this book and when I came to the last page, I was sad that it was over.  I will read this book again.

I love the idea of "story" as it relates to life and faith--and that is what this book is all about.  It is about realizing that our personal stories are important and significant parts of the larger story of God.  Throughout Miller's narrative he encourages the reader to recognize the important parts of our life stories, to acknowledge how they affect the overall stories of our lives and to realize that our stories can be edited.  Each person has a lot to do with the writing and the editing of their own stories.

As Miller shared stories about himself and others I was reminded that there is an "author" in each of our lives that give our life experiences purpose.  "Without story, experiences are just random." (pg. 27)  Miller doesn't skirt the issue that not all stories in this life turn out "happily every after."  Like the best stories, life is filled with conflict, antagonists and risk to overcome.

As I read Miller's book I found myself wanting to live a "good" story and help others get out of a "bad" story.  Reading Miller's words confirmed in my mind that I know what it takes to live a better story than I am living.  And now, I don't have a choice because, "Not living a better story would be like deciding to die, deciding to walk around numb until you die, and it's not natural to want to die." (pg. 66)

There is someone writing each one of us.  There is a plan, there is a way, there is a path--there is a great story that each of us needs to let God write in and through our lives.  "People love to have lived a great story, but few people like the work it takes to make it happen." (pg. 100)  When I landed on the last page of Miller's book I found myself wanting to live a great story and willing to pay the price for the joy that accompanies a great story.

"Sharing a story with somebody [makes] the story more meaningful." (pg. 154) This is true when you go to the movies and it is especially true when you are living life.  Thanks for letting me share a bit of the story of A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.  It is a good read.

Fearless--Book Review

Max Lucado’s newest book, Fearless, is a very satisfying read.  Every chapter touches on a very real place in the human heart and feeds that hunger with the promises of God.  The book is filled with illustrations, personal testimony and Biblical reflections that touch on the genuine places, feelings and experiences of life.

I love the way that Max Lucado casts the light of scripture upon the path of human experience.  He often puts into words what so many people feel, but can’t or are afraid to express.  As I read this book, I felt his voice was reminiscent of the Max Lucado that I enjoyed reading in his first books so many years ago.  He is an artist with words.  Max Lucado can say more in one sentence than can be read in a multi-volume set of theological textbooks—because he speaks to the heart.

In this book he addresses the issue of fear and moves the reader into the realm of fearlessness through many different perspectives.  He reminds the reader to avoid the things that lead to fear and he does so in a meaningful and memorable way.  Here is quote from the book that I won’t easily forget, “Worry is the darkroom where negatives become glossy prints.”

Fear is a very big and real issue in each person’s life.  It is not a place where God wants his children to reside.  Max Lucado makes this very clear in his book and he offers the reader a very clear picture of the Fearless life that Jesus offers and provides to all who will look to him.      

Unpredictable

"When you admit Jesus into your heart, nothing is predictable but everything becomes possible."  --Henri J. M. Nouwen

I like this.

Luke 18 tells of a good upstanding rich man who was a likely candidate to fill the role of a God follower, yet he couldn't quite let it all go and let God have his way in his life.    Jesus told the crowd that it was nearly impossible for a rich man to leave all and follow God.  Nearly impossible...

In Luke 19 we read of Zacchaeus--a mean, ornery, heartless rich man who was a very unlikely candidate to be a God follower.  However, we see that he let it all go for Jesus and went from lost to found.  Jesus told the crowd that salvation had filled the house of Zacchaeus.  Unpredictable...

In Jesus, nothing is predictable but everything becomes possible.

I like this.