VIDEO - The Tradition Lives On

For over 60 years, the Lybarger and Amsden family have had a tradition of decorating Christmas Cookies. Well, this year, the tradition continued as Meg and I expanded the cookie decorating to Los Angeles.

Here's a brief highlight video of the continuing tradition!

Lessons In Thankfulness From Robinson Crusoe

On this day of Thanksgiving, I wanted to share with you an amazing excerpt from the literary classic, Robinson Crusoe, written by Daniel Defoe in 1719.

This particular portion of the text has had a profound impact upon my life.

It can be so easy to forget that God has done extraordinary things for us within the context of this ordinary life. Day in and day out, countless miracles escape our attention amidst the mundane... yet, we must find a way to be grateful. To be thankful. To be filled with joy. To live a lifesong of praise.

James MacDonald of WALK IN THE WORD ministries always says, "gratitude is the attitude that sets the altitude for living."

In the midst of blessing, we can easily Give Thanks! However, thankfulness is much harder to come out of our mouths amidst pain and suffering. Maybe that is why Scripture encourages us to bring "the sacrifice of praise."

Anyway, let this excerpt from Chapter 7 of Robinson Crusoe be an encouragement for you. After having been shipwrecked on an island, this is how Crusoe faces his situation with praise and a thankful heart.

"I now began to consider seriously my Condition, and the Circumstance I was reduc'd to, and I drew up the State of my Affairs in Writing, not so much to leave them to any that were to come after me, for I was like to have but few Heirs, as to deliver my Thoughts from daily poring upon them, and afflicting my Mind; and as my Reason began now to master my Despondency, I began to comfort my self as well as I could, and to set the good against the Evil, that I might have something to distinguish my Case from worse, and I stated it very impartially, like Debtor and Creditor, the Comforts I enjoy'd, against the Miseries I suffer'd, Thus,"


 

EVIL	GOOD
I am cast upon a horrible desolate Island, void of all hope of Recovery.	But I am alive, and not drown'd as all my Ship's Company was.
I am singl'd out and separated, as it were, from all the World to be miserable.	But I am singl'd out too from all the Ship's Crew to be spar'd from Death; and He that miraculously sav'd me from Death, can deliver me from this Condition.
I am divided from Mankind, a Solitaire, one banish'd from humane Society.	But I am not starv'd and parishing on a barren Place, affording no Sustenance.
I have not Clothes to cover me.	But I am in a hot Climate, where if I had Clothes I could hardly wear them.
I am without any Defence or Means to resist any Violence of Man or Beast.	But I am cast on an Island, where I see no wild Beasts to hurt me, as I saw on the Coast of Africa: And what if I had been Shipwreck'd there?
I have no Soul to speak to, or relieve me.	But God wonderfully sent the Ship in near enough to the Shore, that I have gotten out so many necessary things as will either supply my Wants, or enable me to supply my self even as long as I live.

If we sat down to count our blessings, we would be astounded at God's continued hand of Providence in our lives.

Today, may the Lord make all Grace abound to you!

My Greatest Legacy

In recent weeks, I've been coming to a realization with regard to the legacy I will leave on this earth.

Meg and I are naming our son Alexander Joseph.

There was no reason for the name choice other than, frankly, we loved the name Alexander. It wasn't until weeks after the name decision was made that my Aunt had reminded my mother that my great grandfather was Charles Alexander Lybarger and that my great-great-grandfather was Alexander Lybarger.

We had no idea that Alexander was a family name... Why? Well, simply put, time had passed, and we just did not remember our family legacy.

So, maybe it is impending fatherhood, maybe it is the realization how quickly my life is moving (does anyone else think 2009 is passing like the blink of an eye?), maybe it is simply a melancholy personality that leans toward the D.D.P. (Deep, Dark Place - more posts on that soon to come - HaHa!).

Regardless of the cause, I have been really thinking about my legacy.

My life is like grass, quickly fading. Anything that I could build on this life will, most likely, not be remembered by history within a century or two (and 2 centuries is giving myself A LOT of credit).

Most of humanity's accomplishments fade with time. Just look at the Egyptian Empire. Just for biographical information, I am a bit of a fan of history. My wife laughs because nearly every time she turns on the TV, the channel is set to the History Channel. I love to watch documentaries on Egypt. I love to see archeologists piece together a story from bits of info that may still exist. Though it was a great and thriving civilization that lasted for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, there is very little that we know today about the Egyptian Empire. What knowledge we do have is a piecemeal of facts and fiction by the leading scholars on the subject.

And hardly anyone can tell me the names of leaders from the Hittite Empire, which lasted for hundreds of years.

The point is: no great human civilization, no leader, no one person can so greatly influence the course of human history that all mankind will remember his/her legacy beyond a few years, or even measly centuries.

That is, of course, for the Legacy of Jesus Christ!

For over 2,000 years, humanity continues to learn more and more about Jesus: his life, his walk, his miracles, his death, his resurrection, his saving grace, his amazing feats, his matchless impact!

My legacy, my impact, my life pales in comparison to Jesus... as well it should!

I know that there is nothing on Earth that I could build to leave a legacy for myself. I am so unimportant in the scheme of things. Yet, I can have a tremendous impact. That impact is the legacy that I build into, the legacy of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom!

This may seem to you like "Christianity 101"... you may be saying, "Yeah Dallas, I've been in that place for years. I can't believe that you're just now catching up to what I've known for a long time."

Well, I would like to challenge you: have you really known that the CAUSE OF CHRIST is the greatest legacy you can leave on this Earth?

If so, what are you doing about it?

Are you simply working your job? Are you simply living day-in and day-out? Eating, drinking, marrying and giving in marriage? Are you just living your life? Going to church? Doing your religious duty? Voting? Doing your civic duty? Etc? Etc?

...OR...

Are you preaching the Gospel? Are you reaching out to the poor, the hungry, the needy? Are you living your life with the purpose of continually pointing others toward Christ?

Are you more concerned about the Legacy of Christ than you are concerned about Your Legacy?

Maybe that is what Paul meant when he wrote in Philippians 1 that "to live is Christ, to die is gain."

Our time on this Earth is so short. We should spend our energies impacting the world for Jesus and his lasting legacy rather than spending it in vain pursuits of our legacies, our wasting pleasures and our temporary comforts.

Anyway...sorry to get "preachy"... I just wanted to share with you where the Lord is taking me. I realize that, though it is Biblical and wise to leave my son, Alexander, a natural inheritance, chances are that Alexander's great grandchildren may not even know my name... but they can AND WILL know the name of Jesus Christ!

God, grant me the Grace to build your lasting kingdom and not my own temporary sand castle.

"I Know The Plans I Have For You"

Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

As my wife and I prepare for the arrival of our son, Alexander Joseph, this coming March, this particular Scripture becomes more and more alive in me!

On a purely natural level, Meg and I are preparing a nursery. We're getting our home "baby-ready". We're setting up a registry of necessities that we're going to need (mostly with the help of seasoned parenting pros who know we don't need everything that BABIES-R-US offers to poor, unsuspecting rookie-parents...LOL!).

Baby Lex is just in his womb, developing, yet completely unaware of the preparations being made for him. He has yet to comprehend all that Mom and Dad are doing to get ready for him. (notice how I put "Mom" first... Ladies, trust me, I already know who the kids cling to more, and I am fully prepared to accept my secondary role... HaHa!)

Lex doesn't even know how our lives are already being rearranged to make way for his arrival. He doesn't have the slightest idea of the sacrifices being made to give him a future in this World...

...But, we know...

Meg and I know how the road is being paved. We see the bigger picture that Lex cannot possibly comprehend. We want the best for our son. We want to give him a hope, a future. We have plans: not to harm our baby boy, but to prosper him in every way imaginable: physically, emotionally, naturally and, most importantly, spiritually.

Our God is the same way with us! How unimaginable to us our His incredible plans. His ways are so much higher than our ways, His thoughts so much higher than our thoughts. He is incomprehensible in His vast goodness and His marvellous grace.

In this life on this Earth, (or as I like to call it, our "Womb of Eternity"), the Lord is continually developing us, molding us, aligning our spiritual genetic code, fashioning the DNA of our faith. He is planning the ultimate destiny for us. Through every struggle, every tough stage of development, every heartache, every spiritual growth spurt, we are being formed and fashioned into the vessels of His glory.

Wow! What an amazing thing to think, just as I am hoping the best for our son, God is hoping the best for us!

Lex, your mom and I know the plans we have for you...
...And Lord, thank you for giving us a hope and a future.

The Error Of Self-Preservation

So, in my post entitled "The Prejean Debacle", I wrote something that has really stuck with me the last couple of days. I said, "Human nature is all about self-preservation... but, I wonder when will we accept the eternal nature of self-sacrifice."

I know; you're thinking, "wow, that guy is such a philosopher." It's okay; it's okay. Take a moment, breathe in. HaHa!

Honestly, though, it seems that I continually see how we humans are always fighting for self-preservation. We want to secure our portion, our monies, our future, etc. We are always looking to "save face", as they say.

Sure, it can be argued that self-preservation is merely our human nature. It's our survival mechanism. It's our way of prolonging the species (thank you, Mr. Darwin).

However, the Law of Self-Preservation is completely at odds with the Biblical Law of Self-Sacrifice. Jesus continually tells us that we must lose our lives to gain eternal life. The writers of the New Testament forewarn us time and again how we must be hated, cursed, abused, beaten, and maybe even martryred for the will of Heaven and the furtherance of the Gospel.

The Bible instructs us that, in order to follow Christ, we must go against everything that "human nature" and the Law of Self-Preservation stands for. We must be willing to die... (and that may be an actual physical death, but it could just be a proverbial death as well).

Look at Stephen, the first martyr. I'm sure that Stephen wanted to protect himself, but he didn't. He endured the stones unto death because he found the error in self-preservation and lived, instead, by the higher law - the Law of Self-Sacrifice. Paul too. Peter also. Countless martyrs of the Faith lived AND DIED by the Law of Self-Sacrifice.

Maybe, though, it's easier to die in self-sacrifice than to live in it. Maybe, we could stand for something if our lives were truly on the line, but perhaps the Law of Self-Sacrifice doesn't apply to our reputations, our egos, our way of life... 

- What if we lived as "walking martyrs" before the World?
- What if we were the first to say we're wrong, the first to live transparently, the first to admit our mistakes?
- What if we lived not for the Law of Self-Preservation but for the Law of Self-Sacrifice?

Wouldn't it be incredible if we could deny our human nature and embrace our eternal nature?

God, grant me the grace to humbly deny myself, take up my cross and follow you so that I too may say, "for me to live is Christ and to die is gain."

Going To The Birds

Saw this video and thought it was pretty cool.
Wish someone would've edited some music into it, though.
Enjoy!

Ellipsis and the Art of Drifting Off...

I love the ellipsis. I really do. For me, an ellipsis is the little "dot, dot, dot," that makes the world go 'round.

As a reader, when I see an ellipsis, I know that either something trivial and unimportant has been left out or the writer assumes that I comprehend the rest of his train of thought.

To me, the author is saying, "I only want to give you the useful information, so you don't need the rest of this ... most of it is useless anyway." I appreciate that. Thank you very much, my Author-friend.

Or, I love the fact that the author believes that I am so in tune with his mind that mere words are no longer necessary. The ellipsis says, "You know where this sentence is going, so let's just drift together ..."

Either way, I appreciate both the brevity of the author as well as his faith in me as a reader.

In short, the ellipsis is just a way to say, "I'm not fully done with my sentence, but at this point, words are no longer needed ..."

The "Prejean Debacle"

(DISCLAIMER: THIS IS KIND OF A LONG ONE - SO, GET READY)

Okay; so, Carrie Prejean has been in a bit of a tumult in recent months. From her VERY public support of "one-man/one-woman", traditional marriage stance aimed at judge Perez Hilton's obviously probing question during the Ms. America pageant, to the latest "it-wasn't-a-sex-video" scandal, Ms. Prejean has repeatedly denounced the "liberal media" as being biased against "conservative women", especially "evangelical Christians."

--- All right... let's go there for a moment. ---
The media may well indeed be biased, but who cares?
That's right: I said, "who cares?"

Carrie, whether or not it was a "sex video", a "private video to your boyfriend" or whatever the video situation in question may be, it is time to show some brokenness.

Carrie is out promoting her book, STILL STANDING. Yes, I saw her interview on the TODAY Show (and by the by, Meredith Vieira, let's try and hide our scowl a little more), and I saw her remove her microphone on LARRY KING LIVE, and I must say that I have been both disappointed and broken-hearted about Carrie's absolute lack of humility and repentance in light of her current situation.

Come on! You made a salacious video, (when you were 17!!!), that you tried to hide, and it has now come out. However, instead of coming along and taking these nation-wide pulpits to show repentance and a contrite heart, you are using your platform to denounce the "liberal media"... I'm sorry, but did Jesus Christ care about the spin doctors on the "Left"? (or the "Right" for that matter...???)

Carrie, don't defend yourself. Don't pass the buck of blame. Take the heat. Stand in the fire. Be purified in this moment. If you made these mistakes in the dark, and they have now been brought to the light, don't be caught STILL STANDING... be found ON YOUR FACE IN REPENTANCE.
You should have been the first to say there was a tape out there, and you should have been the first to fall on your face in repentance about it.

That is how you could have shown the, as you call it, "liberal media", what brokenness looks like.
You said in your TODAY show interview that the video was "the biggest mistake of [your] life."

Okay; so own up to it. Don't make "the biggest mistake of [your] life" about an attack from the "Left", make it about an opportunity to show the amazing gift of grace that is only available through Jesus Christ.

Make this moment about humility in the shadow of the Cross and not about self-defense in the shadow of Keith Olbermann. Who cares what Keith Olbermann says about you?!?!

Since when does Christianity and the journey of salvation have anything to do with the "Left" or the "Right"... oh, sorry. Did I rock a couple of Evange-political boats on that one?

SIDE-STEPPING: Whether or not you agree with him or his affiliation, Pastor Erwin McManus of MOSAIC in Los Angeles shared a very profound statement not too long ago. He said that in the early days of Christianity, "we didn't even call ourselves 'Christians'. The World called us 'Christians'. We were simply 'Followers of The Way.' Then, somewhere along the line, we started calling ourselves 'Christians', and the World started calling us 'hypocrites'."
OUCH!!!

Carrie, the whole of the Media World is now calling you an Evangelical Christian Hypocrite as you defend your "biggest mistake" as a ploy by the "liberal media" to silence you.

I am praying that you use this opportunity to be the role model you profess that you want to be. Let's fall on our face in humility and receive the available grace. Let's make this whole debacle about the redeemed opportunities offered through Jesus Christ and the grace that he gives to the humble (James 4:6b/ I Peter 5:5b).

If, as an "Evangelical Christian", you are going to suffer for anything, suffer for the name of Christ (ie: I Peter 4:12-19), not for the Republican Party.

Come on, Christians, let's quit giving the World a reason to call us "hypocrites." Let's quit shaming the name of Jesus Christ by being the most self-defending group in Western Culture. I once said to a friend, "for a group of people whose entire belief system is based upon the assumption of being sinfully wrong, I'm amazed at how quickly we Christians try and prove how constantly right we are."

What if... WHAT IF!!! ... we were the first to admit our dirty secrets, the first to admit our wrong-doings, the first to admit that we don't have all the answers...??? What if we were the first to really fall on our knees before the World drives us to our knees...???

Human nature is all about self-preservation... but, I wonder when will we accept the eternal nature of self-sacrifice?

God grant us ALL the grace to admit when we are wrong.

PS - Carrie, you are loved by your Christian brethren, and I am praying that you will be able to hold steadfast to your faith through this ordeal. May Christ dwell in you fully!

In It To Win It

The other day, I posted a Facebook status update.
It read, "Dallas is 'in it to win it'".
A friend commented how much they hate that phrase.
I guess, maybe, it's too generic.
Maybe it has become merely a cliche'


But then, I got to thinking: YES! I SHOULD BE IN IT TO WIN IT.


I Corinthians 9:24-27 tells us, "24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."


In other words, be "in it to win it".
(Now, Paul was speaking to the Church of Corinth here about a very specific principle with regard to preaching the Gospel, and with respect to the Word, I would never want to read the Bible out of context. )


However, I think this is an Eternal Principle of which I need to fully grab hold.
I cannot stand idly by and watch others claim the victory in the race to which I have been called.
I am not in this "life" to be an onlooker or a passive benchwarmer.
Each and every day, I must make the most of it.
I must prepare myself for the moment when Destiny calls.
I must run my race with passion, clarity, intensity and focus.
No more beating the air, but beating my body until it becomes the honed instrument it is designed to be, until it becomes ready to fulfill the purpose for which it has been created, and until it bends fully to the will of Him who has called me for such a time as this.
When I look back on my life from Eternity, I want to be able to say that I ran my race with victory in my heart.
I want to be able to say that I was "in it to win it!"
God, grant me the grace to run my race.

I AM BECOMING...

constantly...
becoming...
in motion...
growing...
developing...
learning...
I'm not yet who I'm supposed to be, But I'm not who I once was.
I know who I want to be, and yet, I don't have a clue.
A man, a boy, a husband, a son, a father.

A leader, a follower, a prince, a pauper.

An innovator, a craftsman, a dreamer, a laborer.

I am filled with hopes, dreams, and vision,
Yet I fight with fears, doubts and anxieties.
I strive for the future, live in the present and remember the past.
I long to blaze trails, yet I stick to well-worn paths.
I am a Christian, yet I am a sinner;
I succeed, and I fail;
I am strong, and I am weak.
I am human.
I am flesh, and I am spirit.
I am betwixt and between.
I long for the eternal, yet I live in the temporal.
Who am I?
I am becoming...
God, grant me the grace, to be who You have destined I should be.