365 Days Ago...

...an amazing, little boy came into our lives.

Alexander Joseph Amsden. (born March 22, 2010)

1 year ago, Lex, your mom and I were welcoming you into the world and into our home.

Today is your 1st birthday. My, how quickly a year has gone! It has been the greatest year of my life. You are one of the most amazing treasures that the Lord has ever given me, and I promise to love you, train you and launch you into your future, for as long as the Lord entrusts me with this sacred duty.

You are a gift from God, little guy, and you are also a gift to God. Follow Him. Pursue Him. Trust in Him. For in Him, you will find true Life, true Liberty and true Happiness. In Him, Lex, you will live an Exceptional Life!!

I love you, Lex. Happy Birthday, son!

(Below are just a few memories from this past 365 days)

 

The American Dream - Part 02

ORIGINAL INTENT - PART 02

1) Life

2) Liberty

3) The Pursuit of Happiness

A couple years ago, my sister put together a family cookbook of every family member's (immediate and extended) favorite recipes. She called it TRADITIONS (cue the FIDDLER ON THE ROOF music).

The book includes recipes from grandparents, great-grandparents, in-laws, aunts, mothers, etc. Amazingly, not too many recipes from the male side of the family, but that is a different story, altogether.

Anyway... one of my favorite recipes from the family cookbook is from my grandmother, Lela Lybarger - her infamous Crumb Coffee Cake (cue the epic soundtrack).

This coffee cake is an integral (and by that, I mean, i-n-t-e-g-r-a-l!!!!) part of family get-togethers amongst the Amsden-side of the clan.

It is amazingly tasty, and it is not only full of flavor but also nostalgia. The recipe is relatively simple, but there is a progression that must be followed. A few months ago, I made one, and I added one ingredient too early, which is almost unbelievable considering how much this coffee cake has been a part of my life.

The result was disastrous. When we finally sat down to eat it, the texture was mealy, and the cake was almost inedible. (um...almost.)

However, it made me realize the importance of ordering the right ingredients at the right time.

I think that, in the original intent of the American Dream, the founders purposefully ordered the ingredients of the Dream. Life, first. Liberty, second. The Pursuit of Happiness: the final ingredient in the original American Dream.

However, in our modern society, I believe that we have made the Pursuit of Happiness as the quintessential ingredient, the primary component.

As a culture, we have, by and large made the Pursuit of Happiness our chief pursuit, namely material gain and material wealth, and the results have been disastrous.

We have made that ingredient chief amongst others in the formula for the American Dream, and it has made for a mealy, almost inedible, version of the original intent.

Just one note on how the misplaced ingredient, with regard to materialism, has negatively affected our society. According to creditcards.com, the average credit card debt per household with credit card debt is $14,750.

By and large, we have given up our Liberty to be indebted to the Pursuit of Happiness, and now we must give our Life to pay off that Pursuit. That does not make for a great recipe.

MORE TO COME...

The American Dream - Part 01

ORIGINAL INTENT - PART 01

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain, unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." --The Declaration of Independence

1) Life
2) Liberty
3) The Pursuit of Happiness.

Many people over the years have written and said that they believe these three things are the root, the original intent, of the American Dream, and we'll explore them individually and more fully in future posts.

All one has to do is simply "Google" the phrase American Dream (or "Bing" it, if you enjoy waiting for your search engine to load...HaHa), and countless results will unfold on your screen.

From modest Wikipedia entries to commentaries on The Great Gatsby, from generic downloadable essays for college students to recent op-eds on the death of said Dream, the internet is chock full of thoughts, comments and queries on The American Dream.

Wikipedia states that the Dream is "a national ethos of the Unites States in which freedom includes the promise of prosperity and success." (QUICK SIDE NOTE: I can't figure out how to do footnotes on Blogger, so where possible, you will see bold print for the links of pages from which I am quoting.) The website also explores the history and evolution of the Dream from the 18th century through the present, from political and public opinion to popular literature.

The actual phrase, "American Dream" was coined by author James Truslow Adams, in his book Epic of America. His view of the Dream basically stated, "life should be better for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement."

His opinion was also deeply mired in the idea that, "it is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position."

I know this seems more like an info-filled blog entry, but I'm just building some groundwork, so thanks for staying with me on this.

I think the dream has evolved to mean something today that it was never meant to be, and I think that the pursuit of today's version of the Dream has disillusioned many people, even Christians.

1st Question: If the Original Intent of the Dream is Life, Liberty, Pursuit of Happiness, then does that now mean a mortgage, 2 cars, 2.5 children, job, 401k, cable TV, and annual vacation???

2nd Question: What would the Biblical version of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness look like?

3rd Question: Is the Biblical version of the Dream able to fit within an American context?

MORE TO COME...

The Call to Exceptional Living

A few months ago, in my blog entitled Seismic Shift In 'A Point Of View', I confessed to you that "I am convicted that perhaps, tragically, I have been living more as an American than as a Christian."

I also wrote you that "I am also concerned that, by and large, the Church in America is off-track and needs a seismic shift."

With those thoughts in mind, I want to take the next weeks, months, etc., and explore the difference between the American Dream and the Kingdom Dream.

Future entries will explore questions such as: 

- Where have these two dreams intersected, and where have they diverged?
- Were these two dreams ever the same dream? Are they still the same?
- Can a shattered American Dream be saved?
- Are people of Christ even called to live the American Dream?
- Is the American Dream hindering the advancement of the Gospel?
- Etc? Etc? Etc?

Up front, I would like to propose the idea that, too often in Western Culture, Christians merely settle for the American Dream.

While the American Dream is an amazing gift of liberty filled with unequalled freedom and matchless opportunity, it pales in comparison to the Exceptional Living offered to us in the Lord.

Also, while the American Dream is susceptible to corruptible ideologies (ie: perversions of the Golden Rule in which "those with the gold make the rules" all while trying to "keep up with the Joneses"), we have an opportunity to live the exception to the rule. We have a chance for Exceptional Living!

Finally, let me state four more things to consider:

1) I am a patriot of our great nation! I plead for Mercy for our land. I even stand in my living room when I hear the National Anthem on television. I pray for our troops, and I intercede on behalf of our President, no matter the person's political party. I LOVE THE U.S.A.!!! That said, I believe that even though I am a citizen of this land, my true citizenship lies in a Kingdom that knows no borders and is Exceptional compared to every other nation on this globe.

2) My goal is not to be incendiary, confrontational or heavy-handed, though sometimes that may be the effect. However, my goal is to inspire you to live exceptionally. I really believe that we have a chance to create a vertical trajectory for our lives, in which the desires of this world fade away in light of the Exceptional Life offered to us!

3) I will never get a chance to say everything in one blog post. I will not have time to offer every opinion, point of view, etc. Instead, I will seek to offer my observations, coupled with Scripture as well as history and current events. If you feel I am missing something, please join the conversation in the comments section. I want to stimulate discussion.

4) If you are reading this blog, and you do not consider yourself "Christian" (ie: said the sinners' prayer, go to church, accepted Jesus as your Lord, etc.), this is not an "altar call" for you. That is not my intention. However, please know that (A) this blog is coming from the perspective of a man who has been raised in church, studies the Bible, prays and wants to see the Kingdom of God established "on earth as it is in Heaven" in the way that Jesus Christ (not other well-meaning human beings) intended; and (B) I invite you to read this blog anyway. Please continue to let these thoughts challenge you and, perhaps, inspire you to know that, apart from mankind's religion, there is actually a relationship with Jesus that can call you to Exceptional Living. I want you to be a part of the Life that I know, and I hope you will continue on this journey with me.

You are all amazing people, and I look forward to going forward with you in Exceptional Living!

MORE TO COME...