"On The Morals of Chess" by Benjamin Franklin

Those of you that know me, know that I'm a bit of a chess fanatic. Yes, I love chess. Yes, I'm a nerd. So what? Hey, but even hardened convicts, and brothers at the Metro Station, and at coffee shops worldwide enjoy it as well. And lo and behold, even Benjamin Franklin was a big fan. Not only was he a fan, but he believed that playing chess was a way of developing character and diplomatic skills. Here's his brief essay on the benefits of chess:


The game of Chess is not merely an idle amusement. Several very valuable qualities of the mind, useful in the course of human life, are to be acquired or strengthened by it, so as to become habits, ready on all occasions.

1. Foresight, which looks a little into futurity, and considers the consequences that may attend an action; for it is continually occuring to the player, 'If I move this piece, what will be the advantages or disadvantages of my new situation? What use can my adversary make of it to annoy me? What other moves can I make to support it, and to defend myself from his attacks?

2. Circumspection, which surveys the whole chessboard, or scene of action; the relations of the several pieces and situations, the dangers they are respectively exposed to, the several possibilities of their aiding each other, the probabilities that the adversary may make this or that move, and attack this or the other piece, and what different means can be used to avoid his stroke, or turn its consequences against him.

3. Caution, not to make our moves too hastily. This habit is best acquired, by observing strictly the laws of the game; such as, If you touch a piece, you must move it somewhere; if you set it down, you must let it stand. And it is therefore best that these rules should be observed, as the game becomes thereby more the image of human life, and particularly of war . . .

And lastly, we learn by Chess the habit of not being discouraged by present appearances in the state of our affairs, the habit of hoping for a favourable change, and that of persevering in the search of resources. The game is so full of events, there is such a variety of turns in it, the fortune of it is so subject to sudden vicissitudes, and one so frequently, after long contemplation, discovers the means of extricating one's self from a supposed insurmountable difficulty, that one is encouraged to continue the contest to the last, in hopes of victory from our own skill, or at least of getting a stalemate from the negligence of our adversary . . .

If your adversary is long in playing, you ought not to hurry him, or express any uneasiness at his delay. You should not sing, nor whistle, nor look at your watch, not take up a book to read, nor make a tapping with your feet on the floor, or with your fingers on the table, nor do anything that may disturb his attention. For all these things displease; and they do not show your skill in playing, but your craftiness or your rudeness.

You ought not to endeavour to amuse and deceive your adversary, by pretending to have made bad moves, and saying that you have now lost the game, in order to make him secure and careless, and inattentive to your schemes: for this is fraud and deceit, not skill in the game.


You must not, when you have gained a victory, use any triumphing or insulting expression, nor show too much pleasure; but endeavour to console your adversary, and make him less dissatisfied with himself, by every kind of civil expression that may be used with truth, such as 'you understand the game better than I, but you are a little inattentive;' or, 'you play too fast;' or, 'you had the best of the game, but something happened to divert your thoughts, and that turned it in my favour.'

If you are a spectator while others play, observe the most perfect silence. For, if you give advice, you offend both parties, him against whom you give it, because it may cause the loss of his game, him in whose favour you give it, because, though it be good, and he follows it, he loses the pleasure he might have had, if you had permitted him to think until it had occurred to himself. Even after a move or moves, you must not, by replacing the pieces, show how they might have been placed better; for that displeases, and may occasion disputes and doubts about their true situation. All talking to the players lessens or diverts their attention, and is therefore unpleasing.

Lastly, if the game is not to be played rigorously, according to the rules above mentioned, then moderate your desire of victory over your adversary, and be pleased with one over yourself. Snatch not eagerly at every advantage offered by his unskilfulness or inattention; but point out to him kindly, that by such a move he places or leaves a piece in danger and unsupported; that by another he will put his king in a perilous situation, etc. By this generous civility (so opposite to the unfairness above forbidden) you may, indeed, happen to lose the game to your opponent; but you will win what is better, his esteem, his respect, and his affection, together with the silent approbation and goodwill of impartial spectators.

Brief Lessons in Logic, Part 3

Now in the previous lesson we discussed two different ways of reasoning - induction and deduction. From this point forward however, we're going to focus on deduction.

Now we said that deductive arguments are either valid or invalid, and either sound or unsound.

Before I discuss what a sound argument is, I'm going to speak a little more about validity.

In the previous post I wrote:

An argument is valid if and only if, it is impossible for it to have true premises, lead to a false conclusion.

Or you could think about it this way:

An argument is valid if the conclusion necessarily follows from the premises.In other words, in a valid argument, given that the premises are true, then the conclusion must be true also. It necessarily follows. There's no way around it.


Here's another example of a valid argument.

Premise 1: All Presbyterians are Christians.

Premise 2: All Christians believe in God.
------------------------------------------------
Conclusion: All Presbyterians believe in God.

This argument is valid.

Why? Because the conclusion "All Presbyterians believe in God" is unavoidable, it necessarily follows from the the two premises. That is, if an argument is valid, then, assuming that the premises are true, then the conclusion must also be true.

Here's another example:

Premise 1: All Spiders have Ten legs.

Premise 2: All Ten-legged things can Fly.
----------------------------------------------
Conclusion: All Spiders can Fly.



Is this argument valid?



yes!


Now we all know that spiders don't have ten legs, and that ten-legged things don't exist, and that spiders (thank God) can't fly!

Then if all three propositions in this argument are obviously false, how could the argument be valid?

It's because validity doesn't deal with the truth or falsity of the premises or conclusions in an argument. Validity has to do with the structure of the argument; it has to do with the relationship between the premises and conclusion.

So a person can have a valid argument for a certain position, and we can honestly say that the person has reasoned their argument fairly well, but that still does not mean that the person's position is true.

This brings up the issue of soundness.

An argument is sound when it is valid, and it has true premises.

You might say that a sound argument is a "perfect" argument. That is, not only is the relationship between the premises valid (the conclusion is what naturally follows from the premises), but the premises are also known to be true.

So fortunately, the previous argument about flying spiders is valid, but it is unsound.

Here's another example:


Premise 1: If Abortions don't kill a Human person, then Abortion is not Wrong.

Premise 2: Abortions do not kill a Human person.
--------------------------------------------
Conclusion: Abortion is not Wrong.

This argument is valid.

Now, if you were an anti-abortion advocate, and you know that this argument is valid, how would you attack it? You would attack it, not on the basis of its structure (since the structure is logical), but on the basis of its soundness.

You might say in response, "Yes I agree with your first premise which states that if abortions do not kill a human person, then abortion is not wrong. That statement is true. But your second premise which states that abortions do not kill a human person is not true. Therefore, your argument is valid, but it is not sound."

-----------------------------------------------------------------

OK. That's validity and soundness. I'll leave it at that for now. Feel free to post any questions, comments, etc.

Brief Lessons in Logic, Part 2

It's been a while since the first lesson but here goes...

Now we said that the study of logic, or the study of argument, has to do with the branch of philosophy known as epistemology.

Now throughout some of the history of Western philosophy there has been a debate in the realm of epistemology between two schools of thought known as rationalism and empiricism. It was a debate about how we are to arrive at TRUTH.

Rationalists believed that truth could be discovered by means of reasoning and abstract reflection. Some even believed that we were born with some knowledge.

Empiricists believed that the only way to truth was through observational evidence, through sense experience.

Now, without going too much into it, both approaches are important, and most philosophers, scientists, etc. use both to arrive at conclusions...

The rationalist approach to truth could be called deduction.

The empiricist approach to truth could be called induction.

I'll start with induction...

Induction is an attempt to provide evidence for a conclusion but with no gurantee. Inductive arguments are evaluated on their relative strength - they're either good or bad, weak or strong, etc.

Here's an example of an inductive argument:

Premise 1: I just kicked this ball up and it came down.
Premise 2:Every other time I have kicked a ball up, it came down.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Conclusion: If I kick this ball up right now, it will come down.

This inductive argument is fairly good or strong. Most people would have no trouble accepting it. It is based on observational evidence, and it provides a good basis to believe that if I kick a ball up it will come down.

But...

It is not guaranteed...

It is not likely, but what if the law of gravity failed to function right now, or what if the earth was destroyed while the ball is in the air, or what if God decided that he did not want the ball to come down...
These possibilities sound silly, and they are silly, especially in light of a strong or good argument like the one above, but the truth is that in an inductive argument, the truth of a conclusion cannot be guranteed...

Now, deduction is an attempt to guarantee the truth of a conclusion. Deductive arguments either work or they don't work. Deductive arguments are either valid or invalid,and sound or unsound.

Example:

Premise 1: If I am in Los Angeles, then I am in California.
Premise 2: I am in Los Angeles.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Conclusion: I am in California.

This argument is valid.

Now the definition of a valid argument is quite possibly the most important definition in the study of logic or critical reasoning....

Don't ever forget this! Burn it into your head!

Here it is:

An argument is valid if and only if, it is impossible for it to have true premises, lead to a false conclusion.

Or you could think about it this way:

An argument is valid if the conclusion necessarily follows from the premises.

In other words, in a valid argument, given that the premises are true, then the conclusion must be true also. It necessarily follows. There's no way around it. In the above example, assuming it is true that If I am in Los Angeles, then I am in California. and assuming it is true that I am in Los Angeles, then the conlusion that I am in California , necessarily follows.

That is, it must be true that I am in California.

Again, this argument is valid because, assuming that the premises are true, the conclusion must be true.

We will visit the subject of validity again, as well as the issue of soundness.

But that's it for now.... post any questions... I'm not sure if I explained myself correctly... also, it takes a while to get this stuff, but once you do, it is very helpful...

Joel's New Friend (but Omar doesn't know...)

We were all very proud when Eric Lobos became a Washington Husky.

And now... there's a new Husky in the family...

You guessed it. Joel just bought a pure-bred Siberian Husky.

That's him in the picture with Joel. It's still at the breeder's house, but Joel has been researching dog names in the mean time, and he has narrowed his choices down to three.

Please vote, and let him know which of these names you prefer:

1. Keno

2. Shadow

3. Toby

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE! This is important! Leave your comment, and vote!
(also, if you have any name suggestions, Joel would like to hear them)

and oh yeah, don't tell Omar about the Husky moving in!

Chick Flicks, Romance Novels, and Love Songs - Female Porn?

Recently I asked a friend if he thought that all the chick flicks, romantic comedies, love songs, soap operas and what not, that we're inundated with, give women an unrealistic/naive/warped view of reality - of life and relationships...

He said yeah...

I agreed... I think I even heard a teacher once call these things female porn...

It made sense to me, but I couldn't quite articulate the idea... but recently I ran into this article from Focus on the Family's website which makes just that point...

Here's a portion of it:


Female Porn

by Hayley and Michael DiMarco

Just like male porn revs guys’ engines in unhealthy ways, female porn is leading women astray. Let’s embrace equality and take a closer look at the study of “what women want,” exposing the desperate side of chick flicks and romance novels.

Each year hundreds of thousands of women whet their romantic appetites with enticing tales of perfect romance and fairy-tale endings. The romance parade starts as early as a parent is able to read to their little girl. Stories about princesses and the princes who rescue them from certain doom are read over and over and over again. While boys are busy building things and tearing them down again, or maybe reading a spy novel or horror story, little girls are dreaming of the perfect wedding and the dream house. As they mature, young women soon find more of an escape from reality in movies and novels. And when the Pottery Barn catalog arrives, they dream of how amazing their lives would be if only they had that couch and those throw pillows. The female psyche, how different it is from the males. And how desperate its distractions.


For decades the religious community has publicly condemned the pornographic industry as destructive to the sexual appetites of the men who indulge therein. Most people see that it creates a gap between the sexes. It nurtures the lie that women are something that they aren’t, and in the end it harms real loving and nurturing relationships. Those airbrushed images are anything but real, let alone attainable.


Yet female pornography has for decades been an accepted pastime, sliding under the radar of the religious right and instead being promoted as an acceptable distraction from the worries of life. But what exactly is female porn? Is there a definition for this newly discovered blight on society?


For the answer to this question, we need look no further than the honorable Mr. Webster and his infamous dictionary of words. How we overlooked this definition for years upon years we do not know. But we are here today to uncover the truth. To shed light in the dark. And so without further ado here it is:

• 
  pornography – 3: the depiction of acts in a sensational manner so as to arouse a quick intense emotional reaction

Catch that? Emotional. We contend that the job of the chick flick, romance novel, and love song is to arouse a quick, intense emotional reaction. Can you feel it? We ask you, ladies, what else arouses a stronger emotion in you than that heart-fluttering chick flick? What else gets you to dream of the perfect man and pray to God that you will get one just like him?

Any attack on the traditional porn industry always includes the cry that it creates unrealistic expectations in men. No woman can be that hot and sexy all the time. It’s just not fair to women for their men to look at that. (Of course there are other deep concerns, but we went into that in the last chapter.) However, the very thing that women complain about in male porn is also created by female porn.

Check the pulse on any leading man from the biggest chick flicks and this is the rhythm his heart beats to: undying love, pure romance, sweet words, heroic rescues, persistent pursuit, tears, laughter, protection, flowers, gifts, and devotion. He never farts or burps. He’s never grumpy or wanting to be left alone.

He’s always focused on the female, exhausting all his energies on pleasing her. He is the ultimate creation of the self-centered female who wants the world to revolve around her and her alone. Just as male porn caters to a man’s physical desire to be pleased by his mate, so female porn offers the same self-absorbed emotional aphrodisiac.

Misery: The Ultimate Outcome of Female Pornocopia

The result of exposure to this kind of fairy tale is obvious, at least to us. When a single woman leaves a steamy chick flick only to return home alone to her cats and tub of ice cream, a part of her breaks—the heart part. And she feels more alone than ever.

The man was hers, but only for two and a half hours, and now, like every other man, he’s gone.

The same kind of letdown happens every time the newest home decor catalog comes to the house. She looks over all of the latest home fashions and then looks around her house. Suddenly a sense of “I’m just not good enough” overcomes her. And she senses an insatiable urge to purchase a new antiqued armoire and festive dish set.

Solitude and Silence, II

I didn't want to drop the subject of the discipline of solitude/silence just yet...

It is important to find that inner solitude that allows us to quiet our souls enough to be able to discern the still, small voice of God...

Lately, I haven't had that quietness of soul, but I hope for it to be restored and revitalized...

Here are some excerpts from Richard J. Foster's Celebration of Discipline on the subject:


"Our fear of being alone drives us to noise and crowds. We keep up a constant stream of words even if they are inane. We buy radios that strap to our wrists or fit over our ears so that, if no one else is around, at least we are not condemned to silence. T.S. Eliot analyzes our cuture well when he writes, 'Where shall the world be found, where will the word resound? Not here, there is not enough silence.'

"But loneliness or clatter are not our only alternatives. We can cultivate an inner solitude and silence that sets us free from loneliness and fear. Loneliness is inner emptiness. Solitude is inner fulfillment.

"Solitude is more a state of mind and heart than it is a place. There is a solitude of the heart that can be maintained at all times. Crowds, or the lack of them, have little to do with this inward attentiveness. It is quite possible to be a desert hermit and never experience solitude. But if we possess inward solitude we do not fear being alone, for we know that we are not alone. Neither do we fear being with others, for they do not control us. In the midst of noise and confusion we are settled into a deep inner silence. Whether alone or among people, we always carry with us a portable sanctuary of the heart."


How about all of you? Any comments on whether you've experienced this quietness of soul?

Let me know....

Brief Lessons in Logic, Part 1

A friend recently showed interest in learning a bit about logic or critical reasoning, so I'm gonna be posting some brief lessons in logic.

Logic? What kind of nerd would write about logic?

First of all let me say that I am very, very, very underqualified to teach on this, but I did work as a tutor of critical reasoning for three years.

It was one of the best jobs I've ever had. I got paid to sit in philosophy class! Best of all, 3 of those semesters were in the classroom of the extremely intelligent, and not to mention beautiful, Dr. Waller; she taught the subject in a very , uh..., logical way... Very accessible, very practical.

I'm gonna be refering to my class notes. I'll also refer to two books - The Art of Reasoning by David Kelley, and an old Puritan classic, Logic: The Right Use of Reason in the Inquiry After Truth by Isaac Watts. (I'll only refer to these texts briefly. do you think I'm actually gonna read these things in their entirety!?)

Hope I don't bore you!

Here goes. Starting with a brief definition of philosophy:

What is philosophy?

It is philosophia.

From the Greek words philos, which means love, and sophia, which means wisdom.

"Philosophy" literally means the love of wisdom.

Other definitions of philosophy - the analysis of concepts ; critical thinking/reasoning; or asking the "big questions"


Philosophy has traditionally been concerned with some fundamental and ultimate questions.

Those questions are:

• What is real? - This is the study of ontology or the study of being (onto = being).

• What can we know? or What is knowledge? or What brings us the truth? - This is the study of epistemology (espisteme = knowledge).

• What is good? What is beautiful? What is right? - This is the study of axiology (axia = value, worth). Axiology includes the study of ethics and aesthetics.

Logic is a branch of the study of epistemology.

Logic is the study of argument.

An argument is a set of propositions consisting of premise(s) and a conclusion.

A premise is a reason given for a view, a claim, an opinion (i.e. a conclusion).

Now, without going in too deep:

"A proposition is a statement; it makes an assertion that is either true or false, and it is normally expressed in a declarative sentence containing a subject and a predicate.

To identify the proposition or propositions asserted by a sentence, we must consider the meanings of the words composing the sentence."

A word is a linguistic tool we use to express an idea or concept.

Ideas or concepts are ways of classifying, in our mind, the things in our universe.

The universe is.........

alright, alright... I'll stop there... I'm in way over my head!

'Til next time...

Post comments; ask questions; tell me off.... whatever. all are welcome...

Bigmouth Strikes Again

Many of Morrissey's lyrics have always struck me as strange... Think about it - A vicar in a tutu; he's not strange; he just wants to live his life this way... or Young ones groan and the rocks below say "throw your skinny body down son..." etc. etc.

So I never really tried too hard to interpret them, though I'm sure they all had some type of meaning. But the meaning of the Smiths' "Bigmouth Strikes Again" just kind of came to me the other day. Maybe cause I've said things in the recent past that I've regretted... And that's precisely what the song's about - someone who said the wrong thing to a loved one, and is now suffering as a result...


Let me break it down for ya'll...

First, here's the lyrics:

Sweetness, sweetness
I was only joking when I said I’d like to
Smash every tooth in your head

Oh ... sweetness, sweetness,
I was only joking when I said by rights you
Should be bludgeoned in your bed

And now I know how Joan of Arc felt
Now I know how Joan of Arc felt, oh
As the flames rose to her Roman nose
And her walkman started to melt

Oh ...Bigmouth, la ... bigmouth, la ...
Bigmouth strikes again
I’ve got no right to take my place
In the human race

And now I know how Joan of Arc felt
Now I know how Joan of Arc felt, oh
As the flames rose to her Roman nose
And her hearing aid started to melt

Whatever this person said to his loved one was pretty stupid - an unforgivable type of stupid, so it comes as no surprise that his apology comes off as, well, inadequate:

Sweetness, I was only joking when I said I’d like to Smash every tooth in your head

I was only joking when I said by rights you Should be bludgeoned in your bed

His lyrics here are actually kind of funny... this person really messed up... I mean I'd like to smash every tooth in your head ? Yikes!

Bigmouth struck again, and now he has no right to take [his] place In the human race

He's being punished by his loved one... to the point that he feels like he can't even be counted among the human race. The person he offended is being merciless - offering no forgiveness whatsoever.

The person he offended is going to make him pay! That's why he says And now I know how Joan of Arc felt... as the flames rose to her Roman nose...


He is being burned at the stake so to speak!

We all know that it was Joan of Arc's "big mouth" that got her in trouble. But there's an interesting thing we learn about our "Joan of Arc" here - not only does he or she got the tendency to speak rashly, without thinking, but he is hard of hearing.

Hence, the significance of her walkman and her hearing aid. Which of course melt, but too late to do anything about it!

Tell me what you think... Is my interpretation right on?

Solitude and Silence

If you haven't read Dallas Willard's The Divine Conspiracy you are missing out! It is one of the most excellent, well-thought out and relevant books about spirituality that I've ever come across. It's full of good stuff. Here's a bit about the spiritual disciplines of solitude and silence:

"Doing nothing has many... advantages... possibly the gentle Father in the heavens would draw nigh if we would just be quiet and rest a bit. Generally speaking, He will not compete for our attention, and as long as we are 'in charge' he is liable to keep a certain distance" (359).

Willard further writes that in solitude and silence we might "discover beautiful things", among them:

-that you have a soul

-that God is near

-that the universe is brimming with goodness


Other great books that treat this subject are Thomas Merton's New Seeds of Contemplation and Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline.

Is it Like Today?

I haven't posted in a long time, but don't want my blog to completely shrivel up and die. So, for your reading pleasure I will simply post the lyrics to one of my favorite songs of all time- "Is it like today?" by World Party. A beautiful song that contains within it a brief history of Western Civilization, and comments on the inquietudes that have plagued men of all ages... Enjoy!

Is it Like Today?

Many years ago he looked out through a glassless window.
All that he could see was Babylon.
Beautiful green fields and dreams,
And he learned to measure the stars.
But there was a worry in his heart.

He said,
"How could it come to this ?
I'm really worried about living
How could it come to this ?
Yeah, I really want to know about this"

Is it like today ? Oh, ooh

Then there came a day
it moved out 'cross the Mediteranean
Came to Western isles and the Greek young men
With their silver beards they laughed at the unknown of the universe
They could just sit and guess God's name

But they said,
"How could it come to this?
We're really worried about living.
How could it come to this?
Yeah, we really want to know about this."

Is it like today? Oh, Ooh

Then there followed days of Kings, Empires and revolution.
Blood just looks the same when you open the veins.
But sometimes it was faith, power or reason as the cornerstone.
But the furrowed brow has never left his face.

He said,
"How could it come to this?
We've been living in a landslide!
How could it come to this?
Yeah, we really want to know about this."

Is it like today? Oh, Ooh

Then there came a day, man packed up, flew off from the planet.
He went to the moon,
Now he's out in space,
Hey, fixing all the problems.
He comes face to face with God.

He says,
"How could it come to this?
I'm really worried 'bout My creation.
How did it comes to this?
You 're really killing me, you know."

It isn't just today?
Is it like today?
Is it like today?
Bang!

Many years ago he looked out through a glassless window
Didn't understand much what he saw

To Be...

"Never looking back, or too far in front of me, the present is a gift, and I just wanna BE."

This is the last line of "Be", a track by Common, produced by Kanye West.

Been reflecting on it for several days now...

What does it mean to "just be"?...

A friend of mine, associated it with that popular saying that says, "Let go, and Let God..."

That sentiment is beautifully put in Psalm 46:10 :

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"

The idea is, God is in control...

It also speaks of freedom...

If I can just be, then "I am what I am before God; nothing less, nothing more"...

It's who I am, when I am stripped of all pretension, all positions, titles, awards, and possessions...

It's who I am, when I am no longer bound by the chains of greed, envy, lust, pride, fear and anxiety...

It's coming as I am before God... with a full awareness of my unworthiness, yet throwing myself with abandon at His feet... counting on His mercy...

Kinda like newborn birds who can't see, and have never seen their mother... their only way of survival, instinctively, as if "by faith", is simply trusting that she will be there...

Childlike trust; simplicity; freedom...



"In that hour came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

And he called to him a little child, and set him in the midst of them,

and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye turn, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

(Matthew 18)

The Stubbornness of Self

When our self, our ego, is slighted, when it is bruised it rises up in "self"-defense...

How hard it is for self to die...

How destructive and ugly is our sin...

Here's our condition, as expressed by A.W. Tozer in The Pursuit of God:

"God formed us for His pleasure, and so formed us that we, as
well as He, can, in divine communion, enjoy the sweet and mysterious mingling of
kindred personalities.

"[But], we have broken with God. We have ceased to obey Him or
love Him, and in guilt and fear have fled as far as possible from His
presence...

"So the life of man upon the earth is a life away from the
Presence, wrenched loose from that "blissful center" which is our right and
proper dwelling place, our first estate which we kept not, the loss of which is
the cause of our unceasing restlessness."

A sad state of being... One which I can identify with all too readily. : (

Yet despite this, our stubborn self refuses to die...

But Jesus Christ overcame the power of death and sin. How? By dying a violent death.

So we too must follow in our Lord's footsteps, even to this death, if we are to live in freedom.

Tozer writes,

"The ancient curse will not go out painlessly; the tough old miser within us
will not lie down and die in obedience to our command. He must be torn out of
our heart like a plant from the soil; he must be extracted in agony and blood
like a tooth from the jaw. He must be expelled from our soul by violence, as
Christ expelled the money changers from the temple. And we shall need to steel
ourselves against his piteous begging, and to recognize it as springing out of
self-pity, one of the most reprehensible sins of the human heart. "

Yikes! Like that?!

Yeah...

But if we would be so bold as to allow the Lord to do this, we will begin to taste divine life; sweet freedom!

It's what Tozer describes as "The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing."

Like a Rolling Stone...

Rolling Stone Magazine recently did a story on young Christian men and women who have committed themselves to sexual abstinence before marriage.

Whether or not you agree with the author's take on the subject, it's definitely a must read!

Find the link and join the discussion @ Ms. Jadestone's.

What's the Big Deal?

One of the subjects that I did some research in while at Cal State Dominguez, and which I still pursue, is that of gay marriage.

Is it really that important to be informed about this issue? Is the acceptance of homosexual marriage really an indicator that our society is in trouble? Or are those just extreme arguments used by religious people? Could it be that religious people like myself are simply homophobic?

Or is there real reason for concern?

I have been engaged in a small, friendlly debate on this issue at http://www.gustavorojo.com/?p=384 .

Please check it out, and weigh in on the discussion. Think about this subject carefully, and put down your opinions if you wish.

Gratitude

Its June 19th 3 am 2005. Last night (a few hours ago) I received my Master of Ministry degree from Harvest Bible University in Los Angeles. I can't believe the support I had from my family and friends. You guys were there for me in a big way. I really appreciate your presence on this special day.

I'm definitely more encouraged to continue in the seeking after knowledge of God and His Truth. And to be more willing to teach it and spread it.

For several weeks during the last year, it had become a routine, and I wasn't really sure why I was doing what I was doing. All I knew is that I've been doing it for a long time, and couldn't think of anything else to do, so I might as well just keep doing it, never realizing that the whole while I was being shaped, and developed and stretched...

Now I'm humbled at how little I actually know, and how little I've actually accomplished...

The work never stops...

I was reminded that this is preparation for Kingdom work... Kingdom work... not just the accumulation of head knowledge or degrees or the seeking of recognition...

The ceremony reminded me to not lose sight of that.... to seriously think about the severity of the call of Christ... it's really all or nothing when it comes to God... we're either fully engaged in the battle or we're not...

I trust the He will help all of us to achieve His purposes and not lose sight of the goal...

Thank you everybody

The Urge to Self-Destruct...

One of the worst things one could do is to hate oneself. It's an affront to God, in whose image we are made...

The devil (I believe in a devil now) or his kingdom, or my own mind will often cause me to hate and resent my own being. Hopelessness, emptyness, worthlessness, fear, doubt, hate, anger, confusion, etc. might result.

Those of us who in the past indulged in harmful behaviors (like me) might be tempted to return to those things to medicate ourselves. We might lash out at, or isolate ourselves from those closest to us, or begin to harm our own body and spirit by indulging in any number of sinful behaviors... there's not too many to choose from... it can begin with self-hate, or mistrust of God ... it often springs from lust or pride of some sort... and can manifest in all kinds of harmful behaviors from gluttony and drunkenness, to angry outbursts and sexual immorality.

Whatever it is... it's the way of self-destruction.

The feeling after indulging is often worse than the feeling that led to it, and if not checked could lead to a spiral that can leave one numb, almost... dead. With a heart calloused towards God and others...

When I sense this evil attempting to enter my life, I gotta snap out of it! And think! That's right besides prayer and fasting, we must discipline ourselves to reason. Think out loud, and reason with oneself, and PROVE to oneself, the absurdity of the harmful behavior we might be contemplating.

I recently made this "pros-and-cons" list to help me put things into perspective:

I said to myself,

Marvin

Is it worth it?

Would you be willing to trade:

Everything that gives worth and meaning to your life:

Your relationship with God

Your Faith

Your integrity/character

Your Health - physical; emotional; mental; spiritual

Your Wealth

Your Relationships (Family; Friends)

Your self-respect

Your word/your reputation

Your salvation

Your desire for perfection (Jesus said, "Be perfect as your Father is perfect")

Your strength, your vigor, your very life, your virtus ("Watch over your heart with all diligence for from it flow the springs of life" proverbs 4)

Your work

Your studies

In exchange for:

A few, passing moments

of empty pleasure...

With no returns...

and no relationship...

Isolation from God and man...

With absolutely nothing of worth or value...

With no meaning or substance...

Sickly

darkness confusion death.

After a well reasoned evaluation like that, the answer is clear! : )

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