SEASONS GREETINGS

Paul and Mary with three great grand-sons all brothers and two identical twins belonging to grand-son Dal Austin and his wife Megan.
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The stitches were removed [over thirty] this morning from my left hand and a second surgery is scheduled in a few weeks [the right hand] so my posting will remain sparse until both hands are healed. Until then receive this as my expression of love and appreciation to you all for some great conversations in the past and for those that will come in the near future the Lord willing. Until then and since is is the time for seasons greetings Mary and I say..........

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU!!

Dupuytren's contracture

That's a condition from which I have suffered for the last couple of decades. It is a hand condition that is genetic in source and debilitating only if allowed to continue until the fingers are drawn so far toward the palm of the hand that they obstruct the grip of anything. My fingers have started that journey and my grip is affected so correction is on the way.

Why am I telling you this? Because the surgery is tomorrow and the recovery time is a sling for two to three days, a splint-cast 24-7 for one week, then to be worn at night for five weeks.That's the left hand [which has the more advanced contracture] then the procedure is repeated for the right hand.

So for the next three months I will be hindered to some degree with typing on the computer key-board.To what degree I do not yet know. But this post will alert the couple of people who read what I think and write that, while still thinking, the writing will be hindered somewhat. ;)

Seriously, I do wish to let you know because prayer is always in order and, in God's providence, I will do whatever I can to get back to normal as rapidly as possibly.

I told my Surgeon that all things MUST be accomplished by the spring so I can open the swimming pool and ride my motorcycle. :)

[Then there is this blog thing and, yes, that's a picture of my hands this morning at the top of the post.]

Paul B.

UPDATE December 2 2009

Cast comes off tomorrow but splint in place for some portion of 5 weeks. Right hand to be done three days after Christmas with same follow-up cast, splint and possible therapy.

Hunt and peck typing is for the birds.

IS FULL-TIME MINISTRY MORE SACRED THAN ANY OTHER JOB?

In Ephesians 4:1 Paul says this....

"Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called...." [the New American Standard Bible (1995)] The King James version uses the word "vocation" but it is better understood as "calling." It is a reference to the general calling of grace that the first three chapters have described. So all christians have a "calling" and we're to walk accordingly.

Roman Catholic writer Michael Novak wrote a book on 'Business as a calling' in which he presented four aspects of a "calling." [His idea was in the context of business remember.] He said a calling will have ...1) an understanding that it is a personal and unique calling to you.... 2) A requirement for the talents needed for the task and a love for the drugery that may be involved in the task to which you're called.... 3) The presence of an enjoyment for and renewed energies from the doing of the task that is your calling.... 4) A period of discernment and testing for [learning all about] the task to which you're called.

Not bad. I would think in the Ephesians 4 context our calling, which is to the same Lord Paul was a prisoner of in verse 1 and that Lordship calling is for EVERY true believer, might have the same characteristics about it... 1) It IS personal and unique to each of us... 2) We HAVE been gifted for our Life in Him... 3) There IS joy unspeakable in our life in Him and strength provided for the living of life... 4) We then spend the rest of our lives learning what life is all about by "hearing Him" as commanded of the Father. As I said, not bad.

I would also add what someone else has called a fifth aspect of a true calling and it was..5) An orientation away from self so our goal would be the glory of God and the good of others in all things. That makes it even better.

It is obvious from all this that I believe we as christians have accepted the universal vocation [calling] of following Christ and Novak's ideas can be seen as relevent to that task/life.

But... is there in life a calling to a more specific vocation for all of us through which we make a living, provide for our families and, generally, live out our days on earth?

In other words, are we "called" to a career? And if we are, how do we know what we are to do for a career or livelihood if there is, in fact, a calling to one? Add to that the question... is the "calling" to "fulltime ministry" a GREATER calling than the calling to other careers? It is this that I'm addressing today.

Since I believe ALL of life is sacred and there is NO division in scripture between the sacred and the secular [See 1 Corinthians 3:21-23.] I think we are to view ANYTHING we choose to do in life as a "calling." A better way of saying it is we are to see anything we choose to do as an opportunity to life-out our Lordship calling. Choose anything you wish but see it as a commitment to express His life in you and understand that what you do choose is a gift from Him to you.

Someone may be saying "Wait a minute Brother Paul, it sounds like you're saying we can choose however we wish in matters of life instead of finding God's specific will in those matters." I am. The only WILL God has revealed to you and me specifically is that we are to live as what we are...'Sanctified people." [1 Thess. 4:3 the rest of the chapter shows what that looks like.] When we are commited to Him as Lord we will reflect that in whatever we choose. Our life is not to be lived trying to find out what He wishes we would do in each decision but, rather, in celebrating who He is as our Lord and making ANY decision accordingly.

So I say marry whomever you choose, go to whatever College you wish, get whatever degree you desire, and live wherever you long to live. But in EVERY CHOICE YOU MAKE see it as that which allows you to be effective for God in the world and bring glory to Him and good for people. Your vocation or marriage or career or whatever will only allow you to establish God's order and virtue in your life and to assist other people to do the same. This is Christianity to me.

By the way, as to whether a "calling to full-time ministry" is more sacred than anyone else's..my answer is NO. It is different. It is unique to the one called. There is greater responsibility for certain areas of life affected by that calling. But remember, all that's true of every christian's life as well in their unique way of living. It's ALL sacred and satisfying and spiritual when He is Lord.

So you obiously can see I believe every christian IS a full-time minister. Some are just placed as gifts to the Body as shepherds/pastors/elders/deacons but all are gifts and gifted for the Body of Christ [for ministry] and for the living of life however we live it. [Which is ministry.] "Whatsoever you do, do ALL to the glory of God."

By the way, if I'm out in left field with this don't tell me. I'm having too much fun out here. ;)


Paul B.

WE'VE LOST A FRIEND AND PATRIOT

Ed Barnett has died. You will not recognize that name perhaps but to those of us who knew Ed we know we have lost a friend, brother, and a patriot.

A few months back Ed wrote an article to his hometown paper that eventually landed him on several talk shows nationally including Fox News. I posted that article as a blog post and want to re-post it in honor of this patriot. I'm posting my introduction as well so the post will be seen in it's entirety.

With this I pass along Mary and my condolences to his wife and family. His memorial service will be this Friday in Wichita Falls Texas where he was born, raised, and lived out his life.


Friday, April 03, 2009


Here's what Ed wrote...........

Dear IRS,

"I am sorry to inform you that I will not be able to pay my estimated taxes owed April 15, but all is not lost.I have paid these taxes: accounts receivable tax, building permit tax, CDL tax, cigarette tax, corporate income tax, dog license tax, federal income tax, unemployment tax, gasoline tax, hunting license tax, fishing license tax, waterfowl stamp tax, inheritance tax, inventory tax, liquor tax, luxury tax, Medicare tax, city, school and county property tax (up33 percent last 4 years), real estate tax, social security tax, road usage tax, toll road tax, state and city sales tax, recreational vehicle tax, state franchise tax, state unemployment tax, telephone federal excise tax, telephone federal state and local surcharge tax, telephone minimum usage surcharge tax, telephone state and local tax, utility tax, vehicle license registration tax, capitol gains tax, lease severance tax, oil and gas assessment tax, Colorado property tax, Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, Oklahoma and New Mexico sales tax, and many more that I can't recall but I have run out of space and money.'

'When you do not receive my check April 15, just know that it is an "honest mistake." Please treat me the same way you treated Congressmen Charles Rangle, Chris Dodd, Barney Frank and ex-Congressman Tom Dashelle and, of course, your boss Timothy Geithner. No penalties and no interest."

Sincerely,

Ed Barnett
Wichita Falls, Texas

P.S. I will make at least a partial payment as soon as I get my stimulus check.
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That's funny. True but funny.

Paul B.