Soulscape - Inspiration for the Heart

Important Announcement

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Keeton) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 18:31:00 +0000

As some of you may have noticed, it has been a while since I have posted anything here on the Soulscape blog. The reason I have not posted is because I have sort of shifted my preferred format, opting instead to send my "blog entries" in an e-newsletter format. For the first several issues of the Soulscape newsletter, I also posted them here so that those who did not subscribe to the newsletter would still get to see each entry.

After a few weeks, this became not only tiresome but troublesome as well. Formatting issues, as well as the time involved in transferring from one program to another (it wasn't as simple as copy-and-paste) made it impractical to continue this pattern. That, coupled with statistical data on the visits to this blog, has led me to place the blog format of Soulscape on hold indefinitely.

There are still many visits each day, but usually these visits are to prior entries, especially my two series on The Armor of God and The Book of Ecclesiastes. Since newer posts are not visited with such vigor, it stands to reason that the best format to continue the Soulscape ministry is through the e-newsletter.

So, if you'd like to have Soulscape delivered to your Inbox once a week, simply leave a comment to this entry, including your name and e-mail address and I will add you to the mailing list. YOUR PRIVACY IS OUR PRIMARY CONCERN! I have to approve the posting of all comments, so your name and e-mail address will not be posted for anyone to see; I will be the only one with that information. The newsletter is also sent using the blind carbon copy or BCC feature, so your information will remain private. You can also unsubscribe at any time, should you so desire.

I again thank each of you for your interest in this Soulscape blog, and hope that you will join me again by subscribing to the Soulscape Newsletter. And who knows? We might just see each other here at Soulscape from time to time! God bless!

Chris Keeton

Pastor and Author of "Soulscape - Inspiration for the Heart"

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noreply@blogger.com (Chris Keeton) — Wed, 28 May 2008 18:21:00 +0000

I know there are a lot of “inspirational” newsletters, websites and blogs these days, and I know mine probably doesn’t stand out in the vast mix. My goal for Soulscape is to take spiritual truths and look for ways to find them in everyday situations, maybe adding a little humor or a little, “Hey, that’s happened to me, too” into the story. Hopefully this approach is just different enough to make the underlying principle stick with you a little longer. There are times I’ll go for the laugh; other times I’ll sermon ize or preach a little, being a bit more serious. But hopefully these stories or topics will bless you and will help you just a little as you go through your own life and trials. And if I can give you a smile or a chuckle along the way, or make you think about some thing in just a little different way, then I feel it’s worth it.

It is currently Monday evening, the remnants of a Memorial Day cookout resting comfortably in my stomach. It’s bedtime, and I suddenly hear my son start coughing furiously, his liquid antibiotic (administered my his mother) apparently “going down the wrong pipe.” To make sure everything is okay, my wife has my son open his mouth so she can see inside. I hear her say, “We need to go brush your teeth, because I see some yuckies on them.” That got me to thinking about last Monday, and suddenly I had my topic for this week’s newsletter. Bear with me. I do have a point that I will get to eventually (as a preacher I’m contractu ally bound to use an excessive amount of words to express a thought best expressed in a sentence or two; but if we preachers did that, our congregations would only get about a five minute sermon each service, and what fun would that be?).

Last Monday I made my first trip to the dentist in, I’m sorry to say, far too long. I’d done my best to keep up with my oral health since our last meeting, but just recently acquiring dental insurance after quite a while without it, I wanted to take advan tage. With x-rays taken and myself reclined in the “torture recliner,” the dental hygienist goes to work with her instruments. As she uses a tool described to me as “a little jackhammer,” she tells me that it does not appear that one previously suspect area has produced a cavity as expected (a fact I’d totally forgotten about from the last appointment). I was both surprised and re lieved, trying my best to stay in the chair amidst the sounds of whirring and scraping metal against teeth.

She then begins to do a little clean-up work using, as comedian Bill Cosby put it, an “iron hook,” to get those areas somehow missed by the miraculous miniature jackhammer. I wondered to myself, “Did the jackhammer get ANYTHING? She’s certainly doing a whole lot of work.” I again gripped my cell phone in my hands, hoping that the good folks at Motorola had indeed created a trustworthy and sturdy product, not just for service but for grip-strength. Still, I knew that going to heaven from a den tist’s chair was as good a place as any. I prayed for speed from the hygienist, grace to see me through, and made sure every thing was right between me and the Lord . . . you know, just in case.

Taking her tiny mirror-on-a-stick, she says, “Huh! It looks like there may be a cavity back there. Let me get everything cleaned off around it.” SCRRRRAAPPPPEEEE! CRRRRRRRUNNNNNCCCCCHHHHHHHH! Then a spray of water and air, fol lowed by a re-examination. “Yep. The x-ray didn’t even show it. It’s on the flat side, the back side of the very back tooth. The doctor will have to stand you on your head to get that filled, but he can do it.” (Author’s note: the filling is to take place June 19th.
BE IN PRAYER!)

So, a choking five-year-old with dinner still sticking to his teeth and a personal dentist visit, and we finally arrive at the point. One pre-point, though: dental health is important, if for no other reason than you get to avoid the jackhammer of doom followed a month later by drilling and filling. Moving on to the spiritual perspective (yes, there is a spiritual perspective in all this) we find something all of us can benefit from.

The area of my teeth most susceptible to a cavity, the one area I worried about, never got the cavity, though not for a lack of trying. Instead, the cavity, a hole eaten into the tooth, showed up on the back side of the back tooth, a place I didn’t think much about, a place I just assumed was being taken care of during brushing, flossing and rinsing. That explains some of the pain I’ve experienced, but it also sets me up for a painful follow-up visit to fix the problem, the solution being a filling I’ll carry for the rest of my life, or at the very least the rest of the tooth’s life.

This is what happens to our lives and our souls when we deal with sin. Sin is a bit like sugar: it tastes good, is addictive to some folks, but can eat away at even the strongest parts of us. Sin is also a bit like those little food particles, bacteria or acids that cause cavities: it gets in places we don’t realize, and in the darkness begins to go to work wearing down the strength and leaving a big hole. The devil attacks us in places we don’t even realize are vulnerable, sometimes hitting us in expected areas just enough to keep us occupied. We work extra hard there, but aren’t aware many times that we’re weak somewhere else.
Then little by little we start to slip and stumble there, a little spiritual cavity begins to open up, but in the confusion of life and circumstances it’s covered up, but still grows over time.

Finding these areas might not be very easy. We stop for a few moments, have a little look-see around our heart, don’t notice anything amiss, and we go back to life, content we’ve done our duty. But a more thorough inspection, a little digging, and we might be surprised what we find. It might be that something just feels a little off in your life, not quite right. You don’t know what it is, but you’re determined to find out. So, you begin to pray that the Lord would show you, that He would open your eyes to see what’s wrong and what needs to be done to fix things. It’s not pleasant to admit there might be something wrong, but the only way to get better is to acknowledge it, then go to the One who can help. You see, the Great Physician’s license covers Spiritual Dentistry, too.

The Holy Spirit shows us those areas when we take time out to pray sincerely about it, we repent, and we know that the Lord will forgive us. But the healing process sometimes takes a long time and is painful. We know that in the end we’ll be “good as new,” strong once again, but scars are left, little reminders that we failed. But these scars, these “spiritual fillings,” aren’t meant to keep us hurting, but to be gentle reminders of what can happen when we don’t pay attention, when we don’t do our best, and when we take for granted that everything is okay. When we see them, we say, “Better be careful this time.” As the old saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

I have personally learned from my failings, my shortcomings, and the healing is an ongoing process. Those spiritual and emotional scars inspire me to try harder today than I did yesterday. I might still make the same old mistakes because I’m still human. Chances are I will make plenty of new mistakes. But if I continue to do my very best to take care of my spiritual health, the Lord won’t have so much scraping and drilling to do when I come to Him for strength, grace and peace. And even if there were no other benefits, which there are plenty, that would most certainly be enough for me.

Now all I have to do is be as faithful with the brush, floss and rinse.

© 2008, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by leaving a comment (with your request) which will be forwarded to Chris Keeton. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

A Call to Sacrifice

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Keeton) — Tue, 20 May 2008 16:55:00 +0000

Genesis 22:1-2

¹Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." ²Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."

As I sat pondering what direction I should follow for today's Soulscape edition, what topic to pursue, I decided to consult a few daily devotionals. I came across these verses from Genesis, verses that have always intrigued me. Over the years I have heard many questions on this subject and have preached several sermons on it as well. Reading these words again today inspired a new line of thinking, and I just wanted to take a few minutes to share these thoughts with you.

I have recently had several conversations concerning the spiritual condition of the Church in today's world. It seems that with each passing year the general trend of the Church is a growing spiritual coldness. This isn't true in every congregation or with every person, but overall there seems to be less dedication and fervent effort seen on behalf of the Lord and His work. It is disturbing to me personally, because I have so many wonderful memories of "camp meetings" and revivals and even weekly times of worship that were filled in so many ways, like with a desire for service, with an overwhelming sense of God's Spirit present with us, with attendance and so many other ways.

Then, little by little, it seemed that things began drifting off. There were fewer people showing up, services grew more and more subdued and quiet, and the general atmosphere was just a little colder than it used to be. I have wondered (and still do as a pastor and a concerned Christian) what the root of the problem is and how to address and fix it. Reading these verses today opened up my mind to a new way of thinking, so to speak.

We are a blessed country no matter how you look at it. We have so much to occupy our attention and care. Abraham's one deep desire was to have a son, and God promised that he and his wife Sarah would indeed be blessed with an heir. Finally, Isaac was born and Abraham received the desire of his heart. No doubt the old man grew very close to Isaac over those early years as he watched him grow and mature into an honorable young man. Then, out of the blue, God calls on Abraham to do the impossible: give up the very gift he'd waited a very long lifetime to receive, give up your own son. I myself being a father, I can't imagine what it would be like to be asked to give up either one my sons, and I don't expect that will happen . . .

. . . or has it happened already?

Allow me to explain. No, I don't believe God has asked me to sacrifice the life of one of my beloved sons. He has asked something else of me, though; in fact, He has asked it of every Christian. God has asked each of us to sacrifice our own lives to Him. While we could easily get into all the symbolism of this story with Abraham and Isaac, looking at the types of Christ in these verses, instead I want to propose an alternate way of thinking about this scenario. Abraham wasn't being asked to sacrifice his son; he was being asked to sacrifice himself. Remember, the one thing Abraham wanted for himself was a son. Now that God had given him that son He was asking Abraham to give him up. The object of Abraham's love was his dear son Isaac, all his care, all his attention focused on that blessed gift from God. How could the Lord ask Abraham to give Isaac away, to sacrifice him?

In our own lives we have so many things that occupy our attention and become objects of our love: family, friends, hobbies, careers, even self. The more we focus on these gifts from God, the less we tend to focus on the God who gave them to us. That is where we begin to drift away from our devotion to the Lord. In my opinion (for what little that might be worth) Abraham was in danger of caring more for Isaac, more for his relationship with his son, than he was for God. This was the way God wanted to use to remind Abraham what was truly important in life, that being our relationship with the Lord.

I think that is one reason we have this story given to us in the Bible, to remind us of what is important. I have seen so many people begin to lose devotion to the Lord by placing so many other things first. All those things I mentioned a moment ago sometimes become impediments to a person's individual walk with Christ. Their family begins to take more and more of their time, usually on Sundays and Wednesdays, but in other ways and on other days as well. Service to the Lord, attendance in church, the expenditure of efforts and resources are traded in for jobs or for hobbies instead of the Lord's work; it's as if people say, "I don't do it all the time, so it's not all that bad," not realizing that in some cases the infrequent nature of such tradeoffs become more and more frequent (I'm not saying people shouldn't have jobs or hobbies or take vacations or go to family reunions; I am saying that we need to pay a little more attention, though).

Ultimately it comes down to serving self more than God, of saying, "I'm going to do what I want to do," with little or no thought to how it might affect our personal relationship with Christ. Sometimes we have to make the decision that, come what may, we will do what the Lord wants us to do, even if it goes against what we would like to do. For instance, I recently made a trip to go to a book signing with my favorite author. It was a Saturday, I hadn't been feeling well, but I was determined to go, having made plans for many months in advance. I knew I would be home late Saturday evening and wouldn't really get the opportunity to study for Sunday services as I normally do, but I figured I'd make do. Then the thought crossed my mind, "Why not just have your associate pastor preach instead of you?" As soon as that thought came to mind, I pushed it out and decided to come home early, missing the seminar-like discussion the author was giving at the end of the book signing. For my own conscience, I couldn't drive 250 miles for a book on Saturday and then not fulfill my duty to the Lord the next day because I was tired or my throat was sore.

In this way I had to make a choice. God blessed me with a love for reading, an opportunity to meet my favorite author and hear him talk about his writings, the gas money to get to and from the event, safe travels, and so much more. But in the process of giving me so much He didn't want me to forget Him and the fact that everything I have is because of Him. I, like everyone else, have had plenty of instances where I have forgotten that for a while. Still, when I took the time to really think about it, I knew what I had to do. I had to be willing to sacrifice what I wanted for what the Lord wanted. And if I do say so myself, it was worth it. Books come and go, they're read and then shelved. But preaching the Word of God (or not preaching it) can have eternal implications. What was more important?

Abraham had to make the same choice: whom do I love more, my son or the Lord who blessed me with him? God wanted to re-center Abraham's heart and attention on Him, and so He asked Abraham if he would be willing to give up the very thing he loved the most in order to serve God. We know how the story ends: Abraham went through with the sacrifice, had lifted the knife to spill his son's blood, but the Lord stopped him, then provided the ram for the sacrifice. By being willing to give up what he loved the most, Abraham actually was able to grow closer to God and to his son, because this was a shared experience.

Never let the blessings of God take the place of God in your life. It might seem like we're being asked to make a very big sacrifice, but ultimately we will come out better and stronger because of our willingness to make a sacrifice for the Lord. So never let up, never give in, continue to offer the Lord 100%, asking Him to help give you the strength to do that, and you will see just what can happen. Our churches can once again be filled, the Holy Spirit can once again warm our souls and fill us to the overflowing, and the work of Christ can once again move in a mighty way. The question is, "Am I willing?"

The Fleecing of the Faithful

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Keeton) — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:57:00 +0000

(NOTE: While usually sending the Soulscape e-Newsletter or posting here on the blog only on Tuesdays, this situation arose which I felt required immediate attention. This edition may be disturbing to some, but is intended to help bring light not only to the primary issue discussed, but to the mindset which has allowed it and many other things to happen. This is a commentary, an editorial if you will, which addresses an important spiritual need in this world and in the Church today. Thank you. — Pastor Chris Keeton, Westwood Church of God, Ashland, KY and publisher of Soulscape)

Earlier this week I was contacted by a friend of mine, an editor and reporter covering business and technology for a company called WebProNews. He asked me to comment on a topic about which he was writing a story. This topic shocked me, and provoked a lengthy response. In a nutshell, the basis behind the story is that Penthouse Media Group, the controlling entity behind Penthouse Magazine, is also the owner of several networking and/or dating sites including BigChurch.com. BigChurch.com is used by many Christian singles trying to find suitable matches with which to share their lives. But that Penthouse Media Group is the ultimate owner and thus the beneficiary of membership fees was shocking, and I felt compelled to offer some commentary on the subject.

(To read the entire article by Jason Lee Miller at WebProNews which contains many more enlightening details and more information, visit Mr. Miller’s posting. Soulscape is not responsible for content on that site or any links included in the article.)

Our Christian culture is trapped today, trapped by an interesting, two-pronged phenomenon. One issue is that the “religious right” (evangelicals, Christian conservatives and other popular classifications) is most certainly making more noise, gaining more media attention, spending more money and exerting more influence in the culture. The second issue is that many other entities are now pandering to this group of people for many reasons, chief among them being election and financial.

Unfortunately, we as Christians are allowing ourselves to be taken advantage of, giving into the pandering by choosing to be blissfully ignorant of the truth, thinking we are thus immune from any consequences that may arise. Christians should not allow themselves to be pandered to; we are too often guilty of voting or buying based on a sound bite, some reference to our faith which makes us say, “That’s for me!”

This is what has happened with BigChurch.com. Penthouse Media Group purchased a company that ran the site, but never disclosed their ownership to the hundreds (if not thousands) of Christians seeking spiritual and emotional companionship, people who would never under any circumstances purchase a Penthouse magazine but are doing the equivalent through monthly membership rates to a site supposedly by and for Christians.

It is time we hold others, and more importantly, ourselves, accountable. We need to do more to examine where our money, our time and attention actually go. We can sit back and blame Penthouse Media and others like them, but we often do nothing to discourage such practices, as we are out for personal gain of some kind. It seems people on both sides of the issue have a similar problem: a tendency to stand on capital instead of standing on principle.

There is certainly nothing new to pandering. It exists on many levels, is called by different names. Ultimately it is saying or offering certain things to a targeted audience. With that definition, even this e-newsletter would fall under that category, as I am bringing you an opinion I hope will stir you to action. But this is where it is different: this is for principle, not personal gain. I have seen and heard so many things that appeared holy, things or people that may have even invoked the name of Jesus, yet below the holy surface existed lies and deceit. Many of these things ultimately caused little or no harm, but that is not always the case.

Where is the line drawn? Sometimes the line is drawn at such an outrageous place that we’d never cross it. So compromise is made, the line moved just a little closer to us, and we accept that. But we cannot have a “moving line.” We must stand for principle no matter what the cost.

Undoubtedly such websites based on a person’s religious affiliation, while simultaneously playing to the emotions of the lonely, have the potential to be quite profitable. Yet the lucrative nature of these sites would be greatly decreased if dedicated Christians, most of whom claim to be against such products as Penthouse produces, discovered where their money was going. Unfortunately in America, it seems the almighty dollar takes precedence. Political ads stress “Christian faith,” organizations and individuals speak of unflagging dedication to “family values,” and many times it’s all done to further the agenda of the speaker and nothing more. This takes on an even greater seriousness when we see the hypocritical and two-faced nature of those claiming uber-righteous religiosity (certain members of Congress and influential ministers included) yet living another way.

The basis of the Christian faith is not just adherence to a list of do’s and don't’s, or even acceptance of certain morals and values. It is both a relationship with and an attitude toward a Person, but that message is lost in many of our churches and Christian organizations. For example, a certain lottery winner, known to have been arrested numerous times for DUI, being robbed at a strip club, and having numerous run-ins with the law, made sure to very publicly give sizable donations to a number of churches in his area, donations which were readily and enthusiastically accepted. But what about the appearance of association? The Lord told us to avoid the very appearance of evil. Do we do that? I’ve heard ministers say, “I’ll take all the money the devil is willing to give me.” But Christianity is about more than money, though one would be hard-pressed to actually prove that these days.

If the CEO of a pornography publisher rolled into my sanctuary with a million-dollar check, I would kindly decline the offer on the basis that, for me, it would be “blood money,” earned at the cost of thousands of people’s lives and souls (spiritually, physically, emotionally, and many other ways). That is a cost I’m not willing to pay. But this is exactly what is happening with sites such as BigChurch.com: thousands of people seeking companionship on a spiritual level, yet unwittingly financing that which is greatly contributing to the downfall of the very society these same people are hoping to influence in a Christian way.

Matthew 7:15 says, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” It seems that companies like this are attempting to earn “false profits” by not only wearing the sheep’s wool themselves, but by pulling it over the eyes of sincere yet unsuspecting Christians. They hope we won’t discover the truth, won’t ask questions, will willingly feed ourselves to the roaring lion who is out seeking whom he may devour.

Still, in all honesty and fairness, the reality and the problem goes far deeper than this issue. Yes, this should inspire us to do more personal research, to demand fuller disclosure from corporations seeking to gain from the hoped-for ignorance of its customers. But some of the blame must fall upon us for choosing to remain in ignorance. We as a culture must, MUST look beyond the simple title of “Christian” and seek the deeper truth.

Everyone struggles, everyone fails, and I am chief among them. Still, as Christians we must try and keep trying to go beyond the minimum requirements of our faith. We must strive to be better and do better; we must do all in our power to move beyond the sound bite or even the inflammatory issue and ask, “What does it truly mean for me to be a Christian? What does the Lord really want me to do?” We might never know the full story or the ultimate effects, but woe to us if we don’t even bother to try and find out.

God bless you, and let’s keep praying!

World-Changing Faith

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Keeton) — Tue, 13 May 2008 18:05:00 +0000

Aside from Mother's Day, this past Sunday was also the celebration of Pentecost or, as I and others like to call it, the birthday of the Church. And like most people, I enjoy a good birthday celebration. Since Easter I had looked forward to Pentecost because I love the story of how the Christian movement began with the coming of the Holy Spirit. It's one of my favorite stories in the Bible, and one that has not lost its relevance in our modern world.

In most towns and cities around the United States it is almost impossible to walk or drive one mile without passing at least one house of worship. So many cross-topped steeples, so many offering plates and pews, so many pulpits and long-winded preachers offering the world a message. Just what that message might be depends in large part on the name over the door, the up-in-lights denomination out front. It seems there is a church for every taste these days, and no shortage of people at the religious "buffet line" seeking out some place, large or small, that suits their beliefs.

Maybe that's why I like the story of Pentecost and the arrival of the Holy Spirit so much. Before that day, before that moment there was no Church, no bold ministry, no fiery sermons that inspired people to seek a real and personal relationship with a risen Savior. You couldn't walk down the street and pass a series of church buildings wondering what was being taught. But on that day something remarkable happened. On that wonderful day things changed forever. A relatively small band of faithful people, just 120 dedicated folks, obeyed Jesus' command to wait in Jerusalem for the arrival of the Comforter and Helper. Then, when the Spirit came and filled them with boldness, giving them the words to speak, they emerged from their meeting place into the thousands who had come to investigate that great sound from heaven.

Luke, in the book of Acts, describes the sound like that of a rushing, mighty wind, something we might equate to the "freight train" sound of a tornado or the howling of a fierce hurricane. Time and again I've heard people on television talk about how terrifying that sound is, how it instilled such fear that they ran for their lives. But the sound on Pentecost was a little different. The crowds started running, but they ran toward the sound, trying to figure out what it was. The first recipients of the Holy Spirit were also inspired to run, but it was to run to their neighbors, their friends, and even total strangers, and share the one message of the Cross and of the salvation that a risen Christ purchased for all mankind.

What were the results of that first great revival on the day the Church was born? Well, many mocked but others believed. Three thousand souls were saved that day, and those people carried the great message, that single and united message of Jesus back to their homes, and the Church began to spread. The fire of the Holy Spirit ignited the hearts of the 120 disciples, and then it began to spread, catching the whole world on fire.

The reason this story is so important and special to me is because of two verses of Scripture (from NKJV):

"For I am the Lord, I do not change…" —Malachi 3:6

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." —Hebrews 13:8

If the Lord God does not change, if Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever, then that means that the Holy Spirit is still alive and well and working with the same power as that Pentecost day. Thousands can still be saved, the winds of God's Spirit can still blow through this world and change lives, and the fire of that same Gospel message can still set hearts ablaze with hope and with love. What is required is that we get back to the basics.

The 120 disciples represented one Church, one Savior, one message, and that is the key to our success today: being in one accord within our spirits. I am not saying that one denomination is better than another, nor am I advocating that we all take our names and heritages and throw them on the rubbish heap. But I wholeheartedly believe that if we set our focus on Jesus and His desire to save souls, preaching His Gospel in love and unity, we can see our world change, no matter what our church name might be.

Can you imagine how wonderful it was for those disciples to tell their story to the crowds that day? Can you imagine how wonderful it was for those who heard that message and accepted Jesus to then go back home and tell others? That has been the backbone of God's Church for 2,000 years: one person telling another person, "This is what the Lord has done for me, and He can do it for you, too." So don't be afraid to tell YOUR story. You are the best qualified person to do that, and your story, your unique experience with the Lord, can change lives today. Whether you come from a small church or a large church, a congregation that's been around for a few weeks or one built centuries ago, you can make a difference.

God's Spirit remains the same, and so the effects His Spirit can bring must also remain the same. It's time we as Christians allow ourselves to be affected by the Holy Spirit's fire, fueled by the infinite love of Jesus Christ for us. It's time we as Christians caused a little noise that makes people want to know what's going on. It's time we as Christians look at the Church not just as some bygone era of history or as individual buildings and conferences, but as one body of believers reaching out to a lost and dying world, offering them the one true message of the life, grace and peace of Jesus. If we do this, and we CAN do this, then we will see our world change as well. Just let the Holy Spirit guide you, and you might be the candle that ignites our world.

The First Facts of Life

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Keeton) — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:33:00 +0000

This past Friday I told my five-year-old son that when Mommy got home from school, he and I would go outside and play, perhaps toss a ball around, play tag, whatever way the wind blew. Looking at the radar on Friday, it appeared that the wind was going to be blowing some rain showers and thunderstorms our way. This meant that we had to hurry, that we wouldn't have much time to play.

So, out we went, down the steps and onto the sidewalk. I got the mail out of our mailbox and remembered I had to also pick up the neighbor's mail. "No sense in waiting for the fun to commence," I told myself, so I threw the ball into the side yard. "Go ahead and play, David. I'll be right back." My son picked up the ball and proceeded to romp as most kids have a tendency to do, while I gathered the lonely mail for my absent neighbor.

As I make my way back to my front porch, my son runs closer to me and says, "Daddy, I tried to wake Peanut-girl up, but she won't wake up." I already had all the information I needed. Approaching the large dogwood tree, walking beneath a canopy of white blossoms and small green leaves, I see Peanut lying motionless in a little hole she'd dug and in which she liked to spend her time. I took my son by the hand and we walked back to the house. "Why won't she wake up, Daddy?" "Because she died, Bubby." Then the question I knew was to follow: "How do we fix it?" I looked down and said, "We don't, Son."

My wife's mother passed away a few months before David turned three years old, but he doesn't remember the events, the emotions of the moment. While being somewhat exposed to the passing on of people through my own position as a pastor, this is the first time my son has been truly "emotionally connected" to death.

I was about the same age as my son when I lost my first dog. I remembered those emotions, over a quarter-century later, as I dug the grave for Peanut (I should say that Peanut had a cancer-like ailment for most of the six years we owned her which caused her to experience several painful episodes, so her sudden and easy passing was a blessing). With shovel in hand I realized that for the rest of the evening, and probably much longer, I would be confronted with questions I could not answer: Why did she die? Will we see her in heaven? How will Jesus wake us up when we get there? Does Jesus have breakfast?

There were tears, laughs, more tears, moments of comfort and of grief. It's hard for a child to have to confront death, especially the death of a beloved pet that has been around his entire life. But as I sat contemplating the whole situation, I realized that for most people's first experience with the real "facts of life" is dealing with the fact of death, and usually that of a pet. As parents we often fret about that inevitable day we'll be forced to explain the birds and the bees, but it's probably far harder to explain that which even we as adults don't fully comprehend.

The fact of human life is that it comes to an end, and many times there are no answers, nothing to make everything okay. It's just something that everyone must face sooner or later, and the best way to get through it is by seeking the solace of the Lord. Searching Scripture, I have found no specific references to "pet heaven," but I know that as my son stood at the small grave with my wife and me, he is the one who referenced Jesus. As a pastor and as a father, that made me feel better, because I realize that as an earthly father, there are questions I can't answer and things I can't fix, things like a broken heart.

We can't always understand fully why things happen the way they do, the reasons behind why and when death comes, and dealing with the pain of that (along with the pain of having no answers) can be almost unbearable. But dealing with the facts of life, all the facts of life, is much easier when you have the Lord to lean on; just knowing there is SOMEONE who DOES have the answers is sometimes enough to make the unbearable just bearable enough.

As I sat typing this message, my son sat down beside me, saw the pictures of Peanut close to the camera, and the both of them playing. He said, "There's Peanut. You know, I'm really going to miss her, but we had some really good times. We'll just have to remember her and see her in heaven." Is it any wonder Jesus extolled the virtues of childlike faith? Our world today says that faith is child-ISH, but it takes child-LIKE faith to find the peace we need in those hardest of times.

This won't be the last tragedy my son will have to face in this life, nor the last we as a family will have to endure. But at this stage, I'm glad I can go to bed knowing that my five-year-old son knows where to turn when Daddy can't fix it. To me, there's no greater knowledge, no greater hope, or no greater peace than that.

So long, Peanut. Thanks for being part of our family, and bringing so much joy to such a special little boy.

The Hammer of Faith

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Keeton) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:58:00 +0000

The subject of faith has, for the last several weeks, been weighing on my mind. I've spoken about it in private conversation, I have preached sermons on the subject, and I find myself thinking about it quite frequently. The importance of faith cannot be overstated for the Christian experience, nor can it be adequately explained or expressed in human terms. Nevertheless, we must try to understand and exercise our faith. The question is, "How do I do that?"

Well, one way is to dream big. I know it sounds a bit cliché but I believe one of the reasons we accomplish so little is because we dream little. I'm all for being realistic, but I honestly feel that we need to have aspirations that are far beyond what we "think" we can possibly do. Recently in a sermon I recalled something my grandfather, himself a former pastor, used to say: "Shoot for the moon. If you hit the streetlight, at least you got off the ground." I really liked that growing up, and as an adult and pastor, I often referred myself to that old saying.

But I realized something: perhaps we are held back as individuals and in our churches because of that very reason: we are aiming at the moon, but we're perfectly content to hit the streetlight. We accept even the smallest success as sufficient success, and we stop there. Don't get me wrong; I'm not saying that small successes are less valid. In fact some of the greatest accomplishments in life are small. But we should still not be afraid of big dreams. Yes, the moon is farther away than the streetlight, but the moon has a much better view. Perhaps if we'll just take a step or two to the side, we can avoid the streetlight and rise higher than we thought possible. The more we try, the more we accomplish, and the more we try and achieve the greater and stronger our faith becomes.

Another way to understand and exercise faith is to believe. You might be saying, "Isn't that what faith is: believing?" Yes, that's one way to put it. But the belief I'm talking about is a belief in the impossible. It's easy to believe your car is running once you turn the key in the ignition and the engine comes on. It's easy to believe in healing when you're not sick. It is up to us to believe even when it seems like it's an impossibility that what we're believing in will actually come to pass. The way we do this is to take the focus and trust off of ourselves and place that focus and trust on God. You see, we are frail, finite and prone to failure. When we focus on or trust in self we are bound to be let down. By turning our attention to God, who is omnipotent, infinite and unable to fail, we are able to increase our level of hope. All things are possible with God, even the impossible. And as Jesus said, "If you can believe, all things are possible for those who believe."

Understanding and increasing faith also requires an open ear and an open heart. We need to listen to the Lord as He bears witness to our spirit. If the Lord calls you to do something, it is not a call to failure but to succeed. We shy away from so many things, refuse to move for fear of failing, of letting ourselves or others down, or for fear of disappointing the Lord. But the only way the Lord is disappointed is if we refuse to try. When it comes to risking something for Christ, remember that IT IS NO RISK! He wants us to serve Him. He wants us to be strong, unafraid, and bold enough to move in faith toward wherever or whatever it is He's leading us. And remember that the Lord doesn't call for results; He calls for obedience. The results are in His hands. As Paul put it, one plants, another waters, but it is God who gives the increase. Life's greatest disappointments come when we look back and see what could have been. Since success in Jesus is limitless, we should focus not on what could have been, but on what still can be!

I can't help but think of Noah. Noah had his own life, his own plans, but then God showed up. The Lord shared with Noah what His plans were for destroying the earth, and His mechanism for preserving the human race: the ark. It was up to Noah to lay aside self, obey the call of God and start building the ark. In a similar way God also tells us His plans today. His plans include our obedience to His call, our service to His ministry; He calls us to be witnesses, to work, and to be faithful. When we obey His plans for us, we are like Noah: exercising our faith and growing stronger in Him.

Over the one hundred years it took Noah to build the ark, he no doubt had to deal with a great many problems, insults, and any number of other things. But with each swing of his hammer, his faith was made stronger and in the end his faith was justified. You see, God had promised to send the waters to consume the earth and everything in it. It was Noah's job to prepare the ark. And that, my friend, is the lesson: we need to be swinging the hammer of our faith as well.

Sometimes God must have the ark built before He can send the rain. This goes for the positive as well as the negative in life. On the positive side, it sometimes takes great preparation and effort before we're ready to experience the full flood of God's blessings. Yet through the work, in the process itself, we learn a great deal about the Lord as well as strengthening our faith every day. Once we're ready, the Lord can pour His blessings out upon us. And sometimes there are bad things that life throws at us. Through our faithfulness to obey and serve God, we are increasing our faith again. Only this time the strength of faith will enable us to endure, to find the silver lining of Christ's grace which enables us to victoriously make it through any and all of life's great challenges.

All of us are building some kind of ark. I'm sure Noah made extra sure that every crack was filled, every weak spot reinforced, so that no matter what kind of storm hit his ark he'd still stay afloat. That's what we must do. Pay attention to the Lord, allow Him to show you the weak places and cracks in your own life. Then, through prayer and faith, let Him help you fix those problems. In this way, you can weather the storms of life and reap the blessings of God at the same time. It might take a lifetime, but keep swinging that hammer of faith because in the end, you'll be glad you did.

Learning a New Skill

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Keeton) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:52:00 +0000

As a kind of update of the update, I am a week or so away from the start of publication of a weekly (or as close to weekly as possible!) Soulscape e-newsletter. It's been an interesting process, learning the programs, tweaking here and there to make the final product actually look somewhat decent and presentable in your inbox. As far as content, I hope to continue the general pattern of the blog (which I will still be updating with the same content; the e-newsletter is just a more convenient format and is easy to forward, but you can always visit here for the same updates), including a little humor, observation, and Scriptural commentary.

What I have discovered in this process that, as we age, it is increasingly difficult to learn even the most basic of skills. I say this as a still relatively young man, and about an area of knowledge in which I have been fairly well-versed over the years. What should be intuitive has become a difficult process of trial and error, of a sort of "okay, now what am I supposed to do because the last seventeen things I tried didn't work" situation.

Perhaps that's one of the things that keeps the playing field level for everyone. I've said over and over again that everyone is equal in the eyes of the Lord, no matter what their circumstances or age. Adults are often frustrated that children are sometimes slow to pick up on the most basic of principles which will help keep them safe and help them develop the wisdom they need to successfully function in this life. Yet we as adults are guilty of many of the same "transgressions" our younger counterparts are: failure to learn from our mistakes, continually trying to do things ourselves, thinking we know what's best at all times, and a general state of arrogance.

Life is hard sometimes. It's difficult to learn new skills or even retain the skills we've already learned. But just as we are patient with young folks as they grow, so God is patient toward us, His children (of any age) who continue to learn and grow, who make plenty of serious and many times avoidable mistakes, and who, given enough time, can grasp those things that make our lives and the lives of others so much better.

So with that in mind, I'll continue trying to learn these computer programs, and learn a little more about life, so that I can bring my observations to you. Hang in there, and we'll see you soon!

To Explain the Delay

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Keeton) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 23:36:00 +0000

As technology moves ever-forward, other methods of communication present themselves. That fact, coupled with a little bit of money to afford said technologies/software programs, will help explain the time since my last entry. Needless to say, I got sicker following the last entry, and it took several days before feeling better. Trying to catch up on things following that illness, and the recent acquisition of a few new programs, have all come together to occupy the majority of my time.

In the next couple of weeks, I hope to be able to institute an idea I'd floated a while back: a Soulscape e-Newsletter. I have to learn the programs and things before being able to actually get down to business, but I hope to have things back up as soon as possible. I will be posting here as usual, but will also be developing an e-newsletter to send Soulscape straight into your inbox. I'm also trying to create an e-newsletter for my church.

Great things are happening, and I look forward to sharing them with you. Please stand by. I appreciate your patience during this time. Don't give up on me yet! I'll be back very soon, and hopefully better than ever!

If you're in the mood for a sermon or two (or more!), stop by http://feeds.feedburner.com/westwoodonline for recent sermon audio additions. You can download them or just listen straight from the webpage. Or you can visit iTunes and search for Chris Keeton, then click on the Westwood Church of God podcasts to subscribe or listen.

God bless!

Does God have RSS?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Keeton) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 22:56:00 +0000

(NOTE: It is currently five minutes before church is to start on Wednesday, but I'm at home, sick with a cough and bad throat, two things which make it a bit difficult for a preacher. At any rate, I was unable to post yesterday and, in a desire to actually feel useful at a time when I should be in church, I thought I'd write a little something. And, knowing me, I should finish about the same time I would normally wrap up a sermon!)

I was perusing the features of my particular web browser and discovered a way to easily subscribe to RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds for many of my favorite web sites. And with a few clicks of my mouse, BANG! Updates right there in front of me! I am a creature of habit, visiting the same websites, in the same order, day after day. Now it will be easy to find daily the relevant and updated information on those little islands I visit in the great sea that is the Internet.

Well, in my weird little way of trying to bring my daily life and experiences to Soulscape and here put a spiritual or inspirational spin on them, I got to thinking about a title for this entry, and it suddenly came: Does God have RSS? And I say YES!

In this case, I would contend that RSS stands for "Really Spiritual Syndication," and God's RSS feed is updated on a moment-by-moment basis. He's had this RSS feed much longer than the Internet, much longer than computers. In fact, He's had His RSS feed for thousands of years. We usually call it by a different name, but the principle is the same: we call it PRAYER.

I've done a lot of writing on prayer in the past, so I'm not going to go into a great exploration of prayer (time and my current health prohibit), but I did want to put a modern spin on an ancient truth. What does God want for us? How can He help us? Does He still speak to us in modern times? The way to find out the answers to these questions is through prayer. Take some time to spend with the Lord in prayer. Don't just talk to Him when you need or want something. Seek His guidance and His fellowship.

The Bible is indeed an ancient book; there is no disputing that. But its relevance can only come to light when we seek God and His will through Jesus Christ. As we pray, we find elements of our own lives in the familiar stories contained in Holy Scripture. When we recognize some path, some similarity, that's God speaking to us. When we feel the warmth of peace and grace in our hearts during a time or a situation where those things should not logically exists, that's God speaking to us. When we pray with the knowledge that even if we don't feel anything spectacular or don't see "results" immediately, that knowledge is God speaking to us.

Since we can get this information any time, it pays to visit the Lord often. We don't want to miss anything He has for us. So I would suggest that you subscribe to God's RSS feed. Just sign up through prayer. You don't even need to worry about entering any other information, since God knows it all anyway. Just express your interest and commit yourself to going to Him regularly, and you will be able to find what you need from the Lord, and what He wants for you.

Between the Toes, Too

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Keeton) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 02:57:00 +0000

After a busy four-day Easter weekend, it is natural to pause and reflect on the events just experienced as well as the basis for them, the meanings behind all the celebrations. Most Christian churches observe baptism in some form, and many observe the Lord's Supper or Communion in some way. But relatively few observe the ordinance of feet-washing. For a lot of honest, sincere Christians believe the ceremonial washing of feet is an outdated and unnecessary ritual that has little if any significance in modern church life.

In my opinion, nothing could be further from the truth. I had my associate pastor deliver some remarks on the Lord's Supper section of the special Maundy Thursday service, then I gave some of my thoughts on why I believe the washing of feet is still an integral part of the spiritual life of the individual and fellowship of believers, and what the ordinance means. These were extemporaneous remarks, but I want to put them down in a more permanent form, in order to share them with you, the reader, as well as preserve them for posterity.

Why should we observe feet-washing as an ordinance of Jesus? Well, first of all if we are indeed Christians, a name that itself means "Christ-like," we should want to be like Christ, to follow His pattern and the examples He gave. He took the time to bow down in a humble way and wash the feet of His disciples, arguably the dirtiest part of their bodies. That God in the flesh, the Creator, the Master of all would, in the eyes of some, degrade and humiliate Himself in this fashion is almost unbelievable. Jesus Himself said that if we were to do this, we would be blessed or, in a better translation, happy.

Where is the extra symbolism? Well, just think for a moment. In the ancient world, the dirtiest part of a person would (arguably) be the feet. Walking in most places, with sandals, over dirt roads, one would not be able to help but have dirty feet. It's one thing to wash your own hands or face when they're dirty, because they rarely get "filthy." But the feet, especially then, would be encrusted with layers of dirt after not a very long time. Jesus chose to wrap Himself with a towel after dinner and voluntarily wash the dirtiest part of His disciples, a part that would, in theory, need lots of scrubbing to get clean.

Now we notice something interesting. Peter, the bombastic disciple, watched Jesus bowing down and washing the feet of his colleagues, horrified that the Master would lower Himself to this level. When Jesus comes to him, Peter says, "Jesus, there's no way You're touching my feet." Was it personal pride? Was it out of concern for protecting the dignity of this great Man? Was it because he felt unworthy? Doesn't really matter, because in the final analysis, he was going against the wishes of Jesus; ergo, disobedience was creeping in. Jesus looks at Peter and says, "If I don't wash your feet, then you have no part with Me."

This sobered Peter up in a hurry. He changes his tune by saying, "In that case, don't stop at the feet! Wash my hands and my head as well!" In other words, Peter was willing to undergo a head-to-toe dunking and scrubbing if it meant he could remain in that special spiritual relationship with Jesus. But Jesus told him that it wasn't necessary, that if Peter's feet were washed by Jesus, then he would be clean all over.

What would this mean? Again, the symbolism comes into play and, in my opinion, shows us in a very compelling way that we should still observe this wonderful ordinance. In Jesus' day the feet were the dirtiest part of the body, essentially picking up all the dirt of the world. By washing the dirtiest part, the person was, in effect, clean. The disciples were believers, as strong in faith as just about anyone (at that point in the story, at least), yet their feet were still dirty. This illustrates that we, even if we're strong believers, can pick up the dirt of this world just by walking through it. Even the best of us need cleansed because we just pick up things in our life that don't need to be there: things we see and hear, things we do when we're weak. It's important that we realize that all of us, no matter who we are or how close to God we are, all need to be cleansed from time to time.

The washing of one another's feet humbles us by showing that we are no better than anyone else, and no one else is better than us. Jesus did it, and so surely we can. But the symbolic washing of feet allows us to contemplate the dust of this world that covers even the most holy of us. No matter how hard we try, we get dirt on our feet, because they're almost always touching the ground. And I can think of no better way to recognize our need for spiritual cleansing than by kneeling at the feet of another and washing them, or having someone wash ours. Just as Jesus washed His disciples' feet, we can have a deeply and spiritually-strengthening experience if we will do the same.

I could go on and on, but trust me when I say that you'll seldom find anything as humbling and gratifying than washing someone's feet. And as long as you're at it, don't forget the toes!

Who Ya Gonna Call?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Keeton) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:57:00 +0000

Jeremiah 33:3 -- "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know."

So once again I take keyboard in hand with nary a thought as to what I want to say. I perused several daily devotional resources to see if anything sparked, and I came up with two that would suffice. I chose this verse from Jeremiah 33 for many reasons, one of which is I could probably write a book on the other available verse, and while brevity is not my strong suit, I do try to keep things somewhat contained in the length department here on Soulscape. But if I thought you had unlimited time and patience to read all that, it might be a different story…

Anyway, as I read this verse there were several things that came to mind, and I'd like to share some of them with you. I am often surprised, even in this jaded world of skepticism, by the extremely vocal minority who don't believe God is real at all and, if He is, that He's an impotent, uncaring God, detached from the cares and concerns of mortal man. I can't accept that premise, so there will be no further comment on it. I do, however, find myself even more surprised at the sway that Satan still holds over many believers, sincere Christians who find themselves chained to fear, uncertainty, and doubt.

"What is THAT?" you say to me now. "How can Satan hold sway over a Christian?" It's true, and it's very simple to explain: he CAN and DOES do it because WE let him. If you haven't been thoroughly confused or repulsed yet, I'll try to briefly (insert pause for laughter here) share with you some illustration of the point I'm trying to make.

Have you ever seen someone (or rather, have you yourself ever experienced), some sincere Christian, go through a particularly difficult trial; even if it didn't seem so bad to you, it most certainly did to them? There's a lot of prayer involved, a lot of vague hopes for a solution or some relief, but there just below the surface is an inkling of doubt, of, "Well, I've prayed and I hope the Lord heard me." For many, the sight of a Christian with anything less than 100% faith, anything less than a no-worries, carefree attitude is not what they'd call a rousing endorsement for trusting in Jesus. It's sad, but true, and it is a common thing. And as a side note before proceeding, let me tell you that any pastor who tells you that real faith has absolutely no confrontation with doubt or fear has absolutely no idea what he or she is talking about.

Maybe the situation is just a little bit different. Maybe it's not some crisis. Maybe it has something to do with finding a path, or having courage to make a decision for self, a family, or a church. All of us are or have been guilty of saying something along the lines of, "I don't know how we're going to get by (do this, achieve this goal, or any other thing like this)." This, too, illustrates a lack of faith; it's not that we doubt God is capable of doing whatever it is that's in front of us, it's that we don't stop long enough to ask, listen for an answer, and/or see miraculous things.

That's where this wonderful reminder in Jeremiah comes into play; its relevance in our lives today cannot be overstated. Each and every day, especially during the trials, we need to remember to call upon the Lord, to make the effort to share our thoughts and concerns with Him, to do as the old song says, "Have a Little Talk With Jesus." But we can't stop there. When we ask we must go forward in the faith, knowing that He will indeed answer His children. He's not going to just leave us hanging (even if a delay seems like it). He will answer and, in the answering, our minds, hearts, souls, and even our eyes will see great things and mighty things.

In short, if we'll believe in a God of the possible, we can see the impossible.

When something happens to us, when we have a question, or just want to waste some time, we often pick up the phone and call a friend. I would encourage you to put in a call to the Lord every once in a while. You just might be surprised by what you see, and for the new and the seasoned believer, that just might be a very good thing.

At a Loss

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Keeton) — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 23:52:00 +0000

The cupboard is bare. The TV is on but the station is out. Deal or No Deal is still going on, but the million-dollar case is out of play. All these familiar and less-than-familiar euphemisms illustrate my mind at this moment. For the last few days I've been looking forward to writing a new entry today, rolling up my sleeves (not an easy task since it's been warm enough for me to currently wear a short-sleeved shirt) and getting down to my literary and spiritual passion of wordsmithing.

And I got nothin'.

Yes, I am at a loss for words, a rare occurrence (or feat, as the case may be) for a preacher. Perhaps I have used up my word allotment for the week. Maybe the ol' brain-box is just experiencing some transmission problems. Who knows? I had hoped for something, some insight into Scripture, some big event to bring to you that would cleverly and clearly show some deep spiritual truth. But I just can't seem to get it moving. So what will I do? Well, I guess I can just list some of the things that have been going on or will be upcoming in my own life, some plans and things like this. Probably boring, but I figure I can at least give it a try.

Our church congregation ordained a new Associate Pastor this past Sunday, which I expect to greatly enhance the spiritual growth and well-being of the individuals of the congregation, as well as the furthering of God's work.
The Second Annual CrossWalk, where we carry a cross for nearly two miles through various neighborhoods near the church, will be coming up on March 21^st. Last year my greatest expectation was for 15 people and a couple of cars. We had 500% more take part. This year I'm looking forward to even greater success, and we've added a gospel concert and fellowship dinner after the CrossWalk itself, which will hopefully show the Lord even more to those who need to see Him at work in people's lives.
I still have hopes for an e-mail newsletter to either supplement or replace the Soulscape blog. A final decision on that will be made probably within the next couple of months, so I'll keep you updated.
Many computer-related issues have finally been resolved, and we actually have just about everything we need at church when it comes to the technology area. Took some time and effort and great frustrations, but I finally got everything set up, which is quite exciting for a geek like myself.
There are a number of things we hope to improve upon, some changes we are looking to make, in our church worship experience (the first step of which dealt with the Associate Pastor position). We're trying to break free from a "business as usual" attitude and shifting to a real, meaningful and different kind of situation when people come to church. It should never be about habit or tradition, but about getting in touch with the Lord or, rather, letting Him get in touch with us. Many ideas are being floated around, many paths are being pursued and, with the Lord's help, we can make a great impact on our community and our world through our willingness to follow this year's motto and philosophy of our congregation: ANSWERING THE CALL.
I also hope to start working on a long-thought-of book I've been pushing to the back burner, waiting for a more convenient time to start writing. Soon I hope to pick up writing on it again and before too long have something ready to publish. Be in prayer with me about it!

I guess that will about do it for this entry. Wish I had more to say, something to help you through whatever it is you're going through. But perhaps next time will be a little easier. Lots going on, big plans, a great future. But it will all require a great touch from the Lord to get everything off the ground and running smoothly. Until next time, I pray for all the best for you. And, looking back on this entry, I guess even being at a loss for words can include a lot of words for a preacher.

Critical Repairs, In Many Ways

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Keeton) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 01:04:00 +0000

They say that the "third time's the charm." I hope so. This is hard drive number three that I have had to utilize in my notebook computer. Now I can understand if the computer was old and abused, or even infected with some dastardly virus of some sort; but I've only had this computer for a few years at the most. After losing my first hard drive and everything on it, I have become much more studious about back-ups, so when things started going haywire I was already well on my way to being prepared for the worst.

This computer has been, for lack of a better term, a piece of junk. Yes, there have been far more good days with it than bad, but those bad days really taxed patience. Aside from the keyboard, nearly everything has been replaced: the screen, the CD/DVD drive, and of course, a twice-replaced hard drive. But now I have a brand-spanking new, not-refurbished-or-otherwise-substandard, 120 GB (upgraded from 80 GB) hard disk on which I have spent at least 15 hours over the last two days trying to recreate this (for all intents and purposes) new computer in the image of the old, installing and downloading and uploading and overloading and any other form of loading one can do. Who knows how much longer it will be? But at least I have all my essentials returned to me.

A friend has said to me, on this and other occasions, "You've had nothing but trouble with that computer." But, truth be told, as I sit here thinking about all the times the computer let me down, about all the times and all the things done to fix said problems, as I think about the two-week ordeal in getting the part in, which should have been two days, and as I think about the $180 used to pay for all of this work (which I didn't really have to spare this week, but that's a different story), I can honestly say I'm not that upset at all. The rebirth of this computer has allowed me to see something much more personal, something that has been taking place over the last several weeks in my own life.

After a very long time, I finally came to a sobering conclusion about my own life that I had to confront in order to move forward. In a sermon titled The Choice Between Two, I addressed something that I had been guilty of without fully realizing it: I had for far too long tried to serve two masters. (NOTE: This message has not been put on the Internet for podcasting because of the computer issues over the last month, but I hope to perhaps put "the best of" sermons online over the next week or so, in case you wish to listen – if so, visit http://feeds.feedburner.com/westwoodonline or visit the iTunes store and search for Westwood Church of God podcast.)

As a pastor, it was very difficult to admit that I had drifted away from everything I held dear to me, without even realizing what kind of slippery slope I was on at the time. Intellectually I knew, but denial is a powerful force. After hitting rock bottom in almost every area of my life, gripped with overwhelming depression and despair, I realized there was only one option. As I said in my sermon (and explained in further detail), I had to apologize to my wife for failing her has a husband; I apologized to my kids for failing them as a father; I apologized to my church for failing them as a pastor; and I apologized to the Lord for failing Him as a servant. We all have faults, we all make mistakes, we're all human. But whether I mentioned it at the time or not, I had forgotten to apologize to myself, because I had let myself down as well.

It's hard to be everything to everyone. In fact, it's impossible. What is equally impossible is being everything to yourself. Living with the memories of failures and defeats, or placing too much emphasis on one's own importance, can be a difficult thing to live with. When I had gotten so low that I had to re-evaluate my life and once again look to the Lord as my only refuge and rescue, I finally grasped what I had preached and taught for so long: Jesus MUST always be first and everything, and we can only survive if we rely totally upon Him. This total surrender is often the most difficult things to understand and embrace, but it's vital.

So with all that happening right around the time of this whole computer mess, I have been able to look at things in a much different light. This computer, earlier described as "a piece of junk," is a perfect illustration of my own life. When I signed on with the Lord I knew what He expected of me, but little by little things kept breaking and going wrong: my heart, my mind, my habits and personality. And sometimes the same part would continually fail. I would go to God and ask for some "heavenly tech support," and He would walk me through a fix or replace the defective part, and things would go well for a while. Then something else would bring me down until, finally, I was really beyond effective use.

I went to the Lord and asked Him what I needed, knowing full well that it was a complete overhaul. Just like the last couple of weeks, the entire process was difficult and inconvenient and costly. And just like the last couple of days, getting everything back up and running and fixed better than before, it's slow and sometimes frustrating. I have had this computer fixed time and again, and there were moments I just wanted to throw it away and be done with it. But when I think about how the Lord has been so patient with me and has fixed me time and time again, not throwing me out like He would have every right to do, I can't help but feel peace and joy, and also feel a little bit grateful that this computer has shown me so much about my own life.

And just like this computer, unless you stay connected to the Power Source, pretty soon you won't work at all. Keep that in mind, and remember: JESUS KNOWS HOW TO FIX IT!!!

I HAVE RETURNED!!! SORT OF

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Keeton) — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 04:41:00 +0000

I just wanted to let you know that, after a two week fiasco, I have my computer back from the shop with a shiny new hard drive. I have spent the last 9.5 hours loading all the software and back-up files onto the new drive, but hope to create a new entry in a day or so, then back to the original schedule. Perhaps I'll even tell you about all this computer mess!

At any rate, it's good to be back, and I hope to see you soon. Hope you haven't forgot about Soulscape!

A Conspicuous Absenc

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Keeton) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 02:04:00 +0000

Some of you may have noticed that I have not posted in a couple of weeks. I just wanted you to know that I have not forgotten Soulscape. I have had to deal with several issues, including physical and spiritual issues, and haven't had the opportunity. Also, my computer is in the process of dying and will possibly require a new hard drive (the third in this particular computer).

I hope to get the computer back in a week or so, at which time I will be better able to compose som more entries. So don't forget me, and I'll not forget you! See you soon.

The Mouths of Babes

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Keeton) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 02:01:00 +0000

What makes me feel very good is the fact that my son loves church. He goes for friends, he goes to have fun, but he learns stuff as well. Growing up in the household of a pastor isn't the easiest thing in the world, and many times you find the children of pastors rejecting what their parents stand for; it's almost a natural reaction affecting nearly all youth. Rebellion is natural. Unfortunately for those parents who have a relationship with Christ, the rebellion is often manifested in a resistance to all things "church."

Now there's plenty of time for my son to really start rebelling (truth be told, we're never too young or old and as adults we ourselves are too often guilty of trying our own way over God's way), but I am impressed with his faith thus far. Before telling everyone goodnight, he makes sure to say, "See you tomorrow, Lord willing." He is not afraid to pray for food, for needs, whatever. The other day he told me that Jesus was his best friend.

Complex thinking for a four-year-old? I don't think so. In fact, I think it's so simple that a four-year-old can understand it when we sometimes forget. Lily Tomlin once told a joke that said, "Why is it when you talk to God it's called 'praying,' but when God talks to you you're schizophrenic?" My son came out of his room the other day and said Jesus told him something. He does that every now and again. I am not claiming to be the parent of a modern-day Samuel; there are times his imagination and creativity form the basis of his messages (i.e. Yesterday he said, "Dad, Jesus told me to bring you this can of Pringles Mini-Bites." Don't know if Jesus indeed say that, but they were appreciated…and tasty). But he knows the concept that the Lord can speak to him.

Do I believe Jesus is audibly speaking to my son? I don't know, and I wouldn't say that He is not. But I do think that the complexity of Godly, spiritual communication is much more simple than we think. A child is told that God can hear them, and they believe it without question. That's faith. As we grow older, our faith decreases as our cynicism increases. "Prove it," we say. But if a child is given the chance, they will exercise their basic faith in the Lord. It's then that we can learn from them, because as Christ told us, in order to approach Him we must have the faith of a child.

A child's faith is not complex, it is not difficult. It is simple, it is full, and it is complete. I used to ask my son who his best friend was because I knew he'd say, "You are, Dad." And I liked that. But knowing my son has a new best friend is just fine with me.

Pattern for Prayer

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Keeton) — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 20:54:00 +0000

Mark 1:35

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place, and there He prayed.

I doubt there will be many who would minimize the need for prayer. Even many non-Christians (at least those who don't actively practice what the Bible defines as a Christian lifestyle) pray and may encourage others to pray. No matter what the religion or method, prayer is something that seems embedded in the human consciousness. During those myriad crises of life it seems that everyone is a proponent of and believer in the power of prayer.

Sadly, the majority of folks, Christian and non-Christian alike, seldom see the need for serious and continuing pattern for prayer. Prayer is much more than "Help me!" although that is most certainly a good and necessary one. Prayer is a time of spiritual devotion, a time to set aside for the purposes of coming to know more about yourself, your God, and His plan for your life.

If Jesus, the very Son of God, felt it necessary to get alone with the heavenly Father and pray, how much more should we have that need? How much more should we recognize just how much we need Him? The above verse is a wonderful pattern for our prayer life. You have heard preachers say that the Holy Scriptures remain a vibrant, living, and applicable source of hope and direction, an ancient book "as modern as tomorrow's newspaper." This is truly one verse that increases in truth with the passage of time.

The last time I checked, there was no shortage of things to occupy our attention. Job tasks, hobbies, entertainment, telephone calls, worry and stress all contribute to this busy lifestyle we all have. In fact, I would say that things such as this suck up our time like a sponge, and we are left with the questions: Where did all my time go? How can I make time for the Lord when I don't have time for anything else?

Well, it is in this instance that a rearrangement of priorities is required. The Bible tells us that God must be first in our life, but if we are truly honest with ourselves, too often all of us push the Lord down the list. But when our spiritual survival is in play, we must make sure that if we have time for nothing else that we DEFINITELY make time for God. To be most effective this requires us to not necessarily remove the distractions, but remove OURSELVES from the distractions.

Notice that Jesus didn't ask the crowds or disciples to leave, nor did He just wait around for them (and any other distractions) to leave Him. He made the move. During an otherwise quiet time (no one else was probably awake) He still got away to Himself, totally alone. Often our answer is to wait until the distractions leave us. We wait until our work day is over, we wait until the TV show is finished, we wait until dinner is concluded, we wait until our visitors or our families bid us a fond adieu, then we try to squeeze God into whatever time is left.

This can and will lead to spiritual ruin if we don't make the change. We must choose to get alone with God. If that requires going to a quiet room, going outside, going for a drive or just sitting in the car, we need to dedicate some time to talking to God, just Him and us. I know it might not always be convenient, but that is never been the point. The point is actually deciding to make the time no matter what. Jesus did, and it gave Him the strength He needed. It will do the same for us.

Auld (and New) Lang Syne

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Keeton) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 22:08:00 +0000

So another year has come and gone, and we stand at the door of 2008. What things lay in store for us? None of us knows for sure, but we can make the best of each day. I'm not talking resolutions and determinations. I'm talking about adopting a philosophy to govern your life and decision-making during this year; a motto, if you will.

There are some perks that come along with being a pastor, and one of those perks is being able to set the tone for the congregation in a given project or for a given time frame. For 2008, it is my desire to continue building upon the spiritual success of the church by making our motto and philosophy "Answering the Call."

What is it God is calling you to do? Maybe you have some sense that there is something, but don't know what. Maybe you've had this feeling, this leaning toward a certain thing, some activity or project or attitude, but you've resisted it. Perhaps you know something you want to do and feel like you should, but doubt or fear has prevented you from doing so. Well, 2008 can be the year for you, if you will "Answer the Call."

There is no doubt it will be a bit frightening, perhaps even difficult, but "Answering the Call" isn't about anything but obedience. If God calls you to do it, keep a few things in mind:

He knows what He's calling you to do and why.
He is responsible for equipping you to do exactly what it is He is asking of you.
He will not let you down.

Our ways are not God's ways. There are always unknowns with us. But as far as I'm concerned, I'd rather go into a thing looking through the eyes of faith alone, with the Lord beside me, than to see everything with my own eyes and risk messing things up. That's what stops most of us from being what (and all) the Lord wants us to be: fear of failure. But as I said, "Answering the Call" is about obedience alone. Success and failure are not the criteria God is looking for in you. The world may see a tremendous success or a colossal failure in you, but all Christ wants is obedience. When you trust in Him and do as He wants you to do, answering His call on your life (no matter what that call might be), then the only thing He judges you on is your obedience to that call. The results are up to Him. If we are responsible to His call to us, He will be responsible for the rest. So let Him be responsible for the rest, and you hold up your end: ANSWER THE CALL!

I look forward to this year, as I hope you do. No matter what might happen, know that we are not alone. We have a friend who is closer than a brother, and who sticks with us through the best and worst of times. He is calling to you today, right now, to be something for Him. And whatever He is calling you to do is something magnificent, something that fits right into His plans for you and for the world and for His Church. All you have to do is answer that call. Join me, join my congregation, and join others from around the world as together we stand, confident, and as we all start "Answering the Call."

There’s No Place Like Home, Home, Home and Home…and Home

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Keeton) — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 03:42:00 +0000

So, the Christmas madness has come to an end, and the regular, day-to-day madness can once more kick into gear. It is an accepted fact of life that Christmas around here is a multi-day and multi-location event. And along with the sheer number of places to go comes the knowledge that there will once again be an obscene number of gifts to haul. This year we actually took two vehicles to ensure we had enough space (especially since this is the first Christmas with two kids). My wife took the car with the boys, and I followed with the pickup truck which, I am almost ashamed to say, were both utilized in hauling the "haul."

This year's booty included books and bikes and the ubiquitous clothing. There were gift cards and appliances and all manner of other goodies. As I grew up, I really looked forward to all the different places I had to visit because I knew I'd be getting lots of stuff. Now that I'm married and have children of my own, the amount of gifts has grown, the number of places to visit has increased, and something a little unexpected yet important seems to occur more frequently with each passing year.

As I sit here in my recliner, trying to relax just a bit prior to walking the piles of pre- and post-Christmas trash to the road, I can't help but feel a bit awash in some level of what I would characterize as shame or embarrassment. Each Christmas most people in America have their "wish lists" and wait until Christmas morning to see how many of those little wishes go from the list to the gift pile. Some are disappointed, others are satisfied, and still others are surprised by the extravagance of things they never thought to ask for and, quite frankly, do not need.

I know in our family, extended and otherwise, we got far more than we need. And at moments like these, it almost seems wrong somehow. As I look above me I see a ceiling. Around me are walls, a floor, a refrigerator filled with more than we can eat. There is light, and heat, baubles of all kinds, and most importantly there are those who love me. What more does a person really need?

There are lots of folks in the world today who, unlike us, haven't spent two days visiting five different houses. They were lucky to have a warm meal or get a gift of any kind. The Lord has truly blessed me, has blessed all of us. It's a shame we take all we have for granted.

NOTE: I will be returning to a regular(-ish) schedule next week, writing each Monday on a variety of topics here on Soulscape. And while I have but a few regular readers, I would like to let you in on the possibility of an exciting and hopefully interesting venture. In the early days of the New Year I may be publishing an e-newsletter to be sent straight to your inbox. Whether this will take the place of this Soulscape Blog remains to be seen, but it most certainly will augment this blog's outreach and ministry. So be in prayer for that endeavor. Should I undertake it, you might just have to visit your Inbox for the latest Soulscape entry. At any rate, it's good to be back (in any shape or form) and I look forward to many more days with you! God bless.

© 2007, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by leaving a comment (with your request) which will be forwarded to Chris Keeton. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

A Bonus Entry for Pre-Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Keeton) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 18:28:00 +0000

At Christmas, some families have a tradition of opening one present on Christmas Eve, then the rest of them on Christmas morning. That I grew up in a "divorced" family, I had a full-blown experience on both days, because of spending time with both parents. Now that I'm a parent myself, and my kids have grandparents and great-grandparents, Christmas is spread out over several days. So while this tradition is good, it doesn't apply to us because, logistically speaking, it can't.

I have intentionally stayed away from the blog over these last two-and-a-half weeks, even though I have been tempted to dive in and write a few entries (blog withdrawal I suppose; I haven't had the time, but that hasn't stopped the desire to do it anyway!). So this morning, after I received a comment on my last entry, I decided that the aforementioned tradition would be a good thing to practice for Soulscape. So, with that in mind, I decided to write a little entry before Christmas, just one, then get back into the swing of things in a week or so. I guess the real issue is whether or not my readers will stop by since I pretty much said I'd be gone for a month!

Anyway, after checking the Soulscape visitor statistics, I found a reader had visited from a particular service provider. The city showed up as Cincinnati, Ohio, but that's just where their server is located (many service providers, even local, show up in other cities). I don't know exactly where he or she is from, or even their real name, but that's okay. I really enjoyed the comment, and wanted to share it with you, along with my thoughts.

So, someone with the screen name "Unhappy-Workaholic" left the following comment: "…Speaking of work, what should we think about it? Is it a necessary evil or a gift from God? Okay, perhaps that is extreme, but still, should we go to work everyday with a kind of – "arg. Time to make the donuts!" attitude or should we view it as a service to god. How do we find joy in the donuts—without eating them all… any thoughts?"

Why yes, Unhappy Workaholic, I do have some thoughts! Your great comment got the old brain cylinders firing and so I wanted to share my initial impressions (by the way, I would love to make the Soulscape blog a source of practical inspiration, so if you ever have any questions or thoughts about any topic, just let me know, because I'd love to do an entry on what you, the reader, are thinking about).

Staying within the confines of the comment quoted above, given the "extreme" choices I would have to say that we should embrace work as a gift from God and a service to God. I base this opinion first on what we read in Genesis. Prior to the whole "eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil" fiasco, God had given man the task of tending the Garden of Eden. So we see right there that "Paradise" was not a vacation spot, but a place to work. After man's fall, God tells Adam that the work of his hands will be much harder, that the earth will not be as cooperative as it had been in the garden, producing thorns and weeds, making the work very difficult.

But work remained. Unhappy Workaholic's comment uses the word "extreme," but that is what we find: extremes. Work was originally created as a gift from God; He gave man life and then gave man purpose for that life. That purpose was service. Now that gift and service continue, but yes, it is hard now. Even if we don't "tend the ground" as a farmer or herd the beasts of the field for a living, work is hard. In an ideal world we would all see work as a privilege an honor, a way to put our life to good use by doing for the glory the Lord whatever it is we do.

However, not everyone likes their job; truth be told, if everyone were completely honest we would all have to say that at one time or another we have despised our job. That is a by-product of Adam and Eve's sin. Work is hard. But work still serves a purpose. It all depends on our outlook, and that all depends on us as individuals. We have a choice how we will view our work. "Making the donuts," as it were, isn't always fun, but it can be rewarding, especially when someone is hungry. No job is perfect, because imperfect people are always associated with it (whether it's the boss, the co-workers, the customers, or [gasp!] even us!); still, our jobs serve to help us meet our basic needs. We get our money for bills and food, and maybe even some of the frills life can occasionally offer. Our work also helps us occupy our lives.

Every day I check out the Associated Press feature called "Today in History." At the end of each daily article there is a quote for the day. On Wednesday, December 12, 2007 (just a day before this blog entry) was a quote by Franz Kafka (1883-1924), a Czech author. His quote applies to this entry: "There are two cardinal sins from which all others spring: impatience and laziness." I believe that in essence this is a very accurate quote. If you go through Scripture you discover how often terrible sins (and even more terrible consequences) came from these two other "sins." Just a quick example from each: Abraham was impatient waiting on the promise of a son to be fulfilled, so he got into a mess with Hagar and Ishmael; and King David was lazy, laying around while he should have been leading his army in battle, when he saw and lusted after Bathsheba, and began a downward spiral.

Had Abraham and David been working, doing what God gave them the ability and responsibility to be doing, they would have been able to focus on the task and on God. Instead, they allowed themselves to drift, to forsake their work, and they got into deep trouble. Above all, our work is to be the very best Christians we can be, to serve God no matter what we do or where we go. When we approach our earthly jobs and careers with this attitude, that we will use it to serve God (even if it takes a little creativity), we will find that our work isn't really all that bad. Why? Because the Lord helps us through it all. I guess you could say that in this way we get to make the donuts, and eat them, too. Proverbs 28:25b (from the King James Version) says, "… but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat." This, of course, means "prosperous," but it's a good analogy. Let God work through YOUR work, and you can gain a greater appreciation for the Lord and the blessings He gives you, including the work. Or the donuts. Whatever you want to call it!

Thanks to Unhappy Workaholic for the comment, and getting me to thinking! I look forward to future comments, or feel free to drop me a line at Soulscape E-mail. I'd love to hear from you!

So, until Christmas, God bless you!

All Good Things…

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Keeton) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 23:21:00 +0000

There is something to be said for working. When one enjoys that work it is even more special. Yet there are times that in order to give your best or do your best, it is necessary to step back for a little while. Have you ever looked at one thing or one spot for a long time? Pretty soon your vision begins to act up and you don't see things as clearly.

This is a busy time of year for everyone, and it is no different for me. In order to kind of refocus and get some prayerful insights for my own life, family, church, general spiritual direction, and for this blog, I am going to take a few weeks off. While this might disappoint the two or three regular readers I have, and anyone who happens to stop by, I would ask that you rejoin me around Christmas. I plan, with the Lord's will, to return to the world of blogging around that time. But this brief cyber-sabbatical will give me the opportunity to spend a little extra time with my family and with the Lord, and return with some fresh perspectives and new entries.

I would also encourage you to read some of my past entries in the mean time. Hopefully you won't forget Soulscape between now and the time that I return. I look forward to rejoining you here. And, if you have any thoughts about topics or something you'd like me to address, Scripture or otherwise, don't hesitate to contact me. Just leave a comment and I'll get back with you.

So, until we meet again, may God bless you. See you around Christmas!

Thanksgiving 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Keeton) — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 22:41:00 +0000

It hardly seems a year since Thanksgiving was last here, but that's the way time works. Still, this is not the season for lamenting the all-too-rapid passage of time. It is the time to be thankful. With that in mind, I'd like to share something with you which I may have mentioned before, but it is worth mentioning again.

Each year for the past nine years the churches in our community have an annual Thanksgiving service, usually held eight days before Thanksgiving itself. As of this year, we have five churches, five different denominations, coming together under one roof and together worship and praise the Lord. For the 364 other days of the year (sans leap year, of course), we often identify ourselves with the name out in front of our own congregation's building. But for that one day, the names are set aside and the only name that matters is put forth: Jesus.

Our community is very special in that the churches have a very unified relationship one with another. But during the Thanksgiving season we are extremely grateful for this unity. Jesus Himself prayed that His followers would be one, just as He and His Father were One. While the unity spirit is something we in our community seem to have all year round, it does something for the soul to look out into a large crowd and see not church-ES but THE CHURCH, made up of every blood-washed believer.

Some think that this oneness or things like unity services are when all the congregations of a particular denomination in a given area come together. This isn't unity; it's a conference. True unity comes when we lay aside all that separates us and focus instead on the one and only thing that matters. Jesus is the reason we're here, the reason every Christian church exists. Therefore, since we are one family in Christ, it's nice to share a spiritual meal together every once in a while.

We have a lot to be thankful for. I am thankful for so much that I can't even begin to make a list. But over these next few days, I will thank the Lord for the unity He provides for His family. If you haven't yet done it yourself, thank Him for that. If you haven't yet experienced it yourself, then look to other believers as true family, and let God bring you together in Spirit and in truth.

Have a great Thanksgiving this week, and may God bless you and yours!

Aargh, With a Capital A

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Keeton) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 23:03:00 +0000

As I sit here, I seem to recall some previous entry in which the subject had something to do with the old saying, "When it rains, it pours." I don't know if that was indeed an entry I wrote, but it most certainly describes my situation at present.

Today has been one of those days, perhaps a series of days, when I have most certainly been "under the rain," so to speak. Nearly everything that can go wrong, has gone wrong. The most frustrating thing is a water leak underneath my kitchen sink, a leak that has been going on for a few days now, but was only today realized as such. The unfortunate thing about the leak is that it is in the valve. What does this mean? Well, I'm no plumber by any stretch of the imagination, but even I know that this means the water must be turned off at another location in order to replace the faulty part.

So, I go under my house (one story, so there is just crawl space) to locate the shut-off valve. Now, crawlspace would infer the ability to crawl; this is an ability I do not possess, especially under the house and considering that the valve was located on the exact opposite side of the house from where I entered. Halfway through, I had to come back out. But it didn't seem all that bad (not counting every other thing that has nearly overwhelmed me today), because after examining the little drip, we decided it was just the joint that needed tightening. After this step, however, we found the crack, a teeny, tiny, nearly microscopic crack which was now spraying water in an almost imperceptible little stream and soaking everything, including running out onto the kitchen floor.

At this rate, the only option is to find someone with a water key and shut off all water to my house from the city's water main, and then replace the part. I'm much calmer at the present, hence my ability to actually type this entry (albeit through shaking hands and shortness of breath). There are a couple of options I'm going to implement as a stop-gap measure until then, but this was absolutely the last straw for today.

I can't take any more.

As I sat here trying to lower my blood pressure and avoid a stroke, I couldn't help but think that this is absolutely typical of life in general. There are little cracks that cause major leaks in our heart, mind, life, and they usually occur in the one spot that is the most difficult to reach. You see, I couldn't just go under the sink and twist the valve, because the crack is below the valve, and so the water pressure remains constant. I can't get to the other cut-offs, so I'm sitting here with a leaky sink, hoping beyond hope that severe or long-term damage is not being done.

Our lives are sometimes out of control, and we can't find the cut-off. The pressure is still there, and we're still "leaky," but there's not much we can do about it. So we sit, hoping to make it through, but more than frustrated at the helpless feeling of, "I can't do this."

This is where the Lord comes in. He has been called King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Prince of Peace, the Great Physician. In times like these, we might be able to call Him the Master Plumber, because only He can patch the holes in our life and stop the leaks from those tiny little cracks that Satan makes (or in most cases, we ourselves make). Sometimes, though, it might take Him bringing us to a place where we can't take any more in order to truly fix us.

And as far as not being able to take anymore…my computer crashed as I was creating this entry. Aargh indeed.

Restaurant Escapades

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Keeton) — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 01:15:00 +0000

"We're not the luckiest people in the world." This was my response to the manager of a local restaurant this evening following quite the adventure. When it comes to purchasing, locating, or stumbling upon those things which are broken before they're ever used, I am my own worst enemy. Last week we purchased new cordless phones for the home, only to discover that there was an "issue" which required a new phone system to be sent from the factory. I'm the guy, yes, THE guy who makes the last payment on a car and the "check engine" light comes on in the bank drive-thru lane. So, why should restaurants be any different?

The appetizer was great. Once completed, we were anxiously awaiting the arrival of our main dishes (a greatly anticipated event in any case, made all the more intense with the presence of a four-year-old who wants his chicken and fries). And wait we did. After waiting, we waited. After this waiting period, we waited some more. The waiter comes by and says, "Your food isn't here yet?" Surprised he returns to the kitchen to discover that, due to a reoccurring printer error, our order was not submitted to the cooks. The manager comes out, a sweet little girl who says it will be seven minutes. How she arrived at this figure for two steak dishes and the aforementioned chicken and fries I cannot say. But, in the neighborhood of seven minutes or so, out comes the food.

My son decides to cut his own magma-hot chicken tenders himself, and after doing a good job on two of them, mom decides to help. As she cuts, I glance over and realize that the chicken looks less than healthy, at least for cooked chicken. Why? Well, because the chicken tenders were very well cooked on the top 1/16^th of an inch. The rest was raw. So, after about 45 minutes or so of waiting, we now had raw chicken for the toddler.

After this is resolved, the waiter comes back and says, "You didn't get your side of shrimp." Had he not said anything, I would never have remembered. I said, "Don't worry about it. I probably couldn't hold it anyway." He says he will take it off the bill. Actually the one thing we seemed to have in abundance tonight was apologies. The manager returns and says, "You're going to love me…" and proceeds to tell me that she's refunded the price of the appetizer, the chicken tenders, and the shrimp, but is giving me the shrimp to take home with me anyway. After several more apologies, I told her, "We're not the luckiest people in the world." And so we return to the subject. (Let it be known that at that same restaurant about a year ago, a mug of soft drink spontaneously split apart, akin to the parting-of-the-Red-Sea scene from The Ten Commandments; not so lucky.)

So, I come home, grab my trusty notebook computer to create a blog entry, and suddenly it comes into focus. The fault (or faults) at dinner tonight had nothing to do with the waiter, nor the manager, nor the cooking staff; it had nothing to do with us or what we ordered or that big comet thing that got brighter last week. Nay, it didn't even concern that pesky printer situation. It just happened.

This got me thinking. The Lord does so much for us, has desires for the lives of each and every person, especially His children. And what does He do? He places His order and we say, "We'll get right on that." And we might do a little appetizer-esque thing, you know, doing or being good in some area or another. But then the Lord waits…and waits…and waits some more. Finally He calls our attention to it and we apologize. "I'm so sorry. I'll straighten up and get things taken care of." And even then we sometimes mess things up, not living up to what He, or even we, expected from us.

The key to good customer service is making sure the product is right and the customer is pleased. When it comes to the spiritual aspect of our lives, things are right when our service and fruit are what they need to be, as well as the customer (in this case, the beneficiary of our efforts: the Lord God Almighty) being pleased. Are we doing our very best to offer Him our very best? Is He well-pleased with our desire and efforts, or does He sit, waiting, frustrated that we have not yet completed what He has asked of us?

Something to think about. Now, if you will excuse me, there are five shrimp which are begging to be sampled. See you next week, Lord willing.