Ryan's Ramblings

character you both admire and covet

So many books, so little time. I recently read a chapter titled, “Character”in The Aim of Life, by Philip Moxom, (p. 41). The book was published in 1894. It is an old book. According to the Smithsonian, all “true” diamonds are old—in the realm of hundreds of millions of years old. There is an amazing beauty and value in old things, and old books. I am glad I came across this gem by Moxom:

 

If you are to form such a character as in your best moments you both admire and covet, you will suffer yourself to be cowed by no circumstances, however menacing they may be; you will resist the slightest pressure either of fear or of selfishness; you will remember always that no evil can master you to which you do not submit. Your own choice determines, not whether you will be tempted or not, but whether or not you will be overcome by temptation; for the issue of the struggle turn not upon your individual strength alone, but upon your will reinforced by divine power. God is the ally of every soul that seeks wholly to be true.

may our incense rise

I am currently making my way through the book of Leviticus. The rules, the details, the ornamentation, the sacrifices, the blood, the altar, the hyper focus on purity, and the seemingly meticulous minutiae, . . . wow. I don't begin to understand much of it, nor do I find it engaging reading. But through it all, I am getting a glimpse of the One upon whom it is all focused—the "Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne," (Rev. 5:6). 

The One is Jesus, the friend of sinners and the only one worthy to receive all power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"

I was up early this morning, clicking through YouTube, listening to songs of praise and worshiping the Lord, and I came upon the live version of "Psalm 34" by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. I have twice had the privilege to worship at the Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York City and . . . wow, what a blessing! The choir was amazing and the presence of the Lord was palpable.

This video of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir includes so many aspects of worship: scripture, sincerity, praise, joy, singing, prayer, reverence, freedom, abandon, tears and adoration. At the end it is beautiful and powerful to watch as the worshipers, awash in the presence of the Lord, lift their praise to Jesus, like incense arising from the altar,

. . . much like in Leviticus. 

 

 

ten thousand is too few

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dina,

They say a picture’s worth a thousand words,

but I say ten thousand is too few.

As I struggle, slip and slide through life,

I’m glad that it’s with you.

Your smile, your love, your constant care,

steady me as I glide;

and even when I trip and fall,

you’re there right by my side.

As days fly by, the seasons pass,

and the mirror hints I’m old;

I’m blessed by God, (and this is true),

that the one,

whose mittened hand I hold,

is you.

morning devotions: prayers, and a poem

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Bravest Thing

    by John Blase

maybe the bravest thing

is opening your eyes in the

morning and placing your

two feet on the cold floor and

rising up against the gravity

of the night. maybe that’s the

brave thing from which all other

bravery flows, the brave to

seek ye first, maybe that’s the

single thing God requires of you,

the spiritual discipline that takes

all your will to muster. Swallow

down the fear, my friend, and face

the dawning day for what the

surface of the world needs most

of all is bravery skipping and

you, yes you are the stone.

Up at the 4:30 alarm and I think about the poem, “The Bravest Thing,” by John Blase. The first, most important step of my day is simply opening my eyes, putting my two feet on the cold floor and walking into the day ahead of me. My goal is to “seek Ye first,” and I pray from there,... God, get a hold of me and fling me furiously. May I skip, alight and impact the world with your aim, your impetus and your Presence.

As I write, I think about the “perfect” skipping stone. It is flat, smooth, and is an ideal fit for the hand that is doing the throwing. Not all rocks are ready for skipping; only those that have been prepared by waiting at the bottom of a lake or river, worn down by sand, seasons, rushing water and time. God is ever looking for the right stone to skip into the world—for his influence, his impact and his pleasure. For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. (2 Chronicles 16:9, NIV)

Lord, find me, make me, empower me and use me for your Glory. May my life give you delight and may the places where I "skip" today ripple outwards with your love, mercy and grace.

do you remember to remember?

Do you remember to remember?

I seldom do. But when I do remember to remember, it is rich.

One thing that helps me in my remembering is my journaling habit. Every morning I download onto paper all the stuff that is in my head and in my heart, and the result is a haphazard collection of thoughts, whinings, wishes, memories, thanksgivings, frustrations, rejoicings, repentance, ponderings, pontifications and desperate prayers that are barely suitable for my eyes only—and yet, somehow God uses it all for good in my life.

For me, journaling is an act of in-the-moment, short-term remembering that I find extremely helpful. But the real payoff is when I look back in my journals—at the vaporous days, months, years and decades of my life—and recall, reminisce, weep, rejoice, reflect and remember. Without fail, in all my rememberings, I see the unmistakable threads of God’s mercies (which run into the billions) and the relentless, extravagant, faithful grace of God, woven in and through the story my life. (Ps. 119:156, MSG)

When I remember to remember, it is rich. It is how I learn and grow and become.

John Dewey says, “We do not learn from experience . . . we learn from reflecting on experience.” Just doing things and experiencing them isn't enough. The power to learn, change, grow and become is primarily realized in and through those things that we think about and reflect upon. Experience teaches us that there are some things to be avoided and there are some elements of the remembered past that may well be worth repeating. In God’s economy and grace it's about becoming all that we can be in Him. A primary way to do that is through remembering.

The story of God is replete with references to the act of remembering. From the early days in the lives of the Children of Israel, to the last few hours of Jesus’ time on earth, remembering is primary to the very core of being a follower of God. With his eyes on the future, Jesus sat at the table with the disciples and he equated the bread and wine before them with his body, blood, life and impending death upon the cross, and then He entreated them to regularly partake of the elements and when they do, . . . to remember.

“We won’t walk into God’s good future if we have no memories of God’s mighty acts on our behalf in the past. Or at least, we won’t walk into the fullness of that future, with all the power and healing force for our communities that God intends. Again and again in Scripture, one of the fundamental rhythms is that of remembrance.”

                                            —Len Hjalmarson

What got me started on all this thinking and talk of remembering is a song I recently came across by Steven Curtis Chapman called, “Remember to Remember.” The song and accompanying video moved me greatly (ok, I must admit, I wept). It caused me to remember and, it called me to remember.

So, I leave you with this: take a walk, go on a hike, find a quiet place and reflect; let the memories linger, resonate and . . .

Remember the way He led you up to the top of the highest mountain

Remember the way He carried you through the deepest dark

Remember His promises for every step on the road ahead

Look where you've been and where you're going

And remember to remember

                —Steven Curtis Chapman

(Check out the song and video below.)

 

 

Some of the books I read in 2018

 

I read for growth, firmly believing that what you are today and what you will be in five years depends on two things: the people you meet and the books you read.

― Twyla Tharp, The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life

 

 

 

It was my pleasure to read 60+ books in 2018. Here are a few good ones that I recommend to you.

 

 

I’m Proud of You: My Friendship with Fred Rogers

Tim Madigan

I am one of those kids from the 1970’s who was impacted by Mr. Rogers. I didn’t know he was a TV star at the time, I just knew him as a nice man (who I now know valued feelings, creativity, human capability and make-believe). Now that I am an adult, it is nice to find that he was the same person, on and off screen. This book was a moving and refreshing glimpse of the real Mr. Rogers.

 

 

 

 

The Compound Effect

Darren Hardy

Building off of the financial concept of compound interest, this book is an inspiration to steward the gifts of moments, time and life - for good. As Coleridge said, “In today already walks tomorrow.” This books provides insight, plans and motivation to live today, and subsequently tomorrow, well.

 

 

 

 

The Classroom Management Secret: And 45 Other Keys to a Well-Behaved Class

Michael Linsin

As a teacher, I highly recommend this book. Classroom management is foundational to effective teaching and learning and this book provides practical, useful, and sound material that I will revisit year after year. The author has a great blog at Smart Classroom Management.

 

 

 

 

Ampersand: Poetry (Poiema Poetry)

D.S. Martin

 

This is one of many books of poetry by D.S. Martin that I have read and will re-read. His writing is real and penetrating—putting beauty, feelings and experiences into words. 

 

 

 

 

Love Kindness: Discover the Power of a Forgotten Christian Virtue

Barry H. Corey

 

This was one of the most formative books I read all year. Since reading it I am ever asking myself, “Am I being receivable or I am I striving to be received?” I suggest you read the book to understand what that means. It is a good read.

 

 

 

 

Irresistible: Reclaiming the New that Jesus Unleashed for the World

Andy Stanley

 

This book kept my attention and continues to be on my mind. It is a book of history and contextualization about the Bible and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have read through the Bible a few times and continue to learn more and more about the relationship between the Old and New Testaments.  This book helped to sharpen my focus and give clarity to my thinking.

 

 

 

 

Father Fiction: Chapters for a Fatherless Generation

Donald Miller

 

This book was one of my biggest surprises and delights this year. I was reticent to read it due to the fact that I did not grow up “fatherless.” But through this book I now see the world around me better—with more understanding, empathy and compassion. The message of this book affected who I am, and will be, going forward.

 

 

 

This Day With the Master: 365 Daily Meditations

Dennis F. Kinlaw

 

Every single morning of 2018 I read a devotional thought from this book. I was constantly underlining passages, dog-earing pages and recording gleaned insights into my journal. This is a great book. I came across Kinlaw years ago—one of his quotes caught my attention and I looked him up and found that he had published a year-long devotional. I ordered a used copy and went through it last year. I am so glad I did.

Happy Birthday Dina!!!

 

Practically perfect in every way. — Mary Poppins

 

Today is Dina’s birthday. What a joy it is to celebrate her. Dina is a source of light, peace, strength, care and love to her family, friends, students, colleagues and the world around her. She would never say it, but to me she is “practically perfect in every way.” I thank God for the good gift of her life.

Happy Birthday Dina!! I love you. —Ryan

Bring on the chap stick—31 years together

A week ago, as I was driving to work, I noticed that I had chap stick on my lips. I seldom use chap stick and thought to myself, “Where did I get chap stick?” And then I remembered that I had just kissed Dina goodbye as we both left the house.

She had chap stick on her lips.

For the rest of the drive, I felt and tasted that chap stick and was overwhelmed with love and thanksgiving for my wife.

Dina is my best friend, my partner in all things, an amazing mother to our daughters, my delight, my helper, my safe place, the love of my life and a precious gift from God.

What a joy and blessing it has been to be married to her for these past 31 years.

Happy Anniversary Dina, I love you.

Bring on the chap stick!

a glance at god

 

The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish.

(John 1:14, MSG)

 

It was my privilege over the past four years to teach university students in the content area of teacher training and education. My classes met early (8:00 a.m.) each day, and before launching into the learning objective, I would kick off the session with a glance at God.

Since most college students consider 8:00 a.m. to be a most “un-godly” hour, I quickly realized that I needed to be brief and creative with my devotional thoughts. Because of this, the glance at God was realized in various ways:  a brief meditation on Scripture, thinking and talking about a quote, reflecting on poetry and even . . . watching music videos.

There was one video that I showed each semester that never failed to elicit a response from the students. After class, or via email, I would hear things like: “Thanks for sharing that video,” “I needed that,” “That helped me,” and “I heard from God this morning.”

The music video (below) is a good one. It addresses how we are inclined to see the flaws in ourselves and the world around us through a lens of failure, regret, disillusion, struggle, disappointment and loss, and yet God sees things, and us, differently.

Through His love, grace, and the cross of Christ, we are flawless. He wants our attention and is always available—early morning, late at night, all day, every day.

Give God a glance today. You might hear from Him—even through a music video.

 

 

Autumn Hope . . . a poem

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Autumn Hope

by Ryan M. Roberts

Autumn leaves flame out as they make their descent 

through the cool harvest air.

Their brilliant colors wane under foot;

    broken and crushed into the darkening earth below.

Yet even in death they yield a harvest.

Hidden in winter depths, their embers glow;

waiting,

    fueling hope,

expectant for the spark of new life.

 

- Isaiah 55:8-9 -