Not all things go according to plan. My brother got married... that was planned and good. However, after the wedding my parents, by sister and her family, Bonnie and I were all going to head down to Padre Island for some camping. Unfortunately, vows were not all that were given on Saturday, there was also a nasty virus (flu?). My brother's bride was sick, her brother and sister-in-law (who were also the photographers) and mother all were sick as well.

Bonnie and my dad woke up sick Sunday morning. My parents decided to head down to Padre Island anyway. I decided to head home. Sleeping in a tent with the flu did not sound fun to me. We made it to Kansas Sunday night, and I got sick during the night. So, Bonnie and I limped home today. Neither of us feels good, but we are happy to be home.

I just wish we had been able to go to Padre Island with the family!

I am currently in Texas. I have been blessed to see my friends Josh Buckman, Scott Eversole and Renee Buckman (who is Bonnie's cousin).

I would share more, but I have a wedding to prepare for.

I wanted to share with you some of the things I am involved with this year:

Book of the month club - No, not things like Pride and Prejudice (that's Bonnie's department). Instead of doing a Bible in a year program, I started a Bible book of the month group. We focus on one book (or a few small books) and read that book as often as we can for a month. In addition, we get together for a casual discussion (sharing things we observed and questions we had) twice a month (we meet on the second and last Tuesday night). With read the Bible through in a year, the goal is to have read something. However, with this plan the goal is to know something. We had our first meeting last night and I thought it went wonderfully. It was great sitting in a room full of Christians who just wanted to talk about something they had been reading and thinking about from the Bible. This month we are reading First, Second and Third John. That is 7 chapters to focus on for 31 days. I highly recommend that you try this where you are at.

Photoclub - I love taking pictures, so I thought I would join with others who enjoy picture taking or want to learn more about it. We are getting together one Saturday a month to go some fun place and take pictures. Our first photo-outing is this Saturday.

Last year I tried to take one picture a day. That went great, but after my trip to Turkey and Greece (where I took 6,000 pictures), I was tired of my camera so I quit. This year I am going to make it a little more simple, and just shoot for 7 pictures a week (that way I don't have to set up everyday).

And that, is what I am doing differently this year.

I don't get JW's. I really just don't get them. Are they that dishonest or just that brainwashed?

We finished our examination of the word for "torment". Every time it was used in the New Testament, we agreed that it referred to pain, suffering, anguish or a struggle of some sort. Even in the book of Revelation that is what it meant, but as soon as we got to Revelation 20:10 where it refers to being tormented day and night forever and ever, it could not possibly mean pain or suffering or anything else there.

So we turned to Luke 16 and looked at Lazarus and the Rich man. Do you know why that can't be real? Because Abraham was there, and Abraham just couldn't be there. So I asked about the transfiguration, asking how it is that Moses and Elijah could be there but Abraham could not be referred to in Luke 16. His reply was that Moses and Elijah obviously were not there. It was all symbolic. So I turned to the passage (Mt. 17:3) - "And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him". His response was that couldn't have been Moses and Elijah because the apostles recognized them. So I read it again, "Moses and Elijah appeared to them", and he said no they really didn't. When can a narrative (especially in the Gospels) be purely symbolic? If that is the case, why believe that Jesus was born? Why believe that He was tempted? Why believe that He ever spoke or even died? If narrative is symbolic then the Bible as a whole has no meaning or certainty.

So we went back to Lazarus and the rich man. He stated that Jesus did not say that they had died. So I read Luke 16:22 to him, "Now the poor man died...the rich man also died". To his credit, he didn't speak of them not dying anymore (even though he still held that they didn't really die because it is all symbolic).

When the JW first came to my door the main reason that was given for why there cannot be a hell is because God would not do that. So I asked whether Jesus was accurately describing God and justice when He described the rich man in anguish. I fear that this question went right over his head (or bounced off of a thick skull). How is it that God could never allow torment if Jesus describes the torment of the dead? Is Jesus lying to us? Is He trying to deceive us? The issue with the rich man and Lazarus is not just whether it is literal or not, it is whether it is accurate or has any practical meaning.

I was already done at this point. The moment that someone can read "Moses and Elijah appeared to them" and say that is not what happened is the moment that we have lost all possibility of rational reason or depending on the Bible. It would be one thing for an atheist to read that and deny it, but when a so-called Bible believer does that, what hope can there be?

I tried to ask him the question about whether he will still believe in the JW's after 2020 if Christ has not returned. It turns out, that while they do believe the 1920 book "Millions now living will never die" they apply their same inability to understand the simplest words to their own books as well. "Millions now living will never die" does not mean that millions who were alive when those words were written would never die. That isn't what it means, I was told. So, basically, it is a clear and concise sentence that does not mean what it says. The JW's torment me with their wrangling of words and distortions.

We had a pleasant closing conversation in which I warned him of the coming judgment. I warned him of approaching the Scriptures in this way. He said he wasn't worried, and I replied that I am. I believe that we should "work out our salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12). We must accept the Bible for what it says even if it is saying something that we were not previously taught or something that we did not previously believe. Let us follow God and not some group of men, or our family or ourselves. "In humility receive the word implanted which is able to save your souls" (Jam. 2:21b)

I took a quick trip to the zoo today to take some pictures. The lighting wasn't very good so I was not expecting to get many good pictures. However, the animals cooperated wonderfully. The wolves actually were visible (first time I had seen them up close) and that made my day. I was pretty happy with some of the pictures I was able to get. You can see some of them by going to my flickr page linked to the left as "Photo Gallery"

Bonnie comes home tomorrow! I have missed her and look forward to getting her... I don't look forward to being at the airport however. At least I am picking her up rather than dropping her off though!