Doubt and worry part 3

One of the confessions Craig Groeschel (here is a link to one of his blogs that contains lots of helpful material) makes in his book, Confessions of a Pastor is, “I worry almost all the time.” He says, “I worry about big things, small things, important things and silly things.” He does discuss worrying about things that he (we) can change but his focus in this chapter was on worrying about things we can’t change. He says worry hurts our relationships, our bodies and our faith. He also says worry is a sin and on this I am not sure that all worry is sin–not sure he would say that either. (Phil 4:6-7, right) He goes on to say, “Unchecked worry will have nothing but detrimental effects in our life. . . . if you continue to live gripped by worry, you’ll miss the glory of knowing and trusting God’s goodness.”

Some lessons Groeschel has learned in dealing with worry:

1. Take your mind off the “what ifs” of worry. He notes that his “what-ifs” always seem to be focused on negative outcomes. He says that we need to not focus on the fearful “what-ifs,” which of course are used by the evil one to keep us from God’s best.

2. Keep your mind focused on God’s promises. He writes, “We must replace our fearful consuming thoughts with reminders of God’s faithfulness.”

3. Give your cares to God and do not take them back. He suggests that this is related to the need so many of us have to maintain control. “With God, the ‘control’ I have to surrender over and over is only an illusion. I never really have control of my life and circumstances, even when I pretend to.”

Nothing really new here but with lots of personal stories, Groeschel addresses an issue that we all face, one that no one who is “spiritual” likes to admit–but one, which needs to be faced if it is not to incapacitate us.

Second chances

We are on a 8 day trip visiting folks and it has been good in the first three days.  I have been sad to hear about folks who can’t get along.  How we could see the world turned upside down if we could get along.  One of our youngest team members, who has been given a second chance in life, said that because of her experience, she always tries to give others another chance.  If only!  When I told someone not too long ago that I had changed, they said they would believe it when they saw it.  Fair enough I guess but somehow I think Jesus calls us to be much more gracious to others.   I think some cannot be more gracious with others because of their own hang-ups.  i began reading Sex God by Rob Bell on this trip and I like his quote below at the end of chapter two, that somehow helps me to understand why some people act like they do.  They are very unhappy people.

“You can’t be connected with God until you’re at peace with who you are.  If you’re still upset that God gave you this body or this life or this family or these circumstances, you will never be able to connect with God in a healthy, thriving, sustainable sort of way. You’ll be at odds with your maker.  And if you can’t come to terms with who you are and the life you’ve been given, you’ll never be able to accept others and how they were made and the lives they’ve been given.  And until you’re at peace with God and those around you, you will continue to struggle with your role on the planet, your part to play in the ongoing creation of the universe.  You will continue to struggle and resist and fail to connect.”

I think grace means it is possible to change, accept that God accepts us, make our peace with God, with ourselves and with others.  I don’t want to waste my life angry at someone else!!!

Doubt and worry part 2

Second post on doubt and worry, culling from various reading of late.

Isn’t there a certain level of worry that is necessary such as when a friend asked me this morning to pick up the flyers that might litter the gate to his house while they were gone in order to reduce criminal activity in his absence? Or is all worry sin? Daniel Goleman in Emotional Intelligence says that “the reaction that underlies worry is the vigilance for potential danger.” He says, worry is “a rehearsal of what might go wrong.”

But, we all know that worry often becomes destructive. Goleman says,

“The difficulty is with chronic, repetitive worries, the kind that recycle on and on and never get any nearer a positive solution. . . the attributes of a low-grade emotional hijacking: the worries seem to come from nowhere, are uncontrollable, generate a steady hum of anxiety, are impervious to reason, and lock the worrier into a single inflexible view of the worrisome topic.”

Goleman mentions a study on insomnia in which anxiety is broken down into a cognitive form or worrisome thoughts and a somatic form in whcih there are physiological symptoms of anxiety–sweating, a racing heart, muscle tension. They learned that worry could be stopped by shifting attention away. But most worriers could not do that. Why, says Goleman, because of the reinforcing nature of worry–it seems that we are coming up with ways to solve potential problems when we worry but Goleman tells us something that most of us already suspected,

“But worry doesn’t work all that well. New solutions and fresh ways of seeing a problem do not typically come from worrying, especially chronic worrying. . . . In short, chronic worry works in some ways, but not in other, more consequential ones: it eases some anxiety, but never solves the problem.”

Goleman then summarizes research by Borkovec on how to control our worry problem:

1. Learn to become self-aware of when a worry-anxiety cycle starts. “With practice, people can identify the worries at an earlier and earlier point in the anxiety spiral.”

2. Learn relaxation methods to apply when you start worrying.

3. Actively challenge worrisome thoughts by taking a critical stance toward assumptions.

These strategies can “establish a train of mental activity that is incompatible with worry.”

Doubt and worry

I have been wanting to write about doubt and worry for a number of weeks–will likely need a number of posts on the topic since I have been stimulated by a number of sources.   Last week one of my readings was out of Mtt 6:25-34 and after a few minutes, I had put together an outline for a message on worry from this passage–I know, not what you are supposed to do when you read.  I had been asked to give a message for a graduation and it fit so well–alas I have a schedule conflict and didn’t develop it.

v 25 Don’t worry because

we often worry about stuff that doesn’t matter 25

God cares for you (more than he does than the rest of creation) 26

Your worrying does not do any good 27

Your worrying does not do any good 28

God cares for you 30

It displays a lack of faith 30

Don’t worry because 31

This is the way of the world 32

God knows what you need 32

God will take care of you 33

Don’t worry (about the future) because 34

You need to stay focused on what is before you in the present 34

You will end up worrying about what may or may not happen 34

I have almost finished reading Confessions of  a Pastor by Craig Groeschel and two of his confessions are, “I worry almost all the time” and “Sometimes I doubt God.”  Finished Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman about a month ago and he has some good thoughts about how to deal with anger and anxiety.  Finally, I want to interact with Os Guiness’s book Doubt that I am still working my way through–he is by far the deepest of the three.  I don’t think doubt and worry are sin per se but they can certainly lead to sin.  More to follow.

A good read on Central Asia

Just finished the Great Game by Peter Hopkins, a fascinating study of the tug-of-war between U.K. and Russia over Persia and Afghanistan.  At 500+ pages, it takes a few days but well worth it.  Now, I have a better understanding of the historical issues behind recent historical events and of the frustration of so many that we seem to have learned so little from the past–same mistakes continue to be made.  The courage and creativity of those early British and Soviet soldier/adventurers was highlighted as well as the pride and ego-driven decisions by some of the top leaders.  Fear and lack of cultural understanding as well as communication seemed to drive a lot of the decisions of the time (until today?).  I would love to travel in Afghanistan now but that is unlikely to happen anytime soon.  Now, if I was invited to speak?

Goodness and gratefulness

“I am afraid that I have fallen back into being negative,” someone commented the other day. How easy it is to do–I should know, Mr. Glass half-empty! After being warned a number of years ago by the elders of my church about my negativity in response to a decision, I have tried to work hard on being positive, what I have called the spiritual discipline of gratefulness. I would like to think there has been some improvement but how easy it is to slip back into negative patterns.

I thought about this as I read Psalm 103 and 1 Peter 2 this morning. Psalm 103:2 tells me to never forget the good things he does for me–and they are abundant, even in the hard times. Then verse 5 says, “He fills my life with good things!” (NLT) One of the questions that I enjoy asking people is “What are the good things God is doing in your life?” I think if we begin with a focus on his goodness, the hardships of life become tolerable.

In fact, I think a focus on his goodness to us allows us to practice the goodness of 1 Peter 2:21-25. God calls us to do goodness, even if it costs us and our expression of goodness is to be shown to those who are unjust, unfair, insult us and cause us to suffer. Verse 21 is pretty clear here, “He is your example and you must follow in his steps. Of course, we know God defines and is the source of all that is good (Luke 18:19; James 5:17). Wayne Grudem in his Systematic Theology says God’s goodness is related to his love as he “eternally gives himself to others.” Relating his goodness to other attributes, Grudem says,

“Thus, God’s mercy is his goodness toward those in distress his grace is his goodness toward those who deserve only punishment and his patience is his goodness toward those who continue to sin over a period of time.”

Did a search for a picture of goodness on google–not a profitable search–how goodness has been perverted and misunderstood in today’s world. How about this picture to represent goodness.

Why Suicide is not a good option

I wrote this a few years ago.  Maybe it will be helpful to some out there.

Thirty-six years ago my mother completed suicide. I was 17 years old. In the dark weeks that followed, I remember contemplating taking my own life. That was not the last time that those thoughts would enter my mind. In recent years, as I have faced my own depression, I have asked myself, “why have I not chosen suicide as a way out?”

· Suicide leaves a “hell on earth” for those left behind. Suicide is the ultimate act of selfishness. By choosing this option, you may think you will escape your own pain and suffering but you leave behind a much deeper valley of guilt, shame and sadness than you ever experienced or could have imagined. Nothing is solved and so much more is left unresolved.

· Suicide is an act of fear and desperation. There is nothing honorable or brave about killing yourself. It is taking the easy way out. Maybe that is what you want to do. Decide to choose to fight for your life. Life is tough and it takes courage to face problems, maybe courage that you don’t think you have. That’s why you have family, friends and most of all God to help you in your fight for life. Yeah at times, life is a battle but you don’t need to face it alone.

· Suicide is built upon a series of lies. When you think about suicide, you think you are all alone and no one cares. You may think you are no good. Well, those are lies. There is always someone that cares, always someone that is willing to help you. You are significant because you are created in the image of God. Hold onto the truth.

· Suicide does not show that you are in control over your life, just the opposite. When you choose suicide you admit that the opinions of everyone else matter more than your own and those of God. In suicide, you surrender the control and final destiny of your life to other people. Do you really want to do that?

· Suicide is a choice that you have no right to make. Since you didn’t choose life, what makes you think you have a right to choose when you will die? If you think you deserve the right when to end your life, you are believing a lie straight from the devil’s mouth. And I promise you, the devil only hates and wants to destroy all those created in the very image of God—that is you.

· There is no love in suicide, only meanness. It is not romantic, it is ugly. It does not help those left behind; it just creates more problems for them.

· When you think about suicide you may think you have no reason to live. Maybe you don’t see it now but there are lots of reasons to live and you will see them if you just hold on.

· When you consider suicide you are possibly saying you could care less what God says, thinks and feels about you. You are saying you don’t trust Him. God is committed to you, even with all your problems and blemishes. With God, there is always hope and all you need is just a little hope to keep going. Remember that.

Feminism and the church

Saw Michelle Malkins post in which she refers to an article in which Rebekkah Walker wrote about the pain she experienced growing up as the daughter of feminist Alice Walker. I admit to having little knowledge of feminism but as I read the full article, I have a lot of mixed reactions.  A couple of quotes from the article:

The truth is that I very nearly missed out on becoming a mother  -  thanks to being brought up by a rabid feminist who thought motherhood was about the worst thing that could happen to a woman.

You see, my mum taught me that children enslave women. I grew up believing that children are millstones around your neck, and the idea that motherhood can make you blissfully happy is a complete fairytale.

I was raised to believe that women need men like a fish needs a bicycle.

It was drummed into me that being a mother, raising children and running a home were a form of slavery. Having a career, travelling the world and being independent were what really mattered according to her.

The ease with which people can get divorced these days doesn’t take into account the toll on children. That’s all part of the unfinished business of feminism.

Feminism has betrayed an entire generation of women into childlessness. It is devastating.

We just had a couple join our organization and one reason they were attracted to us is because of our belief that both husband and wife are accepted as missionaries in their own right.  Both are expected to be qualified and both are expected to learn the language and to be involved in ministry.  However, we do expect that during those years when the kids are young that most often it is the wife who has limited ministry due to her primary care giving role to the children.  I must admit that we have taken some flack for our policy of allowing women into leadership at every level of our organization.  I think it has been worth it.

While I appreciate hearing the other side of the story of feminism In reading what Rebekkah Walker has written, I am also aware that in many places church structures continue to exist that do not honor and respect women as fellow heirs of the grace of God.  If the church treated women as does Jesus and the New Testament, would not much of the drive and anger behind feminism be deflated?

No more secrets

Stayed home today from the office so I could have some extra time to read, pray and be quiet.  Good decision.  I have been tired, physically, emotionally and I suppose spiritually.  Reading Psalm 103 this week–what a perfect selection–a delight it is to read out loud, to savor the words and allow them to penetrate my inner being.  Spent significant time this morning being silent and just listening although sometimes I think I may have dozed off or began day dreaming because a loud noise startles me.  Our house is the quietest house and most comfortable one we have ever had living here in the Philippines.  Sometimes, I feel guilty about living here but that is so foolish to not receive and enjoy God’s good gift to us.

I have been interested in some of the discussion going on about The Shack, a book by Paul Young. A link on Internet Monk this morning led me to his site and to another one where I listened to an interview with Paul Young by Steve Brown who is apparently a radio talk show host. As I listened to Paul talk about the book and his own life, I want to read it more than ever (have yet to find it anywhere in Manila).  In the interview he talks about his own healing from past hurts and shame and I enjoyed listening to him talk about the freedom God has given to him–no more secrets, nothing to hide.  God has brought me a long way but in listening to this interview, I realize that there remain a few dark spots in my life–partially hidden places–and I sense God is wooing me to take some potentially painful inner looks once again.  That’s another thing I liked about Paul Young–he said that he was not sufficiently healed to write this book until he was 50!  Ok, I am a few years beyond that but as he said, I sure don’t want to get to age 70 and look back with regrets.

You can go to windrumors.com to find some writing for Paul Young and more about his book.  Read this post this morning on ambiguity. Before I give you this quote, let me say that I am not endorsing his book–yet. I am not sure what he is doing with the gender thing and I know there are a number of people out there troubled by his fictional narrative about meeting with God but I can’t address that now. I assume that in this quote he is talking about spending time talking with God, “I love just being with Papa knowing that he knows, even before I say anything and yet respectful as she waits.”

No good thing withheld from us

More from James Hudson Taylor:

“No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Ah! how often, when we have been dissatisfied with the ways of GOD, we ought to have been dissatisfied with our own ways: We did not think, perhaps, that in some matter or other we were not walking uprightly. If not so, however, then the thing we desired was not for our good, and therefore was not given; or the thing we feared was essential to our good, and hence was not withheld. We are often mistaken: GOD, never. “No good thing will He withhold”: shall we be so foolish, so wayward, as after this to desire that which our FATHER in heaven withholds?”

Plant Rights

After my post on animal rights, I had to do this one. Katherine Kersten made a post the other day on the move to uphold plant rights in Switzerland–they want to declare that the “killing of flora is morally wrong.”  Her post, “Do your dandelion have rights?” was made on May 13.  When we move away from the glory of God, a movement away from the glory of man seems to be the logical next step (see Psalm 8, Romans 1).

Kersten concludes her post with the following: “Contemporary man may be losing the language necessary to respond adequately to this challenge.”

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Not making life easy

Just received the following message from a friend, “Just to thank you for not making life easy for me, also not leaving me all by myself.  Appreciate that.”   I think this is the way it is supposed to be.

Community or cuddle parties?

After my last post about Psalm 133 and community, I had to post something about Cuddle Parties. Cuddle parties seem to be to be a rather poor alternative to living in community.  Is this not another sign that the church is not getting the job done!  Michelle Malkin brought it to my attention yesterday.  Here is what the Cuddle Party Website says:

What a Cuddle Party is: A structured, safe workshop on boundaries, communication, intimacy and affection. A drug and alcohol-free way to meet fascinating people in a relaxing environment. A laboratory where you can experiment with what makes you feel safe and feel good.

This playful, fun workshop has been a place for people to rediscover non-sexual touch and affection, a space to reframe assumptions about men and women, and a great networking event to meet new friends, roommates, business partners and significant others.

Can Cuddle Party restore your faith in humanity? It just might. But at the very least, you’ll have a great time, and leave feeling relaxed and inspired.

How good and pleasant it is

To be left alone or to be in community?

Hmmm, if I am honest, I too often prefer to be alone than in community.  What does that say about my view of my own and others spirituality and of the character of God?  Here are some thoughts coming out of Psalm 133 in which the Psalmist clearly says that it is good and pleasant to be in community, to dwell together in unity!  Jesus had a few things about this in John 13 and 17!

The kind of community described in Psalm 133 is something attractive, something that most of us (including myself) long for.   First of all, it is GOOD (tob).  Think God said something about it not being good to be alone from the beginning!  So, it should not surprsise me to think that he thinks it is good to be together.

But community/unity is also delightful or it is pleasant.  When you do a quick search on na’im which is the Hebrew word, I get the picture that the delight of community should be similar to the joy we have in our relationship with God or when we praise Him, the delight that comes with compliments, the pleasure that wisdom and knowledge brings to our heart.

Two images–like oil and like the dew.  Eugene Peterson in A Long Obedience in the Same Direction suggests that the oil communicates a “sense of warm priestly relationship. ” With this imagery, we see God’s anointing of one another–we recognize that God is (equally) at work in my brother or sister’s life.  I recognize and value what God is doing in my brother and understand that this may mean speaking the truth in love to one another. Is there not an extravagance seen in this oil flowing down—community as rich, sweet and fragrant.  It is natural that we honor our brother/sister and rejoice when they rejoice!

Peterson suggests that dew brings an imagery of a “sense of freshness and expectant newness.”  Should  community not bring a thirst quenching for the soul? It is like water on hot day or rain after a drought or the hot season.  In this image of community, there is the promise of better things to come, of blessings.  This should encourage us to go on and should renew our sense of life!

What creates community?   Colossians seems to bring unity and community together well in Col 3:14 “love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony.”  Yep, back to love and 1 Cor 13!

How do we lose or what prevents community from forming?

• Seeing others as competitors
• Seeing others as problems to fix
• Using others as a means to make me or the organization successful

So, what do we need to do?

• Stop labeling others
• Stop presuming to know why people do what they do

What do we need to do?

Take each person seriously, learn to trust one another other, depend on one other, be compassionate with and towards others, rejoice with others.  (summarizing what Peterson says on 174)  Peterson also quotes Bonhoeffer who said,

“The Christian needs another Christian who speaks God’s word to him. He needs him again and again when he becomes uncertain and discouraged, for by himself he cannot help himself without belying the truth. He needs his brother . . . as a bearer and proclaimer of the divine word . . . Christ in his own heart is weaker than the Christ in the word of his brother; his own heart is uncertain, his brother’s is sure.”  Cost of Discipleship

So, if I prefer bring alone over community, I really don’t understand myself, how growth occurs, what is really important to God and may even be deceived about my own spirituality.   I think that I need to take some drastic steps to build into community around me.  But, how?

Do not despise small beginnings

I am so encouraged this morning by the Lord.  Words are completely inadequate to describe His presence.  And yet, the Psalmist say, “Has YHWH redeemed you?  Then speak out!  Tell others he has saved you from . . .” 107:2

In reading through Psalm 107 this week, I am encouraged to see, to look within my history and see “the faithful love of YHWH.” 107:43 Whether he is turning springs into deserts or deserts into springs, He is at work in the midst of all; how I must praised Him for the consistent expressions of His faithful love.  Look at the four groups of people in this Psalm

1.  Wandering in the desert, lost, homeless, hungry, thirsty 4, 5

2.  Sitting in darkness and gloom, miserable, in chains, in rebellion 10,11

3. Fools in their rebellion, appetite gone, death near 17,18

4.  Fleeing in ships around the world v23

In each case, YHWH acts in faithful love to bring them back.

And then reading in Zech 4:1-10, verse 10 stands out, “Do not despise small things.  The Lord rejoices to see the work begin.”  All my excuses are shut up: but . . . not yet finished, so small in comparison to. . . what about?  God shuts me up and says, “do not despise small things.  I rejoice that the work has begun.  Rest in my goodness this day, I am enjoying what I have begun to do in and through you.”  What gratefulness and sheer joy!

Celebration of Discipline turns 30

Colleen O’Connor did an interview with Richard Foster for the Denver Post late last year called

Filling spiritual voids, not just pews

I have greatly benefited from the writings of Foster although I am aware that many think he has incorporated eastern practices into his teachings. I disagree! When read in context, he has many things to teach us. I didn’t say I agree with everything Foster says either. Here is part of the interview.

“Back when he pastored a small church in Southern California, Richard Foster was a desperate man.

Many in his congregation struggled with life, were just out of prison or were recovering from drug addiction. He tried to help in every way he knew, but still failed.

So Foster turned to spiritual masters of the distant past, compiling their wisdom into a series of spiritual disciplines, from prayer and meditation to fasting, service and solitude.

And then he experimented on his troubled congregation.

“It was just amazing to see their lives change,” says Foster, during a hike in Castlewood Canyon, not far from his home in Franktown.

“It was slow because these old destructive habits are not easy to change, but you saw them begin to turn around.”

Foster became obsessed with the idea of creating a book about his discoveries. He talked about it nonstop for a year. He drove his wife crazy. And then he wrote “Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth,” (HarperOne, $24).

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Foster’s spiritual classic, named by Christianity Today magazine as one the top 10 religious books of the 20th century. It’s sold nearly 2.5 million copies and been translated into more than 20 languages — from Lithuanian to Amharic, the language of Ethiopia.

Here are some other quotes

“The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people or gifted people but for deep people.”

“The idea of nurturing a life before God was passed over pretty universally” in the modern church, he says. “Today, a theology for spiritual growth is just almost nowhere.”

Solitude, he believes, is the most needed spiritual discipline in this era of noise, hurry and stress. But so is community. He and his wife meet regularly with two other couples in a spiritual-formation group.

“The ancient question,” he says, “is, ‘How is it with your soul? How are you doing with this life?’ “

Colleen O’Connor

Alternative ending to “Above All”

Thanks to Nigel, our worship leader this morning.  I have not been able to enjoy singing “Above All” by Hillsong because of its ending, “You took the fall and thought of me above all”  No, despite what we sing and what many churches seem to teach, it is NOT about me–it is about God and His glory.  Check out Unveling Glory for more on that.

Here are Nigel’s revised words to the chorus of Above All.  Maybe we could come up with other alternative endings?

Crucified
Laid behind a stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose
Trampled on the ground
Your life for mine, now love abounds

Original Lyrcs below

Crucified
Laid behind a stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose
Trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

Can I really “spend” a day?

Thomas Merton wrote in May 1965 the following:

“When you are beginning to get old, and I am beginning to be old, for I am fifty, both times and places no longer take on the same meaning. Do I have a “day”? Do I spend my “day” in a “place”?

I don’t know where Merton was going with this but I wondered about this idea of having a day or spending a day? Do I think of a day as something to be used for my pleasure, as I see fit? Is the place I spend that day a place of my own choosing or is that another illusion that I have spent a day and in a place? I turned 53 this week, am I beginning to get old? Then, I better start thinking more about my days and places–being present in each moment, wherever God brings me.

Merton’s quote was in A Year with Merton edited by Jonathan Montaldo, May 3

“Roof-tile Syndrome”

I only recently discovered Mark Buchanan (read his Rest of God last year) and so when I saw his article in the Winter 2007 Leadership, I knew it was one I couldn’t pass up.  He comes up with what he calls the roof-tile syndrome out of Mark 2 and the guys who wrecked the roof to get their friend to Jesus.  A lot of the religious leaders were quite upset at that point–no not really because the roof was wrecked but it preaches, ok?  Italics that follow are mine.

Buchanan says the roof-tile syndrome is when we are so caught up in the preaching of Jesus, we turn our backs on the needs of those still outside the building.  We become barriers and not gateways. It’s when we care more about keeping things intact than about restoring lives that are shattered.  It’s when we’re more upset when stuff gets broken tan excited when the broken are mended.  It when church gets reduced to the preaching of Jesus so that we fail to notice that we’re seeng very little of the forgiveness and healing of Jesus.  It is when we are so fearful about upsetting the religious folk (or homeowners) in our midst that we stop taking risks to get people to Jesus.

It’s when my program, my office, my title, my privilege, my influence, my comfort takes precedence over others’ needs.  <ouch>

It’s when the church exists for itself; to hell with the rest of you.

Buchanan said these thoughts led his church to ask two questions that have changed the way they do church.  Italics were in the original.

1. What are their needs and how might we do good unto them (contra, what are our needs and what would make us feel good?

2. What are they already doing and doing well that we can celebrate and thank them for (contra, what are the things they are doing wrong that we should protest and denounce?)

Wish I could give you a link to the full article, this will only get you to a teaser. You have to pay $29.95 to get online access.  What Buchanan and his church did are very interesting but all of us have to do the hard work to answer these questions for our context.  It has me thinking, that is for sure.