It had to be perfect!
In case you didn't realize, it had to be PERFECT.
Des. 
10/30/2005
Happy Halloween
Kristy and I carved our pumpkin last night! It was super wonderful. To see more of our fun, go to http://desmerizingpics.blogspot.com.
Have a scary day!
Des 
10/29/2005
Time
If you've ever had any difficulty reconciling the concept of God existing outside of time . . . C.S. Lewis handles it amazingly in two books: 1) Mere Christianity and 2) Miracles. The ideas that he puts forth in Miracles, I've been reading for two or three days now and I'm still reeling from it. I can't quite get my head around it.
In Mere Christianity, he says what one would expect him to say - generally that God sees everything as we understand present - past, present, and future he sees as an instant. It really is a good passage and you should definitely read it.
In Miracles, however, he takes it a step further and says that since everything occurs in an instant, future events (i.e. prayers) can affect past events. A paraphrase of Lewis' quote is that a prayer prayed at noon can affect events at 10:00 am. That's amazing - and hurts my head when I really get thinking about it.
In any case, it's worth a read.
Grace,
Des
10/25/2005
Some Interesting Pics
Ok, I've officially added a lot of photos to our photo blog at http://desmerizingpics.blogspot.com.
Check 'em out.
Grace.
Des
Our Anniversary in the Mountains
As of Sunday, Oct 23, Kristy & I have been married for 1 year. We took the weekend and drove through the TN and NC mountains - drove through the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. It was fantastic. I'll put some pictures on our picture blog so you can see some of what we saw.
It's really nice to be able to take a weekend away, like that. It helped me realize that I don't make enough time for myself or my wife. So I will now.
Anyway - nothing more interesting to say here for now - I'm on vacation for a couple of days so I've shut my brain off.
Grace,
Des
10/12/2005
The NEW iMac G5
It will be mine . . oh yes . . . it WILL be mine!
This was one of the announcements by Apple today . . . along with a new video iPod and a new version of iTunes, that supports video download.
Grace.
10/11/2005
The more things change . . .
You know in the 1940s and 50s many people sat around and listened to the radio . . . and longed to by a television. Then people sat around a TV, longing to be apple to have a computer in their house. Then people wished they could some how be connected to an international network, a world-wide-web of computers as it were.
Technology sure has advanced . . .
So, what does it say about civilization that I am sitting around listening to a radio broadcast of the Toronto Maple Leafs over the internet?
Hmmmmm. Either way . . . GO LEAFS!
Grace.
Who am I living For?
I am beginning to realize how much I am living for other people instead of for Christ. Not that I haven't always suspect such . . . but far too many of my hours are spent in an attempt to please people, for our mutual benefit.
Honestly, I realize that I have made decision relating to my church because of issues pertaining to my job. I don't like that. Perhaps its one of the difficulties of working within The Salvation Army . . . not too many evangelical churches are as, if not likely more, well-know for their social service work and agency-ness.
In any case, it's a viable and valuable church, nonetheless. And, a church that I am proud to be a part of - even when people ask me if I go to church at a thrift store.
All I need to do is to take ownership of it - to make my faith practice about my faith, about my relationship. I admittedly have not done that - certainly not to the degree that I really want to. My most worshipful times were during CharminUltra ministry nights (see http://charminultra.blogspot.com for more info).
And I think it's about time to do it again.
Des
10/10/2005
The SA Race Car
This is a Race Car - whose owner, having some advertising space left over, decided to donate it to The Salvation Army. Not sure WHERE the race actually took place . . . I THINK it was Hickory, NC. But either way, it's pretty cool
10/09/2005
Daily Bread
I've been thinking today about financial blessing and prosperity theology . . . that God wants to bless us and give us abundance.
I don't think it's true.
I think God wants to bless us when it makes for Him to bless us, according to His perfect will. I also think that he wants to withhold blessings . . . . according to His perfect will. I also think that He brings pain . . . according to His perfect will. Some say that He can't cause pain/evil . . . I don't think it much matters what you think about it. I don't think pain, either physical or otherwise, is evil.
It is hard for me to think that we should pray to God for 'blessings', where blessings are defined as more than what we need. Jesus said "Give us, today, our daily bread". The most I can figure that He prayed for would be to have his impending crucifixion taken from Him . . . which was immediately followed by, "Not my will, but Yours be done."
It's easy for me to get uptight about money . . . not for materialistic reasons . . . just to make sure that there is always enough there. It would be easy for me to pray for financial blessing . . . but I don't think that's what God would have for me, and I certainly can't, in my mind's ear, hear Jesus praying for it.
Give me, today, my daily bread.
Grace.
Des
10/05/2005
Funny Spam
Unlike John C. Dvorak, I do indeed get spam. Only tech geeks will get that reference . . . I submit it for your consideration.
I don't know if it was an attempt to bypass some keyword filters that sort by references to drugs (e.g. Vioxx, Valium, etc), but check out the spelling on the drug names in this email that I got at work:
- Vlazgra - $3.3
- Levigtra - $3.3
- Ciallis - $3.7
- Imitnrex - $16.4
- Flomtax - $2.2
- Ultrdam - $0.78
- Viopxx - $4.75
- Ambiien - $2.2
- Valhium - $0.97
- Xanacx - $1.09
- Sosma - $3
- Merixdia - $2.2
Anywho, I thought it was funny.
Grace.
Des
10/03/2005
Camera, anyone?
SALES PITCH ALERT!!!
If anyone is interested in buying a 4.0 Megapixel Minolta Dimage S414 - I may have an incredible deal for you. Kristy and I are buying a new digital camera and, since there's no need to have two, I figured I would give the world a great opportunity to own a good little camera. It's a little bulky (i.e. it's no ultra compact), but it really does take some REALLY good photos. Just about everything that I've posted on this blog, at least, were all taken using that camera. More images at http://placesihaveeaten.blogspot.com. The pictures there aren't at 4.0 Megapixels either, I had to resize them considerably so they wouldn't take forever to download. The images that you see when you enlarge are at 2.0 MegaPixels, so the originals are much more defined.
I'll include the memory card (SanDisk Ultra II Compact Flash, 256 Megs - 117 pix at a time at highest resolution), a case, plus I'll even throw in a set of energizer AA NiMH rechargables (with charger)!
That's right . . . Oh yeah . . . I'm the price king . . . I realize that I haven't mentioned a price yet . . . I'm the king so I don't have to.
If you're interested let me know (desmondcsmith@gmail.com), I'll cut you a deal.
Grace.
Des
Why I Feel Like a Criminal
Tonight a bunch of us went to the well (http://www.the-well.org), which is a very cool coffeehouse-church here in Charlotte. What was cool was that there was a bass soloist that played an hour+ concert. His name is Trip Wamsley and you can check out his website by clicking on the title of this post.
It was very sweet. We sat and had coffee and were sonically pleased.
But he made me feel like a rotten criminal.
This guy was amazing. He also had some sweet hardware that included an 8-String bass and some serious looping systems, etc. Problem is I've been playing bass for over 10 years now and I haven't given myself to the instrument. I should be playing that thing as much as possible. Playing = Learning. Playing = worship. Worship = good.
So, while I would like to say that I'm going to play more and learn more and worship more I don't know if I actually WILL end up doing that. I certainly don't want to say it if I'm not going to do it.
But it was sweet.
God has blessed me with a little talent - I really need to be responsible and do my best . . . don't I?
Grace,
Desmond.
9/28/2005
9/25/2005
Running from Cheetahs is Easiest when Using Your Feet
Unity. You may remember a number of posts about unity from a while back. You may also remember my saying that we need to make every effort (a la Ephesians) to keep the unity among the body of Christ.
I still believe that - first of all.
What I'm realizing is that we may have a bit of a misunderstanding (or disunderstanding) about what unity really means. It seems like for a long time we've had the idea that unity means all of the believers sitting around worshipping as one big happy group in one big happy room. But the more I read about unity, especially going back to Ephesians 4, I don't necessarily think that's an accurate description.
So, I've prepared the following anecdote for your consideration. Remember that unity is described with many references to a body - i.e. the body of Christ.
There is a reason, a very good reason, why your hand is found at the end of your arm - which is complete with joints and enough length to reach just about everywhere except that one spot on your back. There is also a very good reason as to why that hand, at the end of that arm, has a bunch of fingers that that bend and grasp and point and scratch. Those are the functions of fingers. The arm carries the hand to where it needs to be so the hand can hold the fingers out to do what they need to do.
There are times when an elbow needs to do something other than bend and there are times that the fingers have to be the supportive group instead of the functional group (like when you're using a cue stick). But the arm, provides support so fingers and hands can do their work. Obviously if the hand couldn't get to the knee to scratch or to the feet to put on your socks, there wouldn't be much use to have a hand.
Now, there's also a reason as to why every inch of your body isn't covered with fingers. At times, it may be practical to have fingers everywhere, but for somereason that's not how we were put together
Interestingly, your body is covered with skin - skin can itch - fingers can scratch and can be carried by arms to where the scratch may be. You fingers serve your skin - and your arms serve it too.
So, unity in the body, is not every part having every function. It's not your body having fingers covering every inch of epidermis. It's the hand using what it can do to serve the parts of the body that needs it. It may seem like a lot of work . . .
. . . but it's in the best interest of the hand to scratch the itch. Otherwise, the body still itches. Another example: it's in the mutual best interest of the legs and of the body if the legs do their function of running away from a wild cheetah about to sink its teeth into the shoulders - which are relatively far away from the legs. But, it's all still one body.
It's also in the best interest of the body if the legs do their job AS WELL AS POSSIBLE. It's not going to do much good for the legs to run away from said cheetah at 15 mph. Cheetah wins. And eats.
It's NOT, however, in the best interest of all appendages if the hands get the idea that they want in on the action. My advice is to NOT try to run away from a cheetah standing on your head. You have a better chance using your feet and legs.
So, what is unity? Essentially, in the body of Christ unity is acheived when all members involved know their role and do it not for themselves but for the entirety of the body. It's also knowing what is NOT your role and not trying to usurp the members on which your jealously may be focused. It is sometimes great to be a hand. It is sometimes great to be a foot. There is often great joy in being an elbow.
Know what you're called to do and do it.
Grace.
Des
9/23/2005
I'm Gonna Love you Forever
Isn't it interesting that when one speaks about love, when one makes promises based on love, it is frequently followed by some reference to eternity?
Good ol' Clive Staples pointed that out to me in some reading that I was doing last night. The nature of love seems to be forever. Think about a love song, and you'll probably not find that the promises will be short term. Lust songs, maybe. But love songs will almost always have a reference to eternity. From Randy Travis to Jessica Simpson to Jon Bon Jovi.
Obviously Christian marriage is expected to be forever. But that's not forcing something upon us that is foreign to the very nature of love. Love IS eternal. Love IS eternal even when we don't feel IN love. Promises made while you're in love, aren't void when that feeling passes. Lewis says that "a promise must be about things that I can do, about actions: no one can promise to go on feeling in a certain way. He might as well promise never to have a headache or always to feel hungry."
If you're a long-time reader, you'll know that I like making parallels between marriage and worship. Granted, it seems like there should be enough about God to keep us IN LOVE with Him throughout all of eternity. But, if we're committing ourselves to Him, when/if that feeling goes away our promise has to be more about what we'll continue to do, even if the feelings die away. Worship is not about feelings. It's not even feeling good about what you're doing.
It's about promises that we make to God, covenant that binds us even if the conditions change.
Grace
Des
9/21/2005
Inspiration Needed
I find myself, first of all, not being as inspired as much as I have been in the past. That accounts for the less frequent blogging. I really want to be. I guess some of the problem is that I'm not looking real hard for inspiration these days. Mostly a time issue.
So the first thing on my to-do list is to make an effort to make time to look for inspiration. Look to God, look into His character, see what I find.
I also find myself being inspired by unholy things - not sinful as much as, just, human. I spend a lot of my time, lately, reading and listening to things about technology. I love it - I'm a big tech geek at heart. But I need to be a inspired, active follower of Christ.
Not to say that Christians shouldn't like tech - I'm more admitting that I've spent more time researching the iPod nano lately that reading about iGod's plan-o for my life. Sorry - see what I mean?
I want to be inspired by the character of my amazing heavenly Father. I WILL look to Him and learn more about His infinite complexities. You can't help but to be inspired, right?
Grace.
Des
The 30-Something Dilemma
I have always heard that the biggest controversies in the church don't come the old people vs. young people debate. I never believed that. It has to be that debate doesn't it? What else in the whole of the church is more controversial? Where else can all of these issues come from?
Pastor friends of mine, intellectual authors that I've never met (though I've read their books) have told me that the source of the biggest controversies in the church come from the up and comers, the not quite boomers. They're the 30 (plus or minus) somethings that feel that because they are the biggest contributors of resources and especially intellectual time and resources that they should have the ultimate say.
That freaks me out. I never believed that until now - because I'm beginning to see it. It makes me laugh - though uncomfortably because it's so sad at the same time.
All this means that I will (if not already) find myself in the center of the controversy very shortly. I don't know - I think I just want to worship really.
Isn't that what we all want to do?
Grace.
9/17/2005
Resettlement in Newfoundland
A very cool picture
OK, I've been wanting to get my hands on this picture for a long time - I finally asked my aunt to scan it so here it is.
This is my Dad's house (actually, my Grandparents' house). Back in the 50's and 60's there was a push in Newfoundland to resettle some of the isolated communities to areas where services and infastructure were more accessible. A LOT of families, not wanting to lose their homes, did this - they moved their homes to the ocean, tethered them to some dories and hauled them to their new locations - many miles away.
I thought it was very cool.
Grace,
Des
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