A Saturday Stroll

Today Cayle and I walked to the junction, like we do most Saturdays. The junction is a place a little over a mile away with a couple small "stores" and a couple fruit/vegetable stands. However, today it was a bit more of an adventure! We have had rain and downpours four days this week, which has left our path muddy. Some spots were so muddy, we may have been better off taking our sandals off and going barefoot! By the time we reached the junction, we had mud splattered all the way up to our knees. 

Cayle is always watching for new things along the way: bugs, plants, anything. On our way we found a beautiful bright red bug and of course, we had to get a picture. On our way back we also found something we hadn't seen yet. I sometimes jump when I hear something that sounds big moving in the grass and had just had one of those moments about 20 feet before Cayle yelled, "Stop, stop, stop!" I had been looking for solid places to step and thought he had seen something beside us and was looking around. He had actually seen something about  30 ft. ahead of us right on the path. At first, he thought it was a big branch, but quickly realized it was a snake. As it slithered off into the grass, he tells me that he can't believe I didn't see it and follows its path into the grass to get a closer look...until it raised up and expanded its hood. My heart about stopped. Praising God for protection, that Cayle was looking ahead and saw it and that He protected Cayle in the midst of his curiosity. Cayle looked it up when we were back and the type of cobra we saw usually "spits" venom aiming for the eyes from up to 8 foot away. Even though it was too close for comfort, I'm still amazed by God's creation!

My heart was still pounding 15 minutes later, but it made me think. Think about how many times we're meandering down a familiar path and going about our "routine", but aren't aware of what is going on around us, whether that's danger or opportunities. I am sure next Saturday if I walk to the junction, I will be constantly watching for snakes. I pray this week I will also be more aware of opportunities around me or right in my path.

Dawn

Hollow Philosophies

I have been teaching in a class we've called "World Religions" for the upper multi-level kids. It's a high school level class that is actually more about specific world views, rather than defined "religions". Our goal has been to help the kids understand other views, in order to stand against them and to solidify their own Biblical worldview. It's been a challenge for a couple of the Ghanaians in the class, since they have not had near the exposure to alternative views like the American missionary kids have had. 

In America, especially in higher education and the scientific fields, or even Hollywood and the arts, people are exposed to all kinds of world views. In fact, we are even expected to accept and embrace a variety of beliefs if we don't want to offend anyone. In our class, we have talked about Deism, Atheism, Naturalism, Nihilism, Existentialism, as well as Christian Theism. That's a lot of "ism"s, but it's been eye opening, even for me. I won't bore you by trying to explain each of these, but there is an extremely important lesson I want to point out to you.

As I've been reading through the book we are using for the class, many of these different views are often referred to as philosophies. For many people who do not know God, their search for meaning can end in any one of these philosophies, especially those which, on the surface, appear to make sense. In the midst of my studies, a passage from Colossians came to mind, and I think it speaks for itself, as a warning to those of us who have heard the truth of the Word of God.      

"See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ."

          Colossians 2:8(ESV)

Another version uses the phrase, "fine sounding arguments", but the word philosophies caught my attention. The apostle Paul knew that there was going to be those who would oppose a Biblical based world view with a view of their own, founded on human understanding. Some of those views are simply ridiculous, and few people would fall for them. However, some of them sound rational, and appeal to peoples' sense of logic and human understanding... but they fail to acknowledge God and put Him in his proper place, and some views disregard Jesus all together.

Paul says BE CAREFUL!! Don't be deceived by a philosophy that simply sounds good. Trust the Word of God as truth, and seek Him.

Jesus said,  “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."

Many times, those "empty philosophies" are easy to believe and follow, but they lead to destruction. But there is a way that leads to LIFE!! 

Jesus is the way, the TRUTH, and the life!

Cayle