The other day, a friend of mine asked me if I believed playing the Ouija Board game was considered to be "wrong."  He thought the game to be a harmless, fun game that was good for a few laughs, and maybe even some good old-fashioned scares at the expense of the easily frightened.

Let me relate a story I once heard years ago:  A family moved into their new home and as "luck" would have it, strange and eerie things began to occur. The family, both confused and scared turned to the minister from their church to "exorcise" whatever was causing these supernatural manifestations.  When the minister arrived, he was immediately led to the pantry inside the kitchen. The minister asked if the family would allow him to remove some of the paneling from the back wall, and with their permission, he did so only to uncover a small, hidden compartment built into the wall.  Inside this unit was quite the stash of pornographic magazines some previous owner had obviously forgotten about.  Of course, the magazines were removed and thus ended the strange and paranormal activities for that family - just like that.

In the spiritual realm, to put it simply, good is attracted to good and evil is drawn to evil.  Where there is light there can be no darkness.  Can certain objects - those that have a dark connotation and even those that are not seemingly outright evil, carry with them the spiritual forces of a dimension invisible to our eyes? 

Let me flip that question and share 2 Samuel 6:11 from the Bible.  "And the ark of Jehovah remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months: and Jehovah blessed Obed-edom, and all his house." ASV

Because a man died when he physically touched the most holy and revered Ark of the Covenant of Israel, King David became afraid and ordered the sacred vessel to be placed in a man's house for three months.  We read that God blessed that man and all his house!

I'll quote a favorite phrase/question of mine.  "Just because we cannot see something with our eyes, does that mean it does not exist?"  

I'll leave the answers up to you!

   

A while back I saw a a movie that caused me to be afraid - really afraid.  Not because it was a horror film that gave me the chills and built tension with each passing scene or that the atmospheric layered story line was told superbly.   No, and it wasn't the fact that it was not a huge Hollywood blockbuster that largely went unnoticed by critics and that it was created with a marginal budget that would put most horror movies to shame.  And it wasn't even the fact that it contained no gore, sex, violence, slashing or mayhem to evoke a sense of gripping, edge of your seat, apprehension.  No, the extremely scary fact about this movie was that it could have and should have been created by a born-again, spirit-filled, washed in the blood -CHRISTIAN!

It amazes me how the mainstream horror industry as a whole has been largely avoided by Christians?  I am so very tired of horror movies that glorify only evil and violence and neglect to show the other, more powerful side of the equation. I mean, as children of the light, do we not have a mandate to expose and show how utterly weak and powerless the forces of evil really are?  Not to say that there is not a strong demonic presence in this world that should be taken lightly.  On the contrary, I am saying that we need to tell this world that there is a very real, very powerful, yet invisible battle for their very souls raging all around them - every day.  If our spiritual eyes were to be opened - for just a few seconds, what transformation would our lives take? 


Can God use the horror genre as a whole for his glory?  Absolutely and positively - if we get involved and stop letting the world give us their definition of what SCARY should be.  


This post of course, is just an introduction.  I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas and even arguments to my point.  


Come on, what are you afraid of?

I'll admit it - I hate going into the basement of our home.  It's not because there is lurking a supernatural entitiy or some other type of paranormal manifestation, but rather my dreaded nemesis, Scutigera Coleoptrata!

No, he has nothing to do with the Godfather or Joe Pesci;  this monster may be better known to you as a common house centipede - and they freak me out!

From their evil dimensions in length supported by their unusually long and creepy legs to their amazing and almost lightning-fast speed, I can't stand seeing them, and when I do I freeze for just a second - long enough to plan my battle strategy (usually a bottle of bug spray I keep conveniently place near the stairway.)

Fear in itself can be a good thing sometimes.  For one, it causes your blood to move, gets the heart rate up and get the adrenaline pumping.  Secondly, it causes us to confront the things we lack courage to face - the issues that hold us back.  I personally take on fear as a challenge - not to temp fate, but rather as an oppprtunity to reinforce my belief that God is bigger than any seemingly evil force that would threaten my personal security mentally or physically.  The Bible says that "perfect love casts out fear."  The love of Jesus is perfect and undoubtedly, if you call God your father, you have nothing to fear!

In upcoming months, I'd like to discuss horror films and how they can be used to glorify God.

For now however......

when you make your way down the long dark hall, wiping the crusty sleep from your eyes, and quickly turn on the light switch - something scurries quickly past you along the wall - you suddenly freeze.  You feel something gently landing on your cold, damp skin.  Still too dark and your eyes have not fully adjusted, you feel a gentle brushing of tiny eyelashes making its way closer to your neck until....JJZ

One of the most loved and hated icons from the 1970's, Archie Bunker, would often say to his wife Edith, "It's the little things that torture a person."  I think Archie may have been on to something significant, yet often over-looked by many; the little things. 

I can remember a few years back around Memorial Day when I was cleaning out the shed in our backyard.  There had been an extremely wet few weeks prior followed by dry and warm days and nights.  Needless to say the insects were out in full force and ready to attack.  I had received several mosquito bites that day and thought nothing of them.  The next day however, one particular bite on my calf kept getting warmer and pinker.  I brushed it off and assumed like the others, it would be gone in a day or so.  But my leg now was beginning to hurt and turn a darker shade of pink, almost red.  I again, thought maybe it had possibly become infected and still believed in another day all would be well.  Upon the arrival of that day, I could barley walk and was developing a fever.  My leg now was extremely red and swollen and the infection was moving further up my leg.  After being pumped with IV antibiotics and unable to walk for three days in the hospital, yes all was finally well.   A confirmed spider bite from which I still carry a scar.  Scary yes, but the lesson I learned was that if I had listened to the initial little signs my body was giving, perhaps I would not have had to endure such a painful and costly ordeal?  The little things were speaking to me and I ignored them. 

In my current novel, Walker's Vale, the tag line states, The Devil is in the Details.  How appropriate for so many instances in our lives.  The little things we try to ignore that gnaw at the back door of our minds, the small voice we pretend we don't hear that calls to wisdom; the little sins we think we can hide under the proverbial rug. 

Could it be that the "little things" are actually the "big things" in disquise?  Would I dare argure that if we could for one day, pay attention to those often ignored, over-looked, tiny details in our lives, we could change the way we think and ultimately the way we act? 

Could it be that Mr. Archie Bunker had some purposeful insight to share from his often dark and dull mind?  Wait, dark....dirty....needs to be washed....

Hmmm, wash...now that I think about it, I have to go and wash my truck and of course detail it. 

For some reason I was thinking about my 6th grade wood shop class the other day.  I believe a more appropriate title on my class schedule should have forewarned  "sanding shop."    The teacher, an older, stern-looking man (with  gigantic hands) who may have very well  never cracked a smile in his life, was not mean or frightening, just down to business all the time.  Probably to keep the 12 year-old boys who were just transitioning from grade school to middle school in check.  Sixth grade can be a weird time for a kid whose voice is changing as well as everything else around him, but that is another story for another time.

Back to sanding, uh, I mean wood shop.  We were working on a wooden (what else) paper holder type-thing that was in the shape of a duck.  Now, going into the class, I believed that I would be working with various machines and high tech saws and the like.  Twas not to be.  We were each given a cut-out pattern of the project along with a block of wood with sandpaper firmly attached.  And, as such, we sanded...and sanded.  You see, when we believed we had sanded out the rough edges and the stain was ready to be applied, we would bring the project to the teacher's desk for inspection.  He would take the project in his huge hands, curl his bottom lip a bit, and bring out his pencil.  Line upon line were marked all over the soon to be duck, and it was our job to make those pencil lines disappear.  As you may imagine, this went on for days...and days....and.....well, I  think you get the point.

Just when you think you've mastered the art of sanding, more pencil lines.  Frustration grew as did calloused palms.  I wondered if this guy just wanted to see us kids grow tired and bored. Until one day, when I brought the project to his desk and he looked up at me and shook his head.  I was finally READY for the next step.

Perhaps I was thinking about this at a time when I am going through a period where I need to learn patience.  Could it be that the trials and annoyances and teeth-gritting, tongue-biting experiences I am going through are the sandpaper smoothing out the rough spots I can't see.  I thought I was ready for staining?  Maybe my teacher is putting a few more pencil lines on me to get me ready for the next step? 

Back to wood, uh...I mean sanding shop I suppose...

I wonder if my mom still has that duck, I'd love to feel the edges!

James 1:3

 Hobo -  One more thing... do you believe in ghosts?

The Boy -[shakes head  no]

Hobo -[in a sinister  tone] Interesting...

I think you will recognize the above dialogue from the wonderful Christmas movie, The Polar Express.  If you've seen the movie, you of course know that the main character, the boy, is at an age where he wants to believe in the unseen - in this story it is Santa Claus.  Yet, everything around him tells him that what is real can only be seen by the natural eye.  In other words, show me the proof. 

In our human existence, much of what we depend on for survival cannot be seen by our eyes or grasped in our palms.  We love, hate, and emote in various expressive forms but cannot physically "hold" any emotion in our hands.  We breathe the invisible air around us and listen to the thunder in a beautiful storm, but cannot physically see either.  Does that make them any less real?  Even our most precious commodity on earth, water, will eventually slip through our fingers if held long enough.  (Perhaps stretching the point a bit, but I think you understand my logic.)  

Just because something cannot be seen, does that mean it does not exist?

As you may or may not know I've had my share of supernatural experiences, not all of which have been evil.  Supernatural encounters can also be of the divine nature and can be meant to establish or reinforce the nature of a loving yet, very invisible God. 

I do sincerely believe in a very real unseen world around us, some of which is very good and some very, very evil, as I suspect many of you believe likewise.  If fact, according to a recent poll, approximately 1/3 of of all Americans believe in ghosts and almost 1/2 of all Americans claim to have had at least 2 supernatural experiences in their life.  Now of course, what is real and what is explainable and what actually are "ghosts" can be debated and open for discussion, but all in all, pretty substantial numbers in my opinion; numbers that do confirm that people from all walks of life have had encounters with the supernatural. 

I'd love to hear your stories or experiences and tell you mine if you'd like. 

Let me leave you for now with another line from the Polar Express -

The Conductor: Seeing is believing, but  sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see.

For those who know and for the benefit of those who do not, one of my other obsessions (I have many)  is collecting sports memorbillia and comic books. 

In my hobby, the two main factors on determining value of an item are the rarity of the item and of course the overall condition of the piece.  Whether the card or comic is extremely scarce and/or in mint condition can make the difference between several hundred or thousands of dollars in a sale.  This, to us as collectors, is the what we strive to obtain and cherish - the rare, "I've got the only one in the world," gem-mint, masterpiece. 

Then, I also have a box of "commons" of the players or comics that were generally over-produced by the manufacturer and hold very little value.  The funny thing is that every so often, a comic finally get noticed or the player starts performing well, and like magic the item is no longer a "common."  Now, it suddenly holds potential to increase in value and  thus, people are eager to get what was once literally unwanted and undesirable.

I've learned over the years as a collector to take care of both my high-value
pieces as well as my commons.  You just never know who is going to go from unnoticed to the star of the show.   

In our society, we tend to categorize people into classes based on numerous factors that are often unfair or irrelevant at best.  I think in the world's view of people as a whole, there are quite a few commons and only a few rare, masterpieces.  We put value on outward appearance and forget that true beauty comes from within.  We tend to think that the world is operating soley by the elite class but forget that without that "common" player, the entire set is not complete. 

I wonder how many "gem-mints" God has in his "common box?"

Something tells me that we are all masterpieces to him!

Your thoughts?................................................

If you are old enough to recognize the title of this post, and you have kids - this may be just for you.

The title comes from an old hymn we would sing almost every Sunday in the church I attended as a youth.  (Why don't we sing those old, wonderful hymns anymore?)  That is another post I suppose but anyway, the song speaks of leaning on the arms on God which never grow tired or weary and where there is a place of comfort and security.  As I was trying to get my little man to sleep the other night (this is the part about kids) he was restless as usual, and told me the shadows on the wall scared him.  After debating back and forth with a two-year old that shadows are not real, I had to try something different.  I simply placed him tighly in my arms and told him nothing is going to hurt him as long as he is in daddy's arms.  This seemed to work - too well in fact, becuase it seems to be a nightly tradition.  (which is ok with me.)

My point you ask?  When the shadows of life sometimes seem a little too real and you feel alone in the dark, take comfort in knowing that nothing can hurt you as long as you stay in Daddy's strong arms. 

Now if I can only get to sleep...

The other day my 2 year old son, or "little man" as I call him, asked to go outside and play.  Problem was, it was only about 10 degrees outdoors and everything was blanketed in ice, snow and wintery slop.  I got to feeling maybe a liitle cabin feverish by winter's grip and longed for some warm weather to head outdoors with the kids.  Then, I realized that along with the warmer weather comes bugs, loud neighbors, sweating, grass cutting, etc, etc,.....Am I just  complaing now?

I guess we as humans (me) are never satisifed we were are at.  We are constantly longing for the temporary pleasures to be satisified, but they come and go as quickly as a summer breeze or a melting snowflake.  Perhaps I should look at the winter as a chance to relax from gass-cutting, a break from the neighbors, and relief from those horrific house centipedes that adorn the basement walls.  (aren't those things disgusting?)

Then again, I have to shovel snow, scrape the car windows......here I go again!

Maybe I'll grab an ice cream and break out the bug spray?  Or better yet, I'll spend some time with my little ones....I know they'll be satisifed with that.

Philippians 4:11