What’s the point of life when it doesn’t make sense, when God blocks all the roads to meaning?

Job 3:23 MSG – YouVersion.com: Online Bible.

And there’s the question. “What is the point of life when it doesn’t make sense, when God blocks all the roads to meaning?” This is what Job asks in the third chapter, after losing pretty much everything he had.

Though I’ve heard the story many times, I’m eager to read through, in context, the rest of this book on faith and why bad things happen to good people. In fairness, though, bad things happen to everyone, both good and bad. I think it’s easier for us to feel ok about when something bad happens to a murderer, or a rapist or someone who is clearly “deserving” of the worst fate. And in conjunction with that thought, it’s definitely hard to believe that a good God would allow such tragedy to befall someone like Job, who by all accounts is God’s number one, best man. But I wonder, why do we also not question the good that happens to those of us who consider ourselves good? Why aren’t we questioning the point of life when all is going perfectly well for us? Should we be?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic and I plan to post more over the coming days as I continue to read through the book of Job. I’ve committed to read the Bible through, this year. I’ve never done it, I’m ashamed to say, and as I get older, and I realize that life doesn’t get any easier, I think a year of renewal and dedication to meditating on God’s word will do me some good. My prayer is for God to use his word to speak to my soul and mold my mind and spirit into who He wants me to be.

Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Romans 12:2 MSG – YouVersion.com: Online Bible

If you’ve never read the Bible, much less, read it in it’s entirety, I invite you to join me this year in a quest for truth and transformation. Please comment, question, agree or disagree. I welcome all discussion. I’m following a plan that lays out the reading in chronological order. I also joined the group on YouVersion.com that is reading this chronological plan. You can, too, by following the steps here.

Like many people, we have our Christmas traditions. When and where we do Santa pictures, getting together with family, milk and cookies for Santa that came from Bill Rhodes Bakery, where my wife works. I’m sure you get the idea and can think of plenty of your own. We wanted to make sure that we really instilled in our boys a sense of what Christmas should really be about, so last year we started the Christmas Closet Cleanout. We encouraged them to make room for new toys and things by selecting some of their existing toys to donate to charity. We don’t donate anything broken or worn out. Those items get tossed as necessary throughout the year. They make the choices and they know that the toys are going away to be given to a child that might not otherwise have much of anything at all. So far, it seems to be working well.

I decided to take Neal with me this year to deliver the clothes and toys to The Quinn House in Lawrenceville, GA. (If you find yourself in a position to donate, please give them consideration as they do a great job in the community.) As we pulled into the driveway, turned the truck around and parked at the steps to the house, Neal saw the people organizing other clothes and toys and such and asked about their activity. I told him they were helping get things organized so that they could be given to the people that needed them. We walked inside to get our receipt and a lady that worked there asked Neal about his Christmas, told him about Santa coming down their chimney, and thanked him for “sharing” his toys. Neal, polite as usual, said, “You’re welcome.”

I don’t know if he fully gets it, yet, but I hope that as he and his brother, Eli, grow, and we continue to do this, that they naturally develop a spirit and attitude of giving and helping others. Steph and I recently saw The Blind Side and also felt challenged to do more to help and make a difference to those around us. We’re praying for opportunity and for guidance for the coming year so that we might have a positive impact on those we come in contact with. What are you doing to make a difference? Any Christmas traditions that you’re passing on to your children?

So, for a kid, what is the worst time of the year to get sick? Yep. Christmastime. My oldest, Neal, apparently has strep. Fun. NOT!! Poor guy. I hate it for him since he has been “practicing” every Sunday to play bells tomorrow, Christmas Eve, at the Gwinnett Arena for our church’s epic Christmas Eve service. Hang in there, buddy. Daddy loves you and hopes you feel better soon.

Matt Chandler is a 35 year old husband, father and pastor of The Village Church in a Dallas, Texas suburb. On Thanksgiving, Matt had a seizure in his home and woke up in the hospital. Doctor’s discovered the source of the seizure was a tumor in his brain. He had surgery this past weekend and this is the last message he left for his church.

We taped this video of Matt a few days before his surgery and aired it this weekend at our worship services. We pray your heart is challenged and encouraged by it. Thank you for your continued prayers.

via Video from Matt | The Village Church : From Our Pastors.

As I watched the video and listened to him talk about his current situation, I was reminded of my father and the kidney cancer that took his life just over five years ago. My father taught me much about how to live. But he taught me just as much, if not more, about how to face adversity, even if that means death. After his passing, I remember hearing from many of the doctors and nurses just how special they thought my dad was and just how much they were impacted by his attitude of joy in all things. I can’t say for sure, but I believe they were also deeply touched by his faith. Faith not only in healing, but faith in a purpose and a plan bigger than any of us. Faith that, regardless of what happened, God was in control and God would get the glory. Even if that meant that the healing came, not in life, but in death.

I pray for healing for Matt and I pray for peace and comfort for his family and friends. I pray that God uses Matt and his life, his faith, to bring honor and glory to him. I pray that Matt’s courage can be an enCOURAGEment to all of us. May God’s grace be sufficient for us all. May His kindness and mercy last forever.

As Matt asked, I also ask, “What are you afraid of?”

Neal-2009-School-Pic, originally uploaded by w_kevin_gilbert.

I can’t tell you how proud I am, as a dad, of my son Neal. I’m proud of both Neal and Eli, but with this picture, I’m especially happy. Neal isn’t the most cooperative when it comes to smiling for the camera. When I saw this today, I just got so excited at how he was naturally smiling at the camera. He’s so fun and I’m so glad I get to be his dad.

We’re headed out tomorrow for his first camping trip this weekend. We’re headed to Vogel State Park, up near Blairsville, GA. They are having a fall festival at the park on Saturday. There will be hay-rides, a chili dinner, a bonfire with a storyteller and plenty of father-son bonding. It’s about making memories. Make sure you take some time to make those memories today.

I’m taking the camera and will be taking lots, and lots, of pictures. I’ll be posting them sometime next week when I get the time. Be watching for them.

The text in the heading pretty much sums this up. But if you’re here on the post page and you can’t see the home page, here you go.

I’m a husband to Stephanie, a dad to Neal and Eli, and the son of Walter and Jannie. I am co-owner of Digital Design Solutions, an Atlanta, GA based consulting firm. We specialize in Apple consulting and web presence consulting, using WordPress as the hub to power our, and our clients, web presence. I love Georgia Bulldog and Atlanta Falcon football and Atlanta Braves baseball. I’m a techno-junkie and dig all things relating to Apple, WordPress and leveraging the interwebs to extend and increase influence and more effectively communicate a positive message of love, hope and peace.