GuineaField

Kids finished Flushing Rec Center street hockey and basketball with tournaments.  Played a bit with Chris Kotsopoulos.  Junior Nicks and Junior Rangers.

New Yorkers are not known for their kindness.   Ok, we have a reputation for the opposite.   And, I’ll be honest, I’ve experienced that negative reputation when a stop light turns green, or when thinking in line at a Deli counter (don’t think, order!).    But I’ve experienced the opposite too.   New Yorkers are regularly exhibit random acts of kindness.   I’ve seen people chase someone down to return something that another person dropped.   I’ve seen multitudes of people give money to complete strangers who are begging on the sidewalk or subway.   I regularly see people offer their seat to others on the subway.   Often, I observe strangers helping strangers up the stairway with their luggage or baby strollers.    These random acts of kindness don’t get our attention because of the random acts of rudeness that   If one person is rude, two are kind, and seven are ambivalent, which do we remember?   The one rude ...

I just finished Ian Murray’s biography on Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones.  His ministry is an inspiration to me.  I love the simple consistency he exhibited and his reliance upon God ordained methods to accomplish God’s purposes. One area I find Lloyd Jones exhibited great wisdom was how he graciously resisted the overwhelming tide of the ecumenism of his day. Dr. Lloyd Jones believed that the ends should not justify the means.  In the 1950’s, ecumenism in England was championed by most Evangelical leaders.  Leaders like J I Packer believed that they were to gain greater respect by association with and dialog within theologically liberal associations.  The hope was to heal the cancerous body from within by being a healthy cell.  His end goal – a more respected evangelical voice. His means – accommodation with theological error. Most conservative evangelicals [1] today side with Lloyd Jones against Packer.  Association with those who deny funda...

This is the conclusion to my book - "Loving - Developing Loving Relationships" What a joy great relationships are in life!  But I would like to leave you with one very important and overarching thought.  Only one relationship can satisfy you.  Sadly, people often try to find satisfaction in their relationships when we know that is not possible.  Only God can fill that satisfying role in our lives and if we try to make a relationship with a spouse, friend or child take the place of the role God should play in our lives, we have actually just made an idol. I often hear counselors, even Christian counselors, give advice that goes along these lines.  “You need to adjust this behavior and continue that habit in marriage so that you can make your spouse happy.”  Or, “Men have this need and women have this need.”  Our job is to meet the other person's needs so they are happy.  I realize that we are all different, and so we all have different n...

Christmas Bubble Popped I remember keenly the feeling that I had as a child after opening Christmas presents.   And it did not matter how many presents were given to me whether one or ten.   The same sinking feeling came back just a few moments after opening and playing or wearing or eating what was given.   “That’s it?”   “Yup, that’s it.”   I see it now so much in my little six-year-old son who is so anticipating opening presents tomorrow.   Yet I know what he will feel tomorrow night.   It’s never enough. It is a great lesson for all of us to learn.   No matter what you eagerly anticipate, once it comes, it will pass.   And once it has passed, you will experience some feelings of sadness.   This sadness teaches us a valuable lesson.   Happiness is not in any anticipated experience.   That experience changes for adults.   But it is the same lesson.   Pains of Christmas Past Present and Future T...