Reality

©2012 jfoster

Raising the Dead

The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to his friends letting them know about the trouble he went through in Asia. He said he was "crushed and completely overwhelmed and he thought he would never live through it. In fact he expected to die."

"... ultimately being a Christian, is not a matter of being a success story, but of living with human failure–and with the God who raises the dead. That’s what following Jesus is likely to involve.” Timothy Keller

Paul goes on to to say that as a result of their hardship "we learned not to rely on ourselves but on God who can raise the dead."

And this is what it's really about... if there is a God who can raise the dead then there is hope.

Cell Phones and the War in Congo

On the verge of yet another new cell phone I thought it would be a good time to speak with my friend, Woody Collins about the conditions in the Democratic Republic of Congo. If you need to get caught up on the atrocities happening in the DRC related to technology check out enoughproject and playstation war.

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Is Coltan/Tantalum still being mined in Eastern Congo?

WC - Yes, as it's one of the few world sources of this mineral. Congo is the biggest source.

What are the mining conditions like now? Has it improved since some of the stories broke regarding the atrocities that were being committed?

WC - I have not read of any improvements in the mining conditions. Most of the news out of eastern Congo has focused on the renewed conflict between government armed forces and the various armed rebel forces. Also, the world economy has had big negative effect on the legitimate mining industries of cooper and diamonds. Hundreds of thousand of workers are now unemployed. Therefore, I suspect the coltan market is down, too.

Companies should be held liable if they have been a part of this mess but it’s so difficult to follow the trails. Why is it so difficult to track where the metal goes?

WC - Coltan mining is not an organized industry like cooper and diamonds. Most of coltan mines are run by rebel groups in eastern Congo . Therefore, there has not been an industry standard group willing to develop a tracking mechanism like the Kimberly Process for diamonds. But there is some moment towards a tracking mechanism. A German firm is developing a tracking mechanism for or with Congo government approval. I think they predicted summer of 2010 for testing.

I checked at places like Sony and Apple and of course they have what they call “supplier code of conducts” that state they only do business with suppliers who are "upholding the human rights of workers, treating them with dignity and respect, abstaining from indentured labor, not using children under the age of 15, etc…” Is the “code of conduct” working? What does it mean?

WC - That is meaningless statement. Since you can not track the coltan, they can always deny that their suppliers are in violation.

What can individuals do to help?

WC - Individuals need to pressure the manufacturers into doing more to self regulate beyond their current supplier code of conduct. But, nothing is really provable until a tracking mechanism is developed and implemented. However, the chance of someone individually tracking some coltan to Sony or Apple may prompt them to do more.

Indy Star Interview with Woody Collins

Living Carelessly

The Hebrew word for trust can at times be translated as careless. (It can also be translated a few other words but I find this one particularly interesting.) Trust being synonymous with careless. Hmmm... in other words, when you are in a trusted relationship you don’t have to worry about how to take care of yourself because your friend is worried about it.

The older I get the more I realize how difficult it is to find a friend you can be careless with. Proverbs tells us to be cautious in friendship. I didn't get that so much a decade or two ago. When it was time for a friendship to dissolve or part ways it was more difficult for me. I've always said that friendships are formed for a reason, a season or life. But it's taken me a while to learn it first hand, embrace it and be prepared. Oh, and that's usually what it takes... a while... and then you learn to metabolize the friendship in a healthy way. Be energized with the good. Eliminate the bad. Ultimately keeping your eyes on Jesus, a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Why do bad things happen to good people?

The book of Job posed this question quite possibly before any other literature in the world. Though its the oldest of mysteries answers are difficult to find. Like a dense cloud on top of a mountain it veils our attempts to get close to God.

In just the last few days I've received word of a friend dying in a car crash, of another who was beaten and robbed, of another friend and young father dying and yet another who has been diagnosed with cancer.

Philip Yancey says, "A relationship with God does not promise supernatural deliverance from hardship, rather a supernatural use of it." I agree with that...

most of the time...

right now I don't feel anything supernatural about this.

PeaceMakers

Blessed are the peacemakers...

Not blessed are the peace keepers...

Making peace has always been harder than keeping the peace.

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If heaven were to do again,
And on the pasture bars,
I leaned to line the figures in
Between the dotted starts,

I should be tempted to forget,
I fear, the Crown of Rule,
The Scales of Trade, the Cross of Faith,
As hardly worth renewal.

For these have governed in our lives,
And see how men have warred.
The Cross, the Crown, the Scales may all
As well have been the Sword.
Robert Frost

Forgiving the Jerk, Being the Jerk

The Angry Swede is a classic example of our response when we've been wronged. The Jerk (not the author but the title of the post) advocates lowering our standards, assumptions and self-absorbed thinking.

There's some truth there but I think we're in trouble if the only way to deal with being wronged is to lower our standards... everyone would keep lowering them until there weren't any real expectations left!

Somehow God forgives me without lowering His standards. I'm not always sure how He does that... that's why He's God and I'm not... but He does. He doesn't blindly overlook my indescretions. He absorbs them, pays for them, forgets them and then challenges me to do better.

Good Conflict, Bad Conflict

As churchofthecustomer.com blogs about, Communication is good but hearing incorrect communication is not always easy to deal with. Depending on your perspective though, conflict is not all bad.

I think there are two general types of conflict: Moral and Immoral.

Immoral = Deceit, lies, ½ truths, manipulations, Self-centeredness, Pride, Superiority, Anger, Envy, Coveting, Resentment, Bitterness, etc…

Moral = Misunderstanding, Miscommunication, Lack of communication
Lack of experience, False assumption, Jumping to conclusions, Lack of info, Different moral goals, Different expectations, Immaturity, etc…

The question is, what kind of conflict are you experiencing? Welcome conflict that is moral or ‘good’. This kind of conflict presents an opportunity to grow, learn and be a better person. But be very cautious to continue with one you are experiencing immoral or ‘bad’ conflict with. Run away! Run Away! (Which in classic digression reminds me of the old holiness classic, The Holy Grail).

Relationships/Dating III

In healthy relationships/dating I previously mentioned the importance of 1)Pursuing emotional health, 2)Getting Relationship needs met outside of dating and 3)Taking responsibility for your tendencies. Here are a couple more... Conflict is not all bad There are two general types of conflict: Moral and Immoral. Immoral = Deceit, lies, ½ truths, manipulations, Self-centeredness, Pride, Superiority, Anger, Envy, Coveting, Resentment, Bitterness, etc… Moral = Misunderstanding, Miscommunication, Lack of communication Lack of experience, False assumption, Jumping to conclusions, Lack of info, Different moral goals, Different expectations, Immaturity, etc… The question is, what kind of conflict are you experiencing? Welcome conflict that is moral or ‘good’. This kind of conflict presents an opportunity to grow, learn and be a better person. But be very cautious to continue with one you are experiencing immoral or ‘bad’ conflict with. Be authentic Be who you are at the very beginning of a new relationship. Communicate. Express from the first date. You don’t need to be overly ‘nice’ about how or what you feel. Dr's Henry Cloud and John Townsend in God Will Make a Way remind us, “If you are not yourself, the person you are with may begin to like someone they think is you..." also... "If they have a tendency to be controlling, if they know right upfront that you have opinions they might realize that 'controlling' you will not work." Of course you don’t want to come on too strong either but the point is – don’t fear what the other person thinks about you. Check out Proverbs 29:25(NLT) - Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but to trust the LORD means safety.

Be Healthy!

J