Who, What and Why

I am a Christian who is married to a wonderful, godly woman for over thirty-two years.  Together we have three children and two grandchildren.  I have been teaching math for thirty-four years, twenty-one years at a private, Christian high school and thirteen years at a community college.  Being a mathematician I have never had any desire to be a writer and I have had no formal training so I am embarking on this blogging journey with some trepidation.

In 1994 I attended a Promise Keepers convention and, at that time, made a commitment to read the Bible daily, reflect on what God was saying to me through it, write my thoughts in a journal and then pray.  In the ensuing years I used various devotional books to help guide my Bible reading.  I also met weekly with a small group of men who made similar commitment to Bible reading and prayer.  The members of the group have changed through the years but all of them have had a part in helping me remain faithful to my commitment.

I have a fairly rigid morning routine.  I normally wake at 4:00 AM, go for a four-mile jog and then have my time of Bible reading, reflection and journaling.  I exercise about five times per week but I have my quiet time every day.  I find that my thoughts often begin to flow during my morning run and then crystalize as I go through my assigned readings.  I believe that God speaks to people through the Bible, his special revelation, and through the creation, his general revelation.  When I run I will often ask God to accompany me as I go.  It is not unusual for me to see something like a broken DVD, or some similarly insignificant thing, which sparks a thought that is later reinforced in my Bible reading.  Whenever I have a message that seems to be repeated like that I consider it a message from God and I will usually write about it in my journal.

I know one must be cautious when talking about hearing God speak because we have all heard the testimony of “Christians” who say that God told them to kill an abortion doctor or some similarly absurd thing.  Any message that I deem to be from God must be consistent with the entire Bible and I also ask my small group what they think.  I believe that God directs my life and that he uses the Bible, the circumstances around me and the people in my life to do so.

I am not an ordained pastor nor have I had any training in biblical exegesis so my thoughts about God may be way off base.  When I write in my journal I do no editing so what you read is what I was thinking at the time.  Like everyone, my life goes through highs and lows and my journal reflects the full range of emotions.

My journal is very personal.  When I write it is simply my impression of what God is trying to tell me in my Bible reading and reflection for that day.  I never thought of publishing it for a wider audience until some of the members of my small group, with whom I regularly share what I write, suggested I do so.  I resisted their suggestion for many years but over the course of the past few months I feel God is calling me to do so.  This blog is my obedience to his call.