What is good?

Recently one of my friends was explaining of how good a movie was, then on a totally different occasion I was speaking with some other people how terrible and over priced some certain pieces of art are. It got me to thinking and believe me I think a lot. Many times over analyzing the simplest of concepts. On this occasion I was drawing a connection of what basis we say that something is good or bad. It is usually based upon some point of personal taste and standards that we have been preconditioned to say is "Good". Many times these standards are set upon us by society and these are the things we adopt. This can apply in many aspects of life. Yet, there are some areas where the basics of standards and opinions do not matter. This would apply to the description of who God is and area of theology known as "Theology Proper". If I were to make the statement that "God is Good". This statement could stand alone, because it is not just a description of God it is directly a part of who God is. It can no more be removed from him than his Holiness, Love, Mercy, and so many more words to describe God as who he is in the Bible. It is just a thought, but "God is Good." This is a description of who God is and nothing any man could say or do can have any impact on this aspect of God. Even if God were to express his wrath in the most unfathomable way possible, he would still be good.     

My Top 5

So, recently I took a personality test of sorts. It is called strengths finder and is done by the gallup organization. It takes you top 5 traits in order and gives those to you. Here are mine....just see if they describe me and how I use them.
Learner- loves the process of learning, DIY, exhaustive learner, Investigative, gets board if I have something figured out.
Individualization- very personal, want to know more that the surface level of what makes a person who they are, deliberate with who I choose to invest time into, observant, find satisfaction in one on one conversations.
Relator-find common ground with others, I desire to see the positive qualities in another person. Connect with people through common interest.
Connectedness- I realize there is a cause and effect relationship with anything and desire to know why.
Belief-I have a strong value system that I stick to and rarely waver for that stance, trustworthy, soundness.
These really do describe me and how I interact with others, if you notice #2,3, and 4 are all considered to be in the interpersonal relationship area. So this is an area where I really enjoy working in both ministry and everyday life. I use my relator skills to find common ground to move into the individualization with people. This allows me draw connections to understand why people are the way they are and what has had an influence on their life. Attempting to do all these things learning whatever I can and being as trustworthy as possible.

Somethings are just worth fighting for.

There are few things in this world that change lives like the relationship between a man and a woman. So it has been since the beginning of creation. I want to take a few minutes to talk a little bit about marriage. There are many around me that know that recently I have given a few of my very close friends a hard time on this very issue. It may lead some to believe that there is some for of bitterness with issues that I have had in the past, but this is very much removed from any form of that emotion. I have found peace, understanding, and forgiveness in the years since that relationship ended. If anything that experience in my life has given me more of a passion and understanding for what is on the line in marriage. This is why I seem to give people a hard time when they are considering what they are getting into. The other reason that I am such an advocate of marriage is because of what it is a picture of as a believer. Through out the entire Bible both Israel and the Church are portrayed as the Bride of Christ. This paints a beautiful picture of how passionately God desires to fellowship with us. He loved his bride so much that we was willing to freely give his life for them, knowing that all they could give him in return is love and adoration. Paul gives husbands the commandment to love their wives as Christ loved the Church (Eph 5:25, Col 3:19). From a realistic perspective, if that were the case, then there would not be a woman on earth that would not desire that. Through out all Biblical history God celebrates and defends this institution that he created. It fact one of the first commandments that he gives Adam and Eve is to be fruitful and multiply. This indicates that marriage is the solid foundation on which a family is to be built. Part of what burdens me so much is that fact, that in out current me first society is that some do not take this as serious as they should. It feels like it is easier to get a divorce these days, than it is to get your name changed. I know I can say in the short time that I have lived on this earth I have seen many marriages both succeeded and fail. Some of these failures have been close friends of mine and some of them that I often looked up to. I understand that men and women will let you down, but The Lord never will. It simply boils down to one word these days "commitment". What are you committed to? Is it self? The word of God? Personal happiness? whatever the answer to that question is, it is one we must answer. So, yes I believe that marriage is one of the most beautiful things that God has created as a symbolic relationship between himself and the church. Can you imagine how beautiful she will be? How great the celebration? How deep the intimacy?