Post # 100 - Memories

This is my hundredth post! In November of 2006 I started this blog because, "I enjoy writing. It may be therapeutic for me, and it may help me organize my thoughts." This has proved true.

Thank you, my reader, for supporting me with the occasional comment or email; you have no idea how encouraging it is to know that my writing is having an impact on more people than just me.

For this post, I've gone back and looked at some of my old posts and collected some of the best of them here including an excerpt from each.

Personal
The Man in the Arena
http://arena-man.blogspot.com/2006/11/man-in-arena.html

Through a long series of events, I have decided to blog. And what better time to make a first blog post than at 4:03AM….

Christmas Sweater and the Gospel

http://arena-man.blogspot.com/2007/12/christmas-sweater-and-gospel.html

With the kitten sweater, I was popular.

…

Perhaps Christians ought to re-learn the language of those around them to win them for Christ. We continue evangelizing with the outdated language of reason to a culture that no longer understands or cares.

Life, Death and God’s Sovereignty

http://arena-man.blogspot.com/2007/12/life-death-and-gods-sovreignty.html

God is good. He's been teaching me a lot about His sovereignty recently. That's always a scary topic, and a good one if you're ever feeling prideful.

Women

http://arena-man.blogspot.com/2007/11/women.html

The adventure to understand and know Woman is great; it is a noble quest that demands the best of Man. With so little of manliness left today, it is no wonder why so few undertake it with the courage and dignity that it deserves.


Sciencey

The Body and Cell Biology of Christ

http://arena-man.blogspot.com/2008/09/body-and-cell-biology-of-christ.html

The Body of Christ is an analogy which may be far deeper than I originally gave it credit for. I have now studied basic cell biology a second time and have realized that this metaphor could be extended a bit. There is a hint here of something deeper.

Scientific Faith

http://arena-man.blogspot.com/2008/09/scientific-faith.html

Faith is very much like science. You may be shocked by this, but look at how similar they are. Both study truth. Both use methods involving the formation and testing of theories. Both are self-critical, challenging the theories to strengthen them. Those who make a discovery in each attempt to communicate it to others.

[also see the flurry of replies on the Facebook note here; this is my most inflammatory article to date]

The Next Step

http://arena-man.blogspot.com/2008/12/next-step.html

We have heard of the epic struggle of life, up from a single organism that struggled and strove to survive. We have heard of the grand battle of this organism and its children to overcome the odds and live and reproduce and change. This great odyssey through the eons has become the narrative of our age, the modern story of our creation.

Spiritual and Philosophical

Photography as Prophecy

http://arena-man.blogspot.com/2009/01/photography-as-prophecy.html

Photography, like all art, is a portal to eternity. As the prophets who shared their glimpses of heaven causing us to yearn for its glory, I aim to make visible that which is invisible to most.

Living and Life

http://arena-man.blogspot.com/2009/01/living-and-life.html

Life is loving our neighbor, and true life sometimes requires that a person not live as long. Life is not a beating heart. It is a thriving soul. Making life all about prolonging the functioning of a pump is foolish.

On Evangelism and Coercion

http://arena-man.blogspot.com/2009/01/on-evangelism-and-coercion.html

We consider it an obligation and an honor for a scientist to make his findings known. We look at respect on the evangelical scientist, he who tries to better the world by his revelation of truth. And this is what I aim to do: to share what I believe I understand.

What is the Gospel?

http://arena-man.blogspot.com/2009/02/what-is-gospel.html

There are explicit definitions for the “good news” or “the Gospel” in I Chronicles, Isaiah, Romans and I Corinthians. In my reading of the scriptures, these four definitions contain seven common elements:

Jesus the Paradox

http://arena-man.blogspot.com/2008/01/jesus-paradox.html

He is violent and benevolent. Loving and hating. he blesses the children and curses the pharisees. He accuses Peter for using a sword and himself wields a whip. He blesses the peacemakers, but then declares He has not come to bring peace but a sword. He condemns separation through divorce, and then promises it through faith.

Stories

The Song of Twilight (True Story)

http://arena-man.blogspot.com/2008/10/song-of-twilight.html

The trees sang their praises to God, and my smile would have grown if it were possible. My joy, ever filling, spilled over into my eyes which upturned, but even they would not be able to contain it.

A Good Time for Thinking (Fiction)

http://arena-man.blogspot.com/2009/01/good-time-for-thinking.html

The Doctor was pensive. Normally The Doctor never had time to think. Work was too busy, not a good place for thinking. And home was far too relaxing a place; also not a good place for thinking. So today was special, for he thought.

The Audacity of Hope (True Story)

http://arena-man.blogspot.com/2008/03/audacity-of-hope.html

I ran out of my interview at 3:50PM, tie and blazer flapping in the wind. The girl who offered me a ride to the airport (who just happened to have as perfect a face and as enchanting eyes as ever I have seen) texted me to say she would be late.

Abundant Life (Short Fiction)

http://arena-man.blogspot.com/2008/07/abundant-life.html

“Welcome to the Abundant Life ALC!” the voice of the attendant was perfect. His voice was as confident and clear as an actor of old. “My name is Dante. How may I help you?” asked Dante with such a sincerity as it almost tempted Jim to feel something.