How Good Is Good Enough?

ABC News ran a story recently titled - Faith in America - Insight on how people view their own religion, and the beliefs of others. Watch the video here --> Faith in America - 6/23/2008 They revealed some interesting stats -


Many people say the belief that, "there is only one way to Heaven" is unfair, or intolerant. Those people would probably say, "I think God isn't tuned into a particular belief system, I think He is looking for a particular kind of person". That assumption leads to the idea that, "good people go to Heaven - you just have to be nice, and do good deeds, then God will let you in". That brings up a few questions --

• How do you know if you've been good enough?
• How are we graded?
• What if you're not a good person most of your life, but then have a change of heart and want to be good and go to Heaven, but there's not enough time left to do enough good deeds to make it in?
• Where is the 'check-list of goodness' that I can use to see if I've made it? Who makes up that standard?

This logic would show that the "all roads lead to Heaven" theory isn't fair. If there really is a good God in a good Heaven, wouldn't He have come up with a fair way to qualify for Heaven? Jesus said everyone qualifies, no matter how good or bad you've been. You only need to trust in Him. Everyone is welcome, everyone gets in the same way and everyone can meet the requirements. What could be more fair?

I can't take any credit for this logical construct. I heard it from Andy Stanley at North Point Community Church one day long ago.

Randy Alcorn recently blogged about this. He is way better at this blogging stuff than I am! Read his blog here --> American Evangelicals Believe There Are Different Ways to Heaven

Yosemite's Wawona Golf Course

Tracy and I went golfing in Yosemite on July 4th. The Wawona Golf Course is beautiful, and challenging. There is very deep rough lining all the fairways. The greens are small. So accuracy is critical. Missing a fairway or a green brings steep penalties! The golf was hard, but the setting was worth it. I've uploaded a few pics here.

New Side Door

On May 31st, we put a new door on the side of the house. I learned that replacing a door isn't too hard. Today I made some adjustments to the frame (one corner of the door was rubbing a tad). Then I put on the trim on the outside. Next I need to put the trim on the inside. That will require some painting. Then the door and the outside trim needs to be painted. We are planning to re-dash and paint the house, so that's when the door will get painted!

Before -

After -

Tagged!

I've been tagged by the Thurman8er! He's one cool dude, so I'll play along... here goes -

A. Attached or Single: Attached.

B. Best Friend: Tracy. She lights up my life, she gives me hope, to carry on. She lights up my days, and fills my nights with song. If I could save time in a bottle, the first thing that Id like to do, is to save every day till eternity passes away, just to spend them with you (her).

C. Cake or Pie: Cake (Chocolate...heavily frosted)

D. Day of Choice: Saturday. Day off, need I say more?

E. Essential Item: I'm gonna have to say my PDAPhone - the HTC TyTN II (a.k.a. HTC Kaiser, a.k.a AT&T Tilt)

• Windows Mobile 6
• Tilted 2.8” 240x320 QVGA touch screen
• Sliding QWERTY keyboard
• Built-in GPS
• 3 mega-pixel auto focus / macro focus camera
• GSM 850/900/1800/1900; GPRS/EDGE; UMTS/HSDPA
• HSDPA up to 3.6 Mbps HSUPA - 3G - Fast data access!
• 256MB ROM and 128MB RAM
• MicroSD card slot
• WiFi 802.11 b/g
• Bluetooth 2

With all that hardware in my pocket here's what I have with me wherever I go -

• MP3 music/video player (with up to 8GB of storage on an Micro SD Card!)
• Wireless stereo bluetooth headphone capability (I have yet to decide on the right set for me)
• Internet Explorer (the Internet in my pocket - oh yeah!)
• All my contacts (syncronized with my work and home computers)
• All my schedule appointments
• All my notes on everything from bible verses to work and personal info
• 3 Megapixel still/video camera - in my pocket!
• WiFi Scanner/network access
• MS Excel / Word / PowerPoint mobile versions (a bunch of useful files in my pocket!)
• MS Outlook Mobile (my work e-mail in my pocket!)

Gillions of MS Mobile applications - many are free! Here are a few I've discovered -

1. Free Google Maps Mobile (satellite views, driving directions, business listings, live traffic info, it's the bomb!)
2. eWallet - secure password database app, syncronized with a Windows version on my home PC
3. PocketBible- I have the ASV, KJV, MSG, NIV, NIV Study bible notes, The Works of Josephus and two devotional books
4. Free Peek Pocket wireless scanner
5. Multiple free GPS tracking/routing/geocaching apps
6. Free Unit conversion utility (converts any unit to other units- distance, speed, etc.)
7. Free Games - Yahtzee, Pente, Backgammon, Bejeweled, etc.
8. Best of all - FreeCaddie - it's a SkyCaddie, only free!

Oh yeah, and it's a telephone too... OK, I've beat that dead horse... moving right along -

F. Flavor of Ice Cream: Cold Stone Mud Pie Mojo (coffee ice cream with lots of fat and sugar - how can you beat that!)

G. Gummy bears or Worms: That's just nasty, just give me chocolate...

H. Hometown: Born in Mariposa, CA. Grew up in Mill Valley, Death Valley, Harper's Ferry, and Cape Cod. Then moved to good ol Fresno.

I. Indulgences: Carmel-by-the-Sea, Yosemite's Wawona Hotel and Golf.

J. January or July: Can't I pick March or October? Those are way more hospitable in Fresno. I guess I'm a skier, not a surfer, and I don't have a pool, so I'd have to pick January.

K. Kids: 1, male, 14 years old, all around stellar dude. We went for quality, not quantity.

L. Last Movie I saw in a Theater: Iron man. Can't wait to see Wall-E! Pixar is number 1!

M. Middle Name: Greg - Ha! Gotcha!

N. Number of Siblings: 1

O. Orange or Apples: Apples. Oranges have all that pulpy junk that gets in your teeth, eww!

P. Phobias or fears: That I'll fail or let someone down who's counting on me. I gotta get over that, it's a real downer - stress, anxiety, fear - bummer dude!

Q. Quote: C.S. Lewis: A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must take your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else he was a madman or something worse." [Mere Christianity]

R. Reasons to Smile: Salvation in Jesus Christ. (I copied and pasted Steve's. But really...is there a better answer here?)

S. Season: Fall. Not too hot, cool weather comin'!

T. Tag 1: Dad. Nobody else blogs!

U. Unknown fact about me: I got my 'Single Engine Airplane-Land' pilots license when I was a teenager. Turns out there's a lot of stress involved with flying an airplane, and it costs a lot of money, so that was that for me!

V. Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals: I like a lot of vegetables, but meat's good too (especially Weaver's slow cooked baby backs!)

W. Worst Habit: Procrastination.

X. X-rays or Ultra-sounds: Ultra-sound - who would like x-rays when the techs have to hide behind that lead wall every time they zap someone?

Y. Your favorite food: Seafood - most any.

Z. Zodiac: Virgo. But I'm a bigger fan of Verga - that cool looking rain that doesn't reach the ground!