Think of your life as an airport terminal. It is a long, complicated event that is full of twists and turns. There are escalators and moving sidewalks to get move you around. There are countless people you interact with. There are sometimes shuttles or trains to quickly get you to where you need to go. You leave one gate and go on a trip. But you always return home. Usually, you arrive at a different gate. As you progress along through your life, conventional wisdom tells us to look ahead to what is next. But invariably, you will walk by a gate or a restaurant or bump into someone and instantly you are transported to the past. These reminders of the past may be pleasant for some, but for many it is a dreadful, haunted memory. For some, the past can be a gigantic problem. I have had several run-ins with my past in the last few weeks and I realize this is not coincidental – there is a reason for this. I am learning that our past, no matter how detrimental it may seem, is a benefit to us. (Read on …)

I read a story this week that made me cry. It is a story about a father who had two sons and a daughter, which I can relate to. What happens to this father, though, is beyond belief. It is the kind of story where things continually get worse. It is a true story, which makes it even harder to read. (Read on …)

Hey,

As most of you know, I grew up in Ecuador. Basketball was fairly popular there. I played basketball in high school. Soccer was the most popular sport, though. I played volleyball instead. Even though I never played soccer, I did enjoy going to a few games while I lived there. I have been to NFL games, NBA games, MLB games and NHL games in the US. Nothing compares to the energy of a soccer game in a stadium full of people. Currently, we have the NBA Finals, the Stanley Cup Finals, and the World Cup on TV. I am finding much more joy in watching the World Cup.

I am rooting for Ecuador, of course. Ecuador has shutout both Poland and Costa Rica so far and secured a spot in the second round. The team motto is, “Si se puede!” which literally means, “Yes it can be done!” or “Yes we can!” This statement shows an incredible hope towards the future. I see a beautiful parallel for those of us who follow Jesus. (Read on …)

Hello - a quick Da Vinci Code update:

I saw The Da Vinci Code and responded to it in our church service with Jonathan. (To listen to the entire sermon, go here: <http://hello-righton.com/sermons>.) I have posted a previous response to the book HERE.

One more thing I wanted to add: Even if the book and movie are chock full of plausible content — Let us pretend we could find the sarcophagus or bones of Mary Magdalene underneath the Louvre. Let us pretend we could take them to the CSI Miami headquarters and go to the DNA lab. We could turn the lights down, put on some techno music and flip on the centrifuge. If we compared her DNA to Sophie’s DNA (from the movie) and found a match what would that mean? That would mean that Mary Magdalene had children. But we could never prove that Jesus had descendants. Why? Because His body (hello!) is not there! He is alive. Right on!!

-z

Hello,

I have been a computer geek for over ten years. By that I mean that I have made my living, supported my family, and found a career in working with computers. I have done most all there is to do related to computer hardware over the past decade. When I started working, I was fascinated with building sub-$1000 computers. Now I design systems that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. I have also worked for a few different companies. Interestingly, every company I have worked for has been eventually bought out by another company. (MCI was bought by WorldCom, TRW was bought by Northrop Grumman, and MCI was bought by Verizon.) Now, I work for Verizon doing what I love – I genuinely love my job. But with every big purchase comes some trimming.

Verizon just confirmed the rumors that there will be some layoffs at the end of the summer. While I do not feel worried about my position, there are many around me who are freaking out. This has caused me to do some thinking.

(Read on …)

Hi,

In Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice meets a large blue Caterpillar smoking a hookah. The beginning of chapter five of the book reads like this:

The Caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some time in silence; at last the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth, and addressed her in a languid, sleepy voice. “Who are you?” said the Caterpillar. This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, “I—I hardly know, Sir, just at present—at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.”

I see a parallel to our lives. We know what we once were, but we have been changed several times since then. What are we now? Who are we now? (Read on …)