Haircut time

“You need a haircut.”  My wife reminded me last week, as I had been showing some shabby edges.  The last time I got my hair cut–in April, just before Austin’s confirmation on the 5th–I got a flat top.  It lasted over 3 months!  Not bad.  Over 15 people did not like the flat top.  Two people loved it.   Since this is America, the majority won.  I got a “regular number 2 men’s cut.”  The guy who cut my hair did a pretty good job.  And we went to Scott’s Barber Shop, Kellogg and Orangethorpe, which is only a third of the price of Fantastic Sams.

Austin and Andrew also got their hairs cut.  They both had the female barber, who cut both of their heads of hair a little too short for their taste.  But hair grows back.   In a couple weeks their skin will stop showing through the hair.  The mom is not real pleased.  She might send us back to Fantastic Sams next time.

When we get our hair cut, we choose a style that generally shows our personality.  Mine probably reveals a conservative outlook.  Remember Dan Tomczyk?  His hair always showed a free spirit.  Becker’s hair covered a head full of book learning.  Bode’s hair?  Michigan roots.

Clothes also reveal something about ourselves or send a message.  Same thing with tattoos and pierced things.   What message do you want to send?  What message are you sending?  I won’t impress a dress code on anybody, but ask you to consider, in all things, how can we bring glory to God?  Take good care of our bodies, show respect for those around us, our employers, customers, and friends.

When You’ve Been Wronged

I am reading a book called “When You’ve Been Wronged”, by Erwin W. Lutzer.  Subtitle is “Moving from Bitterness to Forgiveness.”  Some interesting points that I would like to share:

Everyone has either caused offense to another or has been wronged by another.  We are sinners living in a sinful world, and we cannot avoid it.  Some people get so hung up on being offended that it blinds them to the spiritually destructive effects that can come from that.  Sometimes, when we have wronged someone else, we can get so hung up with the perceived overreactions or seemingly vengeful attitude of the person we wronged that we forget how it got started.  We get blinded to our own faults.  This, too, is spiritually destructive.

When we understand the depths of our depravity and our own sin, rather than defending it, we can go to the cross again and confess our sins.  Then, having received again the assurance of our forgiveness, we are able to reconcile with others.

But what if the other person will not be reconciled?  Then we are obligated as Christians to turn the other cheek–repay their evil with kindness, pray for our enemies and for those who persecute us.  This is hard!  Lutzer does a good job in guiding us with practical insights so that we can be better representatives for Christ.  He uses Biblical examples–Cain the Destroyer, King Saul the Spear-thrower, Jacob the deceiver–to show how shattered relationship between God’s people can be dealt with, and how not to deal with them.

I recommend this book.