One year ago today was very special; I just didn’t know it at the time.

It was a Sunday morning, and for whatever reason, even if only because I hadn’t been there in a while, I decided to visit a different congregation within our faith; a larger one here in Richmond. After the service, I talked to two people in particular: Brad and Linda. I asked them how they were doing; Brad said he and his family had just gotten back from the Outer Banks, and Linda said her family was getting ready to go down there. Until that day, I had just been planning on going to Virginia Beach for a weekend in September, but after talking to Brad and to Linda, it was settled: I was going to plan a weekend trip to the Outer Banks instead. I hadn’t been there since I was just a kid (in fact, my family and Linda’s family used to vacation together there).

Almost immediately, I began looking forward to it; I did whatever research I could and decided what I wanted to do and see (mostly involving the beach and Lighthouses), and booked a hotel room in Kitty Hawk for September 9-12. The rest of August felt like a year.

Just before leaving home on the morning of September 9, I looked for an old CD of Handel’s Messiah; I had never listened to the whole thing straight through, and I figured a 3 hour trip to the Outer Banks would be just the amount of time needed.

I LOVED Messiah; so much that I kept listening to that CD, many times through, ever since then, and on my facebook page, starting on November 1 of last year, I wrote a paragraph about each of the 53 movements—using Scripture of course—one for each day up to December 23.

Those three days were so relaxing even though I was constantly on-the-go—for instance, on that Friday morning, I left my hotel room at about 8 AM and didn’t get back until after 1 AM; I’d been gone for 17 hours, visiting Bodie Island Lighthouse, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, and Ocracoke Island. One of the highlights though was meeting so many great people, from all over the east coast; some of which I still keep in touch with regularly. Right when I arrived, I met one of the locals who gave me some advice as to where to go. On Friday, there was this one couple that I kept running into between the line for the Ocracoke Ferry, and Ocracoke Island, and the ferry ride back to Hatteras; that Saturday night I met a few really great people at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and stayed out there til almost midnight.

As soon as I left on that Sunday morning, I was already planning my next trip there (which happened this past April).

I think back to that weekend quite often and how the little things led to something great: if I hadn’t visited the Richmond Chapel a year ago today, I never would have gained such an appreciation for Handel’s Messiah, the Outer Banks would have never become my new favorite place, and I never would have met the great Jordan, Chris, Ted, Laura, Tom, Kevin, and Lori, and I wouldn’t have those photos from the Lighthouses and the sunrises over the beach (of which multiple people have now bought prints) to add to my photography portfolio. It’s one of my favorite instances of “the Butterfly Effect” that I’ve ever experienced.

If you think about it though, you and I are the products of the Butterfly Effect, in a way; consider all that had to happen, all your ancestors, each of which had to exist and live long enough to bring someone else into the world; each of which had so many different experiences and made so many different decisions in life that led them to getting together with someone else who brought forth someone else; a relating cycle leading all the way to your grandparents, then your parents, and now you. The LORD had you in mind thousands of years ago. Rarely does he do something big all-of-a-sudden; when he does something, it is the product of years—maybe decades or centuries—of behind-the-scenes activity, leading you to where you are now. He is working with you, even though at times it may not seem so.

There is a radio talk show host who begins every hour of his broadcast by reminding his audience, “this IS the day the LORD has made (quoting from Psalm 118:24), and these ARE the times in which God has decided for us to live.” With that, as he says, comes a unique set of responsibilities. The LORD declares the end from the beginning, and ancient times from what is still to come (Isaiah 46:10).

God has determined, despite everything that goes on in the world, for you to be here right now, this day; therefore rejoice and be glad within it.

Grace and peace,

Dan

The Mid-Atlantic Bible School (also lovingly known as “(Ship)pensburg” because of the university it’s held at) ended this afternoon. I wasn’t there, and hadn’t been in a number of years (but I had certainly done my time) except for a short visit in 2019, the last time the School was held. I was thinking about it all this week; there are enough stories from there to last a lifetime. Just a couple days ago, I posted on my facebook page, “July 7 will always hold a special place in my heart,” because of one particular July 7 at Shippensburg a long time ago, a day full of surprises, a day I remember like it was yesterday.

A few of the years I was at Ship, my friends and I would plan on pulling an all-nighter on the final night of Bible School; we would bring energy drinks (such as Monster or Red Bull) and get some extra rest during the day on Saturday. Staying up all night was really difficult and most who intended to, just didn’t make it; they fell asleep. It didn’t help at all that we were already sleep-deprived from getting to bed late every night during the week. When we would go to breakfast on that last morning of Bible School before everyone left, we were dead tired; I remember on the ride home with my parents, my eyes would be involuntarily shutting themselves, almost as if begging for some rest. I felt sick, weak, just all-around unnatural.

Fortunately, the all-nighter only happened two or three times before we wised up and decided it just wasn’t worth it.

Don’t get me wrong; we had fun on those few nights: my buddies and I would talk (mostly about girls, of course), play card games such as Cheat (known outside Christian circles by a different name that I won’t repeat here) and whatever else to enjoy our last night together. And when I consider the fact that so many of those people are no longer in the faith, I would do almost anything to have one more night at Bible School with them.

On the last night of Bibleschool, some people had to sleep, as they had a long drive home the next day. Others, unfortunately, maybe couldn’t sleep: Bible School was their getaway from reality for a week, and now it was over, and they would have to return to the problems they faced back home. Yet there I was, my friends and I, staying awake all night and thus depriving ourselves of something we needed—sleep—mostly to impress others. I doubt anyone was actually thrilled with that.

Sleep is good, and it’s a gift from the LORD; in his wisdom, he determined that we should spend 1/3 of our lifetime asleep, recovering from our day, in order to be ready to go for the next one; even if we don’t have a big day planned, our bodies still need that time to rest. But too much sleep is not good, either: “love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread (Proverbs 20:13 ESV).” Laziness puts you at more risk of falling on hard financial times (Proverbs 6:10-11).

I read something online recently that said “Money can buy a bed, but not sleep.” Solomon—the second-wisest man ever—wrote “the sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep (Ecclesiastes 5:12 NIV);” even the rich have worries that keep them awake at night. Nowadays especially, with so much more to worry about, and with all the uncertainty in the world, it’s no surprise that sleep deprivation is such a common problem.

On the contrary, the LORD never sleeps; imagine if he did, as if the world isn’t chaotic enough already. The Psalmist wrote, “He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep (Psalm 121:3-4 ESV).” David, as he fled from Absalom, had assurance of divine protection: “I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around (Psalm 3:5-6 ESV).” He also wrote, “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety (Psalm 4:8 NIV).” Jesus, the Son of Man who had nowhere to lay his head (Matthew 8:20), was able to sleep in peace on a boat during a storm, despite the wind and waves pounding (Matthew 8:24). The LORD promises perfect peace to those whose mind is stayed on him (Isaiah 26:3).

“Go to sleep: God is awake.”

Grace and peace,

Dan

(Just as an aside—and I didn’t plan this at all in accordance with my blog entry—but I received my first-ever MyPillow via FedEx this afternoon. I’m excited.)

I read an article this morning, which said that churches are closing their doors in record numbers. Later this afternoon, I saw a disturbing video of some protestors outside the Supreme Court of the United States, chanting “**** the church,” among other obscenities, in response to the upcoming ruling on abortion. In the recent past, protestors have rallied in front of churches and caused disturbances everywhere, and it will only get worse once the ruling (Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization) comes out.

Lot, a righteous man, was vexed by the depraved conduct of the lawless in Sodom (2 Peter 2:7), much as many of us are at the evil we see around us.

The article I read this morning is unfortunately very true; I saw an article recently as well that said less people were attending church nowadays than ever before. The Pandemic did quite a job on Christianity, and very little to help people’s faith. But it wasn’t just the Pandemic; even at my relatively young age, more than half the people I grew up with going to Church and Vacation Bible School and so on, have left the faith.

At one point in Jesus’ ministry, he said something that turned a whole bunch of people away, and they followed him no more. At that moment, he asked his disciples if they also were going to leave him, to which Peter—a man who changed so much between being a disciple and being the Rock upon which Jesus would build his Church—replied, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God (John 6:68-69, NIV).”

Daniel, another servant of the LORD, lived at a time when the temple of God had been raided by the Babylonians. From the NIV Life Application Study Bible: “Those who loved the LORD—though few in number—must have felt disheartened and discouraged, especially since most people were already worshiping other gods and neglecting the LORD altogether. We feel greatly alarmed when churches around the world are destroyed, close down for financial reasons, are split by controversies, or are wracked by scandals. We do not know why God allows his church to experience these calamities. But like the people who witnessed the plundering of the temple by the Babylonians, we must trust that God is in control and that he is watching over all who trust in him. When you hear of God’s people going through difficult times, pray that he will bring restoration. Remember God’s promise that those who love him and suffer will experience joy when [Jesus] returns (1 Peter 4:13).”

The world out there offers nothing of lasting value; that much is obvious. Everything we know has a beginning and an end; what the LORD offers is eternal. He offers peace today and in the Age to come and beyond. The LORD is in control right now, just as he was thousands of years ago, and he is well-aware of everything going on in the world and is not surprised by any of it. He knew what the world would be like today, June 23, 2022, thousands of years ago. He will not be mocked, and he will have his day with wickedness, when all will be made right.

We’re living in the times foretold by the Apostle Paul: “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power (2 Timothy 3:1-5).”

Christians: hang in there. Don’t bow the knee to Baal; fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith (2 Timothy 4:7). Jesus is living in His Church, and Jesus is coming for his own; the Lord knows them that are his (2 Timothy 2:19). The Kingdom of God on earth will be a time worth living for; none of the sufferings of the present can or ever will be compared to the glory of the day when Jesus will rule as the Wonderful Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), when justice will roll on like a river, and righteousness like a never-failing stream (Amos 5:24).

Grace and peace,

Dan

At the end of April, I took a weekend to go to the Outer Banks of North Carolina; ever since I left there in September, I had been wanting to get back sooner rather than later. One of the days I was there, as I was trying to take some photos, a gust of wind came by and blew over—and broke—the $20 tripod I had just bought two days before (thankfully, my DSLR was not on it when it fell over). I called all around the area to see if any stores sold tripods but had no luck. That afternoon, I took the ferry over to Ocracoke Island, and while I was there I came across a hardware store; I asked if they sold tripods there, and looked all over, but couldn’t find one. I didn’t take many more photos that weekend, since most of the photos I take—such as HDR and long exposure—require a tripod.  Lesson learned: don’t cheap out; it will end up costing you more in the long run.

I still enjoyed myself though, and met a lot of great people. I was thankful as well to have taken this shot of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse before that happened.

(The rest of my photos are at DanGaitanis.com/obx)

As you may know, I love lighthouses (who doesn’t?); one of the many reasons I love going to the Outer Banks is because there are four lighthouses that you can visit, all within a few hours. A Lighthouse is a good reminder that Jesus is the Light of the World (John 8:12), the only true light that shines in darkness; the darkness comprehends it not (John 1:5).

Three weeks ago tonight, I went to the local ballfield with a few friends, to watch the total lunar eclipse. I got out my camera, formatted the memory card, and headed to the field; when I got there, for some reason, the camera wouldn’t turn on—at all. Nothing. I ran back home and tried a few different batteries, to no avail; I couldn’t believe it. Fortunately, I had an old camera that I hadn’t used in a long time, as well as the battery for it, so I put the battery on the charger, went back to the ballfield for a little while to enjoy the start of the eclipse, then came back home and grabbed the battery and camera before heading back to the ballfield for the rest of the evening. The sky was clear until the moon was about 95 percent covered by the shadow of the earth; then it got really cloudy all of a sudden. Even so, I still managed to get a couple of shots of totality through breaks in the clouds. Not waiting by my phone for National Geographic to call, but it’s better than nothing.

(Mysteriously, the week after the eclipse, the camera started working again, of course as I brought it to Richmond Camera for them to have a look at it; then last weekend I planned on going to a Flying Squirrels game and wanted to take some photos there, and the camera was back to not working again. That camera is relatively new, so this is incredibly disappointing, but I’m holding out hope that it’s an easy fix)

The Lunar Eclipse happened exactly when we were told it would happen; it was right on time. And it didn’t announce that it was starting; it just did. The heavens have such an order to them, that scientists were able to pinpoint the exact time the eclipse would start and end. The LORD’s promises are as certain as the Sun rising in the east and setting in the west; everything he said would happen throughout history, did happen, exactly the way he said.

Just because clouds got in the way of the eclipse didn’t mean the eclipse wasn’t happening; we just couldn’t see it. In the same way, the LORD is always working, even if may not seem so at the time. If you have thirty minutes or so, read the entire Book of Esther; God’s name is not mentioned even once, yet his hand is visible throughout the story, in delivering his people—the Jews—from their enemies. Today, we don’t have direct revelations from him, but it is so clear that he is at work; the question is, will you let him work in you and through you?

The LORD told his prophet, “Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told (Habakkuk 1:5 NIV).” If his promise to send the ruthless Chaldeans to punish Israel for their sins was so incredible that Habakkuk wouldn’t even believe it, how much more good will the LORD do for those who love and obey him?

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen (Ephesians 3:20 NIV).”

Grace and Peace,

Dan

It’s Easter weekend. For some, that means chocolate and bunnies; for Christianity, it’s the commemoration of Jesus’ Resurrection, three days after being crucified.

“Behold the Lamb of God,” said John the Baptist, “that taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29).” In him was no sin; he was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3); he gave his back to the smiters (Isaiah 50:6). Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:4-5). All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way (Isaiah 53:6); all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), but the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all; this sinless man, the suffering, friendless one who was numbered with the transgressors (Isaiah 53:12) and was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of God’s people he was stricken (Isaiah 53:8).

But he trusted in God that he would deliver him (Psalm 22:8); for the joy set before him, he endured the cross, and despised the shame (Hebrews 12:2). God’s own righteous standards would not allow him to remain in hell, nor to allow his Holy One to see corruption (Acts 2:31); how could a sinless man be held captive by the grave? It has no power on him (Acts 2:24). The greatest miracle in human history happened that first morning of the week, an event that the rest of human history depends on: if Christ did not rise from the dead, we are all without hope (1 Corinthians 15:13-19). For now is Christ risen from the dead, the firstfruits of them that sleep (1 Corinthians 15:20); God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoso believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

Who is this King of Glory? None of the angels of God ever received such a high title, or to be called God’s Son (Hebrews 1:5); all the angels of God worship him (Hebrews 1:6). He is gone up on high and has led captivity captive (Psalm 68:18), he has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). He has commanded his followers to preach the Good News of the Kingdom to every nation, to teach them to observe all things whatever he commands (Matthew 28:19). The LORD gave the Word; great was the company of the preachers (Psalm 68:11); their sound is gone out to all lands and their words into the ends of the world (Romans 10:18).

So why seek the living with the dead? All the other religious leaders of the past—while their teachings may have been helpful—are in their graves. Christ is Risen, and he is coming again; he brings his reward with him. He will rule the world with righteousness and the people with his truth (Psalm 96:13).

Happy Easter!

Grace and peace,

-Dan

(side note: if you’ve never listened to Handel’s Messiah, I can’t recommend it enough. Now is a good time; it’s quite popular in the days surrounding Easter and Christmas. For a bird’s-eye view, click here to watch a presentation I gave last holiday season)

This past Thursday was Opening Day in Major League Baseball. I always love Opening Day; baseball is my favorite sport, and as a Red Sox fan, I look forward to seeing what they’ll do this season. I also love Opening Day because everyone starts off 0-0; it’s a clean slate. The Atlanta Braves won it all last year, but back on Thursday, they were 0-0 just like everyone else. It doesn’t matter at all how good (or bad) a team was last year; they all began this season with the same record, and not until July or August will we begin to see real separation between the good and bad teams. In late October of this year, only one of those 30 teams will be celebrating on the diamond as World Series Champions.

I’ve read a number of articles by the so-called “experts,” who predict how this season will go, and of course it’s based on how teams did in the offseason with trades, acquisitions, the draft, and other roster moves. At the end of the day though, it’s unpredictable; these are human beings, playing a 162-game regular season schedule. Games will be won and lost on freak plays, won by improbable comebacks and lost on improbable blown saves, won and lost by one run or ten runs or somewhere in between. There will be rain delays, bad calls made by umpires which affect the outcome of the game, and, of course, errors, made by players in the field. It’s impossible to predict what will happen this season, but it’s all about execution. Look no further than last year’s Red Sox; they had to win their final three games of the regular season just to get into the playoffs, then they beat the Yankees in an always-unpredictable Wild Card Game, then upset the Rays in the Division Series before falling to Houston in the American League Championship, just two wins away from the World Series. No one saw that coming; the guys just went out there and played good baseball and made it work.

The LORD is willing to give you and I a clean slate in life; he is willing to remove our sins from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:24), to make white as snow our sins which are as scarlet (Isaiah 1:18), through the work of the Messiah, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:20). This is not unconditional; the LORD will only give you and I a clean slate as long as you and I will give others a clean slate: in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus says “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us (Matthew 6:12).” If you do not forgive others, God will not forgive you. Paul writes to the Ephesians, “Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ has forgiven you (Ephesians 4:32).”

But that’s not it; you also have to have faith that the LORD will make good on his Word. Abraham went into a foreign land, not knowing anything about what was ahead, but his faith was counted to him as righteousness (Romans 4:19-22). He knew the LORD was willing and able to do exactly what he said he would do.

There’s nothing scientific about it; you just have to do it, unwavering (James 1:5-8); “the just shall live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4),” which comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17).

Don’t look back at the way you were before; press forward toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14). Look unto Jesus; he is the author and finisher of the faith (Hebrews 12:2).

“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God, our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”-Jude 24-25

Grace and peace,

-Dan

It’s one of my very favorite times of the year, for many reasons; one of which is because the NCAA Basketball Tournament (also known as “March Madness”) begins tomorrow with the Selection Show; 68 of the best college basketball teams in the country are invited to the single-elimination, winner-take-all Tournament to determine the National Champion. This past week and a half has been filled with the Conference Tournaments, which play a part in determining which teams make the field of 68. The school I went to—VCU—has had a great deal of success in the past 15 years or so, and it seems that almost every year they are in contention for one of the 68 bids to the NCAA Tournament. Last night though, their hopes of making the field took a huge hit after losing in the Atlantic-10 Quarterfinals against their crosstown rival, the University of Richmond Spiders. VCU had already beaten Richmond twice in the regular season, but then when it really counted, Richmond had the better game and was able to knock the Rams out of the Atlantic-10 Tournament and most likely keep them from playing in March Madness. The Spiders then pulled another upset this afternoon against Dayton to advance to the Atlantic-10 Championship Game tomorrow for the right to go to March Madness. That’s basketball, and that’s sports: sometimes the team who is supposed to win, has a bad game, or the team who is not expected to win, plays lights out and pulls the upset. It happens all the time, and March Madness is full of it: even just in the past few years, we’ve seen some of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history (such as Virginia losing to Maryland-Baltimore County, and Michigan State losing to Middle Tennessee State). It wasn’t part of a tournament, but not many people expected North Carolina to go in and beat Duke last Saturday in Coach K’s final home game before he retires. It happens: not just in sports, but in life—sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it just doesn’t.

King Solomon, the wisest man—other than Jesus, of course—to ever live, wrote “Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all (Ecclesiastes 9:11 English Standard Version).”

Obviously, the LORD doesn’t care about who wins a college basketball game, or who has more degrees or money, but he is in control; he knows the end from the beginning. We don’t.

On a sunny Friday afternoon in March 2020, my uncle Rob and I met up for lunch at our favorite pizza place (RIP A New York Slice) and we shared a large pepperoni pizza; we talked about the upcoming March Madness, and whatever else. Neither of us—or anyone else—knew what was about to happen just six days later—two years ago today—when everything would change and a period of unprecedented uncertainty would begin. As crazy as it all was, the LORD was never any less in control than he was before it or is right now. He was the same before the Pandemic began, and will be the same a thousand years from now, The Psalmist writes that the LORD sits enthroned on the flood; he is in control even if your world is “underwater.” He gives good times and bad times to keep people in check, and he will make all things right one day. He changes times and seasons and he knows what he’s doing, and when he makes a plan, no one can stop or change it (Isaiah 14:27). This is the same God that made the sun stand still (Joshua 10:12-14).

A Brother once said at a youth weekend, “focus on what you can control, fear God and keep his commandments (from Ecclesiastes 12:14); don’t worry about the rest.” He is always good: win, lose, or draw. Keep your mind stayed on him: you will have peace (Isaiah 26:3). He delivers the righteous (Psalm 34:19); trust in him and he will act in time (Psalm 37:5). Nothing is left to chance when the LORD does something.

“In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God has made one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him (Ecclesiastes 7:14).”

Grace and peace,

Dan

This is Mount Trashmore.

It’s exactly what it sounds like: a mountain made of trash; a landfill that has been converted into a park. My relatives used to live right behind Mount Trashmore, so I feel like I’ve climbed it 100 times.

Two of those relatives are dead, and have been for about 6 years or so; they both died on the same day—of completely different causes—back in 2016, but the remaining one still lives in that house and I visit him as often as I can when I’m in the area.

Every time I go out there, before going to Oceanfront, I make a stop at Mount Trashmore and take a few minutes to climb it and look around. The view is certainly nothing spectacular; all you see is the surrounding park, as well as Lake Trashmore and Lake Windsor, as well as Town Center in the distance. But being up there reminds me of old times; I think of all those days when I was much younger, and my family would once in a while take a daytrip to the Tidewater region, where on that Sunday morning we would visit the wonderful Brothers and Sisters in Norfolk, then spend an afternoon with some of them, then going our separate ways and meeting up with our relatives for dinner before heading back to Richmond. I think of how much fun we all used to have sitting around the dinner table, and all the laughs we had. I think of how special that house is where they all used to live in Windsor Woods, and the two-hour trek back to Richmond late at night, sitting in the backseat and being really tired but with a full heart after being around so many wonderful people that morning and then others later that evening.

To some, Mount Trashmore is just a landmark that they drive by on the Virginia Beach expressway on their way to the Oceanfront. For me, it’s a very special place that takes me way back.

Of course, there are many, much more famous landmarks all around the world, and they exist not only for direction and location, but to make us remember something or someone from the past.

The Children of Israel were to set up a pile of stones in the Jordan River, so that every time they saw them, they would remember what the LORD had done for them (Joshua 4). Hundreds of years earlier, Jacob had received a vision that was so incredible that he decided to commemorate it by setting up a pillar (Genesis 28:10-22).

We all have reminders of our successes and failures, and it’s different for each of us: David brought Goliath’s armor into his tent as a reminder of the victory the LORD had given him (1 Samuel 17:54). The Apostle Peter denied Jesus as he stood around a “fire of coals (John 18:18).” After Jesus’ Resurrection, he had breakfast with his disciples and there was another fire of coals (John 21:9); what do you think was going through Peter’s mind as he remembered what he had done—and been forgiven for? That fire of coals probably didn’t carry the same significance for the others, just as the twelve memorial stones that Israel set up, didn’t mean anything to the surrounding nations.

There are reminders everywhere of what the LORD has done for you and me, as well as his message to his creation. Be mindful, and think of him every time.

As for Mount Trashmore, I can’t wait to traverse that holy hill again this coming weekend if the good LORD wills.

Grace and peace,

Dan

Back in September, I took a few days off and went to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It was the first time I had been there since 2002, when my family and another family had all vacationed together. There has not been a day that has passed since September where I haven’t thought about that weekend, and just how great it was to wake up every morning to watch the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean, to see the Lighthouses, enjoy the sea as much as possible (the dreaded red “No swimming” flags were out, due to Hurricane Larry, some hundreds of miles off the coast), and to meet some great people, a few of which I’ve kept in contact with since then, not to mention the relaxation and freedom I felt, not worrying at all about anything going on at work, or in Richmond, or in the country or in the world. Vitamin Sea really does cure all ailments.

One of the days when my family and the other family vacationed in the Outer Banks 19 years before, we all went down to Hatteras and Ocracoke. In the sidewalk at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was an imprint of a lizard who had gotten caught in the cement; my brother and I and Julia and Jackie took a picture around it.

When I was there back in September, as I walked around the property at the Lighthouse, I wondered if the lizard imprint was still in the sidewalk; I figured the chances of that were slim to none. After looking around a few minutes, I found it near two boulders and some benches.

It had been 19 years; the lizard’s mark was still there.

Part of me couldn’t believe it. The other part could; one thing I had noticed about the Outer Banks upon my return was that very little had changed from what I remembered.

I sat there on the bench for a few minutes as people walked by, and I thought there just had to be some lesson to take away from that little marking in the sidewalk: think of all the millions of people who had walked over it in the past 19 years, and all the tropical storms and hurricanes that had passed through (most notably, Isabel, in 2003). Yet, the lizard’s mark was still visible.

What kind of mark are you leaving on the world?

There’s plenty of good and bad examples in Scripture, of people who left their mark, and it was still there many years after they were long gone: Solomon, who even though I like to think repented at the end of his life, made some mistakes and the effects were felt through Israel for generations. The Book of Ecclesiastes may be his reflection on all he had done, whether good or evil. Of Jeroboam, it’s written many times that he “made Israel to sin.” Of course there are many great examples as well (the most important, of course, being Jesus himself). Imagine when Paul is resurrected, and he gets to see the full result of his preaching effort, or Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when they get to see the Promises fulfilled and the reward for their faith. These examples are thousands of years old.

Even the little things we do in life can have a major impact, for better or worse. The “butterfly effect” is very real, and what you do can have a lasting effect long after you’re gone. How do you want to be remembered?

On the last night of my trip, I spent a few hours at the Lighthouse, taking photographs of it with the Milky Way in the background, and talking to people who had also come out to enjoy the night, but one thing I really appreciated was just watching the Lighthouse do its thing: shine its light. I sat there on the amphitheater for quite some time after finishing my photos, watching the rotating beam of the Lighthouse shine in all directions. The Lighthouse didn’t care what type of people were out there at sea; it just shined. Jesus—the Light of the World—tells us to let our light shine before all people, that they may see our good works and glorify our father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16). Think of all the people out there who are in darkness and need light; you may be the only light they ever get. No one hides a light under a box; it does no good that way. Be the example that others will want to follow.

Grace and peace,

-Dan

Tomorrow is the Super Bowl; countless Americans (and many more around the world) will tune in as the Rams and Bengals meet for all the marbles. Any incredible play or costly mistake will be seen (and then talked about) by millions; all of which will have seen the same game broadcast as everyone else. Have you ever wondered how many people are watching the same thing at any given moment?

A while back, I got a scam email from someone saying they had hacked into my computer’s webcam, and that they had video of me that they were going to send out to all my contacts if I didn’t pay the ransom. Now, I knew this was fake; I even considered calling their bluff, but I just deleted it. Many people choose to cover their laptop’s camera with a piece of tape, because there really are people out there who can hack into the camera and watch what they do, whenever they want.

Last week, one of my coworkers and I used my work computer to join a conference call with someone in a different state. We hadn’t done a video call in a long time, and for well over a year I had kept a piece of tape over the camera. I took the piece of tape off so the other person in the video call could see us, but it got me thinking: what good is the piece of tape? If I’m not doing anything wrong, who cares if some hacker in China is watching me from the other end of the planet?

Someone much more important is always watching: the LORD, and Jesus.  There is an old Sunday School song that goes something like:

“Oh be careful little eyes what you see,

Oh be careful little eyes what you see,

For your Father up above is looking down in love,

So be careful little eyes what you see.”

(followed by “be careful little ears what you hear, be careful little hands what you do, and so on).

The Apostle Paul tells us to abstain from all appearances of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22), to give our adversaries no reason nor occasion to speak badly of us; to be above reproach. Zig Ziglar once said, “live in such a way that if someone spoke badly of you, no one would believe it.” We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1). The LORD searches and knows you (Psalm 139:1). Keep your conduct honorable, so that when people speak evil of you, they may see your good works and glorify God on the day of visitation (1 Peter 2:12).

Every moment, everything you do and say, is monitored carefully by the LORD. He is looking not for fault (he doesn’t need to look for that; nothing is hidden from him; it is all in plain view), but looking out for you, because he wants you to be in his Kingdom with his Son, Jesus. It will be his great pleasure to have you there (Luke 12:32), but without holiness no man shall see him (Hebrews 12:14). Invite him to search and know you, and see if there be any wicked way in you, to lead you in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:23-24).

Grace and peace,

Dan

(Side note: this is the Super Bowl matchup that I’ve secretly wanted for a while—my high school’s mascot was a Tiger, and my college’s mascot was a Ram; I’m cool with whoever wins, but predicting the Rams win 28-17).