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10/10/2007: "Where's My Blog?"

listening to: FM 90.7 -- Andrews University -- Classical

I was lamenting a few months ago at how few pictures I had in this blog. I felt that it seemed so dull and dry with nothing but text. I was looking for any excuse to put in a picture, and even looked back in my personal web page history for pictures I could recycle.

So, now? I think the tables have turned. Unfortunately, I seem to post little but pictures nowadays! Taking command of our old digital camera – not to mention getting a new one – was great for my creativity, but I wonder how much substance I lost. Sometimes the story gets sacrificed for the sake of the pictures. I have done a good job of posting tons and tons of pictures to my Facebook site, which should be the outlet for all of my photography I don’t share here. However, I need to strike a balance, and get back to some basics, which are the words and thoughts.

It’s been a struggle to keep up lately due to our busy family schedules. Ever since the kids started school, we have been running, running, running. Posting pictures here and on Facebook has been challenging enough with time constraints. It’s fairly easy, though, to post nothing but pictures. Putting together good stories and essays is another issue altogether. I miss the basics!

Even more alarming than the lack of text and stories is the lack of praise and worship. One of the reasons I have this web site is to share my revelations of God and of His Son. I’m long overdue for some praise.

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Some Thursday’s ago, we studied the purpose and the promises of the Holy Spirit. Christ tells us the following about the Holy Spirit in John 15:26:

I will send you the Helper from the Father; he is the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father. When he comes, he will tell about me,

First off, think a bit about the term "helper." A helper is not necessarily a superior. Also, a helper is not necessarily a subordinate either. Although a helper could be either, we know that a helper works alongside of us, and assists us in our tasks.

Doesn’t this give further evidence that our God is a personal God? He sent His Son to walk among us so that we know He can empathize and sympathize with us. Jesus displayed a wide range of emotions and human characteristics while here on Earth: anger, joy, sadness, grief, submission to authority, assumption of authority, and he even sweat!

So, if God would send the Holy Spirit as a Helper, He gives us another personal piece of Himself. Although God does reign from above, He also has an important part of His being Who indwells in us after we accept Christ for who He is.

I learned more about the term from the lesson’s explanation of the original Greek:

”Helper” is parakletos from para, which means "beside," and kletos, which means to "call." A parakletos was someone who was called to another’s side to encourage, to give help, to succor. It is sometimes translated "comforter," sometimes "helper," sometimes "counselor." It can also be translated "encourager."

I could not help but think what a great and apt term "helper" was. It’s a personable term; it’s a tangible term to which we can relate. Our God cares for us, no matter what the circumstances are, and He proves it by working alongside of us in our daily walk, struggles and triumph.