Radically Happy

  • Day 38: Becoming a World-Class Christian – 40 Days of Purpose-Driven Life

    Day 38: Becoming a World-Class Christian – 40 Days of Purpose-Driven Life

    Purpose #5: You Were Made for a MissionMy Point to Ponder: The Great Commission is my commission. Verse to Remember: “Send us around the world with the news of your saving purpose and your eternal plan for all mankind.” — Psalm 62:7 (LB) Question to Consider: What steps can I…

  • The Testimony of Dr. Ernie: Why I Am A Christian

    As noted in today’s devotional, I don’t think I’ve ever posted my testimony — my salvation story — online. For the record, here it is, from something I suspect I first wrote in the 1990’s. Intriguingly, this perhaps does a better job of answering Alan’s questions than my DiaBlogue. Alan,…

  • Day 37: Sharing Your Life Message – 40 Days of Purpose-Driven Life

    Day 37: Sharing Your Life Message – 40 Days of Purpose-Driven Life

    Purpose #5: You Were Made for a Mission Point to Ponder: God wants to say something to the world through me. Verse to Remember: “Be ready at all times to answer anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you, but do it with gentleness and respect.”…

  • DiaBlogue: (EEE-III) Beneath Belief

    In the final part of my response to Alan’s EEE response to my epistemology, I want to address Alan’s concerns about specifics. First, in terms of specific, fleshed-out paradigms: Only (III), as far as I can tell, is concrete enough to be applied as a “truth test”. I wonder if…

  • DiaBlogue: (EEE-II) Context is King

    In part II of my response to Alan’s EEE response to my epistemology, I want to address Alan’s concerns about context: II. Knowledge is contextually accurate, paradigmatically-justified belief. I want to emphasize that my understanding of (II) is as a meta-definition of knowledge. I use “meta” here because specific definitions…

  • DiaBlogue: (EEE-I) Absolutely – Not?

    Since Alan raised several different but important points in his response to ‘take deux’ of my “Epistemology of Empirical Essentialism“, I’m going to tackle them in three parts. To start with, though he concedes EEE Is Not a Shoe Size, he does find my first assertion: I. Belief in truth…

  • Day 36: Made for a Mission – 40 Days of Purpose-Driven Life

    Day 36: Made for a Mission – 40 Days of Purpose-Driven Life

    Purpose #5: You Were Made for a Mission Point to Ponder: I was made for a mission. Verse to Remember: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe…

  • Day 35: God’s Power In Your Weakness – 40 Days of Purpose-Driven Life

    Day 35: God’s Power In Your Weakness – 40 Days of Purpose-Driven Life

    Purpose #4: You Were Shaped for Serving God Point to Ponder: God works best when I admit my weakness. Verse to Remember: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” — II Corinthians 12:9a (NIV) Question to Consider: Am I limited God’s power in…

  • Day 34: Thinking Like a Servant – 40 Days of Purpose-Driven Life

    Day 34: Thinking Like a Servant – 40 Days of Purpose-Driven Life

    Purpose #4: You Were Shaped for Serving God Point to Ponder: To be a servant I must think like a servant. Verse to Remember: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 2:5 (NIV) Question to Consider: Am I usually more concerned about being served…

  • DiaBlogue: Epistemology of Empirical Essentialism, Take Deux

    Though it did take me four blog posts: * Absolut Beliefs * Aristotle’s Spiral * To Good, Too, Be True * Brothers, Can Youse Paradigm? I feel pretty good about the resulting epistemology, which Alan apparently agrees with. I might summarize it here as: I. Belief in truth is inherently…

  • Day 33: How Real Servants Act – 40 Days of Purpose-Driven Life

    Day 33: How Real Servants Act – 40 Days of Purpose-Driven Life

    Purpose #4: You Were Shaped for Serving God Point to Ponder: I serve God by serving others. Verse to Remember: “And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.” — Matthew 10:42 (NLT) Question to Consider:…

  • Pray for the Peace of Iraq

    This is slightly off-topic, but today’s rioting in Iraq (which some see as the early stages of civll war) really touched my heart. I’m not the most sensitive soul, so that doesn’t happen very often. Hence, I wanted to take the time to fully respond to that prompting. Under the…

  • Day 32: Using What God Gave You – 40 Days of Purpose-Driven Life

    Day 32: Using What God Gave You – 40 Days of Purpose-Driven Life

    Purpose #4: You Were Shaped for Serving God Point to Ponder: God deserves my best. Verse to Remember: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” — II Timothy 2:15…

  • DiaBlogue: Brothers, Can Youse Paradigm?

    Despite the ominous title “Take It or Levitt” (possibly chosen for lack of a better pun :-), Alan’s post effectively highlights a number of issues that I concede I have not treated clearly enough: * How do community norms relate to “universally valid” knowledge? * What does it mean for…

  • Day 31: Understanding Your Shape – 40 Days of Purpose-Driven Life

    Day 31: Understanding Your Shape – 40 Days of Purpose-Driven Life

    Purpose #4: You Were Shaped for Serving God Point to Ponder: Nobody else can be me. Verse to Remember: “God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God’s many kinds of blessings.” — I Peter 4:10…

  • DiaBlogue: To Good, Too, Be True

    My fellow DiaBlogguer Alan warns, “This Better Be Good” as we continue our attempt to build a mutually satisfactory epistemology. I at least am finding the process enjoyable and productive, though he half-seriously complains about my filibustering some of his questions. 😉 Of my five points: 1. Truth exists 2.…

  • Day 30: Shaped for Serving God – 40 Days of Purpose-Driven Life

    Day 30: Shaped for Serving God – 40 Days of Purpose-Driven Life

    Purpose #4: You Were Shaped for Serving God Point to Ponder: I was shaped for serving God. Verse to Remember: “God works through different men in different ways, but it is the same God who achieves his purposes through them all.” — I Corinthians 12:6 (Ph) Question to Consider: In…

  • Day 29: Accepting Your Assignment – 40 Days of Purpose-Driven Life

    Day 29: Accepting Your Assignment – 40 Days of Purpose-Driven Life

    Purpose #4: You Were Shaped for Serving God Point to Ponder: Service is not optional. Verse to Remember: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” — Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) Question to Consider: What is holding…

  • Day 28: It Takes Time – 40 Days of Purpose-Driven Life

    Day 28: It Takes Time – 40 Days of Purpose-Driven Life

    Purpose #3: You Were Created to Become Like Christ Point to Ponder: There are no shortcuts to maturity. Verse to Remember: “God began doing a good work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again.” — Philippians 1:6 (NCV)…

  • DiaBlogue: Aristotle’s Spiral

    While “Heating a Red Porsche“, Alan kindly affirms the truth of my first two axiomatic principles in our new effort to define a mutually-satisfying epistemic framework: 1. Truth exists 2. Belief in Truth is Good However, he also raises an issue that appears to have long troubled him, which I…