What a Blessing!

I woke up this morning lying next to my dear wife and felt the baby kicking/punching quite strongly and was amazed to think how this time last year I was hoping SO HARD that this would be an eventuality.

My wife and I were talking just yesterday how we can't wait to meet him, wondering what he will be like, etc. When I think about him, honestly every other care melts away and I am so thankful that the Lord has continued to be faithful.

In other news, I did meet with my boss again yesterday and he came back with a number that is not quite what I hoped, but it was certainly a MUCH better raise than I got last year.

Big Meeting

Today I invited my boss out to dinner since this Thursday marks two years with my law firm (amazing how time flies, isn't it?). We ate at Outback, which was great food, and it was a lot more relaxed than if we met at the office to discuss my standing with the firm.

I think it went pretty well, and I'm sure I may have showed my hand a little, but I prayed fervently before the meeting that God would grant favor with my boss and that God would be honored in it all.

For those that have prayed, thanks! Do continue to pray as everything hasn't been stated or ironed out yet, so we'll see where it ends up.

I'm just glad it's over!

Whirlwind of Change...

So, two months ago, I was simply a low-level associate traveling the roads of Virginia and looking for a way out of my job...

And now, somehow, in two months, we lost a paralegal (the other one's last day is tomorrow), my supervising attorney left for a job in Ohio, we've hired two new paralegals and I'm managing them and looking for a newer attorney who apparently I will manage as well.

It's just really bizarre to think that things can change that quickly in just a short period of time--I actually conducted a semi-interview with an attorney that interviewed with our office today. I didn't think I'd EVER do that, at least not this soon.

But certain circumstances really convinced me, even before this happened, that my time here in this job and this area is not quite done yet (my wife being pregnant, my neighbor's situation, other situations). I say "yet" because my wife and I may be nomads in some sense for the rest of our lives, only God knows (we've moved nine times in less than seven years of marriage)--but I know that His hand is in this, and He has been faithful throughout.

God's timing is always perfect, though we're not always able to trust Him leading up to the fulfillment of His faithfulness.

*******************

I would also ask for continued prayers for my neighbor, whose wife left several weeks ago and is going down a path that grieves the Lord. Pray for repentance, reconciliation and restoration (for both of them). Pray that truth would break through and awaken her heart. My heart breaks for them both, because I know that but for the grace of God and the restraining power of the Holy Spirit such evil lurks and could manifest itself in my own heart.

Do They Really Want to Free Tibet?

If you've paid attention to the news at all with the upcoming Beijing Olympics, you've probably seen the protests that have been going on both in China with Tibetan monks and other Tibetans and now the protests here in America (San Francisco, specifically).

Now, I'm fully aware of China's human rights abuses and make no mistake, I'd like to make them accountable for what they have done (and are more than likely still doing). But what does that mean--how do we do that?

A few weeks ago I blogged about Mark Steyn's book, America Alone. He mentions that people have been protesting about freeing Tibet for years. In all seriousness, what has that accomplished? Slapping a bumper sticker on your car or tethering your self to the suspension cables of the Golden Gate bridge (which apparently they are doing) makes a statement, but it doesn't make Tibet any more free.

To those that protest: do you think that China will simply say in response to your protests, "you know, you're right, we shouldn't be doing that and we should free the Tibet people." Really? They won't any listen any more than if during WWII we had pleaded with Hitler to stop persecuting and killing the Jewish people during the Holocaust or with Stalin when he killed millions of his own people.

Rhetoric and protests are fine to do, but those that do that must realize that action must be taken to address the wrong--turning back through the pages of history in our own country, even to the start, did we ask the British crown nicely and they simply let us become our own country? No, we had to fight for our independence. This is what the American military is attempting to do in Iraq (whether you agree whether the war should have been waged or not in agreement with how it is being carried out)--to create a free Iraq.

Are those that protest willing to take a military force in to free Tibet? I don't think that they are--perhaps at most they would advocate a "peacekeeping" force but I doubt they would even go for that. Diplomacy has been tried for years on the human rights issue in China and while abuses may not be as obvious, they are still going on.

So, go on, keep protesting and slap your bumper stickers on your cars and do nothing more--the Olympics will pass and you will go back to what you were doing before the Olympics were approaching.

And Tibet will still not be free.

Small Repreive Before the Storm

By providence I will actually NOT have to be in court tomorrow, since I was able to get my cases in one area covered by another attorney, as well as get another case docket covered that I thought I might have to go on. Being in the office is crucial since the attorney that is leaving will be here only until Friday, so I have to learn as much as I can by then.

To say that I am unsure what the future holds with this position is to understate the case, but I do know that God ordains all things to pass as they do (if I did not believe that, worry and/or anxiety could easily paralyze me to the point I could not function!). I do have to work hard at not getting overwhelmed within the moment (it's easy to do when you get back to the office and have 30 voicemail messages!), but that is getting easier.

The good news is that I'm pretty sure we found a paralegal last week that should start soon, which will be a quite welcome thing, especially for our sole (and stressed) paralegal.

The thing that I pray in all of this is that I continue to work to be able to live, rather than living to work--my law career, while it is a profession, is simply a means to provide for my family and never supersedes my family or my faith (at least it shouldn't, though as busy as I have been, my devotional life has not been good as of late).

But one thing that keeps me going more than ever is the amazing event that will happen sometime in late September when I will be holding MY child in my arms. It's so amazing just to be able to type those words--I'll try to live in that moment for a long time, even though I know I won't be able to.

WHAM!

That was the sound of my jaw hitting the floor when the big boss (guy with name on the door) told me that my supervising attorney (only other attorney than me at the firm other than the big boss) was leaving our firm at the end of THIS MONTH! I was just stunned.

I'm still reeling a little bit and I had a short meeting today with the departing attorney, and while they are interviewing some attorneys to replace her (they will try to hire two attorneys to do her position because the job really requires it), if they don't find some, my job after this month will go from difficult to downright impossible. And just having let go a paralegal last week and finding a new one is also on the plate at the moment--I will have to watch and make sure that our only existing paralegal doesn't get too overwhelmed.

So we'll see. I (and my pregnant wife especially) would appreciate your prayers.

Mixed Bag at Court Yesterday

Yesterday was an interesting day--I had a court appearance in the morning and one in the afternoon, and neither went how I thought it was going to go.

I had one case yesterday morning about an hour and a half away (which meant I had to get up early to drive and be there), and when I got there, proper service on the case had not been made, so I had to continue the case and drive back with no result.

In the afternoon, I fully expected to dismiss all my cases due to a judge that (in my opinion) was requiring more than the law required as far as documentation, but when I arrived, it was a different judge completely and I got judgment on all of my cases. A blessing, indeed!

I feel mostly recovered from the Super Bowl party the other night, but in some ways I am glad football season is over so that I essentially have six or seven months off from post-season type games that I might have to stay up for (baseball playoffs come around in September and October, when a certain little one will be joining us.... :) ).

My First Trial is Over!

I had court this morning about 3 hours away at 8:30 (which means I woke up at 4 and left at 5 AM), and that wasn't too bad.

But I had a trial today back here in the Valley that I have really not been looking forward to for a couple of weeks--the opposing counsel was actually being considered for a judgeship, and I really didn't know how it was going to pan out.

I got back from my morning court date around 12:30 and stopped by my office to make some copies, but I was otherwise unable to do ANYTHING before I left because all I could think about was the upcoming trial in town at 2:00.

They put on their case, I put on mine and at the end of the day, I got judgment in favor of my client (the defendant, so it was dismissed). I was thrown a couple of curves during the trial and I honestly didn't think we'd come out victorious, but God was faithful in giving me favor with the judge. It feels so good that it's over now, and I'm glad I was able to get a good result for my client.

My boss even let me go home a little early since I'd been up for about 12 hours, which was nice. I think my wife and I are going out to eat tonight to celebrate, which should be fun.

And as an example that it's not like what you see on TV, the opposing attorney came over after the case was done and congratulated me, telling me I did a good job. Don't believe what you see on television--the bar (what we call the group of attorneys that practice before the courts) is on the large whole a great group of men and women of integrity who you can argue with before the judge but yet after court go grab a bite to eat with or play golf with on the weekend. Most people think that we're mean to each other and that somehow helps them in their case, when in fact it does quite the opposite--if opposing counsel have good rapport, it makes any litigation go much smoother (or may even prevent it--good attorneys aren't deliberately trying to delay or make it difficult for the other side). Being an attorney is a privilege (which I could tell you by the fact that the Bar is quite busy policing itself and takes infractions VERY seriously) and I consider it a privilege to be counted among them.

Jesus as Guarantor of a BETTER Covenant

Pastor David continued into Hebrews 7 yesterday, covering verses 18-22:

18 For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness 19 (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. 20 And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, 21 but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him:

“The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind,
‘You are a priest forever.’”

22 This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.

Pastor David began by reminding us the definition of covenant, which is essentially a solemn promise between two parties. A guarantor is someone that assumes responsibilities for paying another's debt or fulfilling their responsibilities (for example, like a co-signer on a car loan).

Beginning in the text, the writer-preacher is quick to point out yet again the weak nature of the Old commandments in how they could not save and did not make anything perfect. The writer also again points to the uniqueness of Christ's priesthood, in that Christ was made priest with an oath (whereas Levitical priests were made priests simply by bloodline)--The LORD swore an oath that Christ would be priest forever. The permanence of such a promise likely had a profound effect on the hearers, yet they were still tempted to go back to what they knew!

The reason that the writer preacher is spending time on this is that the hearers of this message are under much persecution--homes are being destroyed and they are being thrown in prison. It was easy to follow Christ when times were easy and good, and the Romans tolerated their religion--but Pastor David pointed out that when the persecution began, the pressure was trying to push them back to the Old Covenant and all that came along with it.

But the writer's point in showing this "better hope" and Jesus being the guarantor of a better covenant is to show them that Jesus fulfilled the law and superseded the Old Covenant and brought the New Covenant. There is no Old Covenant to retreat to, and yet these hearers wanted to run back to it!

The same pull or force that tempted them to desire the ways of the Old Covenant is the same force that drives us to fall back into old patterns when we come into suffering or strife that tests our faith. When we are stressed and the pressure is brought to bear on our life, we crave the "comfortable" (or at least what we think is comfort). Even as regenerated, new creations in Christ, we grab for the thing which does not satisfy when we are put under pressure, because we think that will satisfy and bring us comfort. But it is a lie! Christ, as the guarantor of a better covenant, is the only thing that will truly satisfy and sustain. We cannot turn to bad language, violence, pornography, gossip, or other vices to alleviate our suffering or make us feel better about ourselves. We must ask the Spirit to cleanse our minds and our thoughts and fight the temptation to revert to patterns which we must surrender to Him.

Lord help us to resist the temptation to fall back into old patterns and instead cling to the Cross, as you are the guarantor of a better covenant and a lasting hope!

Hindu Prayers in the Halls of Congress

Everyday in the halls of Congress, in the Senate especially, a prayer is given before the start of each day's session. Today, "history" was made because the first Hindu prayer was given by Rajan Zed, who is an interfaith director at a Hindu temple in Reno, Nevada. He was invited by Senator Harry Reid, D-Nevada.

Some protesters made quite a ruckus in the gallery while the prayer was made, and Harry Reid, a Mormon, defended his choice to invite Zed by saying these two things (go here for the story):

"If people have any misunderstanding about Indians and Hindus," Reid said, "all they have to do is think of Gandhi," a man "who gave his life for peace."

Which of course makes all Indians and Hindus ever peaceful, right? Let's forget about violence between Hindus and Muslims or violence of Hindus against Christians, right?

"I think it speaks well of our country that someone representing the faith of about a billion people comes here and can speak in communication with our heavenly Father regarding peace."

Now, as Frank Turk correctly comments, "Here we have a Mormon defending a Hindu as if either of them believes in the same god."

Here, a Mormon who believes in a monotheistic God (though that view is warped and false) defends the prayer of a pantheistic Hindu, who prays to an abstract "Deity Supreme," as if they're playing on the same team? Does anything in that prayer even suggest that the Hindu was praying to "our heavenly Father"?

But the best part of the article? The quote by the director of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, in response to the protesters, saying it "shows the intolerance of many religious right activists. They say they want more religion in the public square, but it's clear they mean only their religion."

(I'm convinced that the AP has that guy on their speed dial for these stories, because he always seems to be quoted in such religious "equality" or tolerance situations.)

As a lawyer, I understand the idea of religious freedom and free speech--but the real problem going on here is the muddling of the truth. It's not a matter of tolerance but intolerance.

We are told to accept other faiths into the public square while being told to throw away any ideas of there being only one way to heaven which is through Christ. God and Allah are not the same, and neither are God and the Supreme Deity that the Hindu spoke of the same.

Day Downer

I had my yearly review today, one that I had not really been looking forward to. I just got back from a quite fruitless court date (the only case that I could have gotten something from, the person showed up and stated they did not owe the amount sued)--drove about 2 1/2 hours there and 2 1/2 hours back to essentially continue all my cases to a new date.

Right before lunch, I was called into my supervising attorney's office, we had a five minute discussion about things we had already talked about (things where I could improve) and then I was told that I would get a raise that from what I calculated was essentially a cost of living increase. I am grateful for a raise, though it is small and as an attorney, hard to face. I didn't really reply or have any thing to say since it wouldn't have done anything to change it--it's not like the initial negotiation process when hiring. THEY evaluate YOU and tell you how it's going to be. My "grade" was not very encouraging, but what can you do about it but move on and do better tomorrow--it punched me in the stomach today but you gotta get back up!

I'll grant that I've made mistakes (some of which were big) and that I probably didn't pick things up as fast as they wanted, but for all the traveling I do (even being reimbursed), I can't really say that I can stay here at the level of pay I've got (not to mention for financial reasons--student loans just don't disappear!). And I'm certainly not one of those self-esteem needy guys who needs to be puffed up, but I can't honestly remember one time this past year where I was called into one of the other attorney's offices for a positive reason, it was always when I was doing something wrong. So it seems if I'm not having office talks with them, it's a good thing. It's been an interesting experience so far, and I'm trying hard to keep an open mind to learning in spite of the struggle and my frustrations.

I'm glad to be working rather than not working (I did that for 10 months) and I have to find purpose in where my wife and I have been put. But it doesn't make it any easier to wonder why it seems that I've had to struggle harder than the majority of my classmates in making my way in the legal profession. God's got a plan, I know, but the weird schedule and traveling makes me weary at times (traveling 1100 miles this week alone makes me long for the weekend!).