Profound and Sometimes Preposterous Ponderings of Pete

John1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. This morning during worship I was given a word picture. Please understand this picture is neither an argument for nor against "Big Bang" theory.  It is not flying in the face of established astrophysics or quantum mechanics.  It is simply a model, a simplistic representation, or gestal

I have been laboring under a wrong assumption.  Many of our praise and worship songs speak of surrendering to God in some way or another.  One of Billy Graham's favorite hymns is "I Surrender All."  My false assumption is that this surrender was a one time event. Imagine how bad I have felt over the years.  If I truly surrendered such and such an area in my life I would no longer have to struggle there. Obviously I did not surrender it totally to God!  Guess what?! That is not biblical.  Read Romans 7 if you think I am wrong. If surrender was a one time event, we would all be on Easy Street.  The fact is we are fallen and while we do have a born again spirit (that is those of us who profess Jesus Christ), our bodies are not.  Our flesh and sin nature wins battles.  And that is the crux or point of this point.  The war is won! But there are many battles to be fought.  If you are like me and enjoy history, you will know that the American Civil War is an excellent model.

The wolf has shed its wooly guise, a shredded family its bloody prize. It doesn't care for the flock it scatters, nor the fragile souls its ego shatters. As long as it can feed on strife and hate, Its devouring lust nothing can sate. Glowing orbs in darkness seek, Complacency, and ones who are weak. So beware of whom, you let through your door, guard your house like never before. The gentle bleating with sudden flourish, fiercely growls and all will perish.

Ever come face-to-face with your own history? Today I did.  I had the blessing and humbling honor to meet the man who was responsible for my life and the lives of my family.  Today I met Matthew Duffy, formally, Sgt. Matt Duffy. Sgt Duffy served in the U.S. Army during WWII. Why is he responsible for my family's lives?  Come with me on this incredible tale and find out.  My father, Gottfried Kligmann and his brother Samuel Kligmann were imprisoned in Dachau concentration camp after their half brother turned them in.  They were scheduled to be executed when the US Army arrived an hour ahead of schedule.  Sgt Duffy was one of the soldiers who arrived at that time. Here is a snippet of his story which he related to me today. His battalion, the 2nd Ranger battalion, was attached to the 101st,, airborn battalion but he was with the ground troops.  They were to make a coordinated ground/paratrooper strike on a target. The airborn soldiers were behind schedule and the ground troops wer

Destined To Be Holy . . it is written, ’Be holy, for I am holy’ —1 Peter 1:16 We must continually remind ourselves of the purpose of life. We are not destined to happiness, nor to health, but to holiness. Today we have far too many desires and interests, and our lives are being consumed and wasted by them. Many of them may be right, noble, and good, and may later be fulfilled, but in the meantime God must cause their importance to us to decrease. The only thing that truly matters is whether a person will accept the God who will make him holy. At all costs, a person must have the right relationship with God. Do I believe I need to be holy? Do I believe that God can come into me and make me holy? If through your preaching you convince me that I am unholy, I then resent your preaching. The preaching of the gospel awakens an intense resentment because it is designed to reveal my unholiness, but it also awakens an intense yearning and desire within me. God has only one intended desti

My little boy Jake who I called Boise Idaho is getting married next month. How did I get to be so old? My little girl Rachael went home before me. How did I get to be so old? My oldest grandchild is 11. How did I get to be so old? My arthritis is flaring and I need a new hip. How did I get to be so old? My memory is weak and my skills are waning. How did I get to be so old? My doctor has told me I am aging fast. How did I get to be so old? So while my beard gets grayer day by day, and words of wisdom I can no longer say. I thank my God that getting older means, Eternity is much closer than when I was in my teens!

My friend Rob Lindley, who recently lost his son asked me if I have images of Rachael frozen in time.  I do.  This poem I wrote for her funeral 5 years ago and have posted it before.  Here it is again.  It is her, frozen in my mind and heart's time. The Purple Princess by Pete Kligmann There was a purple princess who was her daddy's joy. She climbed the highest trees as fast as any boy. Those who got to know her found her love was true. She gave her life to Jesus, her friends, and family too. She loved to cook, and ride, and play. She had to read everyday. She wanted to be just like her mama, A midwife and mom to lots. She learned all about childbirth and babysat many tots. She often loved to sing out loud but rarely sang on key. Her love and praise of Jesus Christ was plain for all to see. Rachael, dear Rachael. I give you to your princely groom, but always remember in your daddy's heart, there remains an empty room.

Some memories are too painful to let your mind settle, They boil and slop and spill all over like soup in a kettle. Some memories are bitter-sweet and filled with warmth and tears. Some memories lose their poignancy as we move beyond in years. But the best memories are those that have all been sown in love, And though they are no longer here, are still remembered above.

Recently I was told that my illness back in Feb 2009 left me with more brain damage than just short term memory loss and a warped sense of humor. [Delete the latter I was born with that. ;)].  Apparently a rise in adrenaline due to stress interferes with my basic problem-solving thought processes.  I am a masters degreed chemist in the field of physical chemistry which is the physics of chemistry.  Well, was.  Think about it. My intelligence has not been diminished but an important part of my ability to apply it has. I have become more of a burden to my family.  My poor wife can say with truth that she has to take care of 10 kids still at home. She also was the one who had to inform me of this handicap.  Everyone in my family knew this about me except me and that it was obvious from almost the beginning.  In my struggle with understanding this knowledge I hurt and insulted my wife. So I also suffer from CRIS (Cranial Rectal Insertion Syndrome). She has forgiven me because she is a w

Our small group is following or doing a video series study produced by Focus On The Family called, The Truth Project.   I am not fond of this format; however, I really enjoyed the first lesson and am looking forward to the next. The speaker/teacher, Dr. Del Tackett has an excellent style and is very engaging.  I was amazed at how often Jesus referenced and spoke of the truth.  I am looking forward to more. This post is not about the video but about something I have been trying to relay as well as something I myself have been learning and experiencing.  The first video lesson ended with the question and challenge "Do you really believe in the reality that you believe?" Wow!  It brought back to mind something one of our pastors, Jodi Van Rhee, asked the congregation one Sunday morning a couple of years ago. (She is our worship leader and she and her husband Eric, our church's pastors, are great and special friends to our family.) She asked us after a song, if we truly be

I do not mean this in a disrespectful or piteous manner.  Actually, I empathize and sympathize with him. Peter truly meant to lay down his life and freely give it to Christ.  Jesus told him he would deny him 3 times before the cock crows. Did Jesus do this to make Peter feel more guilt or to inspire him against the denial? Guilt comes from hell so not that. Jesus did not get in the way of his father's plan so the latter can't be. So why? If you know Jesus, there can only be one reason.  Peter was going to do what he was going to do.  Christ knew this and he also knew that this would devastate Peter afterwards and wear on Peter for years. Peter knowing that Christ knew beforehand made his redemption more complete. Because if the denial was known beforehand; therefore, the forgiveness and grace were known beforehand.  When Peter realized this, he could let go of the burden of the denial. Sooooo, have you ever denied Christ?  Be honest.  I have.  More than 3 times. Actually, ev

Today is Good Friday.  Many have asked why do we call it Good when an innocent man was put to death with a punishment reserved for traitors and those found guilty of the most heinous crimes.  If you are a believer, you know the answer and need not continue reading if this feels like "preaching to the choir." This post is for my friends, family, and loved ones who are not. Many of you have heard the message before and like me rejected it due to its presentation or the hypocrisy of the presenters or both. Some of you have not. First, you should know, that I cannot save you nor am I trying to.  My job, as a disciple of Christ is to present the good news. The rest is between you and God. He and he alone is the author of salvation. I will also preface this with the fact, that after years of searching and research, I believe the Bible to be true and the word of God. Brief history: God created man (evolution is unfounded - even atheist biologists state that) in his image; an et

OK brothers and sisters please put the stones down! They have been trying to take him out of Christmas for years. I say let's turn the tables on them. Please hear me out. The name Easter is a pagan fertility goddess.  Every Easter tradition is pagan and has absolutely nothing to do with what we believe. So let's remove Christ from it all together.  We move Easter to the first day of spring. That way the sun (Spring equinox) can be worshiped, Mother Earth/Nature can be worshiped, the bunny can be worshiped, the food coloring industry can worshiped, and whatever favorite confectioners can be worshiped.  It eliminates the conflict of to whom the holiday belongs.  It is a tolerant, equitable, and non-offensive solution to the problem. We then keep our most holy of days and call it Resurrection Day or Born Again Day or Day of Salvation or some other appropriate title.  It will still occur on the 4th day (after Passover), and we can eliminate the use of pagan traditions which ha

For the past couple of months Corinne and I and my whole family have been enjoying a program called Duck Dynasty.  When I first saw it advertised I thought it was an incredibly stupid idea/show. After finally seeing it, I fell in love with it!  The crazy antics of the brothers and the uncle as well as the down home wisdom of the father and mother are truly entertaining.  At the end of the show/day they all gather around the table to eat as a family and the father Phil thanks God for providing for them. I have heard and overheard some harsh criticism about some of the topics and some of the behavior shown. Some of it has come from Christian circles. Let's look at the patriarch of the family Phil Robertson.  He is truly a woodsman/country guy.  He knows exactly who he is, is not ashamed of who he is, and does not apologize for it.  He adores his wife and is not afraid to say so.  She dotes on him and he on her.  They have been married a long time and still look at each other w

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. (ESV) It seems as though that is a duh no-brainer for most Christians and for most circumstances it is.  But when you face a long tiring enduring trial, it is really tested.  I am talking about when your child is dying or spouse, or close one and you can do nothing to stop or prevent or alleviate the pain during the process and after the death. Or if you become disabled, but for all appearances you look like a healthy strong man. You want to be the provider for your family, but you cannot take on a full time job and so you watch your spouse work long hours to bring in the money while you feel like any contribution you make is minimal.  When you feel like you are getting better and stronger and try to do something simple like walk across a football field and afterward you are back on oxygen for the next few days.   There are probably millions of other examples; many of which are not my

I have had several people tell me that I am an example of great faith.  I don't understand this because I feel that I am an example of lousy faith.  Yes I have had some and am still having some very difficult trials.  But trusting God is not something I will myself to do.  It is something that I have no choice but to do. I see this more as desperation than faith.  God has stripped me of any ability to resolve any of the issues I face and has left me with hoping in Him and Him alone.  If I did not have Him to hope in I would die.  Again not faith.  Just no other choice.  Some might say that that is exactly where God wants me to be.  I will agree because that is exactly where He has me.  But I am not convinced that it is faith. Abraham is an example of great faith.  He was rich and set where he was and yet he listened to God's call and left.  He had the power and ability to do different but he did not.  You might then say that if God calls you, you have no choice but to follow

Laura, dear Laura.  You are now gone. You left us all to carry on. The hole we have can never be filled, There is no drying of the tears we spilled. For all of your kids and your Bob, Living now is an odious job. For your mom, dad, and siblings too, their colors now are all gray and blue. Dear Aunt Crafty what can we say, No longer will your handiwork brighten our day. Your big sister Corinne whose heart is so broken, Will miss so much your strength unspoken. We know that you will now not suffer, Your fight against death has made us all tougher. We never would wish for your continued pain, but after all is said and done, our sunshine has been turned into rain, and life has become much less fun.

So here we are, well into the "New Year" and it is not so "happy."  We are struggling on so many different fronts.  My health is not great.  My sister-in-law is dying.  We are barely getting by.  I know this seems like a whiney post and I guess maybe it is.  My wife and I are tired.  We are weary of the trials.  James says to count it all joy.  I am not seeing it. Prov 3:11-12 says not to shun the Lord's discipline because he disciplines those he loves.  I am not "feelin the love."  Heb 13 states that the "Lord is my helper. What can man do to me?"  Do I need to make a list?  I know.  I know.  In the face of eternity this is nothing.  I know I have enough for the day and I know I should not worry because worrying is a sin.  His grace is sufficient etc. etc.  How easy it is to quote scripture when you are NOT walking through the valley of the shadow of death.  I am a fleshly sinful man.   I will not deny that.  It is hard to have an eternal p