You will find that as your years unfold within your God-ordained days there will be watershed moments of realization and meaning. I have written several books as each of these pivots has occurred. The first, Curious Journey, has to do with my unfolding conclusions about the importance of personal story. The God Story reveals a Creator Father with unlimited capacity for relationships. Because He is so vast (and great) on both a molecular and cosmological basis, He literally holds all things together by the “word of His power.” Check this out. It is talking about the greatness of God’s Son Jesus:
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.” – Colossians 1:15-20
My story has meaning because of the greatness of God. Period.
Next I compiled some essays about the Kingdom. I came to realize that religion was not God’s endgame – but His Kingdom was everything. This book is about what the God Story reveals from Matthew: King first – then Kingdom – then church. It is this simple – and this difficult for mankind to embrace.
As the years unfolded I began to understand the depth of God’s desire for relationship. Not because He needs relationships. He has chosen to include us in on His perfect relationship with His Son and His Holy Spirit. As I learned about this I began to understand the God pattern for glorifying God. My Mentored by God book of essays explore this idea.
As I complete my journey as a care-giver among others I offer you my latest effort: The Turbulence of Imperfection. In it I feel I am able to address some of the questions which have chased me philosophically, scientifically, and within my personal faith through the years. I should have learned something by now, right?
Here is the idea.
“We live within a great paradox. While we work hard to control the circumstances and issues of our lives there are many things which are dictated by realities. These things are not insignificant in their power to impact our peace of mind and our contentment about where we have come, who we are, and where we feel we are headed.
More often than not life has delivered us some kind of turbulence – even chaos. Imperfection resides everywhere, and pain and uncertainty surrounds us in the form of challenges and disappointments – even within our most cherished hopes and dreams. This unpredictable mix reaches out to cover the end of our journeys as well: what exactly does happen when I die?
From the atheist to the faith-zealot on the life continuum, each of us has assembled our core beliefs which shape our world view. We make our life decisions accordingly. This is all very individual, personal, and powerful.
I am captivated by scientific thought. The shear weight of knowledge which has come to light during my lifetime is remarkable. I am swept up in all things beautiful and filled with wonder, and science and nature feed the deepest parts of me: the micro and the macro, the great and the small.
I enjoy the reasoning processes and conclusions of philosophical thinkers as well. There are many ways to look at any one aspect of life, and I find it so stimulating to contemplate the thoughts of other active thinkers, contemporary or historical, within the contexts of their own life contexts.
The role of faith within history and our human contemplation of ultimate meaning is fascinating, and has shaped the human story in significant ways. I personally draw clear lines between faith and religion, consulting Jesus for clarity about this.
Consequently, I choose to be brave and not blindly accept either ancient or modern platitudes or unfounded speculations. I believe our intellect, our internal being, and our capacity for human impact is inseparably linked within science, philosophy, and faith. These essays pursue such lines of reflection.”
Dave Nadler
Morningstar 2022
Check out the book under books – Enjoy!
Related links:
A song about turbulence
The Trouble With Traveling
Negotiating Imperfection
Courage: Rx for Trouble
Hope of turbulence/song