Saturday, November 27, 2010
Thankful, thankful
The light at the end of the tunnel. Better put, the Light at the end of the tunnel.
This has been a frightening and arduous journey but thank God - thank God! - we are seeing joy and peace reign in the Zockoll home as the Lord opens doors of tranquility, giving heart-depth relief from trials.
What a joy, what a joy.
This Thanksgiving season has a depth of meaning that no other Thanksgiving has had. I will share more of the details tomorrow and in the coming days.
Jesus is letting me see the reality of John 16:33 - true tharseo - truly being of good cheer.
Thank you, Lord.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
The experiences of Job
I mainly found out that God can show Himself to me better if I just get out of the way.
It's no news to you that we've had a pretty tough row to hoe in recent years. Jill's health, my work, our family ... we've all undergone some pretty nasty broadsides. Time and time again I cried out to God for relief from the oppression that seemed to come day after day without relief. In fact, I can remember in the midst of a day of a Social Security setbacks, a family crisis, and an injury to myself, I had to start laughing. I can recall telling Jill that it almost seemed funny, the way the things were piling on. The actual details are not important, but the lesson I wish to share is: God wanted us to draw closer to Him and depend on Him more.
And it has been happening with us. Day by day my realization of the awesomeness and overshadowing care grows. I am embarrassed by the foolhardy assumptions I've had. I agree with the Christian scholar who quoted Shakespeare: "Man, poor man, so ignorant in that which he knows best." I am amazed - being a Bible teacher, especially this year in teaching, OT Survey, psychology and Koine Greek - and how downright stupid i am in subjects I teach. The more I dig into the Bible the more I realize God's power and protection and leading to the right path.
And now I take a deep breath and answer the question: "Has it been - and is it still - worth the trouble you've been through, that God has become more real and more personal to you."
And I gulp right now and say - and I can hardly believe I am saying this - yes.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Zockoll update
The Zockoll household is readying for the fall in July, believe it or not. Peter will be going to Lee University here in Tennessee. Julianne will be heading to Grace Christian Academy into kindergarten - big step in her life! - and Jill will be a homeroom mother, assisting the teacher. I will be teaching Bible and Psychology in the Senior High while helping write articles for the Basketball Federation of America, 42nd Street Designs, OnDemand Web, Faith in Dreams movie studios and a number of other corporations.
Friday, July 23, 2010
agape love is beyond emotion
Friday, July 16, 2010
Bancroft
I took Julianne and Jill and we headed up past Kingsport where I spoke at Bancroft Bible Camp, a fine campground with a wonderful heritage, dedicated people and a true love for the Lord. Most of the children attending are on scholarship, to my understanding, and the staff gives each child loving and careful attention. The director is Keith Walsworth, and he has a powerful ministry at Bancroft.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
C.S. Lewis quote: Jesus
"God has landed on this enemy-occupied world in human form...The perfect surrender and humiliation was undergone by Christ: perfect because He was God, surrender and humiliation because He was man."
--The Case for Christianity
Friday, May 14, 2010
Preparing for the fall
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Gifts
Due to my writing and teaching workload lately it has been more difficult to try to keep up on regular blogging, but I'll try my best. What a see-saw month in the Zockoll household. Numerous contracts with many hard-working companies slow to pay me due to the economy. They're trying their best, but it still makes it extremely hard on our finances. Nevertheless, we have been able to see the Lord reach into our home and care for us during these trying times. Jill has been a pillar of strength many times. Last week I grew increasingly frustrated over some long-overdue payments due to me, and she was a caring and patient friend, helping me talk it out and sharing with me.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
1Thessalonians 4:9 ... "... for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another..."
The word 'love' here (agapao) means to love unconditionally and sacrificially as God Himself loves sinful men (John 3:16), the way He loves the Son (John 3:35, 15:9). It's more than an emotion - it's an act of the will. A powerful lesson for me as I work in the world.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Thank You, Lord
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Pilgrims' Chorus from Wagner's Tannhäuser
Once more with joy O my home I may meet
Once more ye fair, flowr'y meadows I greet
My Pilgrim's staff henceforth may rest
Since Heaven's sweet peace is within my breast.
The sinner's 'plaint on high was heard
On high was heard and answered by the Lord
The tears I laid before His shrine
Are turned to hope and joy divine.
O Lord eternal praise be Thine!
The blessed source of Thy mercy overflowing
On souls repetant seek Ye, all-knowing
Of hell and death, I have no fear
For thou my Lord are ever near
Alleluia!
Alleluia!
Alleluia! For evermore
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
words of an agnostic
Monday, March 15, 2010
Our failure
Monday, March 01, 2010
Reflection
I think of all the achievements and honors that I was fortunate enough to receive in my lifetime and I can in all honesty say that it is so much codswallop.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Theodicy - God and an Evil World
Another thought:
God might be allowing evil to continue in order to prove a point...
From the moment of Adam's rebellion against God, a new order of events began happening which continues to this day. That new order, through the effects of sin, altered the course of both man and creation. Both were affected by sin. Creation was no longer a paradise,(Gen. 3:17-18; Rom. 8:22) and people's very nature changed (Rom. 5:12;Eph. 2:3, Rom. 3:19-12) to go against God. Earth could never be confused with Heaven. There is no permanency of existence here on Earth - death is inevitable. There are no pain-free lives - everyone has a bull's eye on their back.
Why? We see that evil is a global force and it brings about suffering, reminding people that rebellion against God - from Adam's to ours - brings about pain, suffering and death.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
The latest
This is the first time I've been able to have time to sit down and have a snatch of time to make an entry into the Journal. The last few weeks have been almost manic, to say the least. I've been out of speaking and teaching assignments almost daily, while taking on more writing assignments. The Christian Writer's Workshops went well, and the Zockoll Chronicles site (www.zockollchronicles.com) was bought out by Guzo International Spots Management for the purpose of announcing new tournaments and events as well as up-and-coming basketball players around the nation. I have taken on three new ghost-writing contracts along with daily web page maintenance.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Praise to the Lord the Almighty
Sunday, February 07, 2010
More on Theodicy
It's not an easy subject when we deal with the fact that we see suffering all through the world constantly. As Christians we believe God is capable of preventing evil, and God wants to rid the universe of evil. Right?
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Theodicy
Friday, January 29, 2010
Manna - enough for one day
Exodus 16 relates the story of God' provision to the Israelites - they had left Egypt with no food or water, according to the Scriptures - of flat, wafer-like substance called manna (literally "what is it?") that lay on the ground every morning, a heaven-sent breakfast from God.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Friday thoughts
As we near the end of January, I'm hard at work on the calendar in planning for the upcoming season. I'll be hosting Christian Writer Workshops at churches and bookstores around the country. Yesterday I was able to finalize the meetings I'll have in Maryland and here in Tennessee. Plus, I'm arranging for speaking engagements at churches as I present Koine Greek messages and Apologetics as well. The Lord is guiding, it's so obvious to us.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
The Great Story of Joseph
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Mighty
"Mighty to save." Isaiah 63:1
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
new website is launched
Saturday, January 09, 2010
'Allown Bakuwth
"But Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allonbachuth." - Genesis 35:8
Friday, January 08, 2010
Well-pleasing
A nice blanket of snow has hit us here in Eastern Tennessee and as usual the schools have all closed down for the day. I know, I know, you friends from the northern climes are going to laugh at our 1 and 2 inches of snowfall. I realize that your schools don't close until at least a foot or two collapses the whole highway system but cut us some slack - we don't see much of this anymore. Remember, I was born in Pennsylvania and I can remember some whompin' good snows in my day. The picture here was taken on the way in to Gatlinburg on the Smoky Mountain Parkway by a weather-watcher. It gives a nice idea of what we have outdoors right now.
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Prophecy in Genesis 29:8?
As we know that sheep are used as a symbol of unsaved man, and water is a symbol of the eternal life given by Jesus Christ, this passage came up like a speed bump in my reading.
Friday, January 01, 2010
Happy 2010
The whole family was out in force at the Zockoll homestead last night, seeing in the New Year. Robert and Marlene Livesay. Jill's folks, were over and leading us in a rousing game of Apples to Apples, which lasted for a good couple of hours of debate and influence (try the game if you're not familiar with what I'm saying). Jill was showing off our new dishwasher (what can I say? We get hyper over the small things in life) while Peter was breaking in a new video game in the Man Room. The most excitement was our fireworks display in the back yard. The family piled onto the deck while Nicholas, Peter and I lit off the best of Bimbo's Fireworks inventory - we really went all out this year, and ignited fireworks with enjoyable titles like Triumph America, Happiness, and Chinese Explosive Connection.
(Psalm 92:1,2)