Chris Hambleton's Blog, page 6
March 21, 2016
Lessons from Lamech
Over the last several weeks, I’ve been re-reading one of my favorite books called “The Days of Lamech” by Jon Saboe. The plot revolves around the biblical characters Lamech and Enoch (Genesis 5-6) resisting a strange race called the Semyaz, and ends with Noah and the Flood. The author weaves in his own clever sci-fi spin on the Antediluvian (pre-Flood) world by casting Enoch as an ancient version of Nikola Tesla who invented power-generating pyramids, wireless electricity-transmission, and ru...
March 6, 2016
The Curious Case of the Missing Creativity
Over the last coupleyears, I’ve noticed that something has been dwindling: my sense of creativity. The thing is, I don’t know whether it’s dying, taking an extended vacation, or justout for a very longlunch! And if I amindeed losing my creativity, how can I get it back?
It’s a rather curious problem to consider. Creativity has never struck me as something that I need to consciously cultivate — it’s just there, or in this case, it isn’t. I’d be walking or driving or even mowing the lawn and I’...
February 21, 2016
Dangerous Prayers and Killing the Weed
A couple weeks ago, I posted an entry called “Dangerous Prayers and a Sloppy Wet Kiss” that I’ve been doing more than my share of soul-searching about. Usually afterI write about a subject, I tend not torevisit it for awhile. But this one’s different — this one’s more important. This one’s more foundational.
Soon after I returned from Israel a couple years ago (early 2013), something in me changed andI began seeking a deeper, more personal — and frankly more honest — relationship with God. In...
February 15, 2016
Single, Divorced, or Other?
Yesterday was Valentine’s Day — another weird “first” for me in this new phase of life. Forthe first time in twenty years, I haven’t had to even think about what to buy, where to go to dinner, or any of the other romantic planning that goes into Valentine’s Day. It was both a little sad and honestly a bit of relief at the same time. Yesterday’s highlights were church, taking one daughter to a cos-play con, and then listening to the other play the offertory atthe evening service at our old chu...
February 2, 2016
Rebuilding an Airplane…While it’s Flying!
Aviation systems are some of the most complicated engineering wonders of the modern world.The dozens of buttons, switches, lights, and other controls inthe cockpit alone boggle the mind, especially in the larger aircraft like 747’s. But behind all those controls and gauges are even more complicated, precisely-tuned instruments, systems, and subsystems that monitor and control everything from lift and thrust to temperature, air-quality, and cabin-pressure, not to mention the in-flight movies a...
January 24, 2016
Dangerous Prayers and a Sloppy Wet Kiss
Have you ever prayed a dangerous prayer? Not merely a brave or even a sacrificial type of prayer, but a truly dangerous prayer? Have you ever prayed something you’re a little squeamish about, even though you know it’s the right thing to pray? To take that a few steps further, have you ever prayed a prayer that you’re terrifiedof God actually answering? Those prayers can be very dangerous indeed.
Crossroads Church has been doing a series this month (January) entitled “Dangerous Prayers” given...
January 17, 2016
While in those Waiting Rooms
Waiting rooms. Special, dreary places that serve only one purpose: to wait in. I don’t like waiting rooms — never have, never will! Who does? In waiting rooms, there isn’t much else you can do except…wait. Particularly when you’rein a waiting room to see a doctor or dentist. While it’s bad enough to have to wait to be seen when it’s for yourself, itcan be much worse when you’re there for someone you love, like your kids or your spouse.
As an adult, I’ve been in the waiting room several times...
January 4, 2016
My Summer Adventure – Israel!
Summer-break. Sleeping in as late as you want. Having no jobstress or deadlinesfor a change. Even the word “work” is rarely uttered or barelygiven a second thought. Sun, sand, cold drinks, and usually surf are what makes for a fantastic summer-break.
Why am I already thinking about summer-break? Because our winter-break just ended and it’s a looong wait until the next one! The company I work for has a policy of shutting down for an entire week during the July Fourth holiday and then again ove...
December 22, 2015
In the Fullness of Time
Have you ever tried to imagine winter without Christmas? When I do, the early scene of Narnia in C.S. Lewis’s “The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe” always come to mind where Lucy meets Mr. Tumnus. “Always winter, never Christmas” — what a dreadful season that would be!
The Christmas season is the time for gathering with family and friends, overeating at big holiday dinners, decorating trees and windows, hanging lights, watching old Christmas movies, baking gingerbread and cookies, drinking eggn...
December 8, 2015
Life After Divorce: No Dating Allowed
Dating. For recently divorced people, it’s oftenthe proverbial elephant in the room. The subject of dating usually comes up right after the uncomfortable admissionof divorce is uttered. Along with deciding to stay put in Colorado until my youngest daughter graduates from high school, another decision I made awhile back is to not really date for at least a year,which 
hasn’t been easy at times!
While I’ve read (and agree with) that it’s always good to take some time off between relationships to...
