(done safely…really) The iPhone makes some things appear farther away then they actually were. These balloons were filling my view, much closer than these pictures look like. Taken yesterday morning as I was driving to Orlando for Bible Quiz.

This is the setup I use when I’m recording at home. The output goes into Garageband on my Powerbook.

Getting ready to record an entry for the BibleQuizPodcast. I do this weekly though the day of the week sometimes fluctuates.

While preparing my BibleQuizPodcast the other day, I was thinking about Paul’s admonition to the Galatians to “live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” It seems that Paul is setting before us the choice of living naturally versus living -

Okay, this is where I got stuck, because my first inclination is to say natural as opposed to supernatural. That’s fine, but I think it gives the wrong picture. Telling myself that I need to live supernaturally makes me think of walking on water, raising the dead, wearing a cape and flying faster than a speeding bullet.

Yes, I think that the supernatural manifestations of God’s Spirit – such as healing the sick – should be evident among us on a regular basis. Certainly on a more regular basis than they are.

But I don’t think that’s what Paul was really driving at. The real point seems to be the natural versus the Spirit-natural. It’s not the big, fantastic manifestations that are necessarily important. It is the regular, everyday manifestations of God’s Spirit that should take over our lives.

Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. That’s the real evidence of Spirit-natural living.

Saying – I can’t help it; that’s just the way I am – is evidence of living naturally. We are called to live above the natural, but that doesn’t always mean there will be supernatural evidence – but there should be Spirit-natural evidence.

Bottom line: May I not depend on me, but may I live Spirit-naturally.

The first league match for Bible Quiz was yesterday. That’s a different story. But the drive to Orlando and back gives me time to catch up on some of the podcasts I listen to.

One of those I’m trying to catch up with is Mark Carr’s at MyTrueLife. I was listening to the first in his series on the book of Ruth, when I heard this verse.

“And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.” – Ruth 1:14

Read the chapter and there’s no question that both Orpah and Ruth loved their mother-in-law. Much like we love God.

But are we obstinate or just affectionate? Do we only make a show of our love – even if the show is real, genuine and deeply felt – or do we cling to God for dear life?

Orpah was deeply affectionate, deeply moved by the thought of separating from Naomi. Ruth was obstinate, refusing to separate from Naomi.

Is there a point that we accept separation from the presence of God – painful as it might be – because we think we must in order to survive? Or do we simply refuse, no matter what it might cost?

The ending is instructional. Orpah does what she feels like she has to do for herself. She is not mentioned again.

Ruth’s determination leads to the mention of her name in the genealogy of Christ.

Selah.