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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Since You Asked: No set rules for noisy car chirps and honks Better than a giant nutcracker A New Song Get Up & Go: Nov. 30 5 Things to do This Week Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services Emergency services Wrap Up, Nov. 28 Former Central Point residents accused of abusing their adopted children Homemade bomb found inside stolen car after arrest of fleeing transient Politics and Elections Buckley again named Ways and Means Committee co-chairman Latest count shows Measure 92 supporters narrowing deficit Granlund cartoon: GOP wrecking balls Ballot measures played little role in mobilizing voters in state Senate race 'Euphoria' over pot initiative Education Homelessness is growing problem for Medford students Les AuCoin recommended for SOU board Good news for SOU: Enrollment's up Mom gives school lobby a makeover Crater students present play about Thoreau's night in jail Environment Hawks use I-5 as hunting ground Curbing urban runoff in Gold Hill Mt. View Estates' fill, riprap work lacked county permit Birders sought for bird counts Grow 'em before you plant 'em State News Bend retirement community brews for charity Cover Oregon, pot, guns on state's legislative agenda for 2015 Photo of hug between boy, officer at Portland protest goes viral Bill would tighten limits on license plate readers UO teaching assistants prepared to strike Nation - World Grand jury won't indict Ferguson cop in shooting Obituaries Morrie Dean Harvester Carla Louise Mahlon Edward Sprague Gaylord Lincoln Hallett Peter Kip Norvell Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Sports Latest Stories Standing O-vation Beavers look to the future after tough loss Focus shifts to Arizona rematch for Ducks Wichita St. cruises by Tulsa, remains unbeaten Sixers nearing worst start in NBA history Varsity 541 College Sports Standing O-vation Beavers look to the future after tough loss Focus shifts to Arizona rematch for Ducks Wichita St. cruises by Tulsa, remains unbeaten SOU stuns top-ranked Carroll Pro Sports Sixers nearing worst start in NBA history Seahawks’ defense rounding into top form Donaldson doesn’t blame A’s for trade Grizzlies snap Blazers’ streak Spurs win second straight without Popovich Community Sports RESULTS/STANDINGS LOCAL EVENTS Business Latest Stories Blog: 'Twas the 12 Days of Deals... Asante expands cardiac center Jackson County sees workforce and job growth Regional hotels and motels outperformed statewide marks in October Incorrect labeling prompts Kroger ice cream recall Real Estate News Dear Monty: Violation of HOA rules creates conflict Farmers file suit over GMO crop ban Financial webinars offered for veterans and their families Home prices rise across Jackson County People In Business People in Business, Nov. 18 People in Business, Nov. 8 Transportation Allegiant Air will resume Medford-Phoenix service May 22 Medford airport passenger counts sky high in October Erickson reports third quarter profit Agriculture Farmers file suit over GMO crop ban Lawsuit seeks to overturn Jackson County's GMO ban or net $4.2 million for farms Latest count shows Measure 92 supporters narrowing deficit Opinion Latest Our View: What's in a name? Not that much, really Letters to the Editor, Nov. 30 Dana Milbank: Bob McCulloch is the face of injustice Michael Gerson: In Ferguson, where next? George Will: A case for presidential self-restraint Editorials Our View: What's in a name? Not that much, really Other Views: Klamath Basin agreement deserves approval Our View: Cheers (too thankful for a jeer this week) Our View: Day of abundance, season of sharing Another View: Logging still has a place in Oregon Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Nov. 30 Letters to the Editor, Nov. 28 Letters to the Editor, Nov. 27 Letters to the Editor, Nov. 26 Letters to the Editor, Nov. 24 Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Are we the preferred path to global devastation? Guest Opinion: Fight for the rights of independent voters will continue Guest Opinion: 'Natural' not necessarily better for forest management Guest Opinion: County voters rebuffed judicial appointment process Fix health care reform, don't scrap it Lifestyle Latest stories 'Wild' at Heart If Social Security was run like a business Rogers-Horn I love Lucy, who's good for your health New Arrivals Food Community blog: In soup or salad, savor pumpkin with leeks Be a gravy-making star on Thanksgiving Food for Thought: Add new twists on Thanksgiving favorites Community blog: Feast on this blog's Thanksgiving recipes, tips Kitchen Call: Both sides of the kiddie table Home and Garden 9 ways to green your gift wrap Dear Monty: How to find a good real estate attorney Home Help: Quick tips for getting your home ready for the holidays Mortgage insurance: Your questions answered Home Help: Spruce up your home with quick DIY painting projects Health Health Watch: Fuel up on carbs before workouts Health insurance enrollment help available Community blog: Appreciating Clouds: Year-Round Gratitude Community blog: A Little Toilet Talk 'Tis the season to be jolly Hiking Biking Faith Religion news: Pope aims to expedite sex abuse rulings Religion news: Seattle-based mega-church dissolves Religion Briefs 'Walk the talk' Religion briefs Milestones and Achievements A New Song Rogers-Horn New Arrivals Madi-Stiles ACCESS receives $50,000 donation from Wells Fargo Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Brunch at Loft Brasserie 2014 Providence Festival of Trees A grand illumination at the Commons Lighting up memories Jacksonville's Victorian Christmas Theater OCT's holiday show is a wonderful play New 'Alice' has some for kids ... and adults 'It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play' opens at Oregon Cabaret Theatre 'Red Noses' a romp through slapstick and pathos SOU presents 'The Drunken City' Music Shae Johnson releases 'Can You Feel the Music' Jeff Kloetzel releases 'Long Time Coming' A new guitar slinger in town Peter Chianca: Top 40 songs even a dad could love The Farr Side: Different artists, common songs Community Events 2014 Providence Festival of Trees A grand illumination at the Commons Lighting up memories Jacksonville's Victorian Christmas New exhibits highlight Third Fridays Dining Brunch at Loft Brasserie The Bohemian Club Thanksgiving comes early at Taprock Word of Mouth: Brunch at Brothers' Restaurant Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Our View: What's in a name? Not that much, really ... A New Song ... Photo of hug between boy, officer at Portland protest goes viral ... Our View: What's in a name? Not that much, really ... A New Song ... Photo of hug between boy, officer at Portland protest goes viral ... Shayne Looper: Breathe the fresh air of eternity By Shayne Looper More Content Now MailTribune.com By Shayne Looper More Content Now Posted Nov. 18, 2014 @ 12:01 am By Shayne Looper More Content Now Posted Nov. 18, 2014 @ 12:01 am GHNS » Social News People are creatures of habit. I, for example, drink three-and-a-half cups of regular coffee a day. I drink one cup when I get up, one around 10 a.m., one after lunch and a half-caf around mid-afternoon. I wake up at the same time, according to the day of the week. After I pour a cup of coffee, I go into my study and close the door. I read scripture and meditate and pray. I then walk 2 miles with my wife (except on Tuesdays) and teat oatmeal for breakfast — blueberries every other day, apple, raisins and cranberries on the day in between. On Friday mornings, I leave my house within a minute or two of 6:17 a.m. I usually see no other cars on our country road. When I reach the main north-south road, I turn left and almost always reach the speed limit in front of the same house. I usually have not encountered any cars by then, though looking a half-mile down the road I see a school bus approaching. On a recent morning, I left the house at least a minute later than usual. As I drove down our country road, I saw a car approaching with its bright lights on. When I came to the main north-south road, I had to wait for four cars to pass before I could slip in, the fifth of a six-car train. I wondered where all the people had come from. There were more cars on the roads than I see in a month of Fridays. The bus that I usually meet just south of the business loop was missing, apparently having already passed. Did a minute or two really make such a difference? If I were to leave a minute or two later every Friday morning, would I meet many of the same cars in the same places and have to wait at the same stop sign? I suspect I would. People are creatures of habit. But a slight change of perspective — in this case a temporal change of perspective — can bring a different world into view. As I drove on, it occurred to me that humans are fettered by time. We are as confined as any prison inmate, only our confinement is temporal rather than spatial. We are in temporal lockdown, incarcerated in the present. To us, the past is fixed — we cannot re-enter it or change it — and the future is inaccessible. So we live out our days imprisoned in the moment. God’s experience of time is like ours, in some ways, but differs dramatically in others. Like us, he does not live in the past or in the future, but in the present. But unlike us, his present includes all of time — past and future — simultaneously. What we call past and future are part of his present experience. He can walk through time the way I walk through the rooms of my house. When theologians say that God is eternal, they have something more than his perpetual existence in mind. They mean that every moment of time, past and future, is always immediately present to God. He is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end, who “announces the end from the beginning” and is present “with the first of them and with the last.” Because life comes to us in a succession of moments, we are often surprised by things that happen. God never is. Though scripture states that he can be grieved, he can never be surprised. His expectations are never undermined. Whereas we see life in snapshots, he sees it in panorama. He knows what’s coming. The upshot for the Christian — or the person contemplating Christianity — is this: We are in lockdown, imprisoned in the narrow confines of the present, but we have a wise and trusted friend on the outside. He sees what’s going on and, in the light of what he sees, can tell us what to do. We cannot see what he sees, but we can choose to trust him and do what he says. But that’s not all. The rumor is going around through the pages of scripture and in the talk of his people that someday we will be let out of our temporal prison to breathe the fresh air of eternity. It is a reality beyond our comprehension but not our hope. Shayne Looper is the pastor of Lockwood Community Church in Branch County, Michigan. Read more at shaynelooper.com. By Shayne Looper More Content Now MailTribune.com By Shayne Looper More Content Now Posted Nov. 18, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. 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