Severed But Not Forgotten

Today my heart is breaking for someone who used to be very special to me.  She was a mother of two amazing children.  They were all very active in their church and their commitment to one another and to Christ was always inspiring. For a variety of reasons I am unable to reach out to the family to extend my thoughts and prayers.  It is a relationship that was severed many years ago and any hope of reconciliation is gone.  It is a sad situation.  I have always valued my past experiences and the people in my life and it is hard when a wall appears so high that you cannot see over it or hear through it.  

Do you have severed relationships that are beyond repair?  I am confident that many of us do.  For some, we only think it is forever broken - but there are those that are truly severed and will never be repaired.  Do you continue to pray for them?  Do you think of them in a positive light?

I'm being honest in that I'm not sure HOW I do it, but I've never been one to hold a grudge against someone.  I am quick to forgive but, yes, not so quick to forget.  The thoughts are always there but they end with a prayer for well-being, peace and Grace.

Today I think of this lady with admiration in my heart.  I think of her family and I pray that my thoughts will join with hundreds of others in offering them comfort during this time of grief.

An Honest Approach to Exile

Today my heart is heavy for those who are incarcerated.  I write regularly to several people who have, for various reasons and circumstances, found themselves to be in prison.  Some are guilty of their crimes while others are not.  The sentence is still the same and those of us on this side of the wall can and will never be able to comprehend the depth of darkness, loneliness, solitude, and hopelessness that is experienced on the other side of the wall.  We may try and we may work to come up with words to try and bring comfort and hope to the prisoner but in reality we are only comforting ourselves.  There is very little comfort to those in prison.

When Paul was in prison it was nothing like it is today.  Sallust, a Roman historian, described the prison as

 “sunken about twelve feet under ground.  Walls secure it on every side, and over it is a vaulted roof connected with stone arches; but its appearance is disgusting and horrible, by reason of filth, darkness and stench”. 

I am reminded of the slave Onesimus.  Paul mentions in his letter to Philimon, that somehow this slave was able to make his way to Paul.  This is remarkable when we consider the times.  A prison visitor could not simply slip in and out undetected.  They could find themselves interrogated by the Roman Empire for being witness to the prisoners’ words or acts during the visit that were not allowed or that could help in the conviction process. Remember, prisons were not held for the guilty – they were where people were put to simply get rid of them while information was gathered to convict them or, in Pauls’ case, held until the populous opinion faded in to history.  Also, according to Roman law at the time, the testimony of a slave was not admissible unless it was given under torture! 

This puts an entire new light and brings about a stronger sense of respect for Onesimus.  He was obeying his Lord by visiting those who were in prison and he did this on multiple occasions to help Paul, to no doubt assist in keeping Pauls’ meager cell area clean and perhaps supply him with food.   

I have a confession – I have purposely avoided writing as of lately to prisoners.  I find my words often times to feel empty and almost patronizing and insulting.  I understand that to congratulate someone on their seemingly positive attitude is like congratulating a fish for the look of a smile upon its face when it has just been taken from the water.  It is ludicrous and insulting.  It is similar to our standard response when someone dies.  We say, “I’m sorry” and the words feel empty to us and emptier to the one receiving it.  Sure, they know out intent – but intention does not bring about hope and for those in prison, it does not bring about freedom.  It simply reminds them of where they are.

Perhaps Paul was able to witness to the resurrection of Christ to the soldiers and other prisoners.  Perhaps some of the people who were witness to Paul’s spiritual strength (and struggles) had a similar transformation as Onesimus, going from uselss to “special utensils, dedicated and useful to the owner of the house, ready for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21). 

A prison can become a place of some personal and spiritual freedom.  It may grant some an opportunity to surrender even deeper in to the loving arms of Christ.  It may help some answer the call and say, here I am Lord, send me.  However, it is still exile.  It is still and will always remain a separation from the experiences of being fully human. 

Remember in your words and acts to others that you have no idea what turmoil, what anguish, what exile that person is experiencing.  Choose your words carefully and be intentional in your approach just as you want people to do for you.  And today please pray that the injustice, that has imprisoned innocent people, will be heard and handled quickly and correctly in the name of Jesus Christ.

In The Exact Manner in Which We Forgive Others...Part I

Trying to come to grips with negative events in your life is hard enough but when they continually haunt you – what is our course of action?

At first we spend time in defense mode – we cry about the injustice and we jump up and down claiming how victimized we are.  We get mad!

Then we mourn the loss of our reputation in the eyes of those who bought in to the negative events that occurred.

Then we forgive those who caused it.

Then we repeat the cycle over and over again. 

We’re human –we have this thing called the ego that continually needs affirming.  We spend so much time worrying about how we are seen in the eyes of one another that we quickly forget that what matters is how we see ourselves and how God sees us (not in that order, of course). 

How we see ourselves is important in the healing process when we have been wronged.  I know this from personal experience having not only dealt with this but still dealing with it and probably always will.  No matter how often we try to put it behind us it always has a way of showing its ugly face.  And that hurts our feelings.

Let me ask you what someone recently asked me.  Do you think anyone really cares about what happened to you X number of years ago?  Something horrible happened to me over ten years ago and still to this day I’m haunted by the lies and deceit and, let’s be honest, by how much my name was dragged through the mud.  Yeah, it hurts and I trust that similar situations still bring you a certain amount of pain and emotional discomfort as well.  But do we really think we are so significant that people actually spend time, still today, talking about it?  I had someone come right out and tell me that chances are a very limited number of people probably remember and even those would need prompting.  She was right – perhaps I was hanging on to something that simply didn’t exist and did not matter to anyone else except my ego – my “public” image.  No one really cared about it anymore truth or not…they moved forward and lived their lives.  While I continually looked back and wanted to repeat it all but this time to change the outcome.  It wasn’t going to happen – it was done.  I couldn’t change it and all I was doing was hurting myself AND being totally focused on my own ego.

Oh Lord in your infinite mercy you have poured forth justice.  You have poured forth forgiveness and you have shown abundant grace.  When we refuse to recognize that during our journey, when we continually pull back that scab to grab some kind of attention – remind us that it is finished.  Help us to move on and move up and move forward.  Help us to put aside this human characteristic of wanting to be seen in this light or the other – help us that even when we are wronged – the only right that matters is our life with you.  Help us to show people that by overcoming these obstacles and by claiming YOUR victory in our lives, we can truly be “over it” and see our life moving forward and ever closer to You.  Help us, today, to really mean the words of the prayer taught to us by Your Son, when we say 

“…forgive us our wrong doings in the exact manner in which we forgive those who do wrong against us”…

In the name of the risen Christ we pray.  Amen.

New Year's Eve

I want to wish you safe celebrations tonight.  It is natural for us to look back on this year and to set resolutions for the coming year.  My prayer is that you do not dwell on the negative events of the past for they are the stepping stones on which you firmly planted your feet to get to the next level.  For those who have endured tough times, remember that for each cry of, “I don’t know how I’ll get through this”…your prayer was heard and answered.  For here you are – in this space and in this time – you are here and you are loved by a God that is greater than our biggest, creative imagination. 

As we enter the New Year may we cross the threshold knowing our living Lord just a little bit more than we did this time one year ago.  May we look forward to all that our Lord has in store for us and may we even now marvel at the miraculous escape routes He has planned for us when things get frustrating, tiring, and scary. 

May you feel in your heart and mind and, yes, even in every step of your feet, that Jesus is indeed your great advocate to the Father. When we turn our eyes from Him with our thoughts, words, or deeds, may we take comfort in knowing that Jesus is the one saying to His Father, “extend your mercy upon this dear one…I know him and he knows me and I can vouch for his heart”.

It is my joy and my pleasure and a blessing to my spirit that you and I are companions on this journey.  Let us all grab hands and step in to 2014 and always remember we are in this together.  God Bless you.

Arise and Go

The prophet Elijah was told by God to prophesy that a famine was coming on the land. That is not a ministry that will make you very popular but Elijah was obedient to the Lord. The Lord protected him and sent him to a place beside a brook called Cherith. This is a beautiful name for a brook, although we do not know if it was as beautiful as it sounds. But nevertheless, after a while the brook dried up (see 1 Kings 17:3-7). Everyone can go a considerable amount of time without eating but after a few short days without water, life cannot be sustained. So I imagine Elijah became concerned when his water supply dried up.

The word of the LORD came to him, “Arise, go to Zarephath . . . I have commanded a widow there to feed you” (verses 8-9). Elijah, who seemed to have very little provision, trusted and obeyed God but yet he was being sent to a poor widow. “So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks” (verse 10).

Elijah asked her for a jar of water and a morsel of bread and she responded, “As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug” (verse 12).

This widow was responding to him out of her hurt. She and her son were starving and Elijah had come and said, “God sent me here to have you feed me.” She is looking at her resources and thinking, “This is impossible!” And then she said to him, “Now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die” (verse 12). 

Elijah’s response was rather strange: “Do not fear; go and do as you have said” (verse 13).

Why would he say that? Because he knew that God was not going to abandon this woman and her child. He knew that as she obeyed God and blessed others through the little bit that she had, she would become blessed herself. The more she gave away, the more God increased what she had (see verses 14-16).

Obey God and you will see the windows of heaven open. God will not withhold His hand from you. He longs to pour out His blessings on you, to show you His favor.

--Thanks to by Gary W. for sharing this

When The World Says, "You Can't"

I refuse to live in a world of I cant’s.  This world is completely full of people and organizations and company’s telling us we cannot do this or that.   There are people who believe that the Bible is full of ‘shall not’ and ‘cannot do this’.  But actually the Bible is where we should be getting the courage and strength every single day to say I CAN and I WILL. Take a look at the famous John 14 chapter. 

The word ‘will’ shows up 26 times (New Revised Standard Version) and seven of those are Jesus saying, “I will”.  The very first verse in chapter 14 does, actually, give us a directive to not do something:  “Do NOT let your hearts be troubled.”  In The Message version of the Bible is simply says, “Don’t let this throw you.”

Tonight I had to stop, rather abruptly, the rapidly rising river of I cannot.  I had to say to my heart and to my spirit and, of course, my brain, “don’t let this throw you”.  All of my current troubles should only force me to do one thing: pray.

When praying through the flood of “can not’s”, we must thank God for all that He has done to lead us to this place.  All those past times when we cried out about how we cannot possibly get through this ordeal or that one; He has come through in His promise to sustain us. Then we ask God to hold us through this particular time of turmoil and to show us what He would have us to do.  We thank Him, in advance, for the miraculous ways in which he is already seeing us through this ordeal.

When we face a trial in our life we absolutely must, without reservation and without lack of faith, get on our knees and pray to God.  Forgive us our sins, cleanse us from all wrong, help us to see the error of our ways, and bring us through this fire.  He WILL be faithful to all who call Him Lord. 

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”…John 14:27

"Whether you say you can, or you think you can't...you're right"...Henry Ford

These Things Are Fun and Fun is Good

A big part of the human experience is our ability to experience joy.  Experiencing joy has been proven to increase blood oxygen levels, ease anxiety, boost the immune system, and trigger endorphins.  In the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible, the word “joy” appears 155 times.  The word ‘joy’ and the word ‘happy’ are inter-changeable when it comes to translation of Scripture.  One of the Hebrew words that can be translated as ‘happy’ is ‘ashrie’ or ‘praiseworthy’ or ‘fortunate’.

Take a look at this photo and tell me you don’t feel some sense of joy.  In Buddhist teachings happiness forms one of the central themes and describes the ultimate freedom from suffering.

This is Pastor Trey Hall of Urban Village Church in Chicago.  He is skipping with his niece at the labyrinth at the Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago.  I don’t know the story behind it and I didn’t bother asking him because the image spoke volumes to me by itself.  I figured I didn’t need to ask the artist to define the drawing – I would simply allow the piece to speak to me, to reach out to my heart and write upon it what it may. Regardless of the actual event the photo brings a smile to my heart – it makes me feel joy.  I cannot help but to smile and not because I see a grown man skipping – that is the least most interesting thing about this photo.  What touches my heart, what speaks to my soul and what nourishes my spirit about this image is the existence of pure joy. 

Do you like to dance when no one is watching?  Do you like to sing in the shower because of the solitude it brings?  Have you ever skipped just for the fun of skipping?  I like to think that God is dancing with us.  That when we sing alone, God is quietly harmonizing alongside us.  And when we are skipping down the pathway, child-like regardless of our physical age – God is skipping with us. 

Aristotle, in the writings Nicomachean Ethics, states that the only true thing that humanity desires is happiness for its own sake.  We pursue money, fame and riches in order to acquire happiness but Aristotle says that true happiness is something we desire, we yearn for, for its stand-alone merits. 

The finding of joy-filled moments without the influence of power or wealth or status, seems to me to be a treasure worth saving.  There are many forces in this life fighting to remove joy from us and fill it with other contents such as exhaustion, depression, sadness, anger, and pity.  We spend so much of our energy, at times, trying to make joy happen.   It’s when we find a joy-moment completely void of any outside influence that we experience a taste of purity of the human spirit and therefore the God-spirit within all of us. 

I recently met with someone who told me that he believed he would not have joy until he suffered enough to appreciate it.  My heart wrinkled.  In his book, The Fault in Our Stars, writer John Green says this is “an old argument”.  He goes on to say that “…the existence of broccoli does not, in any way, affect the taste of chocolate.” Jon Krakauer states in his book, Into the Wild, that joy is everywhere and all around us, placed there by God.  “We just have to have the courage to turn against our habitual lifestyle and engage in unconventional living”. 

Experiencing joy means pushing aside all that you expect of yourself and all that you think is expected of you and to dance like no one is watching – to sing in the shower loudly – and to skip down the path if just for a few steps.

 “If you never did you should. These things are fun and fun is good.”…Dr Seuss

THE LEAST OF THESE

A young boy was walking through the park. He had just gotten out of his Sunday school class, where his teacher had told the class that you never can tell when you’ll meet Jesus.

As he was walking through the park, he noticed an old woman sitting on a bench. She looked very lonely, so he sat down next to her. He said "Hi" and then offered her a piece of his candy bar, which he had been saving.

She accepted the piece of chocolate with a smile. They talked for a while about nothing in particular and then the boy offered her another piece, which she also gladly accepted.

They talked a little while longer and then the boy got up to leave.

As he began to walk away, he turned around, ran back to the bench and gave the woman a big hug. And, she gave him her very biggest smile.

When he arrived home, his mother saw a big smile on his face and asked, "What made you so happy today"?

The boy said, "I shared my chocolate bar with Jesus. And, guess what, Mom? She has a great smile".

Meanwhile, the old woman returned to her little apartment which she shared with her sister. The sister said "You’re all smiles today, what made you so happy"?

She said, "Well", "I was sitting in the park sharing a chocolate bar with Jesus. And, you know what? He looks a lot younger than I expected"!

Matthew 25:40 reminds us that Christ WILL separate those of us who help the afflicted and those of us who turn the other cheek.  Christ WILL separate those of us who feed the hungry, through whatever means, and those who have an ideal that everyone has the ability to feed themselves.  Christ WILL separate those of us who do whatever we can to give clothing to the one without, and those of us who believe they should just get a job and do it themselves.

If you won’t do anything, then at least be satisfied with the idea that some of your tax dollars are feeding those who are unable to acquire the resources to feed themselves and their children for today. 

Christ isn’t arguing about food stamps, welfare, and charity.  What a hot button topic today!   All I want to tell you is this:  what are WE doing to feed the hungry today? When was the last time WE gave to someone who went without?  You know that box in the hallway of the church that WE stick a few clothes in to every November?  How would WE like it if WE weren’t allowed to buy anything new except once a year?  That annual donation WE make to our local charity – how far do we think that is going and more importantly could WE survive off of that amount for a year?  What makes US so extra special and important in the kingdom of God that we now decide who gets charity and who doesn't?  Oh sure – there ARE people taking advantage of the situation but that’s not for our concern.  Our concern is to see someone who needs something and to respond in love. 

For EVERY time we do something to those who are less fortunate, the ‘least of these’ that Christ talks about; we do it as if that person were Christ.  Likewise, EVERY time we deny someone the basics of human life and dignity; food, water, clothing, shelter, health…we are denying Christ the same.

At a red light today I waited for what felt like 20 minutes go by.  During that time I watched a man on the road – holding a sign that simply said, “Hungry. Need help. God bless”.  Did I give him something to eat? Nope.  Now if I did something for everyone standing on the corner I would be empty – but isn’t that the idea?  Isn’t the idea to throw away our nets and follow Christ? 

"But where do you draw the line, pastor?"...there IS NO LINE.

"I can't help them all"....but have you even started?

"They just abuse the system"...lucky we have you to weed out the users and abusers.

"I have my family to feed"...So does Christ...through YOU.

"I give at Christmas, isn't that enough?"...Did you REALLY just ask that question?

I’m not there yet.  But I will pray for every single one I see – and I will pray that the Holy Spirit will disturb the calm waters of my heart a little bit more often and grant me the courage and strength to do something for ‘the least of these’.

Nothing brings me more happiness than trying to help the most vulnerable people in society. It is a goal and an essential part of my life - a kind of destiny. Whoever is in distress can call on me. I will come running wherever they are…Princess Diana

Mean People

I have already met some really nice people here in Florida.  It is the Southern Hospitality that I have missed so much since leaving here in 1995.  I'm so happy to be back in Florida - it feels like home again.

The move down here was not easy, logistically.  Many issues with the moving company caused me stress and anxiety.  At one point I began to loose my confidence in mankind.  But I was quickly reminder of the following quote form Mahatma Gandhi:  "You must not lose faith in humanity.  Humanity is like an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty."

I am on a quest now to renew my ability to ignore the negative, mean people in this world and focus on the tremendously large number of wonderful, caring, loving human beings.  I'm glad to be a member of humanity - are you?

Grace means I reach out and receive from Jesus what I cannot possibly earn or deserve.

Grace means I reach out and receive from Jesus what I cannot possibly earn or deserve.

Es past nisht

There is a Jewish phrase that some parents will use with their children when they do something wrong.  It says, “Es past nisht”.  Literally translated it means ‘this does not become you’.  It tells the child that he/she isn’t bad but that they are, indeed, too good to be doing something beneath them.  By telling children that they are inherently bad, we teach them that no matter what they pursue in life, they are bad at the core.  But the opposite is true – they are GOOD at the core.  Some of the things they do are wrong and the learning happens when they realize they are better than the wrong they are doing.

Where is your self-respect?  How do you show yourself respect and, in turn, show your children and/or those around you?  To fully understand the word translated as respect, we must consider cultural context.

In Luke 20:13 we read, “…and the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’

The Greek word here for respect is entrepomai which really doesn’t convey the power of the decision being made here.  What the father is counting on is the shame associated with the people to whom he is sending his son. The people ultimately kill the son but the father was hoping that the public disgrace that continued violence would bring upon them, might trump their need for violence.  It doesn’t.  They don’t care about public disgrace.  This verse is as powerful to us today as it was to the original audience.  The question concerns our shame, not our respect for God’s only Son. 

Once the decision is made for the violence to continue they not only disrespect that father, they no longer have the basic emotions that are humanity.  In fact, their own integrity is gone and in this act they reject forgiveness and confirm a loss of humanity.  They have lost all sense of shame.

The acts of violence did not become them.  As our acts of wrong-doing do not become us.  We are made to be mirror images of our Creator yet we openly reject the forgiveness of God by continuing on in our wrong-doings.  We fail to show respect to our Father or to ourselves.  We bring shame upon ourselves – our acts do not become us.

I have seen what the trappings of wrong-doings can do to a person.  It first eats away at the inner self and the person works harder and harder to make sure this rot doesn’t come to the surface.  But soon it does.  You can see it in their behavior, in the way they talk, in their appearance – in the way they lack respect for themselves, for humanity, and ultimately for the Creator. 

Is it time you hear God our Father say to you, “Es past nisht”?  Is there something you are doing or a way you are thinking that really does not become the YOU that the Creator originally designed? 

I like how Marcus Aurelius puts it, “never esteem anything as of advantage to you that will make you break your word or lose your self-respect.”

Bring honor to God and honor to your family and community by respecting yourself.  And always ask, “Does this become me?”

My father said to me many times growing up, “never do anything you wouldn’t want to be caught dead doing”.  Wow – that conjures up some powerful images, doesn’t it?  He would always follow it by saying, “remember who and who’s you are”.  

Am I a Feminist?

I have been in ministry in one form or another since 1984.  Since that time I have found that, besides the pastor that deserves the title of being ‘my mentor’, I tended to side more with the female pastors on the team.  In fact, after a successful summer camp experience, the female pastor on our team wrote on my t-shirt, “we sit to the left”.  I didn’t fully grasp what she meant until a few years later.  And when I did grasp it, I fought it.  I thought I was conservative!  When I finally embraced my inner feminist, I tried hard to turn back to the right.  Honestly, I can’t STAND the terms left or right, liberal or conservative.  The fact is that I have some liberal viewpoints and some conservative ones.  I would probably surprise you on many topics, actually!  

Now I’m not typically one to just pull out one or two lines of scripture and base an entire writing or sermon on just that.  There are always mitigating circumstances before and after the chosen verse(s) that either shed light on one verse, or throw us deeper in to a state of confusion.  But there is something amazing about Galatians 3:28.  It seems to be the pinnacle of the theology of Paul.  Paul talks about the egalitarian nature in Christ.  This is the belief that all people are equal.  In this one verse, Paul establishes equality.  Here is what he says:

“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free nor is there male and females, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”  Everything that Paul says throughout his letters of the New Testament orbit these words.  If we are in Christ, we are all equal.  

This letter, as is the case in all his letters, was written because of a particular circumstance.  Paul addresses socio/economical and spiritual ‘current events’ of that time and attempts to pull everyone in to a right perspective, seeing the event through the love and eyes of Christ.

In this verse, Paul is explaining how one should be treated at the table of Christ.  The table where all are welcome regardless of age, birth right, or gender.  We are all treated as one and likewise we should treat one another in the same manner.  

Paul wrote this, I believe, to cause ripples in the still waters of conformity.  Be mindful that a very common Jewish prayer in the 1st century went something like this: “God, I thank you I was not born a Gentile, a slave, or a woman.”  NOW put that against what Paul is writing and you have headline news.  CNN picks this up and the late night hosts are working on their monologues.  This is scandal, pure and simple.  

Paul was simply pointing out that social distinctions are non-existent, null-and-void, for those who are in Christ Jesus.  When Jesus came, he not only turned the tables in the market place - he turned the tables of social and economic inequality.  With this simple statement Paul says there is no room at the table for social inequality, economic ladders, gender bias’ and discrimination of any kind because we are all seated as one.

The last church I was at I held weekly meetings.  I purposely held these meetings at a round table.  Everyone had a seat at the round table but when we were all together at the table you could not easily distinguish a leader or a leadership hierarchy.  All were welcome, all had a place, and all were equal.  

Humanity’s nature is to want more, to be one step above our neighbors, and to be considered higher than others.  In the movie, The Three Musketeers, there is a quote from The Cardinal that goes something like this.  “All for one...and more for me”.  That is our mentality and until we can overcome that, Paul’s vision of equality at the table setting remains just a vision here on earth.  But remember this, my friends.  In the kingdom of Christ, all WILL be equal.  Our work on earth is to continually meet at the table of equality - to communion WITH one another IN Christ Jesus, regardless of any social or economic or gender issues.

If we read the writings of Paul with new glasses - the glasses that see nothing but equality (which I believe is Paul’s social hermeneutic), AND we keep in mind that this is contrary to the Jewish and Greco-Roman world at the time, I believe your ears will experience a new sense of openness.  

Oh yeah, and on the whole, am I a feminist or not.  Safe to say I probably am based on the fact that I believe we are ALL equal when we are in Christ Jesus.

Where Is Your Happy Place?

Many thanks to my high school classmate, Michelle, for giving me the inspiration to write today.  Michelle lives in New Hampshire and often posts photos of the many outdoor activities she enjoys with her family.  Recently she posted one of her family and admitted it was taken when they were somewhat lost, having taken a wrong turn down the river, and ending up in a bog.  What is so striking in this photo is the contentment and the smile on one of her kids while sitting in the middle of a bog not really knowing where they were.  THAT'S a happy place.  

She described it as being one of her happy places and asked her friends to share their happy place.  Where IS your happy place and who is there with you?  What is around, the sounds, the sights, and smells?  How often can you go there?

I look forward to reading the responses from people and hope there are many shared.  It got me to thinking about my happy place and, although I came up with an immediate response which I will share later in this blog, I have been thinking about my happy place – or rather, happy placES.  As my mind began to wander through the years of my life I came up with many places that bring a smile to my spirit.  Some of those places were more about the experience and the people than the actual place. 

Where is my happy place? Mine is anywhere that conjures up thoughts and memories of my mom.  I know in those times that she is still with me and that God is the bridge between her and I, with his hand in mine and the other in hers.  I love you and miss you Mom.

I pray you have many happy places in this life.  Although dark times are all a part of our human experience, those happy places in our lives are a tremendous gift from our Creator.  Know that, not only in the dark times but also the good ones, God has you securely in His hand.

Where is your happy place?  What goes on there and who is with you?  Share them with me, won’t you?

The Perfecting of Our Faith

The past two weeks have been rather dark in my life.  For a myriad of reasons, the evil one has seen fit that clouds of sadness have lingered over my spiritual house.  It has been a trying time indeed.  I am not fully out of the darkness but today I rejoice because I feel a slight bit of warmth from the light of hope.

I found myself returning to one of my favorite Scriptures.  It can be found in the letter to the Philippians, first chapter, and verse six.  This letter is a thank you note from Paul for a gift they had sent him while Paul was imprisoned in Rome.  Paul’s purpose is not only to teach theology but to call the church in to unity on the basis of the servant-mentality and humility of Christ. 

“I am confident of this; that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it in and carry it on to full completion until the day of Christ’s return”

In this verse, Paul recognizes the work God has done in the hearts of the Philippians and also the continued work of grace that God will do through-out their life and up to the moment of Christ’s victorious return to earth.

There is a wonderful promise in this verse.  First, God started the work within our hearts and second, He WILL be faithful to complete it.  In other words, God is preparing our hearts and souls for the exact moment of the return of His Son.  God is faithful to us – yes – even when OUR faithfulness wanes.  The work is God’s.  He began it the moment we accepted the consecration of our hearts in to the servant ministry of Christ.  What exactly is this work though?

This work is the perfecting of our fellowship with one another in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

But I believe there to be one more important lesson to learn here.  You see, God didn't start a work in us to bring us to the moment of our own death.  He isn't working on us to bring us to the final seconds of this life so that we are ready to enter the life eternal.  No – that works is OURS to do.  But God is working WITH us to prepare us for the return of Christ.  Not the ‘end of all things’ but for the beginning of all things.

God begins many things in us throughout our life.  He plants seeds of hope and of dreams and ambitions.  And He continues to work those out in us as part of the process of a life designed for the Kingdom of God.  Not the kingdom of man.  Our knowledge that God is continually working in us, through us, and around us AND, many times, in spite of us, should serve us well in lifting us out of those dark times in our lives when we cannot see the direction we are going. 

The past two weeks I have not been able to see any further than the moment in which I was living.  This did not bring me joy because I had no light to see.  The moment is great WHEN you can see it.  But when you are suddenly thrust in to darkness it can be very disturbing.  You know that feeling when you go outside in the bright summer light and then walk back inside your home?  You can’t see anything, really.  You stretch your eyes wide open as if that’s going to increase your ability to see but your eyes are still adjusting from the massive amount of intense light that was just thrown at them.  You can’t see – so you wait for the darkness to subside and you are able to see well. 

Today God began to lift that darkness and my eyes are just now adjusting properly to the light.  He gave me hopes, He gave me ambitions, He gave me dreams to dream AND to build – and He has been faithful in carrying out His work.  Shall I be passive in my work or shall I also participate in the work that will bring me to the moment of Christ’s amazing return?  I rejoice because by God’s Grace, and only by His Grace, I am able to see through the darkness of the evil one, and once again take another step in my journey that God has prepared for me.

May God’s Grace grant you safe passage through every darkness that will come in to your life.  May you hold fast to the promise that the One who began an amazing work in you, will continue working it out until the moment of Christ’s return.  Work not for your own death but work for the return of the resurrected Christ.

Sow It - Reap It

I am a true believer in the Scripture that says you reap what you sow.  Those two words, reap and sow, are not commonplace in today’s vernacular. There are far fewer people today who grew up in a farming community who immediately place a clear, concise mental image in their head when they hear or read those words.  Reaping is the act of gathering, or cutting down and then gathering, of the harvest.  Sowing is the act of throwing down the seed, or in modern times, having a machine seed the soil for you.  If you plant corn, you will get corn.  If you plant asparagus, you will get asparagus. You will harvest the product contained in the seeds you tossed out earlier. 

The author of Galatians noted this act in Chapter 6, verse 7 when he immediately saw the parallel between these two acts of farming and the walk of common man. 

"Don't be misled; remember that you can't ignore God and get away with it: a man will always reap just the kind of crop he sows!"

If you want to judge a man, an American humorist once said, you should not look at him in the face but get behind him and see what he is looking at, what he is sowing.  Then you will see the true nature and life-purpose of this man.

Remember that if you plant garbage seeds, you will get garbage.  If you sow deceit, anger, jealousy, rage – that is what you will gather at harvest time.  Remember also, as the humorist said, that some people may be really good at throwing down the seed they want everyone to see, but their eyes and hearts are elsewhere.  So step behind someone and take a look at what they are looking at. What drives them?  What motivates them to act day to day?  Are they focused more upon themselves than on others? 

I heard this advice once and now give it to husbands and wives to be.  Ladies – watch how his father treats his wife.  That is your future.  Men – watch how her mother treats her husband. That is your future. 

Get behind once in a while; watch, learn and discover 1) the type of seed being tossed, 2) where it is planted (is it purposeful or thrown in a half-hazard manner) and 3) watch where their eyes are watching while they are sowing.   

Mirror Mirror

I have been receiving blessings by reading a book entitled 'Buddhist Boot Camp', by Timber Hawkeye.  He has some amazing insights on improving self-confidence, overcoming fears, and positive reinforcement.  I enjoy reading the wisdom writings on this author.  A quote from this author:

"A flower doesn't stop being beautiful just because somebody walks by without noticing it, nor does it cease to be fragrant..."

I love that image.  We are beautiful in God's eyes.  We are beautiful in the eyes of others as well.  I Peter 3:34 says, 

"Your beauty...should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight".

The next time you are concerned with how others may or may not perceive you - remember that God sees you.  You are not invisible to your Creator and that is your foundation for living a life free from the burden of worrying about your image and of what others think or feel about you.

May the Love of God surround you, His Grace astound you, and may your knowledge of this, ground you in Hope.

Transition

Do you have transition lenses on your glasses?  I had those years ago and I hear they have improved but the one thing that bothered me was they only transitioned where light was hitting them directly.  In the car sometimes only a portion of the lens would transition as the other part was in a shadow and away from direct contact with sun.  I’m not sure why I thought my glasses should simply KNOW that they should shade my entire lens…it was doing what it was ‘programmed’ to do.  It darkened when light hit it.  The glasses actually receive their ‘photochromic’ properties through the embedding of micro crystalline silver halides, typically silver chloride, in a glass substrate.  But silly me wanted the glasses to actually be smart and tell when I’m outside and thereby shade the ENTIRE lens – instantly, so I didn’t have to hold my glasses out the car window in to the direct sunlight until they changed uniformly.

Transitioning to a New Year is also awkward and seldom uniform in nature.  Only when the realization hits us that the transition has to be gradual, not sudden, can we possibly begin to understand what it means to transition to a New Year.  Hence the reasons many of those New Year’s Resolutions fail so miserably.  We somehow expected that the morning of January 1, or January 2, would somehow grant us a renewed interest in living and would empower us to change.

I remember counseling a young couple before they were to be married and they left me with the impression that something magical would happen as they walk back down the aisle after being proclaimed Mr and Mrs.  They were both disillusioned with this notion that everything will come together.  In fact, they refused to talk about certain topics because it would be “fine” once they were married.  Ah young love – ‘tis oh so blind, is it not?!

As we begin our transition to writing 2013 instead of 2012, may we also focus on HOW our own transition is going to look and feel.  Accepting today that it will not be a ‘hit you over the head’ transition will make it easier to enter in to.  There  won’t be this sudden “Trumpet Voluntary in G” moment and a ceremonial walking down of some aisle lined with loved ones and flowers that will change us forever.  Oh don’t get me wrong – I’m acutely aware that there ARE sudden moments when our lives are instantly transformed but even those moments put us in the position of having to transition to a new normal.  By entering in to the PROCESS of change, the PROCESS of transition, we can more easily see all the ways in which our actions, thoughts, minds and our spirits transform, over time, in to that which we dream.

According to Miriam-Webster Dictionary, the word ‘life’ is either a noun or an adjective.  But can we consider, for our own intrinsic interests, that ‘life’ is a verb?  It is action.  It is a ‘doing’ and not a ‘being’.  As we enter in to 2013, let us focus on our life in action – our life as something that evolves and is continually moving forward, collecting information and experiences, and processing them, thereby increasing the gift that is the “I” in all of us. It’s not going to happen overnight – this change for the better of which you seek.  Oh there will be bomb shell moments that force us over the cliff of change – usually of loss; but as I mentioned, those are the moments when we are still forced to learn how to transition.

A young man I know has just recently learned what it means to transition.  He understands, perhaps for the first time in his life, that the change he seeks is a process – it is a verb.  It is action and it does not, it will not, happen overnight.  There won’t be some magical  “you've-just-won-a-new-car” moment that will finally transport us to that perfection we seek.  It’s the “you've-won-a-new-car-and-now-you–have-to–pay-for-the taxes-license-plates-registration-and-then-learn-how-to-drive-it-and-maybe-in-six-months-you-may-figure-it-all-out-but-you'll-have-repairs-along-the-way”  moment.

As you transition in to 2013, remember that your life is a verb.  An action word. 

Bumper Sticker Moment

I love the Book of Proverbs.  This is the bumper-sticker section of the Bible.  When I regularly preached I developed a quarterly ‘bumper sticker Sunday’ whereby I would choose a Proverb speak extemporaneously on that verse.  Typically I would select the verse about thirty minutes before the service and without much preparation and no notes; I would deliver the morning message on that verse. Surprisingly, they were often the best received messages!

The Book of Proverbs (in Hebrew: מִשְלֵי Mish'ley)  derives its name from the 4^th Century Latin translation of Scripture, the Vulgate, as Proverbia.  They are generally considered the writings of Solomon, who was consider to be a wise man (remember the words of If I Were a Rich Man from Fiddler on the Roof?  “…they would ask me to advise them, like Solomon the Wise’).  There is also reference to Agur and Lemuel but it is generally accepted that those are other names for Solomon.  The book is included in what many scholars refer to as Wisdom Literature which includes Psalms, Job, and the Song of Solomon.

I find myself visiting www.biblos.com often as it has a large variety of translations and study guides.  Especially helpful to those of us who like to pick apart scripture down to each word, the translation history, and origin of the words (I’ve always wanted to go back to school and study Etymology in-depth!  I suppose a true sign of a word-geek!).

Gill’s Exposition on the Entire Bible shares Proverbs 15:22 as such:  

Without counsel purposes are disappointed,.... If a man determines and resolves upon a matter, and at once hastily and precipitately goes about it, without mature deliberation, without consulting with himself, and taking the advice of others in forming a scheme to bring about his designs, it generally comes to nothing.

In other words:  it is the wise man who seeks many counsels before acting.

I strongly believe in asking for counsel from people I trust when I have a decision to make.  I make many decisions on my own but when there is one that is particularly tough, or the consequences could be grand, I prefer to ask around and see what others have to say about it. The answers are as varied as the human race.  Some of it I discard but I do chew on all of it, taking in to account my own personal believes and values. 

My mother was a wise counselor.  That’s not to say she was never wrong.  None of us are right all the time but what was helpful was the way we talked about things.  We would both approach a situation from our already pre-conceived set of assumptions and then share them with each other.  We would try to see it from other perspectives and work it out to try and come to a conclusion that we agreed upon.  However, we recognized that the goal of seeking the opinions of others was not to persuade us or to make up our minds.  It was the process and time spent on mentally chewing upon each different thought and perspective that gave us the satisfaction.  Many times it can actually make the decision process harder but in the end I am always thankful that I had the counsel.  Sometimes I would go back to the counselors and let them know they were right and I chose wrong.  I would always share my final decision and the outcome so we could all add that experience to our collective mind and thereby call upon the experience should we encounter similar situations in the future.In that process of seeking counsel and coming to a decision, we encounter disappointment. 

G. Hutchinson Smyth reminds us that “there is one thing that can make all disappointments into blessings.  It is said that Croesus had some magic power about him by which he turned everything he touched to gold.  There is more than a magic power which the believer wields over the trying dispensations of life; there is a Divine power.  All things – disappointments included – work together for good to them that love God.” 

I Dare You To Step Out of Your Box

A story my high school English teacher, Mr Fleming, taught goes something like this:

I was walking through the forest and came upon the nest of a bird.  As I gazed in to the nest I noticed the eggs were blue. I have, therefore, concluded that all bird eggs are blue.  As I continued my journey down the pathway I noticed that some leaves were falling from a tree in to what appeared as a lake of bright orange and red gathering at the base of the large trunk. I have concluded, therefore, that all leaves fall straight down and gather at the trunk of the tree and can be recognized by their color of orange and red.  As I came to the edge of the woods I noticed a small house with white smoke drifting slowly from its chimney. I have concluded that all smoke from the stove in a house, will rise as slow, white smoke from the chimney.  The lady of the home invited me in to warm myself by the fire and as I got closer to the fire I could smell the heavy scent of pine coming from the flames.  I have concluded, therefore, that all fire has the strong scent of pine.  As she wrapped her tiny fingers around her cup of tea, the lady told me of her heritage as a Jewish woman from a small village in a far off land.  It is safe to conclude that I will always be able to recognize a person of Jewish perspective because they will have small fingers and will surely speak of this village.  When I left the company of this lady I was confronted by an angry bear standing on its back legs and before I could react, the bear had attacked and killed me. I have concluded that anyone who walks in the woods will die from a bear attack and that all bears are angry and will kill humans on site.  As I sit here in the afterlife I wish to convey the following to mankind:

• Any bird egg that is not blue surely is bad and must be destroyed.  Likewise, if you see a bird laying an egg that is not blue; it is also unnatural and must be destroyed.  Any person eating an egg that is not blue is also unworthy and unnatural and must be cast aside.
• If any leaf be found that is not orange and red in color, it must be destroyed for it has wandered from the path that nature intended.  Likewise, the tree that pushed it away from its trunk and caused it to wander so far away must be found and destroyed before other trees learn of this behavior and follow in its ways.  Surely mankind will not withstand the mutiny of so many based on the actions of a few.
• If any fire in the home produces anything other than a slow-drifting white smoke from its chimney, it must be immediately put out. Any food that was cooked must be destroyed and not eaten for it has been distorted by the radical smoke.  We must teach our children how to make fires that only produce this type of smoke and if they do not follow our ways it is important to not allow them access to fire for it will surely pollute the skies and the earth and all its inhabitants.
• If any fire lacks the scent of fresh pine it, too, must be put out.  For the fresh scent of pine is the only indicator that a flame is fresh, pure, and is truly of the makers’ design.  Anyone building a fire that does not send out the divine fresh scent of pine must be cast out among you, singled-out, and not be allowed to partake in the daily functions of humanity.  For surely they will teach our children, they will breed other sour fire starters, and thus pollute all that is good.
• In order for Jewish perspective to continue its purity of ancestry any person claiming to be Jewish but having long, thin fingers, is surely deceiving people and must be brought to trial and punished for providing false witness to the perspective.
• Finally, if mankind is to conquer the wood as well as he has conquered the prairie land and the sea he must make it his purpose in life to destroy all the bears lest the bears destroy him first.

As a pastor it is assumed that, when invited for dinner, I will be the one who says grace.  As a singer it is assumed that I will start the singing of Happy Birthday to anyone who may be celebrating the day of his or her birth, regardless of my personal relationship with that individual.  As a Christian it is assumed I will vote one particular way because I have weighed the candidates against my own perspective and one of them surely plays far different than my Christian perspective instructs. 

The narrowness of the minds of man will surely lead us to our doom.  How can we make educated decisions when we refuse to understand all points of few?  How can we say we hate our neighbor when we have much in common with our neighbor?  How can we say that all Muslims are taught to kill people of other perspectives when the very tenet of that perspective teaches the opposite?  Why must we be so strayed and so jaded by the acts of the few loud squeaky wheels instead of the truth?  Likewise, how can other countries believe that all Americans are inherently evil because of the works and thoughts of a few loud squeaky wheels?  How do you feel when a noisy crowd of a few burn the American flag and would kill you in a heartbeat because you are American when you actually had no part in one made them angry to begin with?  Do you think that the millions of faithful Muslim believers feel the exact same way a few angry, misguided Muslims do?  Do you believe the exact same thing the midnight television preacher does because he does it in the name of Christianity? 

The loud, squeaky wheel gets the grease and all the attention and will actually get farther in its work because we allow it.  It will grab our attention because we are so narrow in our vision that we fail to see the other wheels working together in perfect harmony.  Our vision is narrow and we see only what is in front of us at that particular moment and then we call that truth.

Jesus Christ came not to put blinders over our eyes but to remove them so we may see all that is God’s Creation and that we may have life in full abundance.  Regardless of whom you believe Christ was whether from the perspective of the Jewish, Muslim, or Christian perspective – all perspectives teach that as one of the many aspects of Christ’s work on this earth. 

Friends, I challenge you – no, I DARE you, to stop limiting your opinions and thoughts of your fellow humans based solely on your limited experience with such a small number of them lest you become as foolish as the man in the story. 

Grace and Peace of God our Father to each of you. 

Um...Yeah...I Can Work With This

I have shared my personal testimony only a few times over the past ten years.  I do not share it just for the sake of sharing; for it is painfully personal and a journey that I am still, after ten years, trying to reconcile.  But today I want to skip to the pivotal moment along that painful journey because I want to focus on that, not everything that led up to that.

I had been falsely accused of something and the repercussions were more than I imagined.  I had lost everything but my family.  My entire identity had been taken from me and in my absolute despair, in that moment in my life when I could not possibly go any lower – I had a vision.  I’m not a man of visions but this one was very clear to me.  I saw God sitting, leaning forward, his forehead resting in this right hand, and his head was shaking back and forth slowly.  This is what He said, “no no no…my dear son believe me this is not what I wanted for your life but I promise you, if you give me some time I will work with this”. 

The miracles that have happened since that time have been far too many to count.  The life I lead today is one that is free from any type of bondage be it spiritual, emotional or physical.  The pain of the event is something I am still processing through but the outcome – well, I’m here to say that God did, indeed, work with it and much has been achieved!

I know another man who sits in prison.  He, like thousands of others, claim he is innocent and the truth is – he is innocent.  But the laws of the land and the hearts of the wicked prevailed to the degree that he is now in prison and may very well be there for a very long time.  I talk with him often and his spirit remains strong.  He is a powerful witness to those around him, he leads worship in the prison, he writes, he is a wise counselor to many and the list goes on.  You see, God worked with it.

When you encounter something unexpected that has a negative impact on your life, can you work with it?  Can you allow God to work with it?  If your best friend, brother, sister, mother, father or lover betrayed you somehow and caused you pain would you be able to work with it?  Would the two of you be able to agree that time heals and that God CAN work in and through all things?  Would you just surrender and decide that there’s nothing that can be done, cut your losses and go? Moses led his people in to the middle of nowhere but God worked with it, didn’t he?  Daniel was stuck in the middle of the hungry lions, no escape, no light at the end of the tunnel, hardly a hope…but God worked with it, didn’t he? 

God doesn’t purposely send wicked your way.  It happens.  But God can work with anything if those who are in it will focus on Him. 

What did you do today to focus on Him while he is so intent on focusing on you?  While things are being put in to place to bless you and to make your life, yes, even you very soul – jump with joy…what are you doing in return?  Are you saying to God, “yes, you better work with this!” or are you saying, “Really, God?  Wow!  I didn’t know You saw that…thank You…I will continue to praise You and recognize You through all things and I will wait patiently on You while You work with this”.

They that wait upon the Lord SHALL renew their strength; they SHALL mount up with wings like the eagles; they SHALL run, and not be weary; and they SHALL walk, and not faint…Isaiah 50:31