a product of.....

 

 

One might add:  "I am a product of how much responsibility I take for my actions which are a result of the decisions I made....right or wrong."

 

And one might add:  If Christ is truly at the center of your life, then THE one decision that matters has been made and you'll never need to bemoan being a product of your circumstances.

 





Dumpers and Dumpees

I heard some commentary the other day about an incident that took place between a cab and a truck.  It seems that a cab stopped at a stoplight, and shortly thereafter a truck stopped alongside the cab in the adjacent lane.  There was trouble however.  It seems that there was an issue with the truck, because part of it's load shifted just at that moment and there was significant spillage from the truck onto the cab.  It seems that the truck was hauling a load of manure.  The cab got dumped on in a big way, resulting in a big mess.

Life is like that isn't it?  Us humans seem to have a tendency to dump on others, just as we sometimes get dumped on ourselves.  The dumping I'm talking about here isn't "good dumping".  Rather it is the unpleasantness we dump on others, or that others dump on us.  And it doesn't always have to be active, out in the open in your face dumping.  Often it is much more passive, or perhaps secretive even.  Either way, isn't the normal result of dumping somewhat of a big mess in our lives?

God realized we humanoids were going to be both dumpers and dumpees.  Go figure !!!  Why else would the following have been included in the prayer of prayers...the Lord's Prayer?

..."and forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us"...

You know, that doesn't mean ignoring no trespass signs !  That refers to, at the root, sin.  Sin that we do.....like unnecessarily dumping on someone else. It may have well said "and forgive my dumping on others as I forgive others who dump on me."

The object, thus, is not to focus on the fact that we are dumpers and dumpees, but rather how we act and react and what we do when (not if) it occurs.

The perfect marriage

How many times in your life have you heard someone say (or perhaps said it yourself), "theirs is a perfect marriage" ?  If you heard someone say that, or said it yourself, did you feel perhaps just a little twinge of envy or wanting?  Did you automatically compare your own marriage to that situation?

Here is one of the best definitions I have heard on what a perfect marriage is:


















You see, in 3 short paragraphs, we find that there is no such thing.  There are good marriages, great marriages, and unfortunately bad marriages.....but there is no such thing as the perfect marriage.  It's impossible.  Each partner in the marriage is a unique individual, unlike any other.  Each comes into the marriage with some baggage, and often during the marriage more baggage is added.  There are a gazillion books about marriage, and a lot of psychobabble has been spewed over the years about how to achieve success in marriage and making the most of your marriage.  But all that aside, we all know that at times marriage

• is NOT easy,
• takes a lot of work
• takes commitment
• will not always be fun
• is not the fairytale life it is often made out to be
• gets tiring and boring at times
• requires compromise
• needs openness and transparency.

I would also suggest that the strongest of marriages will have God at the center of it.  That's because there is a marriage instruction manual that is all about God:

 



Don't bemoan the fact that yours isn't the perfect marriage.  Cherish the thought that it's a lifelong journey for two people whose commitment is to each other and a life in Christ....no matter what comes to stand in the way.  It's so much easier to overcome obstacles when two are doing it.

A fish swimming upstream

Life's a beast sometimes.  Makes one feel like a fish swimming upstream at times doesn't it?  We've all heard that term I would imagine.  I assume it is a take on the annual salmon run that takes place.  I've had the occasion to see first hand the salmon run up in Alaska.  There are literally thousands upon thousands of salmon that make their way upstream to spawn.  During that annual ritual, these multi-thousands of fish:

• clamor for space
• struggle to find their way up ever narrowing waterways
• are subject to both fishermen and wildlife looking for an easy catch
• must surely tire drastically due to the fight of competing for space in narrow rushing water
• face obstacles like rocks, ledges, blockages in the streams and crowded pooling spots where they can rest.

Their goal is to safely reach the areas where they spawn,  and they just naturally focus on that goal through all of the difficult times reaching it.  It is an instinctive part of being a salmon.  It is natural for them.

I believe, way deep down, we as humans also have an instinctive part of us.  It is to follow goodness and reject evil.  In our world, goodness is following Jesus, and yes, like the salmon, it is almost like swimming upstream.  Along our journey up the stream of life, we are our biggest enemy.  We also have other obstacles like doubt, fear, life's busyiness, and the like.  And, I dare say, we aren't as focused on our goal as the salmon are, are we?

Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad thing to think of ourselves as a salmon who has to swim upstream.  A look at ourselves, and at our goal of being a follower of Christ, would show us a ton of "stuff" that gets in the way of reaching that goal.

Maybe we just need to say "I don't care, I'm going to swim upstream, and by golly I'm gonna make it"!  After all, in your heart of hearts, isn't that what you really want?

Come as you are party

This is for those struggling with church.  I've been there and done that, and I'm not all that much different than lots of guys.  Why do we struggle with church?  Or for that matter, why do we struggle with this thing called being a Christian?  If we were to be the flies on the walls, or able to read minds, we might hear some things like:

• I'm not good enough
• those people don't have burdens like I do
• I'm a hopeless mess
• I've really strayed
• I can't match up to those people

Sometimes those perceptions we have of ourselves are just plain false perceptions, especially as seen through our own eyes.  But, there's another set of eyes that sees us differently.  God's eyes.  He sees the promise in all of us....despite the dirt, the mess, the brokenness and the direction we are taking.  God sees the promise of what can be in us. 

I've said it before....the church is like a hospital....God's very own hospital.  It is there where the broken get healed, the lost found, the burdens lifted, the hopelessness dissolved, and the strays find home.  And that's because a church that's got it right recognizes and honors our dings and dents and offers grace and love.  And that same that same church will walk right alongside us as we struggle with our growth as Christians.  It's kind of like one of those really good come as you are parties....you just don't want to leave.

David Crowder nailed it in his song Come As You Are, when he penned:

So lay down your burdens

Lay down your shame

All who are broken

Lift up your face

Oh wanderer come home

You're not too far

So lay down your hurt

Lay down your heart

Come as you are.

 

It is so vivid in my mind and heart that time when I knew it was time to stop wandering, suck up my shame, face my burdens, accept my brokenness.  I landed at my church....the best come as you are party I've ever been to.  I'm not perfect yet.  Never will be.  But since I came to the party, I know that I've received more grace and love than I could ever handle...because Jesus died for me.

 

If you're struggling.....why not try this kind of come as you are party?

Just a bunch of fish

Where would Christianity be today if.....

• God hadn't sent His son, Jesus, to save the world....
• and if, Jesus had stuck to carpentry instead of doing His ministry...
• and if, during His short ministry on earth He hadn't "come across" some fishermen at the sea of Galilea....
• and if, when there He preached to a huge crowd from Simon Peter's fishing boat....
• and if, Simon Peter and his fishing companions hadn't fished all night and caught nothing, but when Jesus told them to cast out their nets they caught more than they could handle....
• and if, then when they landed on shore Jesus hadn't said leave everything and come follow me
• and if, Simon Peter and the boys refused?

There might not have been 12 disciples to spread the word through ministry to grow Christianity.

But....Simon Peter and the boys didn't balk, didn't hesitate, didn't whine or fuss about having the biggest catch of fish they had ever had.  Instead, they left it all behind and followed Christ.  They saw what was at stake, and well.....after all, it was just a bunch of fish.

Fast forward to today.  How would we react if Jesus was to say to us "leave everything and follow me"?  Where might Christianity be in another 10, 100, even 1,000 years were we to refuse?  And, for that matter where might we spend our eternity?

Fish, in the story, probably means a bunch of things, and the same holds true today.  I believe that it means (because I know me:

• our stuff,
• our way of life,
• our comfort zone,
• our fear of being different,
• our doubt
• and the way we tend to think of ourselves as not good enough
• and more.

You know, God knows all about our fish.  And He doesn't dwell on that part of us.  What He sees is what we could be without those fish.....if only we were to leave it behind and follow Jesus.  After all, it's only a bunch of fish.

Glass eggs

I've a daughter who months ago decided that they were going to raise chickens....hens that is, so that they could have a steady supply of fresh eggs.  It's been a treat to sit back and see this whole process of raising chickens. And, because it doesn't seem to entail an awful lot of work, I am slightly envious of them....but we can't have chickens in the residential area we live in and they live on 5 rural acres.

The chickens came as chicks....hand picked, so to speak, by my daughter, who picked them by the way they looked.  There are multiple color schemes (if that term applies to chicks, I don't know) and feather arrangements.  Since her goal was to have free range chickens (chickens that will roam around the yard but not run off) it was a neat process.  When small, the chicks were released from their chick home into the yard after getting used to being outside for an hour or two each day, and then became used to being handled by human hands to be rounded up and returned to the chick home.  As they grew, they were relegated to the chicken coop (a way oversized dog house, built specifically for chickens, complete with a fenced in yard--part of the coop).  A regular regime of human handling took place, as they learned there are times they are free to roam in the "big yard", before going home..to the chicken coop and it's front yard.  So now she has free range chickens that will stay in the big yard until they hear something (in chicken talk I suppose) that lets them know it's time to go home....and they do.

They are layers (fresh eggs) and they found that some of the chickens get confused by their individual "bedrooms" within the coop...that area where they individually nest, and by the way, drop their daily egg(s).  Problem solved !  They bought a few glass eggs for those less than brilliant hens that couldn't figure out where to lay their eggs, placed them in their particular nesting area, and bango...the eggs started dropping.  Who'd a thunk it...glass eggs as a stimulus or learning tool !

As we individually struggle to do what should come naturally (after all, shouldn't striving to be a follower of Christ be a natural part of us?), it seems that perhaps we need a glass egg once in a while to help us do what we need to do.  Case in point....during a conversation (multiple people) the other evening, I evidently said something crude, sarcastic, wrong, or perhaps even laced with a word or two that just doesn't match up to what I am trying to be....a man of God.  I have no idea what it was that I said or what the topic was even about.  What I do know is that some kind soul who loves me (another guy with a good heart) simply made a comment to me that was a glass egg.  He reminded me that I wasn't sounding like the guy that writes the blog (he's a subscriber to this).  Point well taken !!  The glass egg he put on me was accountability and correction.

That episode caused me to take pause and do a bit of introspection.  Chickens are chickens, and laying eggs is part of the natural process of being one.  The glass eggs just kind of jog their internal "memory" and remind then of what they are supposed to do.  I'm not a chicken.  And because of my past and present brokenness, it is really difficult at times to do my egg thing in the manner in which intellectually I know I should.  So I really do need some glass eggs to remind me of the walk I have chosen to follow and am striving to accomplish...that of being a fully devoted follower of Christ.

Do you need glass eggs?

A question

How can a perfect God love an imperfect person?

 

Do you sometimes ask yourself that question as you ponder where you are at in the grand scheme of things?  Are you looking at yourself, your past, your failures and weaknesses, your story as you ask that question?  Truth be told, I'd be surprised to hear anyone say that they had never considered that question.  There is a very simple reason for my saying that.  We ponder that question because of guilt and shame we carry about ourselves.

 

I think at times it can be difficult for anyone who is a believer not to wonder how God could possibly love them.  Even those who we may think have "got it", or have got it all together with their Christianity, or whose lives we see as fully dedicated followers of Christ may at times wonder about that question.  The reason is simply because we are all broken to some degree or another.  Some folks are open about their brokenness, some aren't....but all of us are broken.

 

A trip through the new testament of the Bible will show that the 12 disciples, who were picked by Jesus, were all broken men, some horribly so.  A trip through the old testament will easily show God interacting with a huge assortment of very broken people.  Brokenness in mankind is pretty much a sub-plot throughout the Bible.....just as is the very strong message that comes out of those interactions.....that God loves us.  Period.  End of story.  God loves us.

 

Next time you are in the mood for massaging and micro-managing some of your guilt and shame and placing yourself in the gutter for it, ask yourself a question?

 

How can a perfect God love an imperfect person like me?

 

And then ponder the answer to that question......because that is what He does !  No ifs, no buts, no strings attached.  He knows us, and He loves us.  It's there as big as life.  The only thing that can stop you from believing that is you, and the choice you make.

 

Just to offer proof, He sent Jesus to the cross to die for our sins that we may be saved.  At that moment He dished out more grace and redemption than any of us can imagine.  But again, it is our choice to believe that or not.

 

Will your past still haunt you?  Will you feel shame and guilt at times?  Sure.....it's a certainty.  But it pales against the grace and redemption we have from the cross.  From that same perfect God who continues to love imperfect people like you and I.

What's new?

Here's a partial list of things we buy that are new to us.  Sometimes they are actually new-new, other times used, but new to us.

• homes
• cars
• cell phones
• computers/electronics
• televisions/radios
• clothes

What do most folks do when they get new stuff such as the above?  They take care of it, and maintain it.  We fix the little things on our homes and cars, we take care with our clothes avoiding permanent staining and dirt, we don't let our cell phones lay around where they will get wet, etc, etc.  Whatever it is, we take care of it because it is important to us and/or necessary for our daily living ritual of life.

We are told that as Christians, when we accept Christ and believe in God that we are made a new person, we are born again.

My question is a simple one, with perhaps a complex answer.  How well have you taken care of the new you?  What is it that you need to do to maintain that new you, and have you established a work schedule for that maintenance?  After all, the new you...regardless of when that new happened, is far more important than any house, car, or anything else is it not?

There is a distinction between new stuff and the new you (whether a recent new or a long term new).  New stuff, even though maintained and cared for, eventually gets old, and in some cases traded in, sold off, or thrown away.  Newly born people (in the context of this post) also age...but as opposed to stuff, they eventually die.  It is what happens in between that new life occurring and the death of that person that is most important to any one of us.  With proper maintenance and care, unlike stuff, we are rewarded with a life after beyond our wildest imagination.  Without such maintenance and care we aren't.

How's your maintenance program again?

Geese

Coming home from church the other day I was stopped at one of those traffic lights they throw up at bridges when there is only one lane open.  They are long lights.  L.O.N.G. !  As I sat there I was able to observe multiple flocks of geese flying....ostensibly heading south on their annual migratory trip.  It's mid October, and it is getting cold.  Now I must admit I am no fan of these geese.  Here in our part of the country we are pretty much over-run by them.  Sure, they are beautiful to look at, but they seem to reproduce astronomically, and they have absolutely no consideration for us humans when it comes to emptying their bowels.  It HAS become a problem around here.

As I was looking at these flocks I observed that the "leaders" of the vee shaped formations kept dropping back to the back of the pack, and the next one in one of the vee lines would then assume the "leader" position.  It is a neat thing to watch, because there is no interruption at all in their flying.  It is like a well orchestrated dance....and the flock keeps moving ahead steadily.  I would offer that each flock flying south is a great example of "the whole is the sum of its parts."

Our church is kind of like those flocks of migrating geese and that's why I love it so.  It's the first church I ever saw where "the whole is the sum of its parts."  There is no "head goose".  None of the "geese" at my church is any better or lesser than any other "goose".  Each "goose" has equal opportunity to be a part of the flock, and most who have been around for any length of time are indeed an integral part of the flock.  The pastors are each just another "goose" in the flock.  All of the "geese" agree on one thing....we're all broken and in need of fixing, and that is why we flock together.  And with the various roles each "goose" shares in the flock continues to fly uninterrupted.

By the way, the reason geese fly in that vee formation and periodically switch off is that they instinctively know they are all equals, and that they all share in the burden of reaching the end of their journey.  Just about like my church does church and life.

If you're at a church that makes you feel less than equal or inferior, or perhaps plays the guilt card, perhaps it is not a church where the whole is the sum of its parts.  There are churches around where the flock is comprised of geese who are equals through and through.  If I found one, you can.  When I found mine it didn't take long for me to realize how happy I can be being a goose.

Thanks Westridge CC

How long?

I've got a buddy the same age as I (71) whom I have known for probably 35 years or so.  We crossed a lot of bridges together back in the day, very few of them good bridges.  There was one bridge, however, a few years back that was a good bridge.  He accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior.  Is he a perfect person now because of that.  Certainly not....not any more than you and I are.  We are all still broken, we still need fixing, and we are on that journey where that fixing comes on an almost daily basis.  That's a good thing.  No, make that a great thing.

Now I sense, with deep sadness, that the time is coming when my friend will be called home.  It's sad, because I am here to see his continually worsening medical condition.  My mind reflects on how robust, alive, and full of fun the man once was as I see him now.  I'm not sure where his mind is, but I'm pretty sure it isn't there given all that is going on with him at this time.  Blended with that sadness is a whole lot of joy.  Joy in the knowledge that he spent the last part of his life not as the first part of his life.  A joy that three words spoken a few years ago by a man who traveled the darkest of streets had such a radical impact on him and his short future.  Those words...."I accept Christ."

I visit my buddy regularly.  He's now in a nursing home.  Sometimes he's awake, sometimes he's not.  There are times when inwardly I wonder just how lucid he is.  The other day I noticed that he is now wearing adult diapers, and I wondered if he even knows.  And I wondered how I might feel and react were I in the same circumstances.  As I have looked at him these past few months since the down-hill slide really started, it is with a sense of deep sadness that I wonder how long it will be?  How long will he continue to fight the inevitable?  And I wonder what I would do if in the same circumstances.

The pragmatic side of me views all of this as perhaps a natural progression of the end of the life cycle.  Some folks, I think thankfully, avoid this part of the progression.  They go quickly.  Others, like my friend, linger, and are subject to so many things we swear we hope to avoid in later life.

The spiritual side of me rejoices with my friend.  You see, I have seen no bitterness or anger on his part for the circumstances he is now finding himself in.  I have seen calm.  Not resignation....just calm, and somehow I truly believe that he has seen all of those bad bridges he crossed years ago, and they have paled in the light of that one bridge that mattered most, the bridge he crossed when he said "I accept Christ". 

I hope that I never forget when I crossed that same bridge, the one that matters.  None of us will ever be able to answer the question "how long" as it applies to our lives.  That said, doesn't it seem imperative that we all remember that time when we too crossed that bridge.....and live accordingly....day in and day out?   After all, we just don't know..."how long?" do we?

A conversation

Me:  God, can I ask you a question?
God:  Sure, go ahead.
Me:  Promise you won't get mad?
God:  I promise.
Me:  Why did you let so much stuff happen to me today?
God:  What do you mean?
Me:  Well, I woke up late.
God:  Yes.
Me:  I had trouble starting my car.  It took forever to get going.
God:  Okay.
Me:  At lunch they made my sandwich wrong, and I had to wait.
God:  Hmmmmm.
Me:  On the way home, my phone went dead just as I picked up a call.
God: All right.
Me:  And on top of it all, when I got home I just wanted to soak my feet in that new foot massager and relax.  But it wouldn't work.  Nothing went right today!  Why?
God:  Let me see....the death angel was at your bed this morning and I had to send one of My angels to battle him for your life.  I let you sleep through that.
Me (humbled):  Oh
God:  I didn't let your car start because there was a drunk driver on your route that would have hit you if you were on that road at that time.
Me: (ashamed)
God:  The first person who made your sandwich today was sick and I didn't want you to catch what they had.  I knew you couldn't afford to miss work.
Me (embarrassed):  Okay
God:  Your phone went dead because the person that was calling you was going to give false witness about what you said on that call.  I didn't even let you talk to them so you would be covered.
Me (softly):  I see God.
God:  Oh, and that foot massager....it had a short in it that was going cause you to get hurt and it would have knocked out your power.  I sure didn't want that for you.
Me:  I'm sorry God.
God:  Don't be sorry son, just learn to trust Me....in all things, the good and the bad.
Me:  I will trust you God.
God:  And don't doubt that My plan for your day is always better than your plan.
Me:  I won't God.  And just let me tell you thank you for everything today.
God:  You're welcome child.  It was just another day being your God, and I love looking after My children.

It's all about trusting Him isn't it.....always !!!!  That and just accepting and knowing to our very core that He loves us so very much.  Much more than we can ever know.

The side of the road

Struggling not to lose my hope in humanity, on the way to work one day I saw an elderly man trying desperately to cross a busy street in a wheelchair.  Many in the fairly bustling traffic slowed down to see what was holding up traffic, while others merely sped on by, impervious to the problem there.  I pulled over, parked my car, made my way through the traffic and ultimately pushed him safely across.  He didn't know what to say to me and was clearly embarrassed.  I just smiled at him and told him we all need a little help every once in a while and to have a great day and be safe.

The world is full of hurting people, people who are in need, and those that just need a helping hand or a kind word.  This story was just a little reminder to treat others how you would want to be treated, and that everyone, regardless of circumstance, deserves respect and dignity. 

Did I mention that the above, even though written in first person, was not me?  It's just a story.  I wish I could say with absolute certainty that I could write a story like that one about me, but I'm not so sure.  There's that fine line between thinking good, and actually doing good and sometimes that line unfortunately gets a bit blurry for me because I can all too easily get wrapped up in me too much.

And the sad truth is, there are those in my life who did pull over to the side of the road and helped me "cross the street" when I needed it.  We need only to see how many times Jesus pulled over to the side of the road during His time on earth to realize just how far from the shoulder we really are.

Let's make a pact today to look for those times when we can pull over to the side of the road and do some random act of goodness.  It's a win-win situation.

Rat poison

Why do they make rat poison?  Pretty simple question isn't it?  They make rat poison to kill rats, plain and simple....not to change them, not to make them go away, but to kill them. Rats are filthy, they carry disease, they can bite people and give them rabies, they are bad, bad, bad.

Would you ever ingest rat poison?  Most folks would answer that question rather indignantly with a resounding "OF COURSE NOT!!!!"

 

 

 

Do you have deep seated anger and resentment you need to let go of?  It's like rat poison you know.





Gifts

I've come to the conclusion that a lot of people don't think about gifts.  Oh no, not the kind we give and receive....I'm talking about the gifts that everyone has.  We. All.  Have. A. Gift.  That said, many don't or haven't recognized what their gift is, and worse yet, many just choose not to use them.  Our giftedness is a gift.  A gift from God.  It is that one thing about us and/or our psyche that when we choose to use it, others can surely benefit.  It comes, as often said, "naturally".  Our individual gift is one that we can, and should, freely give to the world so that others can be touched.  Some examples of giftedness:

• our worship leader, and the musical team there, are gifted with all things music beyond any comparison
• our pastors, as are perhaps many upon many, are gifted with teaching
• could anyone doubt that Mother Theresa was gifted with compassion?

Those are fairly high profile examples of giftedness.  What about the mechanic down the street who just instinctively knows what is wrong with your car?  Or the family that just routinely, without any fanfare or hub-hub, devotes part of their Saturday to take meals to the homeless in their area?  Everyone has some sort of gift, a gift they can choose to use to make this world just a bit better place.

I have come to learn that my particular gift is creative communication.  In written form.  I happen to write lyrics as well as articles.  I have also learned that folks who use their gifts do so with passion.  If their giftedness intertwines with their profession, that profession isn't a job....it becomes their passion. 

Almost all giftedness comes with creativity naturally.  Creativity is that which takes away the limits of ones giftedness.  I found this recently about creative people:



God built us all with a gift.  Have you identified yours yet?  Why not?  What's stopping you?  If you know what your giftedness is, are you using it for God's glory?  If you aren't, you can bet that there are those "out there" that are waiting for you, because you have something that can help them in some way.

My body speaks to me

We've all heard (and perhaps snickered) when we have heard the term "the voices in my head.....", right?  And at times I've been guilty of pre-judging the guilt of some criminal I've read about who has made that same comment without any regard whatsoever about whether they really were perhaps disturbed or mentally incapacitated.  Too many times I've just viewed it as someone trying to get off (whatever it was) based on a little temporary "insanity".  Heck, hard time vs. a bit of inconvenience I might consider talking about those voices in my head too.

Speaking of voices....my body talks to me.  It speaks quite clearly when I am experiencing pain....it tells me right where the pain is and how severe it is.  My body reminds me when it is time to go to the bathroom, just as it will tell me, in no uncertain terms, that it is hungry.  And when I'm tired....well let me tell you....in addition to just telling me that it is tired and needs rest, it practically goes on strike at such times.  My eyes tell me what I see.  My ears tell me what I hear.  My nose tells me what I smell....and on, and on, and on.  My whole body speaks to me.

There are two parts of my body that speak the loudest.  One is my brain and the other is my heart.  Are you identifying with this?  It would pretty much take an act of congress to convince me that anything bad, anything at all, would be spoken to me by my heart.  It is there where my last line of defense against all that is bad lies.  It is there where all that is good in me rests, and therefore when it speaks to me...and I listen to it....I will hear only good.

My brain, however, is that part of my body which speaks the loudest.  In fact, sometimes it even shouts.  It has to, you see.  It shouts because there is a constant din up there that is trying to differentiate good from bad, sin from lofty thoughts.  It's the battleground where that voice in my heart and the voice in my head collide and I have to be very careful to listen for the right voice...that of my heart.  I can't tell you how many times I've listened to the wrong voice as it spoke to me, nor could I begin to guess how many times I've wished the voice in my brain would get laryngitis.

We listen to the body when it tells us we are in pain, hungry, cold or hot, or when we have to go potty don't we?  There are consequences if we don't, consequences we would rather not experience.  Knowing that, it makes me wonder why I don't listen to my heart more, especially since the consequences on not listening to it are drastic....in the end.

Does your body speak to you?  Do you hear voices in your head?

 



Hawk eyes

A few years back I had the privilege of working a construction job way, way down in southern Illinois, way out in the boonies.  Where we were was extremely rural by all accounts.  We'd work on the house during the day, then cook supper over a wood fueled grill, then just hang out until it got dark and go to bed in the cabin.  I really enjoyed those hang out times in the evenings because we got to see the hawks.  I'd seen hawks before, but never in such abundance.  We were right on the edge of a State or Federal forest (I can't remember which) so the whole area was thick with huge trees.  We'd stand on the porch of the cabin so we could watch the hawks.  They just continually soared (they were way up there in the sky) except for every once in a while when one or two would make an amazing dive toward earth.  More than once we would see one swoop down and get a rabbit or a ground squirrel in their talons, and then fly off to their roost in a tree with their prey.

Picture this....it was fall at the time, so I can only imagine that from the soaring hawks perspective one looking down would see only what looked like a massive camouflage blanket on earth.  But that would be the look to our eyes.  I can't imagine how exceptional the hawks eyesight must be to be able to spot a brown rabbit or a brown ground squirrel in that camouflage blanket perhaps several hundred feet below them.

God's eyes are like those hawk eyes.  They see everything....everything about us.  The good and the bad.  Our sin and shortcomings,  our faults, weaknesses, and temptations.  Most of us try our darndest to hide that stuff, and many of us have become quite good at it.  Face it...we hide our stuff from friends, family, and those that know us.  We want to keep it hidden, and in doing so we set ourselves up.  "Whatever is hidden cannot be loved or forgiven.  It can only bring guilt or shame." 

Back to God with those hawk eyes: 

 

He looks right through me...

past my sin and the state I'm in.

He sees my heart and sets me free...

to be the man I was meant to be.

 

That, my friends, applies to each of us on a daily basis.  He is looking right past our mess and seeing our potential as Christian men.  He's not looking at rabbits or ground squirrels.....but rather men that He loves so much that He loads us with His grace.  There just ain't a good reason anymore to play hide and seek with your "stuff" is there?  Hawk eyes already sees it.

 

 

Thanks Greg !

 



Damaged goods section

In many of the grocery stores there is a damaged goods section....or at least a cart with damaged goods.  Normally those goods are canned goods.  Some of the cans are dented, some have torn labels, and some may have labels that are discolored just a bit, and once in a while there is a "mystery" can or two with no labels at all.  Those are for folks who like surprises.  At any rate, those items in the damaged goods section are sold at a rather good discount.  There is nothing wrong with the contents at all.  The insides are not damaged.  It is just what people see that makes them damaged.

Many people consider themselves damaged goods.  For instance:

• they may have been sexually abused at some point in their life, and feel they are not worthy
• they may have gone through a divorce and feel that they are stained
• they may have fallen away from their church and/or have struggled mightily with their walk
• perhaps they tasted a life of crime and feel that they are constantly judged
• perhaps they have never gotten a break in life, or have failed to capitalize on them and feel totally inadequate
• etc.

These are the folks that have allowed the damage to the outside invade their minds and hearts inside.....so that they feel worthless or unworthy, unloved, and unwanted by others.  Perhaps we have all felt like damaged goods at one point or another in our lives.

In God's eyes, there is no damaged goods section in His store....humanity.  He holds each of us in His heart of hearts, and if we could just hear Him we would hear "You matter to me".  He proved that when He sent His son Jesus to the cross to die for us.

I went through an extended period where I considered myself damaged goods.  I put myself right there in that grocery cart.  Deep down, deep deep down, I knew I was ok I think, but I was pretty sure I wasn't lovable, that I was unwanted, and that I was unworthy.  God worked through other people to help me find the way, and through that, and His grace, I found that I never belonged in the damaged goods section in the first place, that it is a self induced place of exile.

We're not damaged goods, because we matter to Him....no matter what.

Just another Sunday

Did you happen to wake up on Sunday morning thinking "It's just another Sunday"?  Yes, Sunday is just one of those seven days of the week our calendar blesses us with.  Yes, we (most) don't have to go through the routine of going to work on Sunday.  Yes, we can perhaps sleep in a bit on a Sunday.  Yes, it's football season and we can get inundated with all the football we want on Sunday....and maybe a Nascar race.  Yes, there is the lawn to get mowed and chores around the house to get done...or perhaps some planned family event we can all do together....because it's Sunday.  It's just another Sunday....or is it?

I woke up early Sunday morning....and I was excited.  Because it was Sunday, and not because of any of the reasons listed above.  I was happy anticipating the fact that I was going to church this day.  Why?

• I knew that I would hear some of the finest worship and praise music, no matter what was played or sung.
• I knew that I was going to be able to visit some very remarkable friends.
• I knew that I might be able to meet someone new at the church and be able to do my part in making them feel welcome and at home (just like I feel).
• I knew that I would hear a perhaps much needed message that would resonate in my heart and thus get me to thinking more about what I need to do.....about me.
• I knew that I would take part in communion and once again be reminded of just how much God loves me and forgives all of my shortcomings.
• I knew that I would once again be able to give a portion of what I have to further the Kingdom work.
• I knew that there was a distinct possibility I could get so touched and overwhelmed at service that I could weep openly.
• I knew that all of the above would help me feel so much closer to God in ways I have never thought possible.

Just another Sunday......right !  On Sunday mornings when driving to church I often see folks out mowing their lawns, at the driving range, maybe in their garages fixing their cars or some other project....and I feel so bad for them.  Often on Sunday's I'll be talking with a neighbor or friend and they share their list of "gotta do's" for that Sunday.  And I feel sad for them.  Because they are experiencing "just another Sunday".   I've experienced many of those "just another Sundays" in my life.....empty shells posing as just another day of the week, but called Sunday, the day after Saturday.

Do you feel that your Sunday is just another Sunday?  Maybe even if you do do church on Sunday?  Then maybe, just maybe, you might need some change in your life and/or church so that your Sunday will never be just another Sunday.

Just go for the ride

Can you relate?  When I first became a Christian, several things happened right away.

1. I knew that something profoundly good had happened and was happening within me.
2. I also realized, clearly, the depth of my moral bankruptcy up to that point.
3. Therefore, I realized that it was going to take a lot of work to really turn me around.
4. And, instinctively I sensed that I would never reach successful transformation by myself.

At a later point I was able to more fully understand God's grace, which enabled me to learn to forgive myself (He'd already done it) and move on in understanding of what my job was as a striving to be Christ follower.  I soon "got" it.   Here's what I discovered:

• there's a reason for this happening in my life (God's plan) and I don't have to know what it is yet.  I'll find out when He's ready.
• I will stumble and I will fall at times, and that is ok, and I don't have to beat myself up over it. 
• There is a reason why I will stumble and fall.  It is so I will learn valuable lessons by doing so.
• If I trust Him and keep in communion with Him my stumbles and falls will never be more than I can handle.
• Striving to be a perfect Christ follower is not an impossible dream, but it is an impossible goal.

So here is a brief capsule of what all that means to me.  I'm going for the ride of my lifetime.  I don't know when the trip will end, or what I will be doing in the meantime...except for what I'm doing at this moment.  Along the way on that ride of a lifetime there will be a flat tire or two, and perhaps even a few body dings.  All I gotta do, however, is keep it in drive and keep on motoring.  On this ride of a lifetime, I have a roadmap to consult along the way (a Bible) and there will always be a passenger along (Jesus) who will always have my back, even if I take a wrong turn once in a while.  I just have to trust Him.

It's really pretty simple.  Just go for the ride.  There's a few things that can slow you down:

• laziness
• doubt
• fear
• temporary apathy
• unwillingness
• and more.

Those are all easy to overcome.....if we want to.  All we gotta do is consult that road map and talk to our passenger.  Either, or both, will get you back on the road again.

Just go for the ride.

Get out of the boat

"If you feel like you're drowning in life, don't worry;  your lifeguard walks on water".

                                                                                                                           (source unknown)

 

Sometimes just gritting through it can make you feel like you are drowning in life....true?  So what to do? 

What's that about your lifeguard?  Yep, He who walked on water.  It was the middle of the night, stormy, the water was about 100 feet deep, and there is this guy named Jesus, walking on the water.  There were 3 guys in a boat who saw that...they were disciples and one was named Peter.  Peter got out of the boat at one point and stood on the water.  That was faith...full, uninhibited, complete faith.  And then he started to listen to his head, and he went down. 

Some might chastise him, saying he had no faith, or that no one can have the kind of faith that would enable him/her to walk on water.  Say what???  Little or no faith ???  Hey, the guy  got out of the boat !  He got out of the boat, and for a period of time stood on water.....and that is pure unadulterated faith, period and end of story.  He went down because he allowed his head to interrupt his faith. 

So how does this apply to any of us?  Every way.  We may fail, and we may falter, but if we never get out of the boat we will fail and we will falter.  And somehow I think that the more we get out of the boat, the less we will fail and falter, because our lifeguard walks on water.

When's the last time you got out of the boat?



Wish I could have come up with that

I have a couple of friends who I really enjoy being around.  One can make a funny crack (simple, clean, and not sarcastic) about a situation with no effort at all.  It just comes out.  Another can spew one-liners (clean, simple, and not cruel at all) with similar ease.  They keep me in stitches constantly when with them.  I marvel at their capacity to be so very natural at it.  They in turn marvel in the fact that I write lyrics with somewhat of a natural ease.  Heck, I marvel at that too because I never would have dreamed of having that gift.

We all have gifts that can (and should) be used for Kingdom work and God's glory.  Note....we all have gifts....!  Trouble is, do we really try to discover what those gifts are and then put them to use?  What are your gifts, and how are you using them for Kingdom work and God's glory (not your glory)?

I found a copy of an article the other day that really struck me.  It was one of those things that as I read it I was thinking how I wished I could have come up with that.  I'm sure the writer was talking about him/her self, but it was so spot on true about me.  I appreciated it so much that I had a passing moment of jealousy that I hadn't been the one who wrote it.  Then realization hit....whoever wrote it has a tremendous gift for insight, discernment, and truth, along with a gift of written communication.  And obviously, by sharing it with the world, they have an understanding of using their gift for Kingdom work.  Here it is:

 

 

Hey, I don't have to be jealous.  I can really appreciate another's giftedness (as we all should), and just keep on using mine.  Do you know why?  Because God, in His infinite wisdom gave each and every one of us gifts that we can use to further His Kingdom.  And He gave us this thing called choice whereby we either take the opportunity to find them or use them or neglect them.



Just ordinary

Raising kids.  Can anyone possibly not think it isn't a full time job?  With huge responsibility?  With outcomes that are essentially engineered by those raising them....good or bad?

So often I see parents who:

• go way overboard doing all they can to ensure their kids that they are so special that they are super kids, when they are just normal everyday kids
• push and push their kids to be super kids (particularly in sports)
• "adultize" their kids at an age that is way too young
• steep their kids in mega-doses of self esteem and importance.

Their focus seems to be on creating an extraordinary kid.  I find this amusing, and sad.  In so many ways they seem to forget that they are kids, and perhaps are trying to make them into something they (the parents) were not. 

This is not to say that their parenting role is totally off base.  Rather, it's saying that perhaps the priorities are just a bit skewed.  I read a piece a while back dealing with parenting, and thought it hit the nail right on the head.

Make the ordinary come alive

 

Do not ask your children to strive for extraordinary lives.  Such striving may seem admirable, but it is a way of foolishness.  Help them, instead, to find the wonder and marvel of an ordinary life.  Show them the joy of tasting tomatoes, apples, and pears.  Show them how to cry when pets and people die.  Show them the infinite pleasure in the touch of a hand.  And make the ordinary come alive for them.  The extraordinary will take care of itself.

 

A very basic, and somewhat old-fashioned bit of advice there.  Yet it is that same advice that will help prevent 12 year old girls from fashioning themselves as 25 year olds, and help prevent boys from learning all of the true life lessons of boyhood so that he is well prepared some day to actually be a man.

 

The best gifts a father can give his kids is unconditional love and seeing to it that they spend their childhood being ordinary kids and not trying to make them something they are not, nor ever will be.  And that can be accomplished by being the spiritual leader of the house....all.the.time.!!!

 



Flower Child

Hippies aren't around as much as they used to be, or at least not so prevalent as they once were.  Well, if you've been to San Francisco lately, there is still a fair amount there.  But the "flower children" as we knew them back in the day are just not around like they used to be.  One thing about the "flower children" of the past was their uniqueness, their strive for individuality, their desire not to follow the pack, and their "dare to be different" mentality.  A side note here, I am talking strictly about them as individuals and not addressing their communal living arrangements or their sexual proclivities or drug usage.  Simply, their individualism.

Much can be said about that individualism, for in today's society it seems as if there just isn't all that much individualism per se.  Take bikers (motorized type)  for example.  While outside the norm in terms of their dress, hardcore attitudes, morals, etc, they are individualistic as a group.  On their own (when alone) most of the ones I've met are quite different than their group persona.  I suggest that a fair part of the churched group may be the same.  Certainly they are individualistic as a group (as when in church or doing church functions), but often aren't we just a bit different when out in the "real" world, as it is called.  There don't we tend, at least on occasion, to "fit in" in that segment?  I can easily catch myself acting differently, talking differently, thinking differently if I am not in a churched situation or with churched friend.  My natural instinct is to "want to fit in" so, if I'm not on guard, I will act so as to "fit in".  Have you experienced that?  In essence, this is a form of competing....we are competing to belong.

One thing I have started to learn.  A man who is serious about making every effort to follow Christ's examples of doing life is not, repeat not, in a competition.  It is a very individualistic thing, and if successful in his efforts he will become much like the flower child of days past.  He will not care what others think, as he knows he feels secure in the road he is traveling on...even if he is doing it alone....and he is comfortable with that.  He is, and realizes it, not an elitist, but rather a unique person, and he is comfortable within his own skin.

It's hard to do isn't it?  Denying the draw of the crowd and latching onto the calling of being a Christ follower never was said to be easy.....especially in today's times.  But there is an advantage to doing it, and that is called feeling the love of God and knowing what's at the end of the journey.

So, be a flower child, and bloom. 



You were once

"Once upon a time......".  Fairy tales are known to start that way.  Just go back years in time when mom or dad would read to you at bedtime, or a few less years when perhaps you did the same with your kids.  Once upon a time.  Our lives, however, aren't fairy tales are they? 

When the time comes that we near the end of our time here on Mother Earth we will perhaps think of those times when we were once young, aged, striving, and weak and wrong.  In the meantime, this bit of wisdom from Guatama Buddah carries a message to all of us:

 

What I see in that message can all be boiled down to one lesson taught throughout our source of wisdom....the Bible, and that lesson is to love others unconditionally.  Don't we all too often forget what moments of tenderness meant to us when we were but kids?  And haven't we all perhaps seen sad examples of lack of compassion for the aged?  Surely we have all seen examples of intolerance with those weaker than us and those glaringly wrong.

 

In our striving to be better Christ followers, the number one thing we need to do is to love unconditionally, just as Jesus did throughout His life.  Not always easy is it?





Thank you so much

Thanks, so much, for being patient while the blog has been dark.  I promise all is well here, and tomorrows post will be refreshing.

Just 2 more days

In just 2 more days, on October 6th (Monday), the blog will be fully active again.  How are you improving your walk?

See you

Your happy blogster is well and doing fine.  Just taking a rest for a few days.  Look for the next article on Monday October 6th.  Keep praying!!!!!

A Break

The blog is taking a break until Monday October 6th.  Be well and be happy.

AWOL

Hey folks, I will be AWOL until Monday October 6th.  In the meantime I will be working on some new stuff to post.  Please be well.