You and What Army?

Sometime during the mid 1950s, a phrase was coined whenever a threat was made to someone. The response would be “you and who else?”. That phrase evolved during the 60s to “you and what army?”. In essence, it implies that the person making the threat can not fight back on their own or with their own strength, and will need a lot more help in order to make good on their statement.

There have been times in my life when I felt like my back was against the wall and my natural reaction was to fight back, but I had neither the strength nor the willpower to do so on my own. We all find ourselves in battles where we feel outnumbered, outmatched, defeated before we even engage. Those battles might be disease, divorce, addiction, depression-anything that zaps our energy and renders us helpless and hopeless.

In the book of 2 Kings, chapter 6, is the story of Elisha and his young servant who find themselves surrounded by chariots and horses of the armies of King of Aram:

“Oh sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried. “Don’t be afraid, because there are more on our side than on theirs!”. Then Elisha prayed, “Lord, open up his eyes so that he might see”. The Lord opened the servant’s eyes and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside surrounding Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire”.

Romans 8:31 reads “If God is for us, then who could ever be against us”, or from the Message translation, how could we ever lose! The next time you are in a situation that seems hopeless, or you simply feel too tired to fight, remember these things. First, God knows your enemy or the details of your circumstances far more than you do. Second, his armies never sleep but keep constant watch over all of his children. And third and most importantly, our God remains the undisputed, unmatched, and undefeated King of all armies. So the next time your enemy says to you, “you and what army?”, you can reply with all confidence “here, hold my beer!”.

Frustrated With God?

Is it okay to be frustrated with God? I can almost hear the jeers from the Sunday Sanctified at the mere thought of anyone even thinking this, let alone actually asking the question. I admit that there are times when I am frustrated with God, even as I write this. A layman’s definition of frustration is a negative emotional response that stems from something not going your way or according to your plans.

Did you picture your life being different than it has played out? Have you been dealt a hand you weren’t expecting that has drastically altered the life you envisioned? Perhaps you dreamed of the perfect life, the high paying job, the soulmate spouse, the perfect home in the perfect neighborhood, great health and a fit body that defied age, love, peace, joy, kumbaya. Yet here you are in a world where nothing looks familiar to your storybook life. And as a believer, you pray, no you plead to God to honor his word and to grant your prayers according to your desires, your criteria and your timing. I want it all and I want it now!

The truth is that God does want the best for his children. We’re told that he won’t withhold any good thing from us, that he will give us the desires of our hearts. But the condition is that those good things and desires have to line up with his will, not ours. God is not at my ever beckoning call to do my bidding. It’s the exact opposite! There are situations I’ve been praying about for years and the wait is frustrating. But I have to consider two things: first, God is not confined by time, space or matter or he wouldn’t be God. Humans are bound by time but God isn’t. He will work all things out for my good according to his will when he is ready to do so. Two, God knows things about our circumstances that we don’t. He may be preparing you for that perfect job, that perfect spouse or that perfect situation. He may also be preventing us from entering into something that’s not ideal for us, because of his sovereignty. Some unanswered prayers may indeed be his answer to protect us from things we don’t see.

A good friend reminded me just this past evening that God is always with us and completing his work through us, even if it isn’t the way we envisioned our life, and even if his plan requires unforeseen sacrifice. Once I learn that my frustrations are based upon my will and desires, and can yield my plans and desires to his, then will I see that Father Knows Best!

Yes, I Really Need 100 Shirts!

From the time I was in grade school to the present, I’ve had a fascination with colorful shirts. I recall like it was yesterday, the first thing I bought with my paper route money was a purple shirt, flared sleeves and matching purple bell bottom jeans. I love bright colors, fancy designs, woven jacquards, and especially paisley prints, my signature look. In fact, my friends at church refer to them as Joe shirts, shirts that I would typically wear. Some might suggest I should dress more conservatively for my age. I think not! I just recently cleaned out my closet of older shirts to donate, and I still have over 100, and I just bought a couple more!

However, at my more mature age I’ve come to realize something. While I do love flamboyant shirts, lately I’ve been using them as a distraction. You see, I know what lies beneath them. For most of my life I maintained an active lifestyle and an athletic physique. On most Summer days you could find me wearing no shirts at all, very comfortable and not shy. But as I began experiencing health issues in my forties, that physique went away and my wardrobe grew ever more colorful. I didn’t like what I saw in the mirror as I was haunted by the memories of how I used to look compared to the disease ridden shape I was now in. I was no longer comfortable with my appearance and I worried over how I was viewed by others. My colorful shirts distracted others from seeing what I was hiding.

I wonder how many people do the same in their lives. They create false images, facades, to hide what they really look like. This is never more evident than on dating sites when profile photos are so altered by filters that the real person shows up unrecognizable. We do whatever we must to hide our insecurities, our weaknesses, our ugliness. We don’t want the world to see the real person behind the facade for fear they too would be as repulsed as we are. We may hide behind being a comic, buying extravagant gifts, never saying no to friends, volunteering for every event-all to distract others from seeing the real us. But what we see and what God sees, are entirely different!

I tend to look back over the trail of destruction in my wake, but God looks forward into the future plans and achievements he has in store for me. He made accommodations long ago for all my failures, mistakes, bad decisions and disobedience. In Christ, he sees us as precious, bought and refurbished by the Cross, the one he leaves the ninety-nine for. In Luke 12 we are told God sees the smallest of sparrows and that we are much more valuable than they are. In Ephesians 1 we are told that God chose us and knew us with all our imperfections, before he created the world, and that we are valuable to him because of the high price he paid for us. In 1 John 3 we are referred to as God’s beloved children. It’s almost unfathomable that the one who sees all the things we try to hide from others, is the one who loves us the most. Only God sees behind jacquards, paisley, loud colors and sequins. His son died for those very things we try to conceal, the ugliness we don’t want to see in the mirror, the scars from our numerous defeats and the haunts that we’ll never be good enough. We consider all of our disqualifications; God sees us perfected through Christ. We see ourselves as the poop scoopers in the parade; He sees us as Grand Marshalls on the leading float!

In my eyes there are not enough shirts to hide behind, but in God’s eyes I’m free to go shirtless. But I still need 100 shirts!

God and a Transistor Radio

Back in the good old days before digital devices and streaming platforms, we listened to our music on something called a transistor radio. It fit in your hand and came with one ear piece. They had an antenna you pulled out to get reception. These radios were made by companies like Zenith, GE, Lloyds, Sony and others. The cool kids kept theirs in a leather case with a hand strap and holes to allow the music to flow from the speakers.

In order to listen to your favorite station you had to know their frequency and tune into it manually by turning the small dial on the side of the radio. I recall the dials having grooves on the edge. I would slip my finger nail into the groove for more precise tuning. You needed to be exactly on the station for it to come through. If you were off by a click, the music would be fuzzy. Two clicks and you’d get static. At three clicks you would lose the station completely. And as you moved around town you constantly had to retune to the station due to the variance in air frequencies based on different locations. The kids today just don’t know the struggle!

It occurred to me that I can be that way with God at times. I genuinely desire to hear God’s voice and be in his will, but sometimes my tuner is a little off. There are things that must be done to stay tuned in. If I don’t have a daily routine of time in the Word, I can get off by a click, and God’s voice gets a little fuzzy. If I go days without spending any real time alone with God in prayer, I get the static of being two clicks off. When trials and difficulties come along that I don’t understand, and I rebel or hide in my corner like a small child, I get so far out of tune that I lose Gods voice completely.

Every day in the life of a believer, there are unseen but very real forces whose sole purpose is to screw with our spiritual tuners one click at a time until we lose all frequency to God. Subtle things like a bad day at work, a fight with your spouse, a health issue, that one drink too many, even unanswered prayers, can cause us to tune out God’s voice at the very time we need to hear it the most, and all we end up hearing is static, white noise. Through the work of the Holy Spirit in us, we can recognize the static of becoming out of tune and make the adjustments necessary so that we never lose the ability to stay precisely tuned into His voice and plan for our lives. You could only be a few clicks away from missing out on something great!

The Insignificance of the First Christmas

Multi-colored lights, Christmas music playing on every radio station, classic holiday shows on TV, the hustle and bustle of shopping on steroids-all to celebrate an annual holiday that has its origins over two thousand years ago. Why has Christmas become such a big deal from such an insignificant event?

Sheep were on the verge of extinction due to the sacrifices required for the sins of man. So out of love, God stepped into his creation in the form of his son Jesus. He wasn’t born of the queen of some great city or the relative of a high priest. He came into the world through a poor, insignificant Jewish teenager named Mary. Hie father wasn’t wealthy but a poor carpenter or mason. Jesus wasn’t born in the temple or raised in the palace of a Pharaoh. He was born in an insignificant holding area for stable animals, and laid in what was most likely a feeding trough.

Christ wasn’t born in Rome or even the holy city of Jerusalem, but twenty-five miles away in the insignificant town of Bethlehem, mentioned in Micah as small among the Jewish clans, an unimportant village. His birth wasn’t heralded through the streets by the town crier, but first announced to a band of insignificant shepherds guarding their flocks on the outskirts of the town. There was little if anything significant about the birth of Jesus. And later on in his life, even the prophet Isaiah referred to him as insignificant. Listen to his words in Isaiah 53:3:

”He was despised and rejected by people, one who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness. People hid their faces from him; he was despised and we considered him insignificant.”

Do you struggle with self worth? Do you ever question your significance? I know I do. Guess what, we’re in good company. Throughout scripture, God used the lowly, overlooked, insignificant things and people to accomplish history changing events. He uses brokenness to create masterful mosaics. He uses our messes to deliver his message. God uses our weaknesses to exploit his power. Jesus had every right to be born in the palace of a king, raised as a prince and heir to the throne of the king. But Emmanuel, God with us, wanted to be accessible to all people, from the greatest to the least. What better way should one of the most significant events in man’s history transpire but through a series of insignificant circumstances involving seemingly insignificant people.

Thank God for the insignificance of an event that forever changed the world and afforded us salvation and eternal life in a new home where insignificance will be a thing of the past. Merry Christmas.

If Tomorrow Never Comes

I recently celebrated my 62nd birthday. I’m grateful for every year when I consider that so many are not as fortunate. The news headlines alone are a stark reminder of this. A shooting last week in Maine claims 18 lives as young as 14 years old. A hurricane in Mexico that formed with little warning claims another 27 lives. Each day in the U.S. 8,000 die from accidents or illness. Life is precious because it’s not guaranteed.

On my birthday I visited the grave of my grandson Brian, who died exactly one year earlier at the age of 21. As I walked around the cemetery, as I often do whenever I visit, I couldn’t help but notice how many markers bore the same birth year as mine. It reminded me that my number could be called at any time.

God alone knows how many years of life we are each assigned. Some make the mistake of basing their longevity on some high average number. If one is 30 years old and will live to be 90, you can say they are still young. But, if one is 30 and they will die by age 40, they are already old. Many younger people may actually be much older than they know!

In the end, the number of years we have isn’t as important as what we do with them. A lot of old people die having never truly lived, while many who die young lived a full and rich life. I think of former President Jimmy Carter who, in his 90s still built homes for Habitat for Humanity or Mother Teresa, who continued her work in Calcutta until her death at age 87.

Sadly, many who are like me don’t understand the importance and the urgency of making our days count until we are much older, and work overtime in an attempt to make up for wasted years, or to leave something of a legacy behind for our kids to build on. I wish I would have worked less and spent more time with my young family, attended more games, took more photos, weekend trips, family outings. I don’t want Cats in the Cradle to be my life’s song when my time is up.

But even more important is the fact that this 50-80 years on earth is but a grain of sand in the desert of eternity. We focus all of our time and energy on a lifetime that won’t even show up as a blip on the infinite timeline of forever. I’m not big on old time sayings, but one that I grew up hearing rings true:
Soon this life on earth will pass, only what’s done for God will last. Each year that I’m blessed with is another opportunity to make up for a year I wasted, another opportunity to tell someone how much I love them, another opportunity to help out someone less fortunate, another chance to be a friend to someone who is struggling, to brighten someone’s day, another opportunity to dance, to sing, to give, to laugh, to worship, just in case tomorrow never comes.

Improving Your Game one Stroke at a Time

I love the game of golf! It’s fun, challenging, frustrating and humbling. I’m not very good at it. I’m often asked what my handicap is, to which I reply, golf. I am always seeking out ways to improve my game. I watch instructional videos on stance and addressing the ball. I go to the range to work on the mechanics of my swing. I research the latest clubs and the best balls for distance. I even bought some newly designed tees recently that reduce friction and side spin. And I constantly watch tournaments on tv to see how the pros do it. I have to admit I get upset when in spite of my best efforts, it doesn’t always come together. I put all this effort into improving my level of play and reducing strokes in a sport where there is no such thing as the perfect game. The lowest official score to date is 55, but someone will eventually do better.

I have to ask myself, how much better of a Christ-follower and leader would I be if I used the same approach in improving my faith. Am I constantly watching to see how the “pros” do it? Am I tracking my score to see if I’m improving? Am I working on the weaker areas of my game? Do I play with men who are better than I am so that I may learn from their experiences? And do I get as frustrated when I miss the mark with God as I do when I miss a three foot putt?

I love the Apostle Paul because I can so easily relate to him. He said in Romans 7 that he couldn’t understand why he did the things he knew he shouldn’t, but didn’t do the things he should. It frustrated him because he knew he had a better game inside of him. There are times when I return from a weekend of serving in church, that I feel somewhat accomplished. But there are those times when I wonder why God would use someone so flawed to do something so eternally important. Like golf, there is no such thing as the perfect level of the Christian journey. But I should be always striving to get better, to reduce errors and improve my score. I shouldn’t be content with anything less.

How’s your game? What steps are you taking to improve it? Always be looking for ways to get better, even if just one stroke at a time!

Your Soul Status

The Oxford Language dictionary defines the word “soul” as the spiritual part of a human being that’s regarded as immortal. I was always fascinated as to why airline pilots, when making distress calls to the towers, refer to the people on board as souls. One reason is to let emergency crews know how many people to search for should the plane come down. It is also to distinguish between living passengers and any deceased bodies they may be carrying in the cargo area. By doing so, they are perhaps unknowingly confirming that souls depart from bodies at the point of death.

There are many who believe that when a person dies, that’s it-there is no more; ashes to ashes and dust to dust with nothing remaining except memories of their existence. I find that an incredibly sad way to live. Even Hollywood acknowledges life after death, from the famed Christmas Carol to Patrick Swayze’s Ghost. And songs from unlikely sources acknowledge life after death as well. Tupac wrote I Wonder if Heaven Got a Ghetto. There’s Don’t Fear the Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult, Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton, Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin, Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door by Bob Dylan and scores more. Life surely doesn’t end at death.

I’ve enjoyed blogging for almost fifteen years now and I’ve tried my best to offer hope and encouragement to anyone who stumbles across In My Own Words on papaswords.com. But my ultimate objective is and has always been to point people to the hope and love and grace that is only found in having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. To quote Penn Jillette from Penn and Teller, who is a devout atheist, if you are truly convinced that there is a heaven and hell and a God, how much must you hate someone if you don’t share that conviction with others. I want to be on record with my readers and followers that I believe in Christ and am persuaded that he is the only way that leads to God. He made this clear when he said in the book of John that “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to my father except through me.”

We live in a world of subjective truths. Even professed Christians sometimes waiver when asked if there is more than one way to find salvation for your soul. I believe in the inerrancy of the Bible. Scripture clearly states there is but one way to save your soul:

There is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we can be saved-Acts 4:12

God loved the world so much he gave us his son so that whoever believes in him will be saved-John3:16

Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved-Acts 16:31

If you declare with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved -Romans 10:9

The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord-Psalm 37:39

Whoever believes in the son has eternal life-John 3:36

So what is the status of your soul? Should unexpected calamity strike your life, where will you be tomorrow? The Apostle Paul said that to be absent or missing in this earthly life is to be in the presence of our Lord. If along the way of this blog I gave a word or two of hope, great. If I imparted any wisdom, cool. If I made you smile with a funny story, awesome. But more than anything else, I want to challenge you to consider the status of your soul and the reality of eternity, the existence of heaven and hell and a day when we will all have to give an account of our life before the very real Son of God. Jesus paid a heavy price that we may be called friends of God. If just one comes to know Jesus through this blog, it will have been worth the years or writing, the hundreds of posts and hundreds of thousands of keystrokes.

To all who believed in him and who accepted him, he gave the right to become sons and daughters, children of God! – John 1:12

Bringing Down the Walls

By definition, a wall is a structure that divides or encloses, or keeps others out. Sometimes wall are used as a defense. I love the story in the Biblical book of Joshua about how the Israelites were up against the Great Wall surrounding the enemy city of Jericho. Joshua instructed the people to march around the city once each day for six days in total silence, carrying the Ark with them. But on the seventh day they were instructed to march around the wall seven times. On the seventh time, when they heard the call from the ram horn, they were to give out a mighty, holy, shout of praise to God. At this, the walls of Jericho collapsed and Israel conquered the city. In the 50’s archeologists found evidence of the bricks that made up this wall.

We live in a world of walls. Many of these are walking walls. We tend to build these walls ourselves. We don’t like what someone says to us, so we put up a wall against them. We try something and fail, we put up another wall. We have bad experiences in past relationships, more walls. We have unfounded biases against certain people, more walls. We can even find walls against other church members. There are walls we hide behind, walls of depression, walls of anger, discouragement, anxieties, self-worth, loneliness, the list could go on. Some have built so many walls they look more like an unescapable maze. This is no way to live.

Ephesians chapter 2 speaks about how Christ died to tear down the walls that separate us from others and from God. We are not called to live in isolation for fear of what’s on the other side of our walls. We aren’t allowed as believers in Christ, to hide in the safety of shadows. In fact, we are called a beacon on a hill that can’t be hidden so that all may see God’s light shining through us, unobstructed by walls.

When the Children of Israel needed the walls before them to fall, they cried out to God, knowing they couldn’t do it on their own strength. God empowers us when we become totally weak before him. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. Our walls become rubble when we worship him, bow before him, cry out in desperation to him. There is no greater power on earth to bring down the walls in our lives, than the power we receive when we humble ourselves before him in the weakness of our limited human abilities. Only then , when we rise up with God’s power, will we see our walls fall down!

Life Without Thumbs

The human body is an amazing machine. God created it intricately to perform all life’s necessary tasks. Every part of the body is significant and plays vital roles. Take the thumb, for example. Do you realize how difficult everyday tasks would be without thumbs. Here’s a list of just a few things you can’t do without thumbs:

1. Button a shirt
2. Write with a pen
3. Zip your pants
4. Use chopsticks
5. Hold a glass
6. Tie your shoes
7. Play certain instruments
8. Snap
9. Turn doorknobs
10. Forget about thumb wars

We may not think of losing a thumb in the same way as losing an arm or leg, but even a digit as seemingly insignificant as the thumb would greatly impact your life if you were to lose them.

The Bible says we are all part of the body of Christ with each part playing a specific role as designed by God:

“The eye can’t say to the hand “I don’t need you” and the head can’t say to the feet “I don’t need you”, so that there’s no divisions in the body. “. 1 Corinthians 12:21

We are all part of the same commissioned team. It’s easy to believe you aren’t significant if you aren’t a speaker or teacher or leader in the church. We don’t need to be seen by everyone in order to be a part of ministry. You minister when you greet people at the door. You minister if you usher them to a seat. You minister if you attend to babies and toddlers during service. You minister if you maintain the building or the grounds of the church. You minister if you pray in private for the needs of your church family or your pastors.

Our enemy is a master of mind games. One of his oldest tricks is getting us to believe we don’t matter, we aren’t important, we don’t make a difference. He tells us that our past disqualifies us from being an effective servant in ministry. But God says differently ! The next time you are feeling like your role in the church doesn’t matter, think of yourselves as the thumbs of the body of Christ. You are significant!

When God Answers No

The Bible is packed with promises regarding our prayers. “Ask whatever you will and it will be done”, or “God will give you the desires of your heart”, or “God won’t withhold any good thing from those who walk uprightly”. These promises can be interpreted that God always say “yes”. But when his answer is a resounding “No!”, our world and sometimes even our faith is thrown into an upheaval.

I recall an episode of the Andy Griffith Show when Buddy Epstein asks Andy what harm would come if he gave Opie what he wanted. Andy answered that his son wants anything flashy that catches his eyes, but that not everything flashy was good for him. It was his job as a father to protect his son from anything that might cause him harm. We may not feel our petitions are flashy or harmful, but God is already in our futures and he knows before we do what is ultimately good for us or not.

I received a “no” response this weekend to something I had been praying about for over one year. I don’t understand the response, and I certainly don’t like the response because I felt I was praying about something for my greater good as a leader and servant. I find it a challenge to reconcile God’s numerous promises to my stark reality, mostly because I’m leaning on my own understanding, not his. I tell others all the time that God is not bound by the restraints of time, and that he is already present in all of our tomorrows. I need to follow my own counsel. We have to trust that he knows what’s best for us from a futuristic perspective. I see a piece of the puzzle; God already has it completed.

Is it that simple to accept his “no”? Of course not, because we won’t understand it until we are standing where he is now and looking back. For now we have questions and disappointments, “looking through the glass dimly”. Trust God when he says “no”. Believe that he isn’t being harsh but loving, seeing the whole path you are just stepping onto. Don’t pull away in disappointment or discouragement, but lean ever more heavily on him, even against your own will, knowing that God’s current denial is leading to something you could never have imagined.

The Hated Christian

We live in a world where true Christianity is becoming increasingly unpopular. Nothing highlights this more than Pride Month, the month of June. Some of this hatred towards us comes from who and what we represent. However, many of the wounds of Christianity are self-inflicted.

To establish a perspective, I am writing this as a Christ follower, imperfect in many ways but living under God’s grace and forgiveness. Over the course of my sixty or so years, I’ve witnessed the decline of Christianity in the U.S. in ways I would never have imagined. It shouldn’t be a surprise that we are a hated bunch. Jesus said in Matthew that we would be hated just as he was. That’s good, IF we are hated for all the right reasons. Here are some reasons I believe Christianity in America is on the decline.

Christ followers believe in the inerrant truths of the Bible. Those truths are often held in contempt because they challenge how we live and conduct ourselves. Few want to be told how to live life. We believe heaven and hell are real places that individuals can choose for themselves based on their beliefs, or their denial of Christ. It’s not God’s will that any should perish in hell; it’s our free will that determines our destiny. We believe in one truth and one path to heaven, namely Jesus. He said that no one approaches the Father except through him. In a world of the coexistence of all beliefs, this is highly unacceptable to many. We are called to love all people, even our enemies, but to stand up with compassion, against anything that goes against God’s instructions. Have done this correctly?

There are many divisive social and political issues where we as a church have shot ourselves in the foot. Again, nothing shows this more than the month of June. When Jesus dealt with the adulteress and the woman at the well, he did so with compassion and love. He didn’t condone their life choices but he did show mercy in each case. But our response to lifestyles we don’t accept is often mired in hatred and condemnation, not love and mercy. They aren’t welcomed in church and we shun them like the puritan days. We can’t love people into the Kingdom if we can’t even welcome them into our church pews.

Another of our self-inflicted wounds is our assignment of Christ to a political party. Quotes such as “You can’t be Christian if you vote for…” should never be uttered by a loving follower of Christ. In a two party system, such a stand automatically eliminates a full half of potential believers who will never give a thought to anything you have to say about our faith. In losing half of our constituency, it makes us no better than Target and Budweiser!

One last but glaring wound to Christianity is our tolerance of popular prosperity preachers who are allowed to exploit the gospel for a profit unchecked. I won’t mention names but the richest of these false prophets has a net worth of $650,000,000 and owns two jets and an 18,000 sq. ft. mansion. Another recently confessed he had chandeliers in his house worth more than most homes. Why have we tolerated such gross misrepresentations of the Gospel but go into convulsions regarding the LBGTQ+ community? Among the reasons listed as to why people don’t like Christianity, hypocrisy is always in the top two or three. As believers we aren’t afforded the privilege of wavering in our defense of the faith. And yet we are consistent in our inconsistencies when it comes to loving our neighbors and exposing antichrists.

I love my faith in Christ and I love my church, both my local church and the universal church, and will adamantly defend both when possible. I just don’t want to be the reason a brother is turned off of Christianity. I believe Christ is coming back for his church. I believe we are called to share this hope in love with as many who would believe. But I also believe if we are to ever return some lost credibility to the church, we have some house cleaning to do. This may be one of the more controversial posts I’ve written, but I offer it in love in hopes of healing the wounds we’ve caused so that the light of Jesus is all that is seen when others view his church. God bless you all and always. In Christ’s love.

Someone Died That I Might Live

I apologize to my followers for being absent these past few months. I’ve been on dialysis and it’s taken its toll on my creative juices. However I’m pleased to report that I’m recovering from a very successful kidney transplant, gifted to me on April 4th just before Easter. This has been a twenty year battle but God in his mercy answered my prayers.

I was not fortunate enough to have a live donor kidney available, so I had to go on a three-state waiting list for a cadaver kidney. You must understand the dilemma of praying for such an organ. For my prayers to be answered meant that someone had to first die to make that organ available to me. It is the unfortunate nature of the organ donor process. I began praying for the family of whoever this person would be long before I receive the call that a kidney was available. I don’t know the identity of this person or their family due to medical privacy laws, but I’m eternally grateful to this family. I owe them my life. It is now my duty to take full advantage of this new chance and live my life in such a manner as to honor this person’s precious life-saving gift so that it won’t be wasted.

It’s entirely appropriate that I received this gift on Easter week, a time when we celebrate someone else who died that we might live. Scripture says that only a few would ever die for someone else, but that while we were still in our sinful state, Christ died for us. His death and resurrection gave us a second chance to live eternally with a clean slate. Our old nature exists no longer and we are a new creation.

Just as I owe the family of my donor to live my life to the fullest, I owe Christ my all with each new day I’m given. Ephesians 4:1 says;

“Therefore I, as a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God”

It’s easy as believers to become complacent in our faith, to lose our passion or first love. I’m sure I’ll have times yet to come when relaxing will be easier than serving. But having survived both cancer and end-stage renal failure, I hold precious and dear every new day God grants me. I want nothing less than to honor this opportunity to live my remaining years in his service, wherever that leads me.

A persons death gave new life to my physical body. Christ’s death gave new and eternal life to my spiritual body. I will not squander either opportunity. God bless you all.

Life is But a Vapor

Much of the country watched in shock as Damar Hamlin, an athlete in his prime, collapsed at midfield during a NFL game from a heart attack that required life saving measures. One week later a young lady here in Las Vegas complained of chest pains and went to the sidelines during a flag football game where she was rushed to the hospital and later pronounced dead. Just a few days after, again here in Las Vegas, another high school athlete died from a similar cardiac episode. In October last year my twenty-one year old grandson, Brian, died in his sleep. How do we address such seemingly premature deaths?

We live in a world where medical technology can extend life, and therefore we expect to live to be eighty years old or more. Anything less is viewed as abnormal. But the truth is all around us. Any of us can die at anytime. None of us are guaranteed tomorrow. We define age as a number based on that 70 or 80 year mark. A twenty year old is considered young while a fifty year old is considered older. But if a twenty year old is to die at thirty, he is actually old, while a fifty year old may live to be ninety, he is relatively young. How do we process this?

Job 14:5 reads, “You have determined the length of our lives. You know how many months we will live, and we are not given a minute longer.”

James 4:14 reads “ How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning vapor, it’s here for a little while, then it’s gone.”

And Psalm 144:4 reads” Man is like a breath. His days are like a passing shadow.”

Are these passages from the Bible intended to discourage us? No, not at all. If considered correctly, they instead raise two questions:

1. When my time comes, am I ready to meet God or am I in danger of eternal punishment?
   
2. Without knowing the number of my days, am I living them to the fullest and am I making a difference in the lives of others?
   

There are no free passes to Heaven. There is but one way to enter, and that is through a relationship with Jesus Christ. The world will tell you differently, that there are numerous ways to obtain eternal bliss. Jesus said “ I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” It’s that black and white, no room for interpretation. Having Godly parents, doing good for others, staying out of trouble, these are not enough. When we come to die, God will ask us one simple question: did you know my Son?

And for those of us who call him Lord, are we living up to the high calling of being the personification of Jesus to others? Are we living life as if our time is limited, making memories, loving our families and living as witnesses to God’s amazing grace? When I consider the fragility of life, I want to be certain I can answer these questions with a resounding “yes”, should I never see tomorrow. Can you?

I Resolve to….

In years past I might have resolved to spend more time in the gym lifting weights. These days I’m content getting out of bed without needing pain killers. It’s crazy how our goals and objectives change over the years. Things that were important ten years ago aren’t as important now and our expectations more closely resemble our current situations. But still, at this time each year we take inventory of our lives and vow to do better next year through expressed resolutions. We make ‘‘em and we break ‘em!

An attitude of self-improvement is noble. Who among us doesn’t want to be a better person, a better spouse or a better parent. I just wonder if we’re going about it the wrong way. Scripture tells us that if we seek God first above everything else, all these other things will be added as well. In chasing results, we tend to overlook the core for the Christian life, closeness with God. If we become more intentional about seeking God, knowing God, following Christ and living in obedience to his Word, we will become more loving, more patient, more compassionate toward others. The deeper our love for God, the deeper our love for others, thus making us better friends, spouses, parents and servants. Instead of resolving to make all these changes dependent of our will and fortitude, we would be better off to seek him who can change us according to his strength and purpose, a strength much greater than our own.

2022 was a year of change. I saw the passing of my dad in May, and my oldest grandson in October. I saw my health decline more as I wait for a transplant. But I also witnessed God’s grace in every situation. I developed Christian bonds that I relied upon during challenging times. I learned that total reliance on God in every aspect of my life doesn’t make me weak, but rather stronger than I could ever resolve to be on my own. This year I want to be even more intentional about knowing God because I now see that this is the key for me being a better man in all areas of my life. Yes, I’m sure over the next year I’ll have my share of missteps, but I’m confident I’ll finish on the right path. If I might suggest anything for you in 2023, it would be that you wrap all your resolutions up in one simple goal to put God first in everything and to seek to know more of him with all your heart.

Have a blessed, safe and healthy New Year.

Navigating the Emotions of Christmas

For sixty-two years they did Christmas together. This year they will be apart. Mom remains with us while dad will be spending his first Christmas with the Christ child.

Our parents understood the meaning of Christmas and hey did everything to make each one a special occasion. Even during lean years we didn’t know the difference because of their sacrifice to make the day special, which is why Christmas remains my favorite holiday of the year. Christmas then was so pure and simple. Playing in the snow with the neighbor kids, playing a part in the Christmas pageant, visiting the animated window displays of the large downtown department stores, caroling in freezing temperatures- all precious memories of a time now past, a time that can’t be recaptured, just recalled. They were truly wonderful times.

Christmas is the ultimate magnifier of emotions. For some it brings a heightened sense of compassion for the poor and needy. For some it brings back vivid memories and nostalgia of Christmas past. Those in new or healthy relationships find the season resembling their favorite Hallmark Christmas movie. But for those who have lost loved ones or are discouraged or facing challenges, it can be cruel, a stark reminder of when times were better. And for the lonely, it can be the most depressing time of the year, a precursor to an even more lonely New Years Eve just a week away. Even those who have learned how to navigate the emotional highs and lows of the Holiday season, know to tread lightly lest they step on a landline of memories of better times that cause them to stumble ala Griswold watching home movies while trapped in his attic.

Our mom has poured herself into getting out and doing for others in honor of dad, who would have accompanied her until he could no longer leave home. While she has expressed to me the loneliness of missing dad, she doesn’t dwell on it in unhealthy ways. Her faith compels her to serve others in his memory, therefore allowing her recall precious times while remaining proactive in avoiding the solitude of the first Christmas without him. This helps her manage lonely nights when she misses his voice and his presence.

The challenge is real. Almost every Christmas movie is a love story. TV commercials are designed to make us spend money for that special person in our life. Concerts and shows are nice but would be better shared with someone. Every night is a Silent Night, a vivid reminder of being alone. But there are some easy remedies to combat the holiday blues.

1. Take long hot baths or showers and let the warmth of the water wash over you and calm your mind.

2. Bake something from scratch with your favorite Christmas music playing in the background and find someone to give them to.

3. Volunteer. During the holidays there are so many organizations begging for extra help as they serve the poor and needy of their communities.

4. Take an evening excursion through local displays of lights.

5. Try and find an opportunity to go caroling with others, a lost tradition still practiced if you look hard enough.

6. Take time to intentionally reflect on the Christmas story, never losing sight of why we celebrate such a beautiful holiday every year.

On that first Christmas Eve over two thousand years ago Christ was born through human means into the world he created to begin a journey that would reconcile us to his father. He came for the widowed, the discouraged, the lonely, to give us hope and a reason to remember the season. Isaiah reminds us in chapter 41,

“ Fear not for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, I am still your God. I will help you and hold up with my mighty right hand.”

Later Jesus reminds us that he is always with us. Mom will be without dad for the first time in her adult life, but in Christ she is never alone. The same can be said for all of us. Don’t let the sting of isolation destroy the hope Christmas brings to each of us. This wonderful, counselor, mighty God and prince of peace is always near if we seek him. Merry Christmas to all my readers. Thank you for your encouragement. I love each of you!

Memories of a Simple Christmas

Christmas these days seem so busy and hectic. Even most churches are working overtime putting last minute touches on their programs for the benefit of those who only come on Christmas and Easter. We can get so caught up in the activities of the season that we overlook the benefits of the event, the blessed miracle of that first Christmas, the incarnation of Christ. It wasn’t always that way.

I recall a much simpler Christmas. I grew up in Indiana during a time when most every Christmas was white. It was easy to feel the seasonal cheer when winter scenes permeated our views. We didn’t need Christmas cards to remind us of snowy scenes-we we’re in the middle of them. I remember our parents taking us downtown to view the animated displays each department store would put in their windows. We could stand for hours looking at them. I remember watching people ice skate in our city circle to holiday music playing in the background.

Caroling was still a thing. Our family would take us downtown to listen to choirs singing on the circle or to shopping centers where Carolers would sing the classics rarely heard these days. And Christmas Eve services were simply a nativity played out by the children with all their imperfections, followed by a candle lighting and singing Silent Night. Simple, beautiful, meaningful.

The older I get the more nostalgic I become. Christmas remains my favorite time of the year but I’ll always cherish Christmases past. One thing that hasn’t changed though is the message of Christmas. God needed someone to fulfill the law so that we could be restored and reconciled to him. That process began with the incarnate birth of Christ on that first Christmas night. The angels rejoiced as they announced his coming. The world forever changed that night. The creator stepped into his creation so that we might become children of God.

I pray that as we prepare for the holidays, we take the time to personally reflect on what Christmas means to us and that we don’t lose sight of the simple miracle we celebrate each year that ushered in eternal life and a forever Christmas to those who believe and follow the Christ child.

Seeing Through a Glass Dimly

He was loved the day he entered into our lives. He had a unique charm and appeal about him. He was the first to take to the dance floor at his mom’s wedding and showed off his moves. He loved music from guitar recitals to becoming the next big rap artist. His words and rhythm were that of an established artist. He was studying to get his degree in architecture, but if you asked him, he was already an architect. He stepped into his dream without the required paperwork because that’s how he lived. The world was his for the taking. And he loved Jesus! He died in his sleep at the age of twenty-one. Now we see through a glass dimly.

One of the greatest mysteries of life is why things happen when they do and why they happen to certain people. Why are people cut down in the prime of their lives? What is the purpose of a premature death? Why does God appoint more years of life to some and not others? If God loves us, why does he take our loved ones, our spouses, our children, our grandchildren, when we want and need them most? Now we see through a glass dimly.

It’s hard to answer questions like these when posed to you, when you yourself are struggling with the same questions. The reality is that none of us are guaranteed a certain number of years or how long we have to live. You may think that twenty years old makes one a young person, but if they only have thirty years to live, they are actually old. Conversely if one is forty but will live to be eighty, they are relatively young. Only God knows at any given time if we are young or old. So what do we do with this information?

When my dad died earlier this year I resolved to be the man I heard described at his funeral. His death created a determination to be a better man and make a difference in the lives of others. When my grandson died last month I resolved to make every day count. Dad’s death created purpose; my grandson’s death created urgency. None of us can recapture wasted days but oh what a privilege to be given new opportunities with each new day to make them count. Life for me is not about what you acquire but rather what you leave behind. Are people better off for knowing me? Are my kids better off because I am their dad? Do people see enough of Christ in my life that they desire to want to know him better? Am I really loving people supernaturally as God does?

1 Corinthians 13 says that now we see through a glass dimly. In other words in this life we won’t have all the answers to the hard questions. We will never be able to understand or even accept God’s higher ways. We will struggle to find purpose in suffering. But the verse goes on to say when we are with Christ we will look back and understand. In my last conversation with my grandson I confirmed his faith in Christ. There will be an empty chair for the holidays and a hole in our hearts that will not be filled in this life. But there will be a day when looking back won’t be important and having the answers won’t matter. I am prepared for that day. I pray you will be as well. Now we see through a glass dimly but then we will see all things clearly.

Tired of Being Tired

One of my favorite movies is Blazing Saddles, a movie so politically incorrect that it seldom airs anymore. In it Madeline Kahn plays a lounge singer who sings a song called I’m Just Tired. The song is a bit racy and intended for its comedic value. But in reality there’s nothing funny about being tired, and if truth be told I imagine many of us could sing a similar song. I know I can.

I’ve been on dialysis now for twenty-five months. That’s approximately 108 weeks, 1296 hours in a chair, 648 needle pricks with 15 gauge needles in the same 2” area of my left arm. While I’m grateful to God for life sustaining medical technology, I’m so very tired. I operate at about 50% energy capacity as a norm, waiting for the day I can receive a donor kidney and get back to some resemblance of a normal life.

Some of you may be tired too. Weariness comes in many forms. You may be tired of a dead end job that leaves you unfulfilled. You may be tired of constant financial struggles. Some may be tired of being in a relationship that has grown stale while others may be tired of being alone. Maybe like me you are fighting an illness and you are tired of being sick compared to the time when you felt your best. It’s no fun being tired and it can wreak havoc on not only your physical being but also your mental, emotional and spiritual welfare.

But there is relief for those who follow Christ. God is not blind to our weariness and has given us many scriptures to cling to for added energy when we’re tired of dealing with things that never seem to change. He would have us enjoy a life of abundant joy and the energy to endure the hard seasons of life. Consider these passages from his Word:

Come to me, all who are weary and I will give you rest. Take my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and you will find rest. Matt. 11:28

Truly my soul finds rest in God. Psalm 62:1

I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint. Jeremiah 31:25

All who wait on the Lord will find renewed strength. Isaiah 40:31

My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in your weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9

He gives power to the faint and to him with no energy he increases their strength. Isaiah 40:29.

I know it sounds too simple- a verse here or there somehow increasing our energy levels just like that. But the Word is like vitamins-they work best when taken daily, not just when we’re at our worst. Jesus gave us the Sabbath as a day for us to rest and recharge because he was familiar with fatigue. We would do well to follow his example, leaning on him when life is too tiring for us.
Be blessed.

Avoid Divisive Arguments

I’m venturing out on thin ice here and I’m certain I’ve posted about this topic previously. However with the mid-term elections upon us and the 2024 campaigns ramping up, it’s time to consider our role as political activists vs. our role as Christ ambassadors. It is possible to do both, but ultimately, one “trumps” the other, and that is where the lines get blurred.

There may be nothing more divisive in the church than a good old-fashioned political debate. Nothing stirs the heated passions more than a face off with someone with opposing views. “This party backs abortion so a Christian can’t support them” or “that party stands for greed and profit so a Christian can’t vote for them”. It is such that even within the loving confines of Christian brotherhood, lines are drawn in the sand-you’re either with us or against us. How can this be among believers? Where in holy scripture are we given permission to label each other based on our voting records?

Don’t misunderstand me, many gave their lives for us to have the freedom and the right to support, campaign and vote for our choice of public officers and I defend that right. But long before, one man gave his life to unite us all under his blood as siblings and children of God first and foremost. Christ gave his life for all who would vote Democrat and those who vote Republican or Independent. Our ultimate salvation is through Jesus Christ alone, and not a red or blue administration. Where we often miss this is when we put our welfare in the hands of a politically corrupt man made system of government, not in the God who dresses the flowers in the fields. If we are in despair and worried because our guy or party isn’t in control, we are in essence guilty of idolatry, trusting in something or someone other than God for our future welfare.

I am appalled at the various social media posts that pop up from those I know to be Christian. The tone and even the terminology often sound anything but Christian. It is fine, if one is so inclined, to espouse an opinion without using divisive terms or phrases that offend others who share different views. Whether Liked or not, all of your followers will see these posts. Can you disagree with a loving tone, or must your language degrade and exclude anyone in disagreement with your position? Can you support a platform without the visceral reactions from a carnal nature? There are many faithful believers who vote Republican. There are just as many believers who vote Democrat. There are many believers who abstain from the process completely. Is any one group more or less faithful? I would challenge you to show me a scripture that supports that. I find just the opposite:

2 Timothy 2:23; Again I say don’t get involved in foolish ignorant arguments that only start fights.

Romans 16:17; I appeal to you brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no divisions among you…

Romans 14:13; Therefore let’s not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block in the way of a brother.

We all have our own personal convictions based on our history and life experiences when it comes to voting. We are not all called to vote the same. That said, we can not allow the enemy to use those differences to conquer and divide us in the faith. Our ultimate citizenship is not of this earth or any particular country, but rather in Heaven ( Philippians 3:20). God knew in advance that our world and mankind would need saving long before there were any man made political systems were formed. In the end political administrations won’t save you. Only the blood of Christ which unites us can do that. Peace, safety, security and hope are all freely provided through belief in Christ as our eternal savior, and not a political party. And when the man made governing systems no longer exist, our eternity with Jesus and our love for each other will last forever.

“ By this will all men know that you are my disciples; (not by how you vote) by how you show love for each other.”

I love all who read this and I pray you understand my intent to be united in Christ while embracing our different views.

May I Have a Do-over?

As I approach yet another birthday in my seventh decade, I reflect back on my life with gratitude for all the lessons learned through life experiences. But at the same time I can’t help but to recall times and decisions I wish I could do over. It’s funny to me how much you can love something that you totally suck at. I love golf. If my body and finances would let me, I’d play every day. But I would want do-overs on just about every hole. I know the stance, the swing mechanics and the proper club selection, but rarely does it all come together for a par.

Life can be the same. It’s easy to get caught up in “what ifs”. What if I’d chosen a different career? What if I’d finished college or chosen a different major? What if I’d pursued that dream a little earlier in life? What if I’d chosen a different relationship?What if I’d recognized my God-given purpose and walked in it sooner? As I look back I can easily identify so many situations that I’d do over. Is it the same with you?

Im grateful that my God is a God of do-overs. When you study some of the main characters in scripture you’ll find most were given a do-over. Jonah disobeyed God and ended up in a fish but was given a do-over. David had a man killed so he could take his wife, but was given a do-over. Peter denied knowing his master Jesus not once but three times, but Jesus gave him a do-over. And perhaps the greatest do-over in history, the Apostle Paul, who persecuted and killed those who followed Christ, was transformed and given a humongous do-over that resulted in over half of our New Testament. Gods grace and patience in our lives results in a myriad of second chances. At nearly sixty-one years old I’m finding that to be true more each day.

There is something else equally important. While I’m still a man of many imperfections, I feel I’m finally walking in my purpose. It took me a long time to get to this point. But I realize that every event and every season of my life, including those I may at first wish to do over, were used to get me to where I am now. It really is true, according to Romans, that all things, good or bad, work together for the good of those who love God and are in pursuit of his purpose. Even things sent our way intended for evil purposes, are turned around for our good. Although I might do things differently if given the chance, I can be at peace knowing that God eventually guided my path so that I may be where I am now, even if that path resembles the Israelite journey through the wilderness, a two week trip that took forty, or sixty-one years in my case, to complete.

The rest of your life begins today. Don’t get caught up in things you can’t do over, but rather embrace the fact that in Christ and with his daily measure of mercy, each day can be a do over. Don’t determine your path forward by looking backwards. The past is a history that can’t be changed, but God is already in your future. God bless you.

What is Your Thorn in the Flesh?

A thorn in the flesh is a phrase used to describe some annoyance or some challenge in one’s life, and is attributed to the Apostle Paul in 2nd Corinthians. Paul had a thorn in the flesh that he asked God to remove more than once. According to Christianity Today his thorn may have been a disease, an eye condition, lust, his singleness or a speech impediment. Whatever it was he asked God to remove it on three different occasions but God refused, citing his Grace was more than enough to compensate for his thorn.

We all have something in our life that could be viewed as our thorn in the flesh. God uses these to help us develop total reliance on his grace. For me it is a twenty year battle with kidney disease. As with any thorn it’s not something we asked for or would have chosen. I deal with constant pain and occasional fatigue. And God knows it hasn’t been conducive to a quality social or dating life. What it has done is develop a total trust and reliance on God’s grace like I’ve never had before. As my body weakens, my spirit is renewed and grows stronger each day. The thorn is inconvenient but I’d have it no other way. The peace that come with the assurance that God’s radical grace will get me through anything is a gift of priceless value.

Whatever it may be that keeps you reliant upon God for a daily ration of grace, as hard as it may be, rejoice in it, knowing his grace is working out something much more wonderful and eternal than the temporary setbacks.

The Lord bless you and keep you, may his face shine upon you and be GRACIOUS to you.

One Step at a Time

An old philosopher once said the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. That is such a profound truth and so applicable in my life. For the past two years I’ve been on a spiritual journey. I’ve learned many lessons and re-learned a few I’d forgotten. Perhaps the most important lesson has been to not be afraid to take the next step.

I remember going through haunted houses when I was younger. There would always be that one section that was pitch black with zero visibility. Even though you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face, the only way to get through the section was to keep stepping. Life for us may not always be that mysterious but there will be those times when the future is unknown to you and all you can see is the next step.

I love how scripture tells us that each of us are born with a God-instilled purpose and mission established before our birth. It’s rare that a five-year old might know their purpose and mission. Im sixty and I’m still uncertain of my destination. But I’m more certain than ever before that I’m on the path God chose for me. If I stay true in my commitment to Christ and submit every aspect of my life to him, I’m assured that my steps will be guided by him even if I don’t know where they lead. The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 119 that God’s word is a lamp for our feet, a light for our path. God provides just enough illumination for us to determine the next step in our journey.

From learning a new dance to beginning a twelve step program, life is a series of taking one step at a time. I believe God doesn’t always reveal to us the complete picture of our life because we would be overwhelmed. Instead he gently guides us one step at a time. Don’t be afraid of stepping out and don’t be in a rush to skip steps in the process. Enjoy the journey and contentment of simply taking the next step.

Goodbye for Now

My dad has been the inspiration for several of my posts over the years. It should come as no surprise that even in death he inspires me. One week ago today we had the privilege of saying goodby for now as we celebrated his life in a send-off fitting a saint. He ran the race well and finished it strong and is now in a place he called home. Dad was truly homesick for Heaven.

In the whole process a couple things came to mind. There was a great outpouring of sympathy for the family with nearly everyone in the final viewing line telling us how sorry they were. While I understand the sentiment, I wondered if they had heard the same eulogy I heard. Dad’s entire life was based around the Christian faith and hope that death was merely our transition to the promise of eternal life with Christ. Anyone who knew dad knew how long he had suffered. We could not comprehend the pain he endured daily with little complaint. Only hourly doses of morphine gave him comfort in the end. Dad dreamt of the land described in Revelation 21 where every tear would be wiped away, and there would be no more death or mourning, no crying and no pain. Now he is there, one more saint watching out for us from a heavenly vantage point. There is nothing to be sorry for. Yes we’ll miss him until we arrive but we rejoice that he no longer suffers in the arms of his Savior.

Another thought I had regards the usual cliches often expressed at funerals. They are the feel good cliches, we’ll see him again, in a better place, God needed angel, etc.. Dad would be the first to tell us death is not a free pass to Heaven. You don’t get there simply by living a good life or by knowing a Christian. Salvation and redemption does not come by proxy. You have to have a personal relationship with Christ based on your confession that he is Lord. We can’t pray someone into heaven who lived a life of denial of Christ. Dad was the real deal. He taught us Christ, showed us Christ and lived out Christ everyday of our lives. We will see him again because he left us a legacy of faith and a clearly marked path to follow. Its with confidence that we hold to the promise that to be absent in this earthly body is to be present with our Lord.

Up until the day before dad passed he was highlighting scripture in his Bible. The Word was his key to heaven and he was anxious to open the door. The empty place he leaves behind on earth is only a reminder that he finished the course and has graduated with honors. He was ready, we’re ready. Are you?

Everyone’s Story Matters

The year was 2009. Our band had been invited to do a worship concert at the Mens Prison in Kingman, AZ. As soon as the guards opened the doors to the hall the room flooded with men in their prison orange. It had been decided that at the end of our worship we would each introduce ourselves and give a quick testimony. I would go last and then introduce the chaplain. One by one our band members gave attention grabbing testimonies of how God had delivered them from abuse, addictions, habits, etc. , some ”me too” stories the inmates related to. Then came my turn. How could my story compete with theirs? I lived a relatively boring and sheltered life in comparison. As an athlete I had never dabbled much in drugs or alcohol. I didn’t have a story of some miraculous spiritual conversion being pulled into the light from the dark. I had been raised in a Christian home by two Godly parents. I was in church whenever there was a service. We were insulated from from drugs, sexy, alcohol, pornography and any other temptation common to teens. I was never allowed to go down that path. Boring. Or was it.

It dawned on me, that was my story. I was spared the pain of hangovers, withdrawals, unwanted children. I was raised in the knowledge of Christ-it is all I’ve ever known. That was my testimony, the grace of God over my life due to parents who prayed over me from my infancy, so that’s the story I told. It must have been good because when I tried to turn it over to the chaplain, he told me to keep going and I delivered an impromptu sermon on salvation and hope that resonated with the inmates. Many of them responded to the invitation to accept Christ. My story mattered.

Don’t ever feel that God can’t use your history, colorful or boring, to change the life of someone who can relate. God chose 12 men to be his apostles. Some were hated, some had reputations and others no one knew. This group of different stories turned the world upside down as they shared with anyone who would listen. I believe God puts people in our path with similar backgrounds that want to hear what we have to say about Christ and his mercy which covers all of us.

What’s your story? Would it make a great movie or a funny gif file? Praise God for stories of redemption and restoration, for marvelous life-changing transformations and for parents who protected their children from the pain and consequences of bad choices. Your story matters; tell it as He urges.

A Mother’s Love

 

The bond is formed the instant she realizes something strangely wonderful is happening. Her hopes are confirmed with the news that she has conceived. She is about to experience the miraculous cycle of life-a new life created in love is developing inside her womb and the countdown begins to the day when she will first see his eyes. Already she is protective-already, there is no son like the one she’s about to bear. The blessed day of his introduction to the world arrives and he is placed upon her stomach for the first time. His appearance, his perfection, his cries instantly remove all residual pain that accompanied his entrance-she is in love with this wonder from God.

Through the early months the bond grows as this miracle receives from her breasts. Every day brings something new.  As she holds him she can see how he fixes his eyes on hers, how he studies her expressions and listens to her sounds of love, until that one special day, when all the cute baby gibberish yields to that first recognizable word-Mama! Her name formed in his tiny mouth brings with it a level of euphoria that only a mother can fully appreciate. He recognizes and accepts this unconditional love he is receiving from this lady and has given it a title-Mama. She feels a blessing words can’t adequately express.

Soon the dependence from limited mobility gives way to the first steps. She feels pride and yet another strange feeling-the birth of worry. Now she has to watch over him with more diligence and remove any obstacle that might bring him harm, a task that from that day forward will never end. She is now his protector-a guardian against anyone and anything that might cause her son harm, a task she undertakes ferociously.

He is now a young free spirit, active, fearless, experimenting.  The day comes when the father removes the training wheels from his first bike, expecting a fall or two, a possible abrasion and maybe even a little blood-a learning curve that must be met. She is not ready for this day and wants to follow closely to catch him when he falls and save him from the pain, but the father holds her back-it must be done if he is to learn. He falls, looks immediately to his mom but gets back on the bike and takes off. The bond grows some more.

They spend the days dancing in the kitchen, working in the garden, shopping for groceries, playing in the park. He is her constant companion and joy and fills her days with laughter. She hardly notices his unkempt clothing, the dirt he drags onto the floor, the mess he leaves at the kitchen table-she sees an angel at play and finds great reward in being a witness to his every move, grateful for this time that just the two of them will share, and not fully appreciating how quickly it will pass. The bond grows.

As much as she wants to turn back time, she can’t and the first day of school arrives, way too early. With all the hesitation of a mother bird pushing her chicks out of the nest, she releases him to the world for the first time and plans nothing for the first few days so she can be waiting and relieved when he exits the school building, another aspect of her experience that will never entirely go away. She watches as he becomes a social being, making new connections but still heavily dependent on his mother’s bond, something he too will never fully outgrow.

She is there to witness the effects of his growth, with full knowledge of what’s to come, but like the removal of the training wheels, forced to watch it happen and be there for the scrapes. She prays for him and awaits the inevitable-the first fight, the first colorful words he learns, the first time he notices a girl, the first kiss, the first boyhood crush and the first heartbreak. Each time she is there with healing and comfort and protection-the bond grows.

The years seem like months as he receives his high school diploma and prepares for college life, most likely far away from home and from his mom for the first time. Nothing has prepared her for this day-the motherhood manual didn’t address this scenario and her faithful prayers are put to the test beyond what she was anticipating. She has dealt with colds and baby teeth, cuts and bruises, dates and broken hearts-she has never faced separation! He has always been the little boy placed on her stomach at birth, close, safe, dependent. She doesn’t like this feeling-it’s uncomfortable, but again a necessary part of the cycle of life. For perhaps the first time she feels unneeded. The best of marriage doesn’t fill her need to mother. She prays for his safety and her comfort.

Finally, he is home again, and with news-he has found love. She experiences another strange sensation. Joyful for his return but faced with the reality that she will have to share her son with another who will fill all the needs that until this time she has met. Again, she has to release him. At the wedding she is the honored guest of the groom. She has learned to accept her new daughter into her life-she hopes as a mom she has taken advantage of every opportunity to prepare her son for adulthood. She takes a quick mental survey to see if she left anything out. With the words “I do” she feels a sense of pride and accomplishment.

 

She is not ready for the overwhelming flood of emotions as she gets another chance to dance with her son, now a man. He has become the embodiment of everything good she has instilled in him from the first day their eyes met. He holds her with a sense of love, appreciation and gratitude that only a son can fully express to his mom. The bond has outlasted every strain that was put on it-it is strong and tangible. The song can’t last long enough-she doesn’t want this moment in time to end-it is her reward and she is relishing in it with every note and every step. This is a mother’s love for her son in full manifestation. The bond is secure.

Love completes its cycle as news come that she is soon going to be a grandmother. The day comes when her grandson is placed in her lap for the very first time. The bond is formed.

Church Live or Online?

The numbers are in after our Easter celebration. My church in Henderson, NV was humbled to minister to over 38,000 in our five services! We have not seen numbers like his since before the pandemic shut our doors. For many it may have simply been a chance to check off their church box for the year while for others, it was their first time back since Covid.

Our church was offering services online via live stream as were many other churches across the nation. Our online viewership has increased ten times since the pandemic. Our live attendance is down about 30% but coming back slowly. If your health or work schedule prevents you from attending live, online is a great option. However, I’m a strong advocate for attending live whenever possible. These are just a few reasons why.

When you are engaged in live worship with hundreds or even thousands of like-minded believers there’s a sense of God’s presence that is hard to duplicate in your home online. I compare it to watching your favorite sports team on television or being live in the stadium with fellow screaming fans-there is no comparison.

Another thing that happens only in live services is the edifying of the church. In Ephesians 4 Paul tells us that we each receive certain spiritual gifts that should be honed in the church for the edifying of the Body of Christ, or the church. You need to minister to others using the gifts God has given you. Your story may help others. This doesn’t normally happen in your living room drinking coffee in your pajamas.

Another benefit of live attendance is networking with friends and forming strong bonds of support you can rely on in times of crisis. My circle of strong men who I count as friends have been my lifesaver these past few years. Time shared together is more precious than well meaning texts.

One out of three have stopped attending church in America since the pandemic and those who attend church have dropped below 50% for the first time in decades. Don’t be a part of a trend but jump in and get wet. Immerse yourself with all the benefits of a live worship experience whenever possible. Don’t settle for anything less than the live experience.

More Than Jewelry or a Tattoo

I have a tattoo of a cross on my back and one on my shoulder. I also have both a silver and a gold cross on chains. The cross is one of the most used symbols in all the world. It is interchanged as symbols of both life and death, horror and beauty. Perhaps nothing in the world has been more misunderstood than the cross, specifically the cross Christ died on.

For most people around the world, this is the beginning of Holy Week when we pause, reflect on and remember the events that are central to our beliefs and salvation. But in a world of seeker friendly churches and feel good messages, many go right to the empty grave and ignore the important significance of the cross. Our church fathers had it right singing hymns such as The Old Rugged Cross, The Cross Made a Difference, At Calvary, Near the Cross and many more. But the message of the cross is not popular in many churches-it doesn’t preach well, it does’t make you feel good.

Christmas is one of my favorite holidays, but Jesus didn’t come to inspire beautiful glittery cards and holiday music. Instead he came to be sacrificed on the cruel cross to cover once and for all the sins of mankind from Genesis to his eventual return for us. It’s a beautiful mystery too grand to fully comprehend. Another beautiful hymn, How Can it Be That He Would Die for Me, remains a prevailing question today. But consider this nugget of gospel truth-God is all knowing. He didn’t send Jesus to die for us IN SPITE of knowing how badly we sinned against him, rather BECAUSE he was fully aware of our sins! ”While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”. He died for the government officials who gave into the demands of the people. He died for the Pharisees who convicted him through a false trial. He died for the Roman guards who flogged him nearly to death, plucked out his beard and hammered the nails into his hands and feet and raised the cross. There is no one and no deed that is so horrific or too great that the cross does not cover! As those who have been forgiven from our sins we should embrace and cling to the beautiful horror of the cross.

Because of the cross we have healing; because of the cross our sins are forever removed from us and remembered no more. Because of the cross we now have direct access to God who desires above all else that we develop an intimate relationship with him. The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians ” I want nothing more than for you to accept Jesus Christ and him crucified.” It’s great and right that we celebrate this Sunday the empty tomb. There is no grave we can visit because he is risen. But don’t be too quick to disregard the significance the cross plays in the resurrection. Rather reflect on the fact that Jesus took on the punishment of sin, which is death, so that we may be called children of God! It’s a mystery too great to for the human mind to comprehend. We don’t need to, we simply accept it with a grateful heart of humility and pass the light on to the next person. Be blessed this Easter.

God is Already in Your Tomorrow

Bodily aches and discomfort, insomnia, tiredness, high blood pressure, digestive issues, sexual issues-all symptoms of a person who worries too much! You can also throw in anxiety and depression. We are a world of worriers and it shows in our overall physical and mental health.

A recent poll showed that more people, about 54%, were pessimistic about 2022. There is much to be concerned about around the globe; the lingering Covid virus, high inflation, rising fuel prices, unemployment or under employment, housing costs, health issues and on and on. All of us have been impacted by at least one or two of these issues directly or within the immediate family. The issue is at what stage does concern and awareness give over to worry and stress? And how can we navigate life’s challenges without yielding to worry?

Worry is nothing new. Jesus addressed it Himself along with others in Biblical times:

Don’t worry about anything, instead pray about everything praying over everything-petition God and He will give you perfect peace , Phil. 4:6-7

Look at the birds of the air. The don’t sow or Collect their food into barns. Yet your Father feeds them. Aren’t you more valuable than they? And who by worrying can add a single hour to his lifespan? Matt. 6:25

Cast all your worries on Him because He cares for you, 1 Peter 5:7

These are but a small sampling of Scriptures dealing with worry or anxiety. A simple Google will lead you to more verses like these.

I was a worrier all of my life. I like to be in control in certain situations. It has taken most of my 60 years to learn how to completely trust God in everything. But for those who follow Christ, the scriptures hold true that He gives us a supernatural peace that can’t be adequately described outside of our faith. During a year when I had no income coming in God met every need. On paper it didn’t make sense but in reality my needs were always met and I had an overwhelming peace that they would be.

We sing a song in church titled I Don’t Know What Tomorrow Holds but I Know Who Holds Tomorrow. I’ve learned especially in the past couple years that God is already in my tomorrow. He knows what I’ll be facing so He equips me with the tools I need today so that I’ll be prepared when I arrive. If God always operates in that realm, what do I have to worry about? Worry may be natural. God’s peace is supernatural. In a world of chaos, I choose peace over worry. You can too!

Finding Peace in a World of Turmoil

Through advances in technology we now have access to World news instantly. Through a click on the remote or a keystroke on a computer device we are instantly plugged in to news around the globe, most of it being bad news. There are ongoing feuds between notions, new start up wars or aggression between others, natural disasters happening globally, and the next mutation of a germ wreaking havoc around the world. It seems you can’t hide from the daily dose of bad news short of unplugging yourself from the outside world.

When you add to this those personal issues like divorce, sickness, unemployment, etc. it’s easy to see why it’s so hard to find peace, at least within yourself. The more aware you are of things happening around the world the more your peace gives in to worry. I am by nature a worrier. I would surrender my peace over my income, my health, who’s in the Whitehouse and even how far my team would go in the NFL playoffs. As a follower of Christ, this is not how we are called to live.

We can attempt things to find peace, such as yoga, exercise, getaways, even a warm bath with soft music. However these are merely escapes that are at best temporary. Within hours you’ll discover that all the stressors are still there. It is only through a personal relationship with Christ that one can find a lasting, unnatural peace that doesn’t diminish over time or circumstance .

If we belong to Christ we have these promises to help us find and retain peace in the most difficult of times. Here are just a few of those:

Peace I give you, my peace, not the peace of this world. Don’t be troubled or afraid. John 14:27

I have told you these things that in me you will find peace. In the world you will have trouble but take heart, I have already overcome the world. John 16:33

Be anxious about nothing, rather pray about everything. And the peace of God which surpasses human understanding will guard tour hearts and minds in Christ Jesus . Phil. 4:6, 7

You keep him in perfect peace because his mind concentrates on you and he trusts you. Isaiah 26:3

The mind of the flesh is death but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:6

Since we have been justified by faith we have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:1

This is just a glimpse into the promises of attaining peace, but they are conditional on having a relationship with Christ. I can tell you how wonderful it is to face life’s twists and turns having an inward peace that cant be properly expressed to those outside of the faith. And yet it is so easy to receive. God’s gift of salvation is free to all. In an easy and humble prayer, express your belief in Christ. Acknowledge that he died for you and rose after 3 days so you could live forever. Ask him to forgive you of all your past sins and to help you navigate life with his peace. Agree to live your life for him and walk in obedience of his plan for you. If you’ve done this you can have God’s perfect peace wherever you are and whatever you are facing. God bless you.

Is Hell for Real?

I recently viewed a commercial for the Freedom From Religion Foundation featuring Ron Reagan, son of the late President Ronald Reagan. This foundation is comprised of atheists, agnostics and non-theists, with a mission to educate the public about non-theism. His closing statement was ”I’m Ron Reagan and I’m not afraid to burn in Hell”. That statement caught me off guard. I’m grateful to live in a country where religious freedoms are protected and whose citizens are free to worship as they choose, or not. Yet that statement by Ron Reagan got me thinking, just what do we know about hell and why are so many not concerned?

I accepted Christ as a young boy after seeing an illustrated sermon about hell. I remember seeing fake flames and hearing screams from people who had died not believing in Christ. As a young impressionable boy, it scared the Hell out of me. When the altar call was given I remember almost running to the front because I didn’t want to end up in Hell like these people. Salvation Insurance Policy, not the best way to come to believe but I eventually grew into my salvation for the right reasons. It’s just as difficult for me to believe the arrogance of those who adamantly deny the existence of Hell as it is for them to believe my absolute convictions that Hell is real.

So what exactly do we know about this place Hell? As believers who accept the Bible as God’s word we can reference the scriptures to get a clear image of Hell. We know that Hell was not created for us but for Satan and his followers. It’s not God’s desire that anyone spend eternity in such a horrible place. The following are some scriptural descriptions about Hell:

A lake that burns with fire and sulfur, Rev. 21:8

Eternal punishment, Matt. 25:46

Torment day and night, Rev. 20:10

Smoke of their torment rises day and night forever, Rev. 14:11

Eternal separation from God, 2 Thes. 1:9

Weeping and grinding of teeth, Matt. 13:50

Gloomy darkness, 2 Peter 2:4

Eternal fire, Jude 1:7

Unquenchable fire, Mark 9:43

Unquenchable thirst, Luke 16:34

However you wish to interpret these passages, Hell is a place that offers eternal torment with no hope of escape or second chances. Just as there have been stories of those who had near death experiences and describe what they thought was Heaven, so has there been similar stories describing Hell experiences with descriptions eerily similar to how the Bible describes it, falling down a shaft or into a dark pit, screams of agony, unbearable heat, total darkness, undeniable stench of burning sulfur, etc.. Why anyone would say that they aren’t afraid of Hell is difficult to comprehend. Why risk the existence of such a horrific place only to be eternally wrong?

Hell doesn’t preach well in churches. It goes against the Feel Good Goosebumps God people prefer to hear about, but one simply can not profess the reality of Christ without accepting the existence of Hell. The price Christ paid on the cross was specifically to save us from this awful punishment for our sins. You can be wrong about many things with opportunities to correct your views. But if you die not knowing Christ, you will spend eternity replaying all the times in your life when you were given the invitation to believe but didn’t, the ultimate Hell.

I Like Big Buts…

Yes, a sure fire way to get me on the dance floor is to play Brick House. And yes I admit to knowing all the words to Baby Got Back and have proven it a time or two at karaoke venues. While my vices haven’t changed much in my mature years I’m not referring here to the female anatomy but rather the conjunction.

“But” has many uses in the English language as a preposition, an adverb or a noun. It is sometimes followed by bad news. ”We’re sorry but we have to let you go”, or “I love you but I need a break”. But my favorite is when used as a conjunction introducing a phrase or a clause that contrasts with what was previously mentioned in a positive way, e.g. he stumbled but he did not fall. When used in scripture ”but” often implies wait, there’s good news, a way out, still hope, something far better.

There are so many buts to choose from in scripture, and as with anatomy everyone has their preference, here are a few of my favorite buts:

The wages of sin is death BUT the gift if God is eternal life.

My flesh may fail BUT God is my strength and my portion forever.

There is no fear in live BUT perfect love drives away fear

You intended to harm me BUT God intended it for good.

For God sent his Son not to condemn the world BUT to save it.

It is no longer I who lives BUT Christ who lives in me.

Be anxious over nothing BUT in everything by prayer and petition make your requests known to God.

Youths grow tired and young men stumble BUT those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength and soar like eagles.

In this world you will have trouble BUT take heart, I’ve overcome the world.

God did not give us a spirit if fear BUT a spirit of power.

Now you understand why I like big buts. Throughout scripture God has a way of laying out for us the current condition of sinful man BUT always shows us the way out. There is nothing more comforting when you are going through rough times than that little three letter word. As long as I have eyes to see I will appreciate God’s unique creation of the female form, BUT even they don’t compare to the promise of hope in scripture. So, yes, I like big buts and I can not lie.

Forgetting What’s Behind or Auld Lang Syne?

That time is upon us once again, the end of one year and the beginning of a new one. It’s a time when we look back at the year and resolve to do things better in the year to come. We resolve to improve our health, our diet, to be more productive, to make more money-to be a better version of ourselves. Wise investors buy into gym stocks in January and sell off in February for an easy and predictable return knowing how quickly we give up on resolutions. We ring out the old year with a rendition of an old Scottish drinking song, Auld Lang Syne. Us Scots know a thing or two about drinking songs. In the original version of this song there are five stanzas, each ending with a toast or draught. By the time the song ends a Scot will be feeling pretty good.

Auld Lang Syne means ”of better times” or ”of days gone by”. We are to look back with fondness on good times shared with family and friends whenever ”brought to mind”. However Paul says in Philippians to forget what’s behind and press forward anticipating what’s to come. Is this a contradiction to days gone by? I want to suggest both are possible and healthy. Let me explain.

We are all unique individuals with lives based upon our own history, experiences and memories, mostly good but a few bad. We are also equipped with the ability to filter which memories to cherish and ponder and which ones to erase or delete from our mind. Pleasant memories can be motivational. Before the pandemic you might have had a great job so you know you have the qualifications to have one again. Your relationship may have ended but you remember how magical the years were when they were good and you know you want that again. You remember how good you felt at 175 lbs. and you know you can get there again with discipline and a change of eating habits.

But there are those memories that can be haunting, the failures, the mistakes, the expectations not met, the low times when motivation was nonexistent, not the kind of memories you raise a glass to. Perhaps the Apostle is referring to these types of memories when he urges us to forget what’s behind and press forward. The disconnect for some is their filters are not activated and these haunts rush in hidden among the pleasant memories. These haunts are dream killers and road blocks to self-improvement or any resolution.

In order to prevent making resolutions with a shelf life of three weeks it’s imperative that we go into our settings and turn on our spam filters to block any incoming negativity so that only pleasant motivational memories remain. God no longer remembers our past slip-ups, why should we beat ourselves up over things God has already thrown into the trash bin? It’s time to empty our trash bin and clear all cache going into the new year. In Christ we have a purpose and a plan that can’t be defeated if we learn how to keep our minds fixed on good things.

God says look, I’m doing a new thing; God says I make everything new; God says in Christ are are a new creation. As we enter the new year I pray God blesses you with good health, spiritual prosperity and the resolve be all He intended you to be so that Auld Lang Syne might include days to come. Have a blessed and peaceful New Year!

Still Holding on at Christmas?

The phrase ”holding on” is mostly used to describe a positive action, e.g. holding on to a dream or holding on through tough situations. Many songs are written about holding on, images posted on social media to just hold on and even commercials tell us to hold on a little longer. It should be a good thing, right? So is there a time when holding on is not a positive action?

Depending on what you are holding on to, the answer is yes. Many walk about holding on to hurts, pains, old history and baggage that weighs you down. I lost my job so I’m angry at my old boss even though I have a much better job now; my friend said something behind my back even though they sincerely apologized for it; he or she betrayed me and broke our trust even though you’ve recovered and are in a healthier and more fulfilling situation now. The list is as long as Santa’s. It’s somewhat similar to old Marley dragging behind the chain he forged in the Christmas Carol, a burdensome load. However unlike Marley we aren’t doomed to carry it forever.

As believers in Christ we are encouraged to give these burdens to Christ. Scripture tells us to cast all our cares and worries on Him. Christ asks us to trade our heavy loads for His, a much easier and lighter load. The Apostle Paul encourages us to cast off every weight or burden that weighs us down so we can run the race with more ease.

Some walk around with their arms full of all the things they are holding onto. But if your arms are so full of things you won’t let go of, there is no room left for the blessings God is saving for you but can’t give because you can’t carry anything else.

Each Christmas our trees are usually protecting pretty boxes we can’t wait to open. Maybe this year there should be another box, a different one if you will. Some of us may need a really big box. In this box place all your hurts from the past, painful memories, grudges, past failures-anything weighing you down. Close the box and present it as a gift to Christ. I know from personal experience it’s a gift He will be thrilled with this Christmas. Only then will you have room in your arms and heart to receive the good things from Christ that you can gladly hold on to. Merry Christmas!

Are You the Nine or the One?

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day, traditionally a day we set aside to give thanks for all we’ve received throughout the year although it has morphed into the first official day of Christmas with little thought given to gratitude or God. Reflection has given way to football and strategic planning on which stores to hit first on Black Friday.

In the Gospel of Luke there’s a story about ten lepers who came to Jesus hoping to be healed. They shouted to him from a distance because according to Jewish law they were unclean. In testing their faith Jesus instructed them to present themselves to the priest, the only person who could declare them clean. While on the way to the priest they were all miraculously healed and their skin restored. Only one of the ten, a foreigner, came back to thank Jesus for his miraculous healing, bowing at His feet. Jesus asked him ” didn’t I heal ten, and yet only you have returned to thank me.”

We live in an entitlement society, that is automatically feeling we are entitled to certain things. This may be true of those of us in the Church as well. False teaching leads us to believe God is up there just handing out free stuff like a hired department store Santa Claus. We sit on His lap, tell Him what we want and find it under the tree on Christmas, just like we’re supposed to. There is a difference in receiving by faith and expecting by entitlement.

Every good gift comes from the Father but anything given us by God is not given based on our own merit. In fact we don’t deserve any good thing from God. It is only through His grace and mercy that He delights in gifting us. In a spirit of arrogance I feel we’ve forgotten how to pray fervently to God for what we are seeking. We have forgotten how to see the miracles in the small things. We have skipped Thanksgiving in anticipation of what will be waiting for us under the tree.

It took a really rough year for me to finally learn how to grateful for the simple things like the beauty of an overcast day or getting out of bed to start each new day or treasured friendships. I’m grateful for the free time my health condition has afforded me to serve more in church. I’m thankful that I can detect God’s involvement in directing my steps. Im grateful for a church where for once I feel like I belong.

1 Thessalonians 5:18, Message Translation, reads ”Be cheerful, no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Jesus to live.

God, may we consider your goodness and faithfulness daily and extend to You our gratitude in every situation and not just one day per year.

Starting Over at Age 60

I used to watch a soap opera with my grandmother, The Days of Our Lives. I remember the opening vividly as an hourglass was shown as the narrator said “like sands in the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.” This makes sense if you’ve ever watched an hourglass. I’m sure it’s an illusion but it seems like when all the sand is on the top half and the hour is just beginning, the sand seems to be passing slowly. But as more sand enters the bottom and the hour is almost up the sand appears to be passing much more quickly.

I had the blessed and surreal privilege of turning 60 years old this week. I can state without a doubt that the sands of time pass more quickly the older you are. As I look back I still remember the ”firsts” of my youth, the first crush, first kiss, first job, my first car. But my more recent ”firsts” are my first grandchild, my first health scare and my first AARP card. Its easy to look back and wonder where the years went.

The blessed and wise discover early in life what God’s calling is and they embrace it and pursue it. The not-so-wise either run from their calling or take way too many precious years to discover it. Being honest, I fall into the second category. Life is full of distractions and God knows I’ve had my share through the years, as have most of us. In those times our perception of God gets skewed. Instead of being predestined we feel like we’re being persecuted; instead of being ordained we feel oppressed; instead of being justified we feel judged. We minimize our achievements and successes and exaggerate our failures. We tend to disqualify ourselves from the purpose God has already approved because we look back with our tainted human vision instead of looking forward with our Spiritually corrected vision. Except for God, no one knows us better than our nemesis, Satan. He is a master at using our unfiltered negative thoughts to our disadvantage so that we disqualify ourselves.

It took me longer than others but I can now look back and see that the lessons I learned were for a greater good as I begin this next and perhaps final chapter of my life. I must confess my life at 60 is not as I envisioned it. I’m single which was the farthest thing from my mind at this age, I saw myself participating in the Senior Olympics but instead Im grateful to walk a few miles. I thought I’d be retired and living peacefully near some water but instead I live in a condo on the Las Vegas Strip. And yet I love my life because I can finally see God’s hand and direction in it. So at age sixty I’m starting over again. In enrolled in a two year ministry leadership academy. I’m actively engaged in combatting the unforeseen health challenges. I’m writing my third book. And yes, in God’s timing I anticipate and welcome the opportunity to find love one final and life lasting time.

When I was young I viewed sixty as being old. Although my body betrays me at times, I feel like I’m just getting started. I could lament the wasted years by looking back at a trail of destruction or I can look forward with eager anticipation of how God will use me in His service. As a writer I know how my story ends. But as a follower of Christ God finished my story before I was even born sixty years ago. I will be as surprised as everybody else to read the last chapter.

For Christians Everyday is Halloween

  It’s here again already-Halloween. It’s a time for scary costumes, trick-or-treaters, classic movies and ghost tales.  Oh, and the whole church debate thingy which takes scary to a whole new level. Say what you will-I have fond memories of my days as a kid in Indy gathering as much candy as I could-I still struggle with sweets! And I recall taking the boys out when they were old enough to enjoy the experience. It’s funny to me how this particular holiday causes many to seek out the thrill of being scared senseless.  Even as church youth we went to the scariest settings we could find for that ultimate chase for the annual feeding of our dark side.

One of my favorite movies and all time classic scream traditions is the Halloween series with one of my favorite actresses Jamie Lee Curtis, the reigning scream queen. In her movies there seemed to be nothing she could do to escape, outrun or kill the demon Michael Meyers as he kept coming back to life episode after episode, sequel after sequel. She was haunted by him from her early teenage babysitter years through the time when he had a teen of her own. The character Michael Meyers was ruthless, persistent and seemingly impermeable to death or destruction.  I still don’t know if he’s dead.  I fear as long as Jamie is alive, Michael will pursue her.

This movie series is the classic metaphor for the Christian experience.  We are told in scripture that our battles on earth are not against flesh and blood but rulers of the earth, demonic forces unseen but very real. No matter how much we may pray, attend church or read scripture, there are battles going on within us and around us by the Michael Meyers of the unseen world.  I’m convinced that the more devoted one is to their faith and practice, the more vulnerable to attack by our haunting enemies.  It’s a classic battle strategy to take out the strongest first.

Spiritual warfare doesn’t have to manifest itself in our lives ala Linda Blair and the Exorcist. More times than not the attack is subtle in nature-that quick glance, the one drink too many, that innocent flirtation with someone other than your spouse.  You tear down defenses one brick at a time until there is a large enough hole for a full on attack. The Apostle Paul was engaged in these battles as he recorded for us that the things he knew he should do, he didn’t, and the things he knew not to do he did anyway.  If you walk through life as a believer but are not tempted, not tested or challenged in any way, you are disengaged in your faith, and the battle, for the enemy has evaluated you and deemed you not to be a real threat.

The good news is that we also have unseen Heavenly protectors who will battle for us.  In 2 Kings 6 Elisha prays the God will open the eyes of his young assistant and when He does, the young man sees a host of Heavens armies in chariots of fire encamped around the hillside ready for battle. We are told that the war is already won, but the battles until then can be fierce.  Halloween may be a man made and fake holiday with no real substance, one we know to be artificial, thus the constant pursuit of the ultimate scare. But for believers, the scares can be real if we don’t properly prepare for war.  So be careful and keep your defenses up at all time against incoming attacks, even when they look like Jamie Lee Cutis.

You Are Enough

The year was 1977. I was a Freshman and through the season’s results I had qualified for the City Track Meet featuring the top performers in their event. My event was the 440 yard Dash, now known as the 400 Meter. The starter gave the command, runners took their marks and the gun sounded. We were off. I quickly made up the stagger and took the early lead, as I had done in most races before. I maintained the lead down the backstretch and out of turns 3 & 4. I could hear my schools fellow athletes cheering me on as I raced for the finish line. I crossed the line having run my personal best time and setting a new Freshman record for my school in the event.

I finished in fifth place!

My best was not good enough. It was a tough lesson.

Fast forward into my adult years as I navigated dating, marriage, parenthood, careers, business ownership, and even ministry-I found myself in many situations where I did not feel good enough. I tend to grade myself not so much on accomplishments as on failures or on things left undone. I would suspect many of us have been there at some point.

As believers in Christ we have an adversary who lives solely to trip us up by reminding us of our shortcomings so that we lose sight of our gifts and strengths. He knows which buttons to push to create self doubt which can lead to us questioning our worth, our purpose and even our standing with God. This is a process I’m all too familiar with. These are the times I’ve written about in the past where we have to filter out or take captive those negative thoughts and feelings and rely on the Word which never changes even when we do. Here are just a few of those verses to keep handy.

“You formed me in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I’m fearfully and wonderfully made”, Psalm 139

“Consider the ravens…yet God feeds them. Aren’t you more valuable than birds.” Luke 12.

“For we are his work, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God planned beforehand”. Ephesians 2.

“ You were ransomed from futile ways …with the precious blood of Christ”. 1 Peter 1.

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us that we should be considered the Children of God”. 1 John 3.

We live in an age where we are bombarded with what the world calls good enough. Young girls are made to feel like they must be a certain weight and body type to be accepted. Men are led to believe only a six figure income and a certain car make is considered successful. Parents are only as good as their children turn out to be and on it goes. The trap is in falling for the world’s critique as opposed to our status in Christ. We know that in Christ nothing can separate us from His love or goodness or diminish our place in His purpose for us. We aren’t perfect and will never be. Our church motto is It’s Okay to Not be Okay. God doesn’t use perfect people. He uses obedient people and then makes them perfect for the task.

I am enough!

You are enough!

Your two fish and my five loaves are more than enough when surrendered for His purpose. More than that, God is enough and always will be.

What Level Are You On

I’ve never been much of a gamer. I’ve saved a ton of money by not being addicted to the latest video game craze. That said, when Covid hit and I found myself secluded to my Las Vegas condo for days at a time I downloaded a game on my iPad to help pass the time. As my body weakens with age I rely on more cerebral exercises. I assumed I would go through the levels of this game and then delete the app and find another game to keep me busy. I easily breezed through the first few levels with little real challenge. Before long I was at level 100. Surely there must be an end to this soon. Suddenly I’m at level 200, then 300. Does it ever stop, I wondered. As of last evening I’ve now cleared level 1040 and there appears to be no end in sight with this game. With each level I clear, there is a new and more difficult level waiting for me. Will I ever master this game? Is there a final level of achievement?

It dawned on me recently that my spiritual journey is very much the same as this game, and while I’ve been on this game for over a year, my spiritual journey has been ongoing for over 50 years, with no end in sight. As I ponder the two I see several correlations between my game and my faith walk. The first is that if you are serious about growing your faith, there is always another level waiting for you. Even the Apostle Paul realized this when he says in Philippians 3:12 “not that I have already attained all this”, or not that I have cleared all the levels. I just recently started school again and being reintroduced to passing tests. Scripture tells us to consider it a joy when we are tested. It’s a process with no apex of completion.

Another similarity between the two is that each level is more challenging. The first few levels of my game I completed with just one attempt. Soon it was taking two or three. These past few levels have taken me many attempts or even days to clear. You don’t grow if you aren’t tested beyond your current capabilities. How boring would my game be if each level was different but with the same easy degree of difficulty. I’d soon grow weary of it and stop playing. God continually tests and refines us to be suitable for the purpose for which He formed us. You can’t get there by skipping levels. I also saw that with each level I needed the skills or wisdom I learned from the previous levels. When a barricade pops up and you recognize it from a previous level, you recall what it took to clear the obstacle. Our tests aren’t trivial, they are by design. I can’t become a doctor without going to Med school or a lawyer without going to Law school. I can’t pass a generic curriculum and then decide to be an architect. I have to study the applied sciences specific to my calling. So it is with your faith walk. God will equip you with all the skills necessary for the task He has for you by putting you through tests that will teach them to you. He does nothing haphazardly.

Another correlation I see is this; when I clear a level, I receive a new tool or weapon I will need in the next level. I may not realize this at the time because I haven’t been in the next level yet, but God has. God is already in all my tomorrows and He knows full well what I will need when I get there, so he tests me and equips me today on this level. It may be a surprise to me but He has already laid out my next 1040 levels and should I live that long, with the clearing of each test I become better equipped for what’s ahead. God said He formed us while we were yet embryos. He knew before we were born what His will and purpose was for our life and put us on a course of specifically designed levels to get us where we need to be. Life would have been much less difficult if I had learned this in my 20s and not my late 50s.

What level are you on? Do you embrace the challenge for what it is or are you like I was years ago dreading each new day and giving up numerous times before advancing to the next test? We are never left alone during these tests. God says many times in scripture that He is with us THROUGH each level. He doesn’t lead us around the barriers but shows us how to clear them to gain wisdom for the next. Growth is painful but true strength comes from endurance and being stretched beyond our comfort zone. See God’s testing for what it is and embrace it with joy. God bless you on your journey.

The Battle Belongs to the Lord

Back in the late 70s I was in a Christian band called Resurrection, not to be confused with the more popular REZ band. We played venues that included churches, schools, parks and special events. One of our more requested songs was one titled Jehoshaphat. According to the story recorded in the Bible, Jehoshaphat was King of Judah during a time when all the people were faithful and obedient to God. Word came to the King that a mighty army was coming from the East with the intention of raiding the city and looting it of its gold and treasures. This troubled the people greatly as they were outnumbered. So the King and all the people did what they needed to do, pray to God and seek his direction. God answered them in no uncertain terms. He spoke through a man in the crowd named Jahaziel as recorded in 2 Chronicles 20:15;

“Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem. This is what the Lord says. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of their vast army. This battle is not yours, it’s Mine”

I’ll be turning 60 years old soon, and I look back on my life at all the times I chose to fight battles that weren’t mine to fight and I realize how foolish I’ve been. I have a losing record while God stands undefeated. Why are we such a stubborn people when it comes to taking up our own battles when the Lord of Heaven’s armies is waiting on us to give Him the go-ahead? I believe this is especially true of men. We have this hunter-gatherer-conqueror mentality that gives us a false sense of confidence to wage war against enemies God never intended us to battle. It is not natural for us to admit weakness or vulnerability when faced with life altering situations, and so we take on our various enemies time and time again while we put God on the bench. How foolish can we be.

God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness. It is only when we are desperately out of options and totally dependent upon Him that we too can stand back and watch what God will do and how convincingly He will destroy any enemy that comes up against us. As it reads in Romans, if God is standing for us, who could ever come against us. I’m reminded of Elisha’s servant as he expressed his fear at the surrounding army. Elisha asked God to open his spiritual eyes to reveal the flaming chariots of Heaven which far outmatched the opposition. I’m embarrassed as a long-time believer that it took me so long to learn this lesson or how many times I had to retake the test. I still have a lot to learn, I’m far from where I expect to end up.

It’s easy to get caught up in our surrounding circumstances and forget what we know to be true, that God is always faithful. This is the simple truth that I must rely on. God is sovereign over all. God is not limited to time and space. I don’t know what tomorrow holds but God is already there and He knows what I will need when I get there, so equips me today. the processes are often painful and confusing, and to be honest, sometimes unwanted, because we only see through our natural eyes. tomorrow is a piece of a puzzle that God has already completed. It all makes sense when the process is completed and the battles are won.

Let me close with this simple analogy. We are playing for the NBA Championship. We are down by a single point with 5 seconds to go. The ball is in my hand and the pressure is on, when all of a sudden my teammate, Michael Jordan has an open lane. Do I take the shot or give it up to the Greatest of All Time for the guaranteed win? Why take up battles with a losing record when God stands wide open and has NEVER missed?

Out of the Darkness

I have always loved amusement parks. My advancing age has not diminished my love for thrill rides of any kind, especially rollercoasters. Growing up in Indiana, I had a favorite amusement park called Indiana Beach. We would visit it several times during a summer and would sometimes stay in a cottage across from the park for several days at a time, allowing for multiple visits to the park. One of my favorite rides was one called Mystery Mansion, a ride that took you on a slow moving car though two stories of total darkness. The mystery remains what was actually in the mansion as it was too dark to see even your hand in front of your face. As you might imagine it was a very popular ride with young teenage couples, or so I was told.

The ride took you through a series of twists and turns, uphill and downhill until you had no real sense of direction until you suddenly popped out of the darkness on the second story just for a few seconds before disappearing again into the darkness behind the double doors. Navigating once again through more darkness you eventually see the glare of a small light. As you approached it you could see that the light was that of a locomotive coming at you. By the time you recognized it a very loud train blast pierces the silence and your car suddenly veers out of its path just in time to avoid disaster as you burst back into the daylight. After being in the dark for so long the daylight is blinding but welcomed. Everyone exits safely to search for the next adventure, except the young couples who got back in line for another mystery trip, or so I was told.

Our faith journey at times can be like a ride through the darkness but without the thrills or the assurance that we will eventually see the light. Through situations that we will all find ourselves in we go through periods of darkness when the path before us can’t be detected. Psalm 23 speaks of walking through a valley of shadows. We are coming off of a year that found people in the darkness of illness, the darkness of unemployment, the darkness of uncertainty, wondering if and when they would ever re-emerge into the safety and familiarity of the light. And for some, when they could see a light piercing the darkness they wondered if it was the end of the tunnel or like the mystery ride, the light of a train heading towards them. It is in the midst of total blackouts that we must remember that we are children of the Light, Jesus Christ.

There are numerous scriptures that refer to Christ being the light that are precious to hold on to when we feel swallowed up by temporary darkness:

“The people living in darkness have seen a great light”, Matthew 4:16

“Though I live in darkness the Lord will be my light”, Micah 7:8

“The light shines in the darkness and the darkness can not overcome it”, John 1:5

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness”, John 8:12

“Even darkness is not dark to you for you make the dark to shine like day, for darkness is as light to you”, Psalm 139:12

“The Lord id my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear”, Psalm 27:1

David, a man described as being after God’s own heart, spent many days in the darkness of caves where he hid from those trying to kill him. But even in moments of his greatest darkness he remembered where his light and help would come from. David would recall how many times in his past that the Light had rescued him from overwhelming darkness. It is in these dark places we find ourselves in from time to time that we too must remember that Christ is our light and that He has already overcome the darkness of painful situations and will never leave us alone in these times of trials and testing.

All of us have our personal darkness stories, but when we can completely trust in Christ and follow in His light, just like the Mystery Mansion ride a time will come when we will burst from the darkness into the welcomed warmth of the Light, just as we always have before! Your journey may not be as fun as a thrill ride right now, but the light at the end is not an oncoming train but rather Christ waiting to welcome you out of your darkness. Peace.

Finding Christmas in 2020

Hello readers. It’s been nearly five months since I published my last blog as I needed to take some time off to address some personal and health issues.  I trust you are all well.  As I write this we are but two weeks away from Christmas 2020. Like no year prior, it seems to have snuck up on us somehow.  I recall seeing the first televised Christmas special as it dawned on me that it was already December.  This year Christmas will be strangely different to so many people on so many levels.  It is the year of the pandemic, the Corona virus.  Few if any have escaped its impact as it continues to grip our nation and the entire planet with sickness and death at alarming rates still on the rise.  The lives of most people have been shaken into an unrecognizable form we didn’t see coming.  Just barely a year ago we celebrated and ushered in the year 2020 not knowing the year would bring dramatic and painful change to many and completely disrupt the way we have always done life. It became the year of the mask, the year of social distancing, the year of quarantines, and for some the year of tragic loss.  This year many Christmas dinners will be solemn as all acknowledge the now empty chair once occupied by a treasured loved one lost to Covid-19. Trees that once guarded many presents will now be watching over a limited few as jobs thought secured were taken away unexpectedly or wages for others reduced to minimal levels.   Some will have dinners only because it was supplied by the generosity of their neighbors. Some are missing that special someone who made their life worth living due to circumstances unexpected and face an already challenging season feeling alone and isolated.  Suicides are on the rise claiming victims as young a nine years old while anti-depressant drugs have reached sales of historical levels. There is very little this year that “feels” like our traditional Christmas.

We have transformed what was intended as a holy day of remembrance into a commercialized consumer spectacle that begins two to three weeks before Thanksgiving as retailers are quick to stock their shelves with pre-holiday sales, counting on the seasonal profits representing for some up to 30-40% of their annual budget. The commercials tell us loud and clear it’s Christmas.  Lights on the houses and decorations in the malls look like Christmas.  A chill in the air or snow on the ground remind us that it’s the time for Christmas, but still something is lacking, the joy, the magic, the “feelings” of Christmas.  And as in many cases, that which we can not feel somehow becomes less meaningful or real.  It doesn’t feel a certain way so it must not be a certain way, and once again our feelings or lack thereof overshadow or even betray the truth.  We forget that historical fact or previous experience can’t be denied or altered by the presence or the absence of internal feelings.

When a couple has been together for some time and have a history together they will experience days when they don’t “feel” like a couple.  It would be great if every day was like the first day they fell in love, music, butterflies and warm “feelings”. But the truth is there are those days which are challenging, the days when one or the other is irritable or having a bad day, the days when the love they both share and know to be real isn’t necessarily “felt.”  But the mature couple will know that that which isn’t felt or expressed at the time is no less a reality because of the knowledge, the history and the past expressions that serve as evidence to it’s existence.  As I ponder this in my own life experience this year I can’t help but to apply the same to Christmas 2020.  The fact that I’m struggling to find the spirit, to capture the grandeur, to experience the magic of my favorite holiday doesn’t change the reason for remembering the holiday and all that it represents in the lives of believers.  Nothing we are experiencing in our world today can alter the events recorded for us on that very special and holy first Christmas night over two thousand years ago in a small town named Bethlehem. Christ, the almighty creator of man and universe, stepped away from His glory to become one of us in the lowliest of circumstances.  John 3:16 is so overused and watered down that it has become a cliché in today’s world. But the wonder of Christmas is captured within its context.  God had such an unconditional and unmeasurable love for us, all of us, that he gave up His only Son to come into a corrupt world full of hate and evil so that by his life and sacrifice we might be redeemed and reconciled to the Father and eventually live and reign with Him forever. This promise and reality are sealed by His word, which can’t be minimalized due to our current climate or feelings.

I’m with you, trust me! This has been the most difficult of my 59 years on earth.  I have suffered great loss in every area of my life.  It has been a Job-like year as I’ve been stripped of everything I held dear, the security of a job, the blessing of good health, and the loss of a love I though would last forever.  We all have our individual stories of how 2020 has removed us from our comfort zones and thrust us into a dimension of unknowns that can only be successfully navigated through a strong compass of faith.  And yet, strangely enough, it is those very reasons, those lack of traditional “feelings” we are so used to that Christmas 2020 should be welcomed in with even more anticipation than anytime previous, and now more than ever before, it should drive home the meaning of this holy day. Christ, the Son of God, Emmanuel came to the lowly, the outcast of society, the hurting, the lonely, the unemployed, the broken hearted.  In His brief time on Earth Jesus healed those who were sick with disease.  He comforted those who felt lonely and unworthy.  He became a friend the the friendless.  He forgave the sins of those who felt ashamed to be in His presence.  Jesus met people in their direst moments when they could go no lower and He raised them up with new hope, a new future, a new reason to live.  It was His divine plan from the beginning that we should be called Sons and Daughters of the Most High.  There is nothing we could ever endure in this lifetime that can or ever will change that!  Hold on to that in this season with all the strength you have left!  I know you may be unemployed or facing financial challenges unprecedented in your life, but still a Child was born.  You may have lost a parent, spouse, son or daughter to this disease and feel empty inside, but still a Child was born.  You may be reading this and facing another holiday feeling alone and unloved due to a broken relationship that left you crushed, but still a Child was born.  You may simply be overwhelmed at the way your world and everything in it has changed this year, but still a Child was born.

Oh how I wish I could dry the tears of all of us who have suffered so much this year. How I wish I could personally hug each of you and tell you it will be okay.  But there is one who can.  He is the Christ Child Jesus.  He is close to the broken hearted and he heals their wounds. He remains the reason we celebrate Christmas.  He is Emmanuel, God with us, our comforter, our healer, our blessed hope. There’s not a tear the fell that He hasn’t seen or a cry He hasn’t heard.  There’s not an illness he can’t heal or a job He can’t replace. There’s not a heart so broken He can’t put back together and make stronger then before. No the corona virus has not cancelled Christmas.  Covid hasn’t changed the events of that first holy night and our depth of feelings can’t erase the historical fact that Jesus was born of the Virgin mary to begin a ministry and journey that would lead Him to the cross to save all who would accept and follow Him.  Don’t allow this pandemic to distract your focus away from the awesome gift of Christmas, the Christ Child!

If I may I’d like to offer up a prayer for those who have been so severely impacted this year.

“Kind and gracious Father, we humbly come before you today to thank you for the blessing of Christmas.  We acknowledge that You gave up your Son on our behalf.  Father You know all things so you are aware that this has been a difficult year for so many and we struggle to find joy during this season.  We ask you this day in the name of our Savior, the Christ Child Jesus, to send your spirit to comfort those who are mourning the loss of life this Christmas. We ask you to heal every individual who is currently inflicted with this or any other disease.  God we ask you to consider those whose hearts have been broken this year and to restore to them love and companionship in such a way they know it’s from you alone.  And finally Father we ask that you restore hope to those who are desperate or close to giving up.  Let the spirit of that first Christmas envelope them in a tangible way with warmth and love.  May we not fall prey to the betrayal of feelings that we forget the reason and the person we remember each year at this sacred time, the holy Child Jesus Christ.  It is in His name and honor we ask this, Amen”

God bless and keep and protect each of you this Christmas.  Love to you all!

Please Forgive Me-I’m a Fraud

For over seven years now I’ve been blogging about overcoming everyday situations and trials by sharing real-life stories and offering hope through applicable faith in Christ, asserting that through Him we can overcome anything life throws at us.  While I whole-heartedly still believe this to be true, I must confess that I’m a fraud.  At age fifty-eight I am finally coming to grips with the reality that I’ve been battling demons of depression for most of my adult life.  It is something I’ve denied to myself-I have it altogether too much to be depressed-I’m too cool and laid back to suffer mental issues-I’m too spiritual to be defeated by depression.  The fact is it has cost me two marriages and a beautiful relationship and I can’t hide behind the façade any longer. I know scripture and tell others how to apply it in their lives-I’ve written two books to help others while I myself have been completely incapable of applying it in my own life.

The sad part is that I can’t honestly determine why I feel this way.  I had an amazing childhood, Godly supportive parents, a great family life.  I had no serious traumatic events that would trigger such emotions in other cases.  I just can’t seem to find joy in everyday life.  I am notorious for snatching sorrow from the jaws of happiness.  I can find joy in situational events but I can’t find peace everyday as a way of life.  Even when I am in the best of personal situations, I tend to screw it up by allowing these demons to overpower my thinking.  As the Apostle Paul stated, what a wretched man I am.

It is said that those who struggle with chronic illnesses like mine often suffer from depression, but my illness has only exaggerated what has been there all along.  I find little joy in just living life and my smile has seemed to disappear as quickly as it came. The frustrating part is not being able to pinpoint exactly why I feel down most days.  Perhaps it’s genetic, maybe just demonic, I don’t really know.  What I do know is that it has cost me way too many things in my life and I have to fix it or end up a person no one wants to be around.  I don’t do solitude well.

Some might suggest that true believers could never suffer from depression. Really?  Tell that to David as he hid in the wilderness when he asks similar questions. “why is my soul so downcast?”. Tell that to Elijah as he was hiding from Jezebel asking God to just end his life.  Tell that to Job after his great losses as he is recorded as asking why he just didn’t die at birth.  To make a believer who battles depression feel like they just need a little more faith is a disservice to them-it’s not a faith issue.

Some might say that we choose to be depressed and we just need to choose not to be-to snap out of it if you will. Trust me, I don’t choose to feel this way.  I didn’t choose two failed marriages.  I didn’t choose to fail as a parent.  I didn’t choose to fail in business.  Depression is not a choice, a mere on-off switch that I control.  If only it were that easy.

Some might say look around you, there are people far worse off than you are.  Be grateful you aren’t like them.  That doesn’t help either.  The truth is I am fully aware that so many more people suffer much worse than I do.  That acknowledgement only adds to my shame and guilt.  I see the plight of others who are going through much more difficult seasons and I feel for them, but my depression remains and I feel even worse in comparison.

The depression I suffer from isn’t one of hopelessness or despair.  It is not as if I feel Life isn’t worth living.  What I experience many times is just an overwhelming sense of numbness, non-emotion, flat-lining. No highs or lows, just existence.  At times it’s a heaviness, sometimes a fog.  I can function on a daily basis but with no outward signs of joy or peace.  And yet on bad days I can cry over a TV commercial.  It is embarrassing and unexplainable. I have a problem that has haunted me since my early twenties and I have to face it once and for all in order to find healing and peace.

So what now?  First, I’m going to take some time off from blogging for awhile and work on getting myself better.  I have a long journey ahead of me both physically and mentally.  I’m going to seek out sources of help and surround myself with positive brothers who don’t mind getting their hands a little dirty while I exorcise these demons of depression, inadequacy and insecurity.  It will be a long uphill road. I will look for ways to remind myself daily that I’m not alone in my struggles and that many good men have traveled this path before me and have navigated their way to good mental health and stability.  I will fight the feeling of guilt over past broken relationships and work on doing whatever I can do now to mend them and find some confidence that I won’t endanger future relationships should I ever decide to go down that path again.  I won’t expose anyone else to these demons because I refused to face them myself.

I wish there was an easy fix.  I wish this was something I didn’t have to do on my own, but isolation at some level has to be part of the process so that I can find peace with who I am and who God created me to be.  I ashamedly offer this confession only because I suspect there are others like me who may be experiencing the same feelings of guilt and embarrassment over the stigma of depression or mental health issues.  None of us are perfect-none of us are beyond help.  If you are reading this and you are like me, hiding behind something so painful to confess, I encourage you to drop your guard and seek relief.  I don’t know how many years I have in this life but I want-I need those years to be a much better quality of life then I’ve experienced to date by doing whatever is necessary to be whole physically, mentally and spiritually.  I wish you peace, joy and fulfillment until the time comes when I am comfortable blogging again.  God bless you.

Calm or Calamity-Where’s Your Focus?

Since the onset of the recent pandemic we decided to take advantage of discounted AIRBNB homes and spent our weekends traveling.  Instead of sitting home with little to do, we hiked through Sedona, rented a cabin in Zion, toured Bryce Canyon and lounged around a pool in Lake Havasu.  On a recent flight I experienced a phenomenon that was a first for me.  It appears our flight path was right on the leading edge of a storm front.  Looking out one side of the plane, all I could see were dark storm clouds.  However if I looked out the opposite side of the plane, I saw clear blue sunny skies, not a cloud anywhere.  Of course my immediate thought was new blog material.  But seriously, a lesson on focus and perspective was being played out right before my eyes.  It was either a beautiful sunny day, or a dismal stormy day, solely dependent on which way I chose to look. Life is comprised of this very same focus each day.

So far the year 2020 has been one for the books, and it’s only half over.  The coronavirus pandemic has impacted so many lives and many have tragically lost their battle against this disease.  Many small businesses may never open again, family budgets have been stretched beyond the level of income lost due to unemployment.  And while loss of life is an undeniable tragedy, there is good to focus on.  We have become a much more sanitary society capable of fighting off future waves or mutations of this virus.  We have been forced to do things as families.  We have used our resources to feed those who couldn’t feed themselves.  We have witnessed our neighbors stepping up to care for each other.  We will be better prepared with hospital staffing and necessary medical equipment to battle any future outbreaks.  We have learned to do church outside the walls of any traditional building.

More recently, we have witnessed first hand the inequality once again of certain policing agencies resulting in trial by cop on the streets of Minnesota.  We have watched in awe and anger as peaceful protests were hijacked by anti-establishment factions bent on causing division by looting, burning down businesses, attacks against innocent bystanders and even fatalities in response to these heinous acts being filmed now with more frequency.  And as with the pandemic, any loss of life is tragic, however there is good to be found depending on your focus.  Blacks and whites in many communities are coming together in prayer and support and solidarity to create change.  Legislation is being discussed at high official levels in an effort to curtail rogue policing and overhaul outdated law enforcement procedures which lead to the inequality of application we see on our streets. Foundations are being formed to encourage voter enrollment to bring change through balloting.  The tragic death of a black man over $20 has lead to a worldwide acknowledgement that existing racial biases need to be admitted to and addressed once and for all.

In every dire situation there is a choice to be made.  Do we look out the window where only storm clouds exist, or do we focus on the window with blue skies and a sunny outlook?  The suggestion here is not to bury our heads in the sand and ignore the world around us, but rather to find the positive in any situation, no matter how grave it may appear to others.  Do we see a pandemic that cost many lives or do we see aa cleaner, healthier way of living for our children in the future?  Do we see another black man lose his life at the hands of rogue cops or do we see for once a real opportunity to engage in dialogue that evens the playing field going forward so that all people feel equal in the sight of law enforcement?  Do we look at lost income and mounting bills due to being out of work or do we focus on the time we got to spend with family that may never happen with our usual daily work schedules?  Do we look at the decrease in our stock portfolios or do we see the opportunity to buy high-end stocks at discount prices and ride the surge when they come back up to previous levels?  Do we bemoan the doctor reports that tell us our lives and health are about to change or do we appreciate the fact that we will still be able to live out our lives and see our children and grandchildren?

It is a lesson I continually have to learn.  Perspective is everything!  It really is true what is said, that life is 5% of those things that happen to you and 95% of how you respond to them.  We are living in an ever-changing world.  We all have a choice of seeing clear skies or storm clouds.  It’s all a matter of your focus.  If you are one who can’t see sunny skies, then at least try to find a way to appreciate the shade storm clouds provide!

Who Pushed the Pause Button?

Life as we know it along with our daily routines have been placed on hold indefinitely due to an unseen enemy known infamously as the coronavirus. Virtually every aspect of our lives have been impacted.  Schools around the globe are closed as students complete classes online.  Proms and graduations cancelled. Weddings and even funerals cancelled. Non-essential businesses have closed up shop as millions apply for unemployment.  State Parks, beaches and recreational facilities are closed until further notice. Places of worship sit empty and quiet as dust settles on seats and pews normally filled with parishioners gathering to worship.  Most of us in this generation have never experienced anything like this before and for some, the anxiety level is off the charts.

As of this post there are nearly 1.3 million cases of coronavirus worldwide, resulting so far in over 70,000 deaths, and the Surgeon General of the US released a statement that this will be the deadliest week yet in number of fatalities to the virus. With daily updates dominating all the major news networks, it is difficult to escape the magnitude short of unplugging from all outside media sources. It’s like trying to flee the incoming and overwhelming fog in the classic movie.  There’s nowhere to hide.

In addition to the severity of the disease, there are the numerous voices or opinions over how to deal with this pandemic.  Some saying to shelter in place and others saying to be about but keep your distance; some saying to cover your face while others say masks are of no value to catching or spreading the disease. Some voices blaming eastern countries while others using the tragedy as an election year smoke screen.  Some voices exhorting us to obey government regulations as others are defiant claiming their rights are being violated and restrictions are unconstitutional. Several online personalities using the situation to politicize their own agendas and yes, even ministers blaming an indiscriminate virus on the current Whitehouse administration.  The reaction is as bad as the disease.  With all these voices coming at us from all sides, who do we listen to-who can we trust?  Which voice speaks truth?

In Biblical days it was common for shepherds to bring their flocks to a city during certain holidays or feasts and corral them in common pens along with numerous other flocks as there was no way to accommodate each flock individually.  And when the feasts were over each shepherd would call out their own flock.  Shepherds developed unique calls that only his flock of sheep would recognize and respond to.  At their call his flock and only those sheep in his flock would come out to him from the other sheep to return home.  In the same manner each shepherd would call out his flock with his own call until each flock was back under the safety and protection of their shepherd.

In John 10:27 Jesus says the following: “My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me.”  Numerous time throughout scripture Christ is referred to as the Good Shepherd.  The duties of the shepherd included leading the flock to water and pasture, or provision, keeping the flock together without losing any, preservation, and sleeping at the gate to protect the flock from predators or harm, protection.  As believers and followers of Christ we can count on provision, preservation and protection during times of stress, anxiety and uncertainty. With all the voices surrounding us daily, the one voice we should respond to is that of our Good Shepherd.  It is the one true voice that doesn’t change even when our situations do.

We are assuredly in this together, it’s not just a cliché.  If we have been fortunate enough to escape this virus, we probably know those who didn’t.  If we haven’t lost our jobs, our income or hours have certainly been decreased.  Parents have a much deeper appreciation now for teachers and couples are finding out how much they really like each other.  And everyone’s faith is being tested by fire as impurities are painfully burned away.  None know for sure when we will get back to living but most agree it won’t ever be the same normal we knew before the outbreak.  And all this happening now as we enter Holy Week for most.  Easter pageants have been cancelled and choir rehearsals done away with.  Church picnics, festivities for the children, Easter outfit shopping, all a distant memory until we can convene again.  We will actually be serving each other communion in our homes on Good Friday and not together as a church congregation.  It will be a much different celebration, but a celebration nonetheless.  The Easter message is not cancelled.  The accomplished mission  is not infected.  The purpose of the death and resurrection and the resulting reconciliation is not on hold until further notice and there is no social distancing between us and our Father who continues to make his residence within his children, who know his voice.

Our heartfelt prayers go up to the Father for all those who have perished from Coronavirus and the families who mourn their loss, as with all those who are still fighting for their lives in hopes of an eventual recovery.  Our prayers go up for all on the front lines, the doctors, nurses, medical staff, first responders and all who willingly expose themselves daily to the virus in performing their duties.  Our prayers go up for families around the world who have lost their means of support who find themselves in food pantry lines hoping for enough food to feed their families for a couple more days, and for all the rest of us who are just dealing with the uncertainty of how our lives will be impacted by he time this runs its course.  But let us all consider the message of Easter, the new life after death, hope after utter despair, joy after tremendous times of sorrow and companionship after perceived abandonment. If indeed, as some have suggested, God is allowing this to remove those things that have distracted us from him, then let us focus on him during these times and consider that this is merely a prelude as to what could happen once he sets into motion those events that will usher in the end of this age, a time that should be glorious for those who know his voice, and equally horrible for those who have chosen false shepherds.  God will surely lead us through the valley, guarding his flock, leaving the ninety-nine for the one lost until we reach the promised green pastures of eternity with him. God bless you this Easter.

Fear, Faith and Foreboding; a Pandemic

Where does one begin in light of the current worldwide pandemic of this little virus COVID-19?  I, like many of you, am holed up in our condo, partly out of caution of the unknown and partly because there are few places left to go.  As I write this, all schools in my city are closed indefinitely; Major casinos are closing their doors tonight at midnight.  Gyms, bars, many restaurants are dark and gatherings of more than 50 are discouraged.  We are in a time unprecedented for most of us.  Store shelves are empty and fights are shown on video over a package of everyday toilet paper. Last night my grocery store had armed police force at the entrance. Many workers have been laid off suddenly and without notice.  Every industry sector shows signs of an uncertain future and stocks are plummeting after the Feds dropped the prime interest rate to zero!  We are living in a strange time and fear has gripped a nation with a strangle hold reminiscent of an old sleeper hold by a brutal professional wrestler.  The panic is more pandemic than the virus.

I am no expert in this or any other topic on which I write.  Many of my readers don’t always agree with my words, which is ok.  These are just my observations and contributions, as I face the same uncertainty we all do.  Fear and overreactions are nothing new, even if the causes of those fears are.  And fear strikes the hearts of even the most faithful people.  I am reminded of an old song our band performed back in the 70’s by both Dolly Parton and Don Francisco, called He’s Alive. The very first verse paints a picture of sheer terror:

The gates and doors were barred and all the windows fastened down                                        I spent the night in sleeplessness and rose at every sound                                                           Half in hopeless sorrow, half in fear the day                                                                                    Would find the soldiers breaking through to drag us all away

This is a description of the fear experienced by, of all people, the eleven remaining disciples of Jesus.  Some of them had just witnessed the horrible death by crucifixion of Christ and reported back to the brothers who had gathered in hiding.  Fear left them feeling orphaned.  Think about it for a moment.  These eleven men had ministered with Jesus for three years.  They did life together, sitting under his direct and intimate teachings, witnessing first-hand his miracles, from water to wine to life from death.  Moreover, they had performed similar miracles themselves by the authority Christ had imparted to them in their ministry missions.  We read in awe the words of Christ when he says “I am the Life”, “I and my Father are one”, “if you have seen me you have seen the father”.  But these men had heard with their own ears these words coming from the lips of the Messiah.  No one on earth knew Jesus more intimately than his own disciples.  And yet when the shepherd was struck, the flock panicked. And even when Peter and John ran into the empty tomb, they had forgotten the words of the Master when he said he would rise again from the dead and they returned to their hideout and to their fears.  It was only after Jesus appeared to them in the flesh that they remembered His words and believed once again.  If the disciples of the Savior upon whom the foundations of the early church were laid struggled with fear and doubt, it is no small wonder that fear and panic are so rampant today, even within the body of Christ.

I get it, this is new and unfamiliar territory.  Pensions and retirement funds are losing value daily; parents forced to decide whether to work or stay home with their children because of school closures; the faithful torn between attending local churches or being responsible and bowing instead to science and health experts.  And what makes these situations even worse is the divisions caused when one group condemns another over their chosen response to this new outbreak.  And yet from a merely scientific and medically proven research, the stress and anxiety caused by fear has more of an impact and deadly potential on the body through elevated blood pressure and coronary stress than the bug itself, and could potentially kill more when said and done than any virus.

It is vital in times of uncertainty when we are tempted to react emotionally that we rather respond with what we know to be true.  God’s Word has never let me down even in the darkest of times. The words “fear not” or “don’t be afraid” are listed 365 times throughout scripture, a true sign God wanted us to be reminded daily of his faithfulness.

John 14, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled and don’t be afraid”

Joshua 1, “Be strong and courageous, and not afraid”

Matthew 6, “Don’t worry about tomorrow”

Psalm 23, “I will fear no evil for you are with me”

Psalm 34, “I sought the Lord and he delivered me from my fears”

1 Peter 5, “Lay your fears on Him because He cares for you”

2 Timothy 1, “We are not given a spirit of fear but of power”

Isaiah 41, “Don’t fear, I am with you, don’t be dismayed for I am (still) your God.  I will strengthen you and hold you up with my strong, mighty and righteous right hand”

Romans 8, “If our God is for us, who can possibly come against us”

God imparts to all who ask, a measure of wisdom and discretion to be used in such matters.  We don’t test God or go against sound and conventional wisdom.  We don’t smoke because we know it can lead to respiratory illness or death; we don’t eat fried foods everyday because science has shown us what fats do to our heart and arteries; we adhere to the medical advice given by experts.  But in these cases our decisions and responses must be dictated by sound advice and precautions, not fear.  Fear is often a liar.  Fear says you can’t accomplish something, faith says I can do all things through Christ; fear says the medical prognosis is bad, faith says I am the Lord who can heal you; fear says the situation is hopeless but faith says all things are possible through Christ; fear says isolate and hide out but faith says let your light shine to a darkened world who needs to see your hope in Christ.

With my current health condition I would be considered at risk if I were to contract COVID-19, so I will be taking the necessary precautions to avoid exposure whenever possible.  And to be honest, like the disciples, I am concerned with what may be next, how much worse things could get, what impact this will have on my family and friends.  But I will not be driven by fear or guided by panic.  If this is an extended visit to the valley, I will enjoy the shade and quiet time.  But fear will not be welcomed here.  Love, faith and fear are strange bed fellows; love casts out all fear.  Over the next few weeks I would highly encourage you to turn off FOX, CNN, and all other news outlets who profit highly off sensationalism driven by fear, and pick up a good book or take a hike instead.  Use this time to reconnect with friends and family and look for ways where you can be a positive influence on a world who doesn’t need us hiding in fear right now.  God bless you and your families now and as we pass through this fire, remembering that there’s another in the fire with us and we will not be burned!  Peace.

 

 

 

Where is This Jesus I Keep Hearing About?

It is now 2020.  I’m 58 years old.  I was raised in the church and have heard all my life that Jesus is coming back soon.  When is “soon”?  Prophets, preachers, televangelists have been proclaiming a glorious day of the return of Christ for well over two thousand years now, but nothing has changed, everyday the same.  The world spins, the days pass, life as we know it continues on as it has from the beginning of time.  What gives?

This line of questioning is nothing new.  Naysayers even in the days of the early church offered up the same sentiments as many today.  Peter addressed this in his second letter, Chapter 3.  It reads:

“In the last days, mockers are going to have a heyday.  Reducing everything to the level of their puny feelings, they’ll mock “So what’s happened to the promise of his coming?  Our ancestors are dead and buried, and everything’s going on just as it has from the very first day of creation.  Nothing’s changed” (Message)

Two thousand plus years later and we are still asking pretty much the same question.  Where is He?  Has He forgotten about us?  Is it real? From the book of Daniel to Jesus’ words in Matthew 24 to John’s visions in Revelation, we are told to watch for certain signs of the end of days.  Many of these signs have taken place or are taking place.  Earthquakes in diverse locations, never-ending wars, famines, false teachers, false doctrines, families turning on each other, a complete decay of our moral compass, the elimination of all things God oriented-it’s all around us every day and has been for decades.  As believers, it can become an easy trap to ask the same questions, even if you don’t dare verbalize them, is Jesus really coming back and if so, how close are we?

I want to be very careful in how I state this so as not to be confused; as followers of Christ our blessed hope is eternal life with Him upon his eventual return to take us to that place being prepared for us.  However, our daily lives should not be lived entirely for the sake of that return, as in living to survive.  We are promised a life of abundance while we are waiting.  There is much benefit in awakening every day just to enjoy what we have been blessed with and to be ready and willing to be an encouragement and extension of our hope to others, while we are here on this big planet.  We are given His peace, His joy, His strength, so that our lives can be lived to the fullest while we await a day that may or may not come in our earthly lifetime.  And while it is sometimes easy to look at all the strife in the world or even in our own lives and hope that Jesus returns soon to take us all away, it is not the way we are compelled to live.

Peter continues on in his letter with words of encouragement:

“With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day.  God isn’t late with His promise as some measure lateness.  He is restraining Himself on account of you, holding back the end because He doesn’t want anyone to be lost.  He’s giving everyone space and time to change”.

In his final words in the letter Peter exhorts us to be found “living at your best in purity and peace”. Scoffers will continue to scoff, the intellects will continue to ridicule the faithful for believing in fairy tales.  That’s ok, we were told it would be this way.  Scripture tells us that in the end, all will be forced to acknowledge the reality of Christ.  In Matthew 24 we are told that when the Son of man appears in the skies, and the whole world will see him at once, unbelievers will mourn and lament at the realization that it wasn’t a hoax after all.  His coming will usher in an acute knowledge of His deity, even to those who had not previously believed.  It will be the first hell. I can’t imagine the horror of suddenly knowing I was wrong and it’s too late.

We may have another hundred blood moons or whatever other various signs some look to as true indications of the timing before this eminent return takes place.  But whether we are here to witness it from earth’s perspective, or are with Christ when He comes back because we left this life earlier, we will see that day as it happens.  It’s real, it’s promised and it will be glorious when it finally occurs.  Be watchful but live today.

New Year-the Old, the New and the Unchanged

It’s hard to believe how quickly this year has past as we prepare to say goodbye to 2019 and usher in 2020.  It may or may not be the last day of the decade but it is certainly the last day of the 2010’s.  We can enjoy many things that did not exist in 2010.  GPS is now a common app on most phones with a female voice telling you how to get from point A to point B.  And if you don’t care to drive, we now have pick-up services by Uber and Lyft.  Social media has grown up to include a feature where callers can see each other on Facetime.  Tesla developed a driverless car while major auto manufacturers introduced auto-self parking for those who are parallel parking challenged.  There is now a doorbell that allows you to see on your phone who is ringing your bell even if you aren’t at home. And how about that refrigerator that allows you to see what’s inside without opening the door!  Going on a trip but want some privacy that you can’t get in a hotel, rent a house with Airbnb. There are so many more advances in the world of medicine, science and technology to begin to list.

However, not all changes since 2010 have been positive.  Today more than any time I can recall America has become a more divided country.  It seems we’ve taken a step backward in race relations and tolerance.  We’ve fallen for the ploys of Washington to become hotly divided politically with no room for middle ground thinking.  Social media has brought many old friends together after years of separation but ended just as many long-time friendships of those who hold different ideals-The simple push of an Unfriend button eradicates years of friendship.  The recent vaping trends are already proving to be anything but a healthy alternative to smoking while the legalization of recreational marijuana, perhaps long overdue, along with CBD oils which I myself take, has no less left the country with a green haze that is becoming inescapable.

In any era there will always be good and bad, even at personal levels.  You may have lost that good paying job but ended up with one more enjoyable and less stressful.  Some may have been diagnosed with diseases that if not caught, might have been fatal.  Many may have suffered the pain of long-term relationships ending only to discover new love and second chances.  Each period of time brings with it contrasting emotions.  As recorded in Ecclesiastes, there is a “time to break down and a time to build up; a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance”.

So for good or bad, change is inevitable.  But, for those who believe in Christ, there is a hope and a faith in things unseen that we are told will never change!  We have the assurance that God remains in charge of the Universe and is directly involved with the every day affairs of our lives! Yes, it’s a matter of faith and choosing to believe in something unexplainable and yet it is an anchor that holds true whatever years it is.  Consider the following passages from the Bible that serve to remind us of this truth;

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever”, Hebrews 13:8

“The grass may wither and the flowers fade, but the Word of God stands forever”, Isaiah 40:8

“The counsel of the Lord stands forever, to all generations”, Psalm 33:11

“Even when we are faithless, He remains faithful-he can’t deny himself”, 2 Timothy 15:29

“I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end:”, Revelation 22:13

As we enter into anew year and season, there is a profound comfort in knowing the more some things may change, there is an eternal consistency and familiarity in knowing and relying on God and his numerous promises to help us navigate the unknown future, because “from everlasting to everlasting” He is God and He is eternally good!

Thank you for reading Papswords these past many years.  I wish you all a safe, fulfilled and blessed 2020!

The Lost Tradition of Caroling

When it comes to Christmas I am very much a traditionalist; I love everything and anything that takes me back to precious memories of simpler times before the Yule tide season became a commercialized profit center for which annual retail budgets are formulated.  Don’t take me wrong, I appreciate many of today’s attempts to recreate something reminiscent of Christmases past, but for me, you can keep your modern TV specials and recycled Hallmark movies and give me Rudolph, Frosty and Andy Williams Holiday specials.  Perhaps my middle age is showing.

One of my favorite holiday traditions is that of Christmas caroling.  I recall in my younger years going out with the youth group and caroling for others, or going to events just to watch and listen to other carolers.  I have fond memories of Christmas Eve services that were less professional production and simple children in homemade costumes recreating the nativity followed by a heartfelt carol sing of all the timeless songs going back hundreds of years.  I even performed once in a Madrigal dinner and may or may not have been seen caroling in medieval tights!  Sadly, the tradition of caroling at Christmas seems to be fading away, and in certain places, banned altogether.  It is for me, a tradition that can’t be replaced by more current popular trends.

There is no clear origins as to the history of caroling, although there are several theories. Some will say Christians hijacked the tradition from Pagans and their Winter Solstice celebration.  Some date songs about the birth of Christ back to the 4th century while others credit Saint Francis of Assisi of incorporating them into his liturgies.  Some link carols to the holiday practice of wassailing, when poorer people sang for food and were given hot wassail, a thick spiced drink to keep them warm.  whatever the case, carols have traditionally been songs of joyful worship sung in churches and public places  reflecting on a very Holy Night that started it all.

Carols were penned during a time most of us could never understand.  There was a certain purity and a level of depth from which all spiritual songs flowed that has never been replicated. These Christian standards were relished every bit as our National Anthem, perhaps more so.  The very first carol dates back to 129 A.D although little else is known about it or how it sounded.  But the ones most of us are more familiar with came from the 1700s and 1800s.  O Holy Night was written in 1847 and was the very first song ever played over radio waves. Silent Night was written in German in 1818. The carol we know as O Come All Ye Faithful was composed in 1861. Oh Little Town of Bethlehem was written in 1871. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear goes back to 1874.Away in a manger, 1837. One of the older classics, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen goes way back to 1760! So you can see that when we sing these songs, we are singing the same joyful worship songs that were sung by our great-great grandparents, a timeless tradition that is becoming extinct.

There is a time and a season for everything.  However, the intensity of Heaven coming down to Earth some two thousand years ago being portrayed through timeless lyrics and melodies still moves me in 2019.  I live and write from Las Vegas, NV, the capitol of high energy entertainment and top rank productions.  But when it comes to Christmas, give me a gathering of faithful believers holding lit candles and singing off key to a piano-that’s a tradition that will live forever in my past and my fondest recollections. Merry Christmas.

In Everything (not for everything) Give Thanks

Many people are already in Christmas mode anticipating another joyous celebration with friends and family and checking their grocery and shopping lists twice.  It seems each year with the nature of competitive retail marketing, Christmas seems to start earlier than the previous year.  In the hustle to be first, a very timeless and traditional holiday gets overshadowed, the day of Thanksgiving.  A week before Thanksgiving actually arrives, what few items you can find to decorate the family gathering are already marked down to 50% or more as they take up precious shelf space from more profitable Christmas items.  In a world driven by profit, tradition is often sacrificed.

Nonetheless, Thanksgiving is upon us, and it truly remains a time to pause and reflect on those things for which we should be ever grateful that we may overlook throughout the year.  I know personally, I have much to be thankful for this year.  I’m thankful for victory over cancer, I’m grateful for new love in the form of a heaven-sent angel, I’m thankful for the many adventures we’ve taken in a few short months.  I’ve seen more of the country this year than in 57 previous years!  I’m thankful for healthy kids and grandchildren.  I’m thankful for Unfollow options!  I could go on and on.

As is the case each year many will approach this season with anything but a spirit of thanksgiving.  It’s hard to have a grateful heart if you are a single parent raising your children and working two jobs just to get by.  It’s hard to be thankful in a job where your patience may be tested on a daily basis.  It’s hard to give thanks for that medical report that came back and caught you off guard.  It’s difficult to be grateful for a relationship that is not what you were expecting.  It will be hard to give thanks this year for those who will find empty chairs at the table once filled by their now departed loved ones.  We live in a world full of challenging situations where it is so easy to focus on the situations at hand and completely lose perspective on the balance of an otherwise beautiful life.  I know because I was once guilty as well.

As believers in Christ we are encouraged to embrace life with an attitude of thanksgiving. But many have been made to feel guilty because of poor teaching or a misunderstanding of those verses calling us to be grateful.  A popular passage found in 1 Thessalonians 5 reads:

“Rejoice always, and pray continually.  Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. “

That tiny overlooked preposition, “in”, makes all the difference when considering this verse.  Some may have inserted “for” here, which is inaccurate and not the intended meaning.  Consider these examples.  There was no way I was thankful “for” cancer.  But I was thankful “in” that I knew God was in control and I would be learning to rely on his strength, not mine.  You may not be grateful “for” losing that job, but you can be thankful “in” the process of knowing God will provide you anew one.  You may not be thankful “for” a failed relationship, but you can rest “in” the knowledge that God sees your brokenness and is already lining up something new for you.  Paul and Silas were most likely not thankful “for” being chained in the lower prison with wet floors and desert creatures, but “in” their situation, they praised God.  Job, poor guy, was not thankful “for” his great losses and suffering, but “in” the midst of the absolute worst loss and pain imaginable, he is quoted as saying, “even if God takes my life, I will praise him”.  That is the essence of this and similar passages encouraging us to be grateful in less than ideal circumstances, knowing that God is doing a greater work in us than we may realize if we focus only on the pain.

That being said, there are still an infinite number of things in life to be thankful “for”. Be grateful to wake up in a warm home with a stocked kitchen pantry and a choice of clothing.  Be thankful to just wake up to a new day!  Be grateful for that demanding job that pays your living expenses.  Be thankful for aches and pains of a body that still has mobility.  Be thankful for that less than perfect church where you can still worship freely each week.  Let your grateful heart show through in your social circles.  Stay away from social media bandwagons overflowing with chronic complainers about all that is wrong in our country or churches.  They will cause you to lose focus on things more certain and meaningful than current trends or affairs.  There really is something to be said of those whose positivity outshines their current situations because they are deliberate in focusing on the good, not the bad or the ugly.  Have a blessed and grateful Thanksgiving!