Doing a big deal!

Have you ever wondered what you should do? I mean really thought to yourself: Hmmm..."I want to make my mark in society. What should I do?"

In my life's experience and in my spiritual reading, I have discovered that God DOES NOT require his followers to do BIG things in life. Some might accomplish tasks that the world deems stellar BUT regardless of the worldly accolades, Christians should carry a humble heart and give deference to Christ in ALL that they do. In fact, it's a sneaky method of Satan to have people believe that if they can't do something BIG for God, then they shouldn't do anything at all. Christians shouldn't wait for great moments or feel it necessary to cultivate amazing abilities before they accomplish something for God. Just the accomplishment of keeping one's life a testimony, being sincere and faithful is a BIG deal in God's eyes. (See SC pg. 83) God just asks us to be available AND willing; like tools in the shed of life. It might not be a person's proverbial season to be used of God. God knows the best time. The Bible is fertilized and seeded with many stories of men and women that, at first, appear to germinate by surprise. In fact, the Bible makes many references to agrarian efforts and harvests that came to fruition from seeds that had been planted long ago. In short, lying dormant, waiting for a God-led moment.

John the Baptist knew that he was watering the God-given moments that came his way. He baptized people and observers came to him and asked, "Are you the Christ.....?" Without missing a beat John said, "No, I am not the Messiah." HE eventually even deferred to Christ saying his own efforts must decrease so that Christ's could increase. WOW! What an act of humility!

John knew his 'moment'. He knew he was a tool for Christ. He had a row to hoe in the garden of life, a message to deliver, a soul to save. He was doing it without fanfare. He realized he had limitations and deferred to Christ.

We ALL get drawn into areas that may look impressive and may feed our ego. While it's great to have accolades, we should be careful. Pause in prayer and ask for power to receive recognition well. God WILL guide you. He will tell you if some job or task is outside of your 'gifting' and 'calling'; outside of what God anointed YOU to do or even if YOU don't deserve credit. Although it's GREAT to stretch for goals, don't go outside of your God-given limitations. It will be a constant struggle but stay focused. Ask God to tell you your limitations. God has created you and  He knows when to choose the correct tool. You might be a new tool or maybe a bit worn BUT He knows WHERE you are in the tool shed and will use you in due season. We might not realize we are doing any special good or any 'big deal' BUT God doesn't measure moments like we do. In God's eyes a word of encouragement, a spoken compliment, a pat on the back or perhaps even a small tangible token of appreciation, means a lot to people; it IS a BIG deal! God measures with the Holy Intent Meter (HIM). It's true that we don't HAVE to do anything (works) BUT I have found that it's more fulfilling to act on my (actually God's) good intentions than to sit idly by and wait and watch. Christians act because they love God, not to earn God's love. By our "unconscious influence we start waves of influence that widen and deepen. The blessed harvest will be more realized in our final reward!" (SC pg.83)

"If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be" (1 Corinthians 12: 17-18, NIV).

God has arranged us 'just as He wants us to be'. He knows where WE are and He has a job for all of us to do. Each job is equally important. Be ready and willing. ~Pray

The 'Linger Factor'

The longer you linger, the more it's a factor.

HERE, EAT THIS!

Two years ago I realized that I had become VERY comfortably cocooned among the couch cushions. I was the proverbial ‘couch spud'. One day, I lost the remote and while searching and lifting couch cushions I became.... short of breath! I use to be in shape! I needed some exercise! I went outside, walked 50 yards and was too tired to continue! I returned home. The next day I walked again and jogged a little. I was quite proud of me!

Aside from the sedentary lifestyle that I had cultivated, it occurred to me that my program selections were a bit inappropriate. My wife and son had encouraged me to "watch something else." They were right. Most of the world’s TV broadcasts are pleasing to the eye but they are a diet of drama and deceit.  

I began analyzing the TV shows that I had occasionally watched (picked). As I peered at it from a slight spiritual eye, they seemed different than I remembered them being when they had first aired. I suddenly realized that they (and I) had changed. They had started out rather innocuous but, as time had slowly progressed, each show had gradually and decisively shown a salacious theme.  For instance, there is a show about a guy that dates women. His divorced brother (that lives with him) can’t seem to find ANY women to date. The divorced guy has a son that appears oblivious to all the dating (at first). This would be a fine setting but, as we ALL realize, today’s television shows are allowed more liberties. As the show progressed throughout the season its morality spiraled and the ratings escalated! It glorified womanizing, alcohol, soft-porn, hard drugs, attempted suicide, voyeurism and even more alcohol. I admit that it is a 'funny' show, in a worldly sense. After all, human behavior is a hoot and us humans can really create some messes! As I watched the show, there was this 'inner feeling' that kept asking me, "Why are you watching this?" After all, NONE of the show was even remotely glorifying God nor was it indicative of MY lifestyle. It was not “of good report”. Indeed, why was I watching it? I guess I was duped into taking a small nibble of the fruit that Hollywood offered. Suddenly, I was accepting the 'images' and lifestyle as societies' norm. Just like my comfortable cocooning on the couch, my diet of TV shows had become accepted as well.  It tasted bad but I kept chewing ! I was developing a mind of mush to match my sedentary state. I stopped watching. I did miss it....a lot! Maybe I was experiencing withdrawal?  After several weeks passed, it was no surprise to me that one of the stars of the show was spread across the news. He had begun to mimic the TV lifestyle that he was portraying by actually playing it out in reality! "Life imitating art"? Hmmm... apparently. The adage, "By beholding we become changed" pops into my head. I believe II Corinthians 3:18 is very applicable. "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed unto the same image from glory to glory, even as the Spirit of the Lord." At first this text is confusing, well.... to me.. It seems to say: If I dwell on the Lord's reflection, I will be changed for the better. In short, "by beholding I will be changed". The reverse is true as well: Dwell on the better and your life will be sweeter. Dwell on debauchery and you'll act 'raunchily'. (Hey! I'm a 'rap' star!. Quote me if you wish!) 

Television is the modern day definition of a "graven image". We don’t carve it but if allowed, it will carve OUR minds! Some religions place their ‘idols’ in an alcove or their 'statuettes' on a dashboard. We hang our idols on the walls of our home and allow them to 'carve' our minds and feed our head with anti-commandment advice and activities.

Another show is about three smart young men very proud of their doctorates. They admit they are a bit of the stereotyped social misfits. In brief, as the season continued, one 'sleeps' with the girl across the hall, the other men exhibit their sexual prowess and then other sexual issues are addressed. Suddenly, POOF, right before your hungry, spongy  mind, the men are on a perpetual hormone-raced lifestyle. The show is funny in a worldly way, (people are hilarious) but as a Christian I am uncomfortable laughing at the lifestyle the social misfits portray. Surely I can find more appropriate funny and uplifting shows. Surely there must be something better to watch! Fortunately, there is! We made a choice to watch 3ABN on our TV, watch HOPE-TV.org  on our laptops, watch AmazingFacts.org on our TV or laptops attend more church activities and, most importantly, to talk to each other!!! We are two very interesting people! Well, my wife is more than I!

I know that some think I sound like a religious zealot, preachy or a stick-in-the-mud BUT I offer no excuse. I have made some mistakes. (Who hasn't?) I for one feel it is very appropriate to laugh at sexuality, yes it is funny, BUT laugh and grow with your spouse about it/'life'. I can admit the shows are funny and that the writers are creative. It's just that the shows seem to be glorifying an inappropriate lifestyle. It even affected the star of the show! I don't believe the writers have an agenda to lure us into a trap. They are just like us, searching for the best fruits. The orchards of the world are attractive. It is a blast to enjoy them, in an appropriate way. Maybe its how we measure 'appropriate' or what manual we use.... if any.  I guess I just need to choose my orchards wisely and  very be selective as I pick my fruits!

As I watched less TV I replaced it with walks in the park, exercise and other more productive activities. There are many GREAT things to do in this world. Watching the sexual escapades (or murders for that matter) is not one of them. 

Keep your mind pure. Christ provided specific direction regarding foods we should digest. Forbidden fruits still exist. Pick wisely! Be more spiritual. It's okay to cocoon in the cushions now and then but 'watch for Christ's sake', for your own sake and then emerge as a ‘remnant’ of His word! Be healthy! Be Fit! 

The Have's, Have-Not's & Share-a Lot's

Have you ever found yourself wishing that you lived someone else’s life; that theirs seemed so much better and, in comparison, yours was less exciting, less eventful? Have you ever thought to yourself, WOW! She/He has ‘THE LIFE’ and that you don’t? If we were to be completely honest, I believe we have ALL caught ourselves comparing. It might be that we compare cars, kids, clothes, vacations, styles or even yards. God has an *‘app’ for that! It’s found in the Bible in the section I call the ‘ians’ (pronounced ‘E-uns’) Get it? à Corinth-ians, Galat-ians, Ephes-ians, Phillipp-ians!" God’s *’app’ is Divine direction; Divine application!

“For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10, NIV).

It’s healthy to compare….that is, IF it is a healthy FORM of comparing. IF it motivates you to do “good works” and, as the Bible says: “work as God prepared you to do”, it is healthy. However, IF you allow yourself to linger in a ‘me-ist’ state and NOT allow your ‘friend(s)’ the opportunity to enjoy their success(es), your dislike WILL fester into hate! Let God 'deal with' them. Christians are NOT here to hate. Time is too short to linger on the perceived negatives of others. Your treasure is too great to miss. God has told us to bring our ‘offering’ to Him. God is NOT comparing. He and YOU know what YOU can do. If we bring the wrong offering to God; one of coveting, dislike and hate, it is displeasing to Him. Consider the offerings of Cain and Able. Consider the end result.

By allowing a wrong ‘comparative-state-of mind’ you are admitting you are uncomfortable in who you are; that you don’t recognize yourself as the treasure God made you. As Christians we shouldn’t constantly look for approval by comparing ourselves to a neighbor, co-worker or friend. We shouldn’t try to out-dress them or out-perform them. Competition is a curse when it is allowed to breed and fester. Cooperation is a blessing that needs to be fertilized. Comparison is a distraction that shrouds the gift of cooperation. Comparison is a thief that steals your joy, focus, energy and time. You are the workmanship of God! You are created with a purpose for a purpose. You are equipped to do everything He's called you to do.

Stay free from a spirit of competition and just run your own race. You will enjoy your life more. You WILL see your gifts and talents flourish! You WILL move forward into the life of victory that He has in store for YOU! You WILL see His blessing and favor in a greater way. Don’t compare! COOPERATE! Oh, and by the way, share your ‘blessings’ with others. YOUR life is probably what your friends wish THEY could live!

 “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10, NIV).

*App. Not a computer ‘app’; A Biblical ‘app’-lication.

Mimic Him!

Small kids love to mimic and imitate what you say and do! They try just about everything!  They raise their eyebrows, purse their lips, grin and laugh. They are like small sponges in a sea of experiences waiting to absorb the next move. That receptivity is what God intended; it is how we are all pre-wired. We all imitate and soak up what’s around us. It’s how we learn. It’s GREAT to imitate BUT we must be careful! Our ‘Noggin-Brand’ (brain) computer stores EVERYTHING!

Many people today are unaware that they are imitating the world, a show on TV, the news or a magazine story.  The influence is subtle. The scripture tells us that we are to be imitators of God and follow His example of love.  We are inundated with the world so we must bathe our minds with Christian influence (devotionals). The Bible says: "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Ephesians 5:1-2, NIV).

Is there something in your life YOU want to change?  Change what you are imitating; change your focus. The more you focus on the world, the more you will imitate it. The more you focus on the WORD, the more you will imitate it! Try it NOW—imitate this: bow your head, clasp your hands, and close your eyes.  Be like a kid, absorb it. Be like an adult, control it. ~Pray 

Stan Sedentary

My exercise of choice is 'Individual Conditioning'; specifically, jogging. When I was in college I would jog. I would think nothing about lacing up a pair of running shoes, running over to the outdoor track, run a few miles and then run back to the dorm. Did you catch that? I ran to the track, ran at the track and then ran from the track! Through it all I would only be mildly winded. Years later, (decades) a reasonable sedentary lifestyle had wrapped its 30 lb. arms around.... mostly.... my waist! I'm a tall guy and can hide it well but those lazy arms, coupled with a slower metabolism (and a handy TV remote) had become the proverbial lifestyle of choice. It's NOT that I had become a 'couch potato' or that I planned to be Stan Sedentary, Stan just crept in and set up a home. Comfortable guy that Stan.

I've heard it said that "Indecision is a decision". If we delay for too long, life has a way of deciding for us. In regards to exercise, here's a new expression: If you lounge around, you become big and round! (I just made-up that one.)

It has been a year of persistent and tenacious effort but I am now able to jog for a considerable distance. Jogging isn't for everyone. Some think it is a lonely form of aerobics but I appreciate the solitude and accomplishment. Some choose 'The Links' (golf), others walk, or speed-walk (funny). I have even seen a person do hool-a-hoop-walking! I am not kidding! It is a hoot to see! Still others choose group aerobics. My point is: CHOOSE for yourself, don't let life choose for you.

God has wonderful gifts waiting for you to choose. You might not consider a more active lifestyle a gift but at my age of 55 and being able to jog at all is a gift! He wants to amaze you with His goodness! We are His kids. God wants to show us favor BUT there are principles to follow.  Through those principles He has greater things in store for your future!


Today, I encourage you to get your hopes up! I'll scream it this time, GET YOUR HOPES UP! Perhaps my long-term friend Stan Sedentary (He likes chips and dip) has become a friend of yours as well. Kick him out! Get a new roommate. Try something new! Enlarge your vision. Choose an exercise. Go for a walk. Expect God to bring opportunities across your path. Expect answers to your prayers BUT be ready to take action! Remember, God has a task for you; most of which you aren't expecting. In fact, He might ask you to bear an infirmity or maybe travel a road with unexpected twists and turns. Through that challenge, however measured, you WILL be a better witness or bring more people to Christ. You will be a better person. Regardless of your station in life or the baggage you carry, God has a plan FOR YOU! Talk to Him, He has a purpose in mind JUST FOR YOU! ~Pray!

  

Opportunity, Direction and Encouragement! (ODE)

Opportunity Direction and Encouragement!

"…Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it…" NKJV  (Psalm 81:10)

I watched as robins in my backyard hopped over to their little chirpers and poked breakfast into their tiny gaping beaks. I couldn’t help but think …What a life! The tiny fledglings are just lounging in the grasses of life, soaking up the sunshine, not a care in the world while mum & dad bring a bug and worm breakfast! MMMMmmm! Those little chirpers get SO EXCITED!

As I watched, I recalled a verse in the Bible (Psalms 81:10) that reads, “…open your mouth wide, and He [I] will fill it….” God wants to fill and increase us beyond measure. We need to be more willing to stand in the grasses of life with open arms (and mouths) ready to be filled.  Jesus Christ wants to satisfy our needs and desires with good things. The young fledglings open their mouths wide trusting that they will be fed. We should do the same. We should wait upon God in eager anticipation for God to fill our lives! God has a plan and He wants to feed it to you! We need to keep our ‘spiritual mouths’ open and expect God’s goodness to satisfy us. Open your arms and embrace the gifts God has in store for you! Stand in the fields of life and accept where God has led you and/or ask God for direction. God gives good gifts. A closed posture can’t accept them. A closed attitude misses the chances. Open your mouth and let God feed you with His goodness!  All too often we limit God by not accepting or even understanding our need to be fed a ‘wiggling worm of an opportunity’!

I’m NOT saying that we should just sit idly by and have a ‘Do Nothing Attitude’ (DNA)!  NO! We are made to take action. Birds in the nest will eventually take a natural flying leap! We need to trust that God is working behind the scenes for us! God created gravity and us. He knows its pull and our limits!

I use the acronym O.D.E.

1.      OPPORTUNITY God WILL bring ‘food’ (opportunity) to our open/receptive mouth.  

2.      DIRECTION As we grow, God will show us where to go; find our own ‘worms’.

3.      ENCOURAGEMENT God will ALWAYS aide our efforts. 

At this point, there is a remarkable difference between 'nature-world' and 'human-world'! We have a choice. Also, animals will eventually abandon their young. Not so with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!  He is always available! By ‘opening our mouth’ we are being receptive to God. We won't be disappointed. I have yet to hear a young robin complain about their lunch. God is faithful to His Word. He will fill us and satisfy us when we put our trust in Him!

Some of us find a new direction, embrace an old ‘calling’ or even change direction. Sometimes, much later in life. Paul (fka: Saul), is a prime example. The opportunity is ALWAYS before us.

What's your challenge? Take it to GOD! Like a robin, take a moment to figuratively stand in an open field and take action with open arms and an open mouth! While you are at it, spread your wings! God is always listening. He is excited to fill the mouths of birds and, of course, our open mouths as well. He wants to lift us up! By the way, He offers more than bugs and worms!~Pray!

You Made A Difference In My Life

Calvin was a childhood friend of mine. We lived on the same street and only two houses down from each other. His house was a larger log cabin style while mine was a smaller shaker-shingle home. Sometimes Calvin would come over to my house and on other days, I would visit him. We would spend a lot of our time outside riding bicycles, playing baseball and childhood yard games like: kick the can , kickball, hide & seek, tag, basketball  or a fun game called 'Sardines'. The game ‘Sardines’ was the reverse of ‘Hide & Seek’.  Everybody would close their eyes while one person would count (out loud) to an agreed upon number. During the counting, one person would go and hide. When the number was reached, we would ALL hunt/seek the person that was now hiding. One steadfast rule was: No hiding inside someone’s house. The first person to find the ‘hider’ would then hide with the 'hider' AND got the chance to hide alone next time. Eventually, we would ALL find the ‘hider’ and we would ALL be packed into a small hiding place; hence the name ‘Sardines’.  We would play outside most of the day. (You see, we didn’t have the internet or home computers.) My mother’s only instructions were, “Be safe and  come home when the street lights start to come on.”  Life was safer then. We all had some great times.

When Calvin played sardines and he was the one to go and hide, I would often be the first to find him.  I believe it was because we thought along the same lines and both knew some of the same and best hiding spots. One time when I found his hiding place, I was surprised to see him drinking a beer and smoking a cigarette. Many of our Middle School (fka: Junior High School) friends drank and both of our dad's smoked and drank which made alcohol and cigarettes readily accessible and very much a part of both of our lives. For MANY kids of that age, smoking and drinking was a 'rite of passage'. Unfortunately, it just isn't 'right' and for FAR too many the proverbial "passage" is a passageway on a One Way street. I was happy to find Calvin but my surprise was Calvin's sudden change in attitude. You see, as Calvin and I spent time together, one day he had voluntarily blurted out, "I HATE it when my dad drinks! He changes, my mother is scared, one brother hides and my older brother fights with my dad! I will NEVER, N-E-V-E-R smoke or drink!". I was surprised at his oath AND his anger but agreed that both vices were a poor choice. It was then that I noticed the shiny blue & green hue around his eye and a slight cut on his lip. Several short weeks later we were hiding in his dusty garage and he was "sucking down some brews" and enjoying some "coffin nails" as his dad would say. I didn't realize it then but it helped him cope.

I wish I could say that I never tried a "coffin nail" or that I never drank a "brew" but I can't. I am VERY confident there are MANY people and friends that echo those same sentiments. I AM very proud to say that my curiosity was very short lived. Cigarettes literally take your breath away and alcohol WILL inebriate your soul; encouraging you to do dastardly deeds, some of which you won't recall. I am thankful that my church instilled a belief that my body is a temple of God and that I should treat it with respect. This belief coupled with my step-father's perfect drunken-stupor-examples of how NOT to be, was priceless! 

Shortly after Calvin started drinking, I became a witness to alcohol's unbridled passion of cracking cavernous gaps between family members. Calvin's demeanor and his family changed. The childhood friend I knew slipped from the innocence of adolescence far too early. He peered at me with thick eyelids and bloodshot eyes and slowly swallowed the 'proof' the world had to offer. He clung onto the rim of the bottle for a while. The solace he found in numbing his head and the courage he gathered from the swill in his dad's thick glass decanters, embraced him with open charms. He often asked me to join him but I always refused. Calvin was never the same. 

One day, as I was visiting Calvin and his brothers, a graphic scene erupted between Calvin's older brother and their dad. It started inside their home. They screamed slanderous graphic profanity and threw glass bottles and kitchen ware. Calvin, the younger brothers and I, scattered. The argument eventually spilled into their yard. Fists were raised and targets were met. The sound of a fist hitting a face is not what you hear in the movies. The scars incised will physically heal but the emotion will ooze a lifetime. Seeing it happen between a father and son is disturbing. I ran home. Somebody called the police and, once again, cars with flashing lights visited Calvin's home.

The Seventh-day Adventist church my sisters, my mother and I attended was just a short walk from our house. Instead of riding in the car with my sisters and mum I would sometimes choose to walk.  It gave me a chance to clear my head and ask God for direction and guidance. I mention the name of the church because it was always a center of comedy to my dear friend Calvin. He liked to poke fun and found it especially comical that I attended church on Saturday. It was all friendly ribbing BUT I could tell when he had been drinking because he was quite aggressive and especially abrasive. As I would walk past his house he would see me and come out in his yard and in a higher pitched mocking voice say, "So.... are you going to go sing to Jesus? Oh, wait a minute it's Saturday! You can't find a church open TODAY!!! Those sure are fancy walking clothes yer wearin'!"  I'd always smile and wish for the days when my friend Calvin was sober.

My prayers and hopes to attend our church-affiliated Christian boarding school was answered with a yes! I left home to attend Pioneer Valley Academy in Massachussetts. It never dawned on me that my youth-filled days of playing games until the street lights came on, had finished. I saw Calvin one more time and then two decades later, I spoke to him over the phone. It happened like this:

I had returned home on a Summer break and Calvin knocked on the door. I answered it and hardly recognized my dear friend Calvin. His voice had developed a raspy edge, his face a more wrinkled and pinched look, his breathing was just a bit labored. Still, it was GREAT to see my dear friend Calvin. "Hey Stef," he said, "Wow, it's GREAT to see you again! Listen, I'm getting ready for my prom and nobody in my family knows how to tie a dress tie. I've seen you wear one. Will you help me and tie mine?" He had it hung around his neck.

"Sure Calvin!", I said. I tied it and thought it rather ironic that a guy that use to poke fun at me for wearing a dress tie, a guy that drank a lot (aka: 'tie-one-on'), was now asking me to tie a tie ON him. In addition, NOBODY in his family had an idea of how to do it.  I could smell the booze on his breath. I tied his tie around his neck and said, "Have a GREAT time!" Slapped him on the shoulder and as of this date (4/28/2011), I have never seen him again.

Two decades later I received a phone call from my mum. She said that Calvin had contacted her and wanted to talk to me. She gave me his phone number and I telephoned him. He answered and was immediately apologetic for anything he had said or done to me. "I am soooo sorry for being such a jerk. I know I said some things and kidded you about church. I even cussed at you a few times." 

"Calvin" I said, "I forgive you. We had some GREAT times together. Anything you might have said was taken as kidding from one friend to another. I'll never forget you. We had a blast!"

Then Calvin said something I will NEVER forget. He said, "When you were attending church, you were doin' the best choice. You done the best thing. I am a recovering alcoholic now, my brothers don't talk to me, my mum and dad passed-away two years ago. I just wanted you to know that I believe in a higher power and again, I apologize for anything I did to offend you. Thank you for your friendship. You made a difference in my life." He then asked if i could send him some Bible study material. I was happy to do it.

I was aware that as part of the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) 12-step recovery program, recovering alcoholics are required (obligated) to contact any and all people they had offended. (My step-dad 'recovered' MANY times!) I was one of those people and Calvin was apologizing. I also knew he was very sincere and I loved my friend Calvin. What impressed me was that a lifetime ago, we ALL made a difference.... some of us just haven't had the chance to get a call from a friend and hear: "Thank you. You made a difference in my life."

I am NOT stating that any particular choice will keep you from being worthy in God's eyes. I will leave that between God and you. We ARE told to be a good steward as we build our own personal 'house'. Keeping your/Christ's temple fit & ready is important. It is also very personal. God works with us on an individual basis. We just never know who we influence. Even though a person might be kidded or even bullied, for their choices made, the kidding could be muffled  screams of, "I want YOUR life!"

To this day, when I see the streets lights begin to flicker and light-up for the night, I think of them as stoic silent sentinels showing the way home. The help me recall great memories of fun and games. I hear my friends laughing. I also can't help but feel that it's almost time to head towards a 'heavenly home'. Life has some very, VERY dark paths. I am thankful that I have been able to recognize them.  I pray that my friends and family will see the lights along their path. The world offers MANY 'rites of passage', daily distractions and beckoning modes of inebriation. Stay away from them. Look for the markers/lights that will show you the way home! I am looking forward to seeing YOU there. Hopefully I will see my dear friend Calvin as well! Maybe we can ALL play a game of Sardines! One rule though: We ALL have to stay within a chosen universe!~Pray!

 

Aspire Inspite of the Muck & Mire

We all have God-given dreams, hopes, aspirations and goals to accomplish. I’d dare to venture that most of us have some form of a hidden ‘desire to aspire’, a cause, or even a business idea rattling around in our head. We just know we could be successful at it. However, we often put our dreams on a back burner; letting it simmer and wait for the correct moment. Often years go-by and before you know it, that forgotten dream becomes dusty; that idea on the back burner simmered to vapors. Perhaps the years crept stealthily past us or we convince ourselves that the idea was just too time intensive. Plans changed and/or excuses piled upon some loose knit logic and we eventually lost enthusiasm. WOW! I feel depressed just writing about it! With that attitude, it’s easy to get discouraged and end up becoming stagnant. If we allow it, the big dreams we held so dear, will settle into the recesses of our brain and grow algae.

As children, my sisters and I use to visit an expansive low marshy bog we affectionately called the Frog Pond. It was at the bottom of a long steep hill. The neighborhood kids called it Indian Hill. We would look forward to each year when we could scamper down Indian Hill and visit the Frog Pond. There we would find treasures of goopy dotted strings of frog eggs, green algae, water skimmers, frogs & toads and a lifetime of rocks to toss into the pond. Sometimes, in our excitement of getting to the other side of the bog, we would choose a more direct route and step into deep, dark oozing mud. Our foot would plummet into the muck and we’d yank it out only to hear a sucking slurp as the bog would attempt to claim our sneaker! We were always able to reclaim them but not without getting dirty!   

As an adult, I have visited that same Frog Pond. I marveled at all the memories that hopped through my head and at how small my adult mind viewed the Frog Pond.

It would serve us well to revisit some ‘old ideas’; relight the burners of those forgotten creative moments. We need to foster that ‘desire to aspire’. God want us to create memories. He gave us imaginations, creative minds and an awesome recall mechanism. He wants to take us higher than we can ever imagine. I have seen many times when people miss out on God's best simply because they give up too soon. They don't realize how close they are to their victory. 

We outgrew the old neighborhood, the stagnant Frog Pond and Indian Hill. It’s a wonder we didn’t get sick from that old pond. Science tells us that our human mind thrives on creativity. In fact, setting aside our hopes and aspirations tends to deaden us and adds to a sickly spirit. We need a cause, a reason! Don’t get mired in the goop of life! KEEP MOVIN’ ……or you’ll grow algae! It might not be external. That's probably a good thing!!!! Don't let that be you today! Revisit those ideas! Don't give up just because things seem difficult. You've invested so much, and you never know, just a few more days of believing, another few weeks of doing the right thing, another few months of staying in faith, and you could see that situation turn around. There’s a good chance you too will lose a shoe as you step into the muck of life. Remember, God is on your side! Keep standing and keep believing because you are closer than you think to fulfill every good desire He's placed inside of you! 

"So let's NOT allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop (or, in a kids eyes, catch a few frogs) if we don't give up, or quit"
(Galatians 6:9, The Message). ~Pray!

Tough Row to Hoe!

As I plant this years garden I am once again reminded of the power & potential packed in each seed. Each can produce a harvest of 100-fold return! The irony is that it has to be buried, usually alone, & experience it's own 'dark-time'. It then waits as its internal clock ticks closer to germination. As it pops forth, the battle has just begun. It is assailed by weeds, pests, varmints, poked, prodded and even thinned. The gardener has a key part in the seed's future fruition. The packaged seed can't do anything on its own. It can't jump out and find its spot in the row. It needs to be given proper placement. Even seeds in the field are at the whim of the wind; landing seemingly by chance. God knows where they are going! There are some seeds that lie dormant from last year, surprising earthly gardeners. They are called 'volunteers'. Although the name sounds benevolent, they are usually out of place and are usually uprooted. The best results are from seeds that receive the most attention from the gardener.

YOU are a seed of greatness! The Gardner has placed within you power & potential and has given everything you NEED to be successful. Although each of us have 'dark moments' we are never alone! Christ is with each of us. He is ready to 'plant' us. Step out and show you are ready to be sown! Perhaps, like a seed,  YOU have experienced a time of dormancy in YOUR life; a dark time. Perhaps YOU know YOU have more potential that has yet to sprout. Boldly declare your faith and put action behind it. Keep an attitude of expectancy and sprout! Believe that great things are blooming your way.

I enjoy reading biographies of entrepreneurs that sprouted into success. One such story is Harland David Sanders (Colonel Sanders) of the famous KFC . "Sanders lost his father at the age of six. He dropped out of school after ONLY completing the SIXTH GRADE. He went to work at a variety of jobs. During his early life he worked as a farm hand, streetcar conductor, steamboat ferry operator, railroad fireman, secretary, insurance salesman, tire salesman and furniture store owner." He owned and operated a small restaurant, sold it and then later sold his first famous chicken recipe franchise at the age of 66! Did you catch that? 66!!! Some would say he 'sprouted wings' AFTER retirement!

The Master Gardner knows where we are 'planted'. We might not like our 'row' or our 'depth' but THROUGH Him we pack POWERFUL POTENTIAL! By being obedient to His Word YOU will sprout! YOU and the seeds you sow will produce an abundant harvest of blessing all the days of your life! Do you have an idea that is waiting to germinate? Colonel Sanders sprouted at 66! To some that might be old and yet to others, rather young. Don't lie dormant; SPROUT!! YOU can produce a harvest of 100-fold return! Jump out of the package and find a spot in the row!!! The Master Gardner knows where to 'plant you! : ) ~Pray!

Pig-Pen

"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him." 2 Chronicles 16:9 AMP

I am a fan of the old comic strip ‘Charlie Brown’.  I am particularly fond of the character called Pig-Pen. It seems that Pig-Pen, true to his name, is always shuffling through the neighborhood in rolling clouds of dust and haze. His face is dirty, his hair is messy and his clothes are slightly tattered and torn. Pig Pen is just his nickname. I don’t believe his friends ever call him by a specific real name; he’s just Pig-Pen. In the comic strip, even when Pig-Pen bathes and becomes squeaky-clean and then steps outside, he magically becomes dirty again! He has even said, “I guess I’m just a dust magnet’.

To me, the Pig-Pen character is more than a simple messy-kid story. It is just one of life’s ‘dirty little secrets’. That secret is: If you play in the 'dirt', you will get dirty! If  you stand near a societal ‘mud pit party’, you will eventually-- magically get a mud pie flung in your direction!

As much as we might deny it, we are living in a dirty world; a modern day Babylon. It’s been globally washed once. Those sole survivors disembarked and almost magnetically, like Pig-Pen, ‘got dirty’ again! We TRY to stay clean but there’s all this… well, dust, dirt and some very "attractive" moments/things that just seems to be magically attracted to us. I’ve noticed that there is ‘good dirt’ and there is ‘bad dirt’. We can get dirty for the ‘right reasons’ and we can get dirty for ‘wrong reasons’.

God is looking for opportunities to “show Himself strong in the Earth”. He is looking for people “whose hearts are blameless toward Him”. Open your heart to Christ, and ask for His forgiveness. By making THAT simple request, you have been cleansed! He then gives you a blameless heart. YOU are the person the Lord is seeking! Understand the fact that God LONGS to work in YOUR life! As He does, YOUR faith and hope will increase. God's work in your life will increase! God has heavenly spiritual soap that cleans dirty hearts and can clean the oldest and most stubborn stained of souls.

You probably don't realize it but "Pig-Pen" last appeared in the Peanuts comic strip on September 8, 1999. That strip was very uncharacteristic of him. It showed him embarrassed to the point of shame in his dirtiness, with none of the pride or sense of destiny that he expressed in earlier strips.  Pig Pen tells us a story from an artist that sketched dusty pictures from a pen-to-paper.  Your origin had a dusty earthy start as well, but you were formed from the hand of the Great Illustrator, given breath from the Creator and a clean start. We are ALL dusty and dirty. We SHOULD be ashamed! Ask God to renew your heart today! Have confidence that God seeks to create a clean heart in YOU. You WILL get dusty today but God is ready! Ask Him!

Thank God for giving you a clean and blameless heart; for choosing to work in YOU. As you thank and praise Him, expect Him to act and to see Him move mightily on your behalf in every area of your life! ~PRAY!

Keeping Us

How shall I keep you? Shall I tether your heart?
Bind your spirit in lengths of lace? Wrap your soul
in threads of gold or give gems for your body and face?
Shall I harness your love with little deeds or costly beads?
Shall I caress your mind with God's words divine;
quote prophets, sages and kings?
What shall I offer to keep you near?
What does it take to keep you here?
Shared moments in a distant land or
a stroll on a beach hand in hand?
What would keep you? Where do I start?
How can I capture your precious heart?
The world offers so many things
moments, bobbles and shiny 'blings'
but more than these and the words on pages,
is my commitment to you through all the ages.
I'll stay with you through light and dark
To keep you, I commit my heart!
--Burnham 2011

My four-fathers!

Halfway through my sophomore year of the boarding high school that I attended, my mother phoned to tell me she was divorcing my 'father'. I could have cared less. I know that sounds cold-hearted but the truth is: I did NOT love him (hated him) and actually prayed for his painful demise. Unchristian? You bet! Oddly fulfilling? Right again! He was my third dad. He was an alcoholic, abusive and (I learned later) that his "personality exhibited borderline paranoid schizophrenic tendencies"! I feel quite confident that his quest for wisdom from 'wise-Bud' only added to his 'condition'. Brown bottles, thick decanters and various juices for mixing were commonplace in our household. I will spare you the details, as they are quite pathetic and frankly very painful. Instead I am choosing to reveal an odd comedy of life with 'dad' number three. I've always believed that a life of tragedy teaches a person (especially kids) all about comedy, survival and acute timing skills e.g. when to duck.

I had a great friend named Mike that also had a drunk for a dad. We would share some of our fears with one another and ultimately learned how to profit from our drunk dads! Mike and I realized that if we 'stiffened' the drinks our dads would reach drunken depths at a faster pace! After a few drinks, Mike's dad would prop himself in the easy chair, I would chat with him and Mike would add high 'proof' to his dad's drink. Just as he was half-lit Mike would ask him for an allowance. His dad would gladly pay. Ten minutes later Mike would ask him again. "His dad would say, "Your kidding", (hiccup) "I am soooooo sorry. I forgot to pay you. Here you go"! he would hand Mike several bills. Perhaps it sounds a bit cruel but Mike would profit and his dad would spend LESS money on booze. After his dad passed out in the chair Mike would walk over and lift his leg up...way up.......and drop it back on the cushioned footstool. It would hit hard and sometimes flop onto the floor. He would do this several times. I always stood next to the door, ready to scramble if his dad woke. He never did. The next day, Mike's dad would be seen limping in the yard, complaining about a sore heel and thigh.

ANOTHER LIFE!

It's easy for me to slip into a melancholy mood. In fact I have to make a daily concerted effort to rise above the haunt of 'gloomies'. One person told me, "You are just in touch with your inner self. People with a draw toward 'the arts' seem to be pensive and at times, withdrawn." I wasn't sure how I felt about being categorized as "artsy" and "pensive" but I passed it off. (At least it didn't depress me!) I feel I am very successful at hiding any Danny Downer feelings and to date, I feel quite fortunate that I haven't found it necessary to use any mood elevators to keep me socially viable. I don't condemn it. I create my own serotonin and endorphins with exercise. I mention this personal struggle because life's experience has afforded me the opportunity to meet many, many people that, for whatever reason, are much more susceptible to 'a dark side' than most people realize. In a past blog I have written about the acronym H.A.L.T. (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired) which, when experienced, make us all more susceptible to gloom. This blog touches on the darkness but climbs out of the proverbial pits and puts my face to the Son.

Yesterday I decided to do my jogging routine at the local park. It was an awesome day! The sun was shining on ME, the birds were encouraging ME to get started and there was just enough breeze to keep ME cool as I ran. (See, it was all about me!) Just before I started I noticed a young(er) guy sitting on the tailgate of his truck. As I passed by he was the first to say hello. "AWESOME day isn't it? God bless. Have a great day."

I was briefly surprised at the "God bless" part. As I passed, for some odd reason I felt impressed to chat with him and so I did. Understand, I was very guarded. Society seems to have cultivated that trait in us. He had an extremely cheery disposition and was very talkative. I wanted to leave but he continued chatting. I started looking for my exit. 

He said, "I love coming to this park because it has a lot of open space and long jogging trails." Okay, enough I thought. 

"Well, I need to get jogging." Then he asked me if I wanted to have a brief prayer. I was a bit offended at first. Not at him but more at me! I thought to my self, Who is this guy that he offers to pray with strangers? Who am I that I didn't offer. He prayed. briefly. I did not. I was still in shock that there were rogue-prayer-people at the park! It crossed my mind that this guy was an angel, sent to encourage me. I was thinking, I'd start jogging and turn to take one last look and.... he'd be gone. Then I noticed he had a half sleeve tattoo on each arm, peeking out from under his longer short-sleeve shirt. Tattoos have always intrigued me; both why people get them and where they put them. I am not a fan of tattoos but I have learned that in all situations and especially behind every tattoo, there's quite a story. I'm not the type of guy that tends to feel comfortable asking ANY other man about his body but..... we had just prayed so I felt more comfortable about asking him about them. He pulled up his sleeve and said, "Brother, don't ever get a tattoo. They are painful, time consuming (these took a few weeks a piece), expensive (about $900 each) and my arms swelled up every time I went to the shop. It was a stupid thing for me to do. Don't EVER get one. Some people think I got these back in my drinkin' days but no, sad to say, I was sober at the time. I do have a drinkin' problem. I'm an alcoholic but I have been sober for eight years now!" 

I congratulated him on his sobriety but was still thinking, NINE HUNDRED DOLLARS!! WOW! Then I remembered some friends and their battle with booze. Those thoughts quickly slipped away when he said, "I've been a pastor for several years now and I am glad to say Jesus Christ is my Savior." 

That was it.... I couldn't let that pass and so with all the diplomacy I could muster I said, "You're a pastor?"

"Yes, it surprises a lot of people; mostly because of the tattoos. These happened in another life. I am a marked man. I could have them removed but I can't afford it. I carry a different mark now. Jesus Christ is tattooed on my heart." I thanked him and said. "Christ is tattooed on my heart too." He then got in his truck and drove off. I paid extra attention to see if he disappeared into an ethereal rolling mist or if he began to rise into the air. He did not. However, he did drive a crimson red chariot! I couldn't help but think: WOW! A tattooed-alcoholic-pastor! Life is sure full of surprises!

Are you facing a situation that seems dark today? Are you jogging down the wrong path? Remember that the Son will shine brighter on YOU as YOU seek His truth and righteousness in every situation. Be in the right standing with God. Submit your life to Him. Obey His commands and daily seek His plan for your life. Seek Him and the light of God's Word will guide you in every decision. No matter how you might be feeling today or what you are facing, ask the Lord to shine His light on YOU. Ask Him to confirm His plan for you. As you continue pursuing His truth and righteousness, as you continue to make His Word a priority in your life, you will experience more of His blessings. You WILL see those brighter days as you move forward in the good plan He has in store for you! You WILL NOT have the same experience as ANYONE else, you might not be encouraged by a Tattooed-Alcoholic-Pastor BUT you will have 'ANOTHER LIFE'!! God bless you! ~Pray!

NARROW PLACES!

"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland;"
(Isaiah 43:19, NIV).

Sometimes life affords experiences that are beyond our control. Maybe you are blessed with the ability to make quick pertinent and successful decisions. It's a tremendous asset to be able to have that skill. I would venture to say that even if you are so blessed, there are times when you aren't sure. Maybe you have felt like you were standing on a pinnacle with your arms outstretched while a thick sea of foggy uncertainty rolls and swirls all around your feet. Do you dare step off for sure ground? Or perhaps you stand in a deep valley of indecision and looming before you are life's proverbial craggy peaks. Do you scale them? If so, in what direction do you travel? You might be the owner of a business with a payroll of thousands or million of dollars and have a serious decision to make today. You might be making a life decision even now. Will your next decision clear the fog and raise you above the peaks. Life is fraught with daily decisions. Each of us as human beings make decisions everyday; decisions that will affect us and perhaps our family, for the rest of our/their lives. I wish to encourage you today that even when your future is foggy; that when you can't see where to step, or which path to crawl through the peaks, God is working behind the scenes! God is the author of NEW THINGS! DON'T LET THE MOUNTAINS WIN! Keep on trying until you reach the HIGHEST GROUND! Christ knows the way through valleys and crags! He is YOUR SURE GROUND! He wants to lead you to sure footing to safety and a season of abundance.

What is your part to play? It is to trust Him! Fear is part of our human nature but we need to learn to have an attitude of faith. Perhaps you need to change your attitude? Fear can be paralyzing but it can be motivating as well. Here's a thought: Don't give your fear the legs it needs to step-out before you and beckon you to fall through the fog. Speak TO your situation NOT ABOUT it. VERBALIZE and DECLARE a positive affirmation instead of mentioning melancholy madness. The Bible says, "This is the day that the Lord has made. He is taking me into seasons of increase. I'm moving forward with strength through the joy of the Lord!" These words and your belief in Christ will afford your mind and heart the opportunity to grab hold of the truth. YOU are a child of the King! Believe it! Ask Him to help you in your decisions. You will be amazed! God will send angels that excel in strength to pick you off that peak. He will send winds to blow away the fog. God has a wide scope of methods to help His children. He wants what is best for you. ASK Him to cut footholds into into the side of that mountain. The steps PROBABLY won't be the footholds you might have chosen but it won't be long before you will be walking in the correct path that God has prepared for you! He WILL lead you through the better places, the 'narrow places'. ~PRAY!