Be an asset and not a write-off

What is the value of life? Is there a price you have associated with, what a life is worth? When you calculate the value of life, is it a goal or an accomplishments that solidifies the value? I ask these questions of you, because I have asked myself the same questions. I have found great value in asking questions throughout my journey in life. Placing a value on things can be challenging. It is easy to find the value of a car, we all go to the Kelly Bluebook for that answer. We are use to values, because nearly everyday we ask ourselves the value of things we purchase. For example, we all know the price of gasoline, but is the cost worth it? I think this is a great question because most of us would say, absolutely not. The price of gasoline is outrageous, yet we are still paying the price for it and we would say it is overrated. So what’s the mindset, the evaluation tools you use for calculating the value of a life? Personally, I’ve asked this question of myself. When I look at my hospital bills received from November 2014 through May 2020, I question my value. I am so thankful for my medical providers, the hospitals who conducted test, procedures and who gave my life saving treatment. I’ve been a resident of six different nursing home, have you ever asked how much that care cost? Stand by for “invoice shock” if you do. No doubt their services in my life were absolutely necessary, I’m grateful, but I question the cost on me. Medications and surgeries? How about $15,000. an hour, for an operating room? This single cost has me really doubting my value for sure. The cost for life sustaining measures is shocking and it too causes me to question the value of my life? While these questions, I find most reasonable to ask for myself, I know it is impossible to place a real value on a life. Even though my family has told me I’m not with a nickel…. The value of your life and mine, was paid with the most extreme sacrifice. The value of our lives was determined long ago, by an individual identified as God. He considered our value and He determine we were worth the price of His only Son, Jesus. That price was paid before our very existence occurred. Have you ever prepaid for something? If you did, I’m sure you evaluated the source, to see if you thought they were reliable and would deliver. I know not your evaluation of the source Jesus, but I believe the scriptures and you my friend are priceless! God’s love, grace, mercy and forgiveness are also priceless. So when it comes to you, He paid it all. And as for considering our personal value, that’s my motivation for striving to be an asset and not a write-off in His work here on earth. Until then

"Cause you had a bad day"

Daniel Powter wrote the lyrics, “Cause you had a Bad Day”. The song was released in 2005 and I’m reflecting on those words and the thoughts behind them in this column. His lyrical words speak of life and the mental health challenges individuals are facing today and others of us have faced in times past. If by chance you have never experienced such a moment of question, doubt, fear or frustration, then hang on, you’re time will come. His first verse reads, “Where is the moment we needed the most? You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost. They tell me you're passion’s gone away and I don’t need to carryin’ on”. Are there any readers identifying with those phrases? Verse two is also a powerful punch in the gut for self reflection. “You stand in the line, just to hit a new low. You’re faking a smile with the coffee to go. You tell me your life’s been way off line. You’re falling to pieces every time”. The chorus is both an acknowledgment of current or former life with an action plan. The words are: “You had a bad day, you’re taking one down, you sing a sad song just to turn it around..”. It was July 18, 2019. I had been facing some rather challengingly health conditions. My dear mother had been by my side since November 7, 2014. For those who don’t know, a stubbed toe turned into a rather major issue in my life, all because of gangrene and infections, that had set up camp, in my body. It appeared in July 2019 that my life was on the mend. Mother who had put off everything in her life to care for me and finally she had the eye surgery she had been postponing. On her travels back home, I received a call telling me I was having issue with blood levels, from an IV Antibiotic. I was told to go to the ER immediately and was admitted. Subsequently, I gained 75lbs in three days as my kidneys stopped functioning. Four days later, while mother was recovering and I was in the hospital, my sister’s husband, died from Kidney Failure. Seven days later, at UK, I went into full cardiac arrest and was down for over 5 minutes. Here it is, 2022 and all I can figure is that God has a plan for me and I’m in full pursuit of His Will. I am pretty sure, I know something about having a bad day, or at least I feel like I know something about the subject. “Cause I had a Bad Day” I am not throwing in my towel. I furthermore recommend, that you also, do not throw in you’re towel either. Weather the storm, then tell your story about God’s grace and mercy and what He has brought you through. It’s not a bad day after all. Until then

Face your challenges, head-on

Throughout the course of our lives we will face many personal decisions. In different conversations I’ve had with people, when I ask, will you help me with a challenging, most of the time the first question is, what is it? Counting the cost, or evaluating what will be required when volunteering, is logical thinking. We should understand what someone is asking, when asked to participate or aid them in their request for help. Just as important, is to understand the requester, asking for help. Asking for help is a big issue as we live our daily lives. Who ask for help?, could be a self thought understanding, that such a request is a sign of weakness. If this is your position, I could not disagree more. Asking for help is actually an important discipline that demonstrates wisdom, eagerness to learn, a willingness to be instructed and a respect for others who are willing to share their experiences and knowledge. Best advice is never hesitate on asking others for help. Among the decisions we will make in our lives and among the contemplations we will make in our processing of facing challenges, I have a couple suggestions on what we should not eliminate. One personal decision I am not fond of making is giving up on something that is difficult or giving up on something that is not going to be easily accomplished. Some of our greatest learning experiences can easily be from difficulties. I realize we would love to avoid difficulties, but as some would say, when things get rough that when you find out what you are made of. I would concede that failing is also a great learning experience. We are not made to welcome such moments, but learning from them is invaluable. Easy steps are fun., It is kinda like jumping rope. If you have good timing skills, it is as easy as “falling off a log”..lol. However if timing is challenging to you, then experience is the best teacher. Practicing is our best friend and that includes repeated failures. From such we can learn, if we evaluate those failures. Among all the decisions you will face in life, never be afraid to face any of them. Until then

If you are a writer, whether it be a newspaper column like this, a commentary, a short story, or even a thesis or a position paper for school, getting started is often the most challenging part of the project. In a world that is moving so fast, there are many topics that merit addressing, situations that deserve an opinion and advice that should be added to the thinking process of issues. Myself, I have found that writing down ideas and thoughts when they come to mind, is my best practice for retaining future columns. Writing can be a chore or an opportunity to develop your thoughts or even an opportunity to record for history your personal beliefs and positions. I’ve discovered that the practice of writing things is also a reminder to myself, of what I should be doing, when writers block seems to be my stumbling block. In 1979 when I began writing my first published newspaper column, I wrote about fire science, fire prevention and an array of fire education topics. 1979 was the year I became involved in the Bell County Volunteer Fire Department as a Volunteer Firefighter. With the founding of the Department, it was believed there was a need to have something written and published that would tell keep folks up-to-date and informed. That need remains true even today. This column “Until then”, continues to represent the same philosophical approach to information, only the subject has changed. For many years now, I have written from my position as a Christian, I’ve shared from the experiences of my daily walk, weekly with you the reader. On the 16th day of this month of June, back in 1974, I became a follower of Jesus Christ and became a baptized believer. Much of my writings reflect the failures of my life, since I was raised out of the waters of baptism. Even with my short comings as a disciple of Jesus, I’m more excited today and I have more hope and faith than at any previous time as a believer. Because I have committed sins of omission and even commission, that is not planned failures in following Jesus’ lead and planned event where I was willfully disobedient to His direction and purpose, I’ve learned His plan is best for me and I’ve learned His grace and mercy really works. In preparing to write this column, I was attempting to figure out what to write about, when writers block was occurring. It is because of my written personal reflections in my journal that this column was born. I wrote about being at a stand still and thinking about folks I know that had lost their way in life. Finding oneself at a stand sill can occurs when we have set a time table for God to act or respond to our request. I’ll jokingly write, that I’m confident no one reading has ever been in that spot before except me. It is easy to place conditions on our faith with respect to God’s answers, we seek to discover. Yet to be reminded, that His timing is perfect can be challenging, when waiting, It is easy to suggest God act immediately, especially knowing with Him, nothing is impossible. With that truth, why would He wait? If you’ve ever thought such, you are not alone. It has been a long standing position of many Christians to think, God always needs to respond immediately. Experience has been a big teacher in my life. In hindsight, I’m so thankful He did’t practice my will. After all, I’ve prayed the Lord’s Prayer hundreds of times, seemingly to only quickly say, “Thy Will be done”, but not meaning His timing, but rather mine. Woe to me! I have found writing to be a great tool in my walk of faith. It has kept me grounded by reminding me of what I have said, I believe. When you are at a stand still, it is really the perfect opportunity to use the pause to confirm ones faith. It is the perfect opportunity to go back to the foundation, or the basic principles of what makes faith in Him, faith at all, Until then

Stepping into faith and trust

We’ve all had someone say to us, “Hey, just just trust me”. “What I am telling you is true”. Another often spoken statement is “You can bank on that”. While I appreciate individual statements, taking an individuals word as if they are bank solid is a whole different situation. When it comes to banking, you don’t question want they say, why?, because you know that it is in the fine print. The problem is that we failed to read the document or understand the terms before we signed our name on the dotted line. That type of realization always put you in a low sinking spot. Trusting people, institutions or organizations can create a lot of doubt. This happens because we have all been let down. We’ve all wanted to count on what someone says and we’ve failed to make allowances in the event, that isn’t possible or it doesn’t happen. As a Christian I believe in God. I believe that God sent His son Jesus, to die on a cross, in what we often describe as, in my place. Jesus died so anyone and everyone could have forgiveness of their sins. In this belief system that I have, I believe that God works out everything in my life too. This includes every problem I’ve created, every situation I jumped into and every experience I have had, good and bad. After all, not all of life is bad. Not every situation we face is horrible. However, bad things happen to all of us. There is an often used phrase that says bad things happen to good people too, but I personal never use that phrase. The reason is that categorizing people in such a way builds two camps of people. Good people and bad people. I struggle with that because we are all created in God’s image. Our actions can be bad. Our decisions can be bad. Our choices and options can be bad, but there is a Holy Spirit, created and sent by God for each of us as a resource, guide and confidant. Myself, when I find my life in a mess, it is because I have failed to trust the gift that God has given me. Trust is an issue that many folks struggle with. Trust can be complicated by our experiences. Trust can be challenging to give to others. But trust and faith are owned by God. God created the world, He put the stars in place. God asks us to trust Him, in all things. I have a journal I write all the time. Growing up I wrote about people and experiences, places, things I was reading and learning. Today, I write about those same things, but as my faith in God has developed, I write a lot about my faith today, then I did back then. Last year in my journal I wrote on day 291 of my life, “Faith is a trust that changes everything”. Today I am reflecting on the difference that faith has made again. For me, faith has changed everything. I have discovered some much about God’s plans for me. I don’t know them all and I’ve messed up His perfect plan many times. I’m not proud of all my choices, but faith has changed that, because I trust my faith. When I have had no answers, it has been faith and trust that kept me going. When I have wanted to give up, faith and trust gave me new energy to press on. Not sure where you are on your journey of life at this very moment, but I want to encourage you to trust in faith. Not just faith that someone says trust me on this, but reach out and embrace faith for solutions and answers, between you and God. Now I believe that others play an important role in our faith and trust in God. We can learn from others, we can hear their stories and be motivated to faith and trust in God. This time is right for you to take a step of faith. Don’t trust me, but trust God. He will not let you down. Until then

What about joy?

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:13, that the greatest gifts in Christianity are Faith, Hope and Love. Love is declared the Champion of this powerhouse union of three. Love is the overwhelming trait and because of this truth, faith and hope reign as companions of love. Scripture has much to say about faith. In Matthew 17:20-21 it reads, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it will move. Nothing is impossible for God”. If faith moves mountains, that is a rather big punch, congratulations are in order for the power of faith indeed. Hope has a powerful swing in scripture too. I don’t know the record for the longest home-run in baseball history, but I do know that hope is an out of the park experience. Clearly hope is a bases loaded, bottom of the ninth, two outs, and a 3/2 count situation with the score tied. The Bible declares that hope is that which pushes us, lifts us backup, stabilizes us on our feet, helps us to regain our confidence and so much more. Isaiah 40:31 reads, “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint”. It is clear to see the reason why we need hope in our lives and why we need to share hope with others. Love is an action word, or at least in my well-house of thinking. Love is something that we see, not something that we say. The problem with the word love today, is that many use the word without the slightest understanding of where love came from nor how it behaves. Love came down at Christmas, the child born was named Jesus. Love is a free unattached action given solely to the benefit of another person. The problem again with many of us, we attach love to the condition you do what I say and what I want you to do. Please note that this is not the requirement of God when He sent His son Jesus to die in our place. His gift of forgiveness is totally free, that’s love in action. In this column of faith, hope and love, there is one thing that is not mentioned in this powerhouse perfection of three. Nehemiah, the Old Testament Prophet, addresses a by-product of living a life of faith, hope and love. Nehemiah however, lived in a time when things were not so well. Matters of faith had gone haywire in Jerusalem, there were no city walls, the walls of Jerusalem had been destroyed, the Jewish people were living oppressed lives, hope had been crushed by a burdened of debt and love had lost its luster because of a lack of practice. The by-product of faith, hope and love is joy. Nehemiah wrote “The joy of the Lord is my strength”. Today the world is in a desperate need to see joy demonstrated as the by-product of our faith, The world desperately needs to hear words of hope, but if they see our joy, because of our hope, that can be a witness. Hate, disdain, unforgiving attitudes, are the practice of the day, this is nothing new, but today, the world needs to see the action of love. Do you have one of these, two of these or all three of these? Faith, Hope and Love? If you only have one, then add the other two by all means. Do this, so you too can have joy! If you need help in getting to joy as the by-product of faith, hope and love, I am here to help. Until then

I have a recommendation

How many times have you asked someone for a recommendation, be it any kind of recommendation? Myself, I have sought recommendations for medical doctors, places to get flat tire fixed, printing needs like banners, a recent request was about screen printing on t-shirts and embroidery work. My list could go on, but I’m rather confident we all have a history of asking others for a recommendation. Probably my biggest request for recommendations comes from conversations about food. I enjoy eating, I like a lot of different foods, I am not opposed to trying new foods either, so food recommendations is one area I seek recommendations regarding, big time. Recommendations can be scaled rated, star rated or just a verbal encouragements to try. 1-10, 5 Stars, or the expression, “Its not bad, you should try it”, saying it was so so to me, but you might love it, knowing taste buds in food are different for everyone. If you are on social media there are platforms totally designed for recommendations of every sort. Even TicTok has creators committed to providing feedback on their experience and their recommendation on products and services. Trip advisor is a good application for recommendations of every sort too, but there is one subject area that nearly each of these mentioned doesn’t address. Churches, religions and such, there are no categories matters of faith through institutions that allow or permit recommendations. I wish on Trip Advisor you could recommend a church when traveling through in a particular area, or a chance to read a recommendation on churches when working in an area on a short term bases or even for an extended period of time. On Facebook there are opportunities for recommendations but many churches don’t utilize that tool or other social media or public relations tools. Nevertheless, I would love to see the chance for recommendations to be supported on the various platforms. The opportunity to provide a recommendation and the opportunity to read a recommendation being sought, are both equally important. I have a recommendation that I want to share and my recommendation comes from my personal experience, not from what heard someone else say, it a first hand, first person recommendation and testimonial. Life is best lived with support, encouragement, resources, education, experiences and recommendations that are trusted advice. Various platforms from which you could post a recommendation do ask a question regarding your association with the product or service you are recommending. Trip Advisor asked such a question. They do this because they want to provide an honest evaluation without personal gain for posting a review. The motivation behind recommendations is always a worthy exploration for credibility and trustworthiness. I want to assure you that there is no personal gain for me in making a recommendation that you give Jesus a try. No personal gain for me sharing what I’ve learned about Him and there is no personal gain for me repeating the story of God’s love and plan. Jesus doesn’t love me more, because I write a newspaper column. Jesus doesn’t love me more than you because I am a preacher. There is no personal gain for me if you believe in Jesus, but you my friend have everything to gain, if you believe. I have 5 reasons that I confidently recommend Jesus to you: 1). Jesus is available 24 hours a day 2). He is the real deal! He is no imitation, He is God’s Son 3). He doesn’t like you, He loves you, this makes all the difference 4). He has a plan designed specifically with you in mind. Get to know Him and you will see 5). I have discovered peace through Him My list of reasons for a positive recommendation I can add too easily. I am just praying on this recommendation, you trust me and take a chance. Until then

Who is the Lord?

I love the stories of Pharaoh from the Old Testament in the Bible. Especially the interaction between Pharaoh and Moses. I would suggest right at the start that both of these two individuals were stubborn and had plenty of excuses, redirects, pay no attention attitudes at times. Moses had excuses as to why he should be excused from going to speak to Pharaoh without any hesitations. God answered that for him however. I can identify with Moses for sure. As I write this column, I am confident that none of you have ever suggested to God that there was someone else better suited for a job. It is so easy, at times, to find excuses. I am, not discounting the importance of such busy schedules in our lives, but it sure easy for me to get side tracked and allow the most important thing to slip from its ranking. Pharaoh was simply, the most powerful person in the land and what he said went. It is without a doubt challenging, when you are first fiddler in the band, to all of a sudden start playing second fiddle. It is an ego buster for sure. In the band world, taking second seat is an honor, but if you’ve been first seat, then get ready for bruised feelings when it is necessary for you to step back and allow others to lead. Moses did go to Pharaoh but in the eyes of most there was no success. Pharaoh simply saw no need to comply with Moses instructions from the Lord. Exodus 5:2 is a great example that puts my mind to spinning, thinking about the question Pharaoh asked Moses. “Who is the Lord that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.” “Who is the Lord”?, great question and Pharaoh answers the question he raises and addresses to Moses perfectly, with the right answer, “I do not know the Lord..”. It is always challenging to respond to a question from someone you don’t know. It is always difficult to send an answer to a question when you have other questions related, that you don’t have answers too. Pharaoh is easy to identify with, for me. Now, if I wanted to provider a big nice spiritual answer, I would share that I can’t identify with Pharaoh. When I hear the voice of God speak, I act. I go, I don’t hesitate, I get moving. Boy of boy, those answers sound so good. I heard, I obeyed. However, anyone that is honest with themselves, knows that if that is your answer, you are living on a higher plain than the life those of us who struggle, identify with. “Who is the Lord”? Is the most important question you will ever answer in your life. It might bar this is a question you have never yet considered answering. Nevertheless, the question is there and your answer is waiting to be returned. God is listening, what are your thoughts? What do you know about the Lord? How many conversations have you had? What were the circumstances when you raised the question? All these answers play a part in you understanding who He is and what His plan is for you. The answer “I do not know the Lord..” is powerful. Pharaoh’s answer is honest, it is truthful, it reflects the exact moment, it revert helps describe the situation too. Pharaoh doesn’t know the Lord, what he needs is an introduction. Now I would not like to experience the type of introduction Pharaoh received, but sometimes a strong introduction fits the calling order just fine. Pharaoh and Moses had plenty of conversations, but a hard heart makes for chiseling work to be done, cutting down the hard edges so the heart will not be restricted and can function. A hard heart, makes for difficult breathing. Pharaoh was having a hard time. I never want God to be required to get my attention through hard actions. I’d rather figure out today who I think He is and then respond accordingly. A willful surrender is always the best first step, in discovery. Until then

The focus of Jesus

It is amazing just how fast we can lose focus and our attention be everywhere else, except where it should be. In the New Testament of the Holy Bible there is a passage from the Book of Mark that describes just such a situation. Thee scripture passage reads, “As Jesus was leaving eh temple, one of his disciples said to Him, “look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!” Mark 13:1. Imagine the situation. You have been running around with, hanging out with, sitting and listening to and going wherever Jesus goes. Just imagine? You’ve no doubt recognized that what He is saying, the miracles He has been performing, the teachings He has been sharing, add all these together have earned Him the reputation that Jesus is a lot more than just the son of Joseph and Mary. Every time Jesus teaches, speaks, tell a parable, peopler are asking, who is this guy? As you can imagine, everyone has an opinion about who Jesus is too. The Pharisees believed Jesus was an imposter. Jesus to them, was someone that acted like He had authority. Jesus talked and acted like He had authority and this alone touched every nerve in their bodies. They never liked Jesus and they were plotting and scheming ways to shut Him up and stop Him from their first encounter with Him. Eventually they determined the only way to handle Jesus was to kill Him. In Jewish society there was a Scribe in every village. The role of the Scribe was to handle matters of law. Getting a divorce as one example. But anything that had to do with the law, they handled. They were challenged by Jesus because Jesus said He came to fulfill the law. You, no doubt can image the frustration, when the job you’ve been doing, is all of a sudden challenged, because this guy named Jesus show up in town. Yet for followers of Jesus, they are excited, they are believing He is the Son of God. Followers of Jesus believe He is the Messiah, the promise of God to the Jewish people. This is the situation, can you imagine? In the scripture passage from Mark chapter 13:1, Jesus has been teaching, instructing at the temple. The conversations have been serious, these question raising conversations have been challenging, Jesus is preparing His followers and those who are seeking to understand who He is what the Kingdom to come is all about. Jesus has also been attempting to prepare His followers for the death He is going to experience, so we can have eternal life and forgiveness of our sins. Again, its easy to imagine why those “in-charge” are upset, bothered and frustrated with Jesus. However, the one thing Jesus is working towards is that His followers will understand. So imagine, you been listening to Jesus, you are a follower and the first question you have or the first comment you have, after sitting under His teaching is one about how beautiful the stones are that are a part of the temple and how beautiful the buildings are. In my lifetime I know what it is to lose focus, to get distracted from the main thing, to chase a rabbit, to get lost in my own world too. The business of Jesus is and should always be our main concern as followers. It is easy to think that Jesus business is Jesus business and its separate from our other affairs. It takes a lot of discipline to make the business of Jesus a part of all our business interest. For followers of Jesus we can get lost in handling and dealing with the affairs of life and eliminate the thoughts and teachings of Jesus, by thinking those are separate. In my friendships, I need to remind myself as I am a friend to my friends, that I need to be the type of friend to them, that Jesus is to me. In my work relationships. I need to remember how I handle business affairs, treat co-workers and fulfill my responsibilities, should be the way Jesus taught us to handle our interactions with others. If we are not careful in life, we will get to living life and admire the wrong things, when Jesus should be our total attention and we use our happenings in life to further His cause. Be careful not to admire stones and buildings when people are the focus of Jesus. Until then

Heart to Heart

There is always something that seems to be getting in my way. What I have discovered, after a self examination, that something is nearly always me. To face such a reality of truth can be challenging. Growing up as a child, whenever something went wrong and my parents confronted me by asking, “did you do this?”, the best answer was to always blame it on my brother and sister. No child admits they have done something wrong. Not blaming anyone but the issue I am addressing dates back to that situation in Genesis. Romans 5:12 tells us that because one man’s sin entered into the world, and death because of sin, so death spread to all men, because all have sinned. Ephesians 2:3 reads that we were born children of wrath. If we want to blame someone for our failures, good luck because my discovery was it was all on me. Passing the blame is a natural reaction in life from childhood to adulthood. Even though it is a natural type reaction, it doesn’t make the practice correct. Personal responsibility is very challenging and holding oneself to accountability is a true inner battle. We all know what it is like to have others encourage us by pushing or pulling us to get us where we need to be, but when it is all up to us, ourselves, to get us motivated, moving forward and evaluating our actions, it is challenging. In the last chapter of the Book of John in the Bible, there was a moment where Jesus and Peter had a “heart to heart” talk. You have an image immediately about what you think a “heart to heart” talk is. Maybe it was a school teacher who said, listen we’ve got to talk. Possibly it was a grandparent that wanted to have a conversation with you and they talked a bit stern and were firm with words as they attempted to get our attention. It could very well have been a parent who, like my mother would've said, “Buster you sit yourself down right here, me and you are going to talk”! For Jesus, this conversation happened with Peter after His resurrection. It was His third such appearance to the disciples and this happened at the Sea of Galilee. The disciples were not expecting Jesus. Scripture records they didn’t even recognize Him, but once he got to talking, after he had instructed them to go back and cast their nets and fish again, they got to remembering such scenes and experiences that had happened before. They were sitting down, cooking fish on the sea when Jesus and Peter had a one on one, “heart to heart”. When you are striving for self improvement, I would strongly recommend the example Jesus provided with His conversation with Peter. I have discovered in my life that when I attempt to ease into a situation, it always goes haywire. The best approach is established before the “heart to heart” begins. Best practices are to treat people honestly and fairly and if that is your pattern, then going straight to the heart of a matter in a conversation shouldn't be a problem. This practice includes dealing with ourselves. Loving ourself is not selfish. Loving ourselves is healthy. It provides a foundation to help others, because we have been honest with ourselves. Self-evaluation, like any evaluation, should never be designed to crush someone, destroy self-worth or be cruel. The purpose is to grow, learn, see new options, consider other ways to accomplish goals, steps to working around issues and success, because you took time to not blame others but rather you assumed responsibility for you words and actions. Jesus asked Peter one question that went straight to the heart of the matter. Peter, Jesus said, “..do you love me”? Jesus actually asked Peter three times this question. Seems very appropriate for Jesus to ask him this three times, because after all it was Peter that denied Jesus three times, gathered around a fire, hanging out with the crowd. In this “heart to heart” Jesus wanted to know exactly where Peter was, especially since he had so powerfully denied even knowing Jesus and not being a follower. Let us also recall that it was Peter who said, “He would never deny Jesus”. I think I understand Peter rather well I’ve been there myself, how about you? Do you love Jesus? Until then

This is now the second week after the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Easter Sunday is such a noted Christian date of celebration that it is easy to forget anything followed after that surprise morning. When Mary ran from the roller away stone tomb, to tell the disciples hidden in a room that Jesus was alive, she had been on a roller coaster. Here early morning duties on Easter Sunday morning was to go and finish the task of attending to the dead body of Jesus. Obviously she wasn’t expecting Jesus to be alive, she’d watched Him be put to death. He plans were to finish the responsibilities of burial, not attend to the living. That is often the case with many of us too. We should all be able to identify with her as we have forgotten our instructions and teachings way too often. We have, or at least I have, repeatedly expected one outcome based off my experiences and totally forgotten who God is, what His power and capabilities are, (which are limitless) without the first thought or reflection to His Will and plans. On that first Easter Sunday evening, what a surprise when Jesus showed up to address the disciples. I have often thought that Easter Sunday is great night to have evening church and worship, reflecting on His first post-resurrection appearance. If your church places emphasis on that time period, congratulations. I believe the focus on what happened in the evening of Resurrection Easter Sunday is valuable and has many teachable lessons of faith and God’s work. The first week following Easter Sunday had its highlights too. We do not know where Thomas was on the evening of the resurrection. What we know is that he was not with the other disciples when Jesus appeared to them. One would think if you had the personal testimony of 10 friends that you had traveled with, shared meals with, had deep conversations and debates with, their word would be one you’d trust. But not Thomas. The disciples, Mary, and others all shared with Thomas what they had experienced. But yet Thomas, refused to taker their word for anything. He was standing on and in concrete. He would not believe Jesus was alive unless he himself say Jesus with His own eyes. I can only imagine all week long following Jesus’ resurrection, Thomas walking around constantly sharing his discontentment and disbelieve that he wasn’t believing until he saw Jesus. Not sure how you feel about Thomas and his actions, but personally, I must sadly identify, I’ve acted like a child too regarding matters of hearing testimonies from others. I am thankful I have moved from poking holes into the stories of Jesus to just believing in faith. I can confess, I’ve had some Thomas attitude displayed in my life before and I stand on guard today not to allow any of that bad attitude to creep back in. 7 days after the resurrection of Jesus and in His timing, Jesus would suddenly appear again back in the same room as before, but this time the remaining 11 disciples were present. Thomas’ doubting was removed totally upon seeing Jesus. It is one thing to see and believe. I get it because I’ve said before “I’ll believe it when I see it”. The point to remember is the bigger blessing, the more to learn from and through, is believing without required evidence. Faith requires exercise! Now we enter into the 2nd week after Easter Sunday. What’s up with that, you ask? What’s up is that with history available today, we can easily read and understand timelines. Two weeks out from the stone being rolled away there are many things happening and at play in such a short time. The first question being asked and raised by the Roman Government, the Sadducees and Pharisees and even Mary, the disciples and followers of Jesus was, who had stolen the body? A great lesson from the resurrection is that things are not always as they first appear. (I’ll say those thoughts for another column) For the enemies of Jesus they might have be on the Thomas bandwagon for awhile themselves. Not believing Jesus was alive, after all then had been responsible for His death. They had orchestrated it all so their surprise is understandable. The enemies of Jesus however would waste no time plotting again, what to do about all this about Jesus. This column series will continue. Don’t forget about Easter Sunday in just 14 days of time. Until then

What is it about the church?

There are many things that I really like about going to church. I like the hello’s, the waves, the conversations, I like the experience of doing things with other people. The word “fellowship” is the combination of these named likes, but I have a list that could keep going that fit the “fellowship” experience too. When most folks think about a pastor, the first thoughts usually are about the act of preaching. Preaching is a very important duty but the fulfillment of pastoral responsibilities is much more than just a message on a Sunday. Teaching, evangelism, discipleship, going and listening are all also important. The preaching of God’s Word, I also like to hear and share. Music it has been said, is one activity here on earth, that we will be doing in Heaven. Singing has been a big part of my life from my earliest of childhood memories. From hearing music in church, too singing with my paternal grandmother, too even singing with my sister while riding on the back of a motorcycle, holding on, traveling up and down good Southeastern Kentucky dirt and gravel roadways. Music for me took a deeper dive in church when I met Dr. Harold Wortman. “Doc” as he was affectionally called, taught me about words, inflection, singing diction and expression. His influence single handily changed my life. Because of that, my experience with music and church is a like about church that will never change. Growing up as a teenage, a more contemporary song that we sang in church was “What a mighty God we serve”. The tempo was upbeat, the music was lively and the words remain powerful. Those lyrics include: What a mighty God we serve, angles bow before Him, Heaven and earth adore Him, what a mighty God we serve. I command you Satan, in the name of the Lord, to take up your weapons and flee, for the Lord has given e authority to walk all over thee. What a mighty God we serve. This tune and words have been published in over 12 different hymnals, its been song by millions, yet the human author and writer is unknown. The one author we easily give all the credit to is God. The song has been used to motivate and encourage Christians on their journey and for that we give thanks to God. In part of 2020 and 2021, I was involved in a personal project of spiritual growth where I wrote a daily thought and took time for an added personal reflection. I did this to help me grow my reliance on God and to grow my faith and to write down my interactions and thoughts about my life as a Christian. Some of my expressions are statements, some are questions some are from evaluations of the failures in my life. Day 235 of this #56 project, I wrote on April 18, 2021, “What would happen is you just moved from singing, what a mighty God we serve, to believing it” - THM. I remember my thinking on this day with this quote. I was reflecting on the importance of words and actions. James, the brother of Jesus did some reflecting on this too. He wrote under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, that words and actions are not stand alone foundations. His challenge to us was that our words and actions together would be a foundation not only to stand on, but to build upon. My self reflection was about all that I had possibly missed out on because I hadn’t moved to the next step from just singing to believing. As a Christian I don’t want to miss out on any of God’s plans for my life. I am striving everyday to be more alert, more in tune with His ways and His opportunities, so I can be in His Will. It's not easy, but the effort is one I believe, I am required to strive for. What is it you life about church? What area or areas is there that God uses to speak and challenge you through? When you reflect, what do you see you can do better that will grow your relationship with God? For those answers, you will be required to have a conversation with Him. Until then

Easter

This week and Sunday especially, are considered by many, to be the most sacred of days on the Christian calendar. Easter arrives at the end of 40 days that we call lent. Easter arrives following a time of complete and overwhelming frustration and even devastation. Easter is a time of “high church” for many Christians. I write this because if there is an organ in your church, you will hear trumpets. There will be Easter Lillies standing tall, people will be dressed up and looking sharp. When I was growing up, Easter was that one time of the year my brother and I knew we would be off to get “Easter clothes”, mother made sure of that. Easter is filled with many elements of highlight and celebration, even though until Easter Sunday morning, it appeared that every dream had been crushed in just a few days. How could such an emotional, roller coaster occur? Why had the disciples, the followers of Jesus and even His mother Mary discovered themselves to be in such disarray? We need to be reminded that Jesus began His public ministry surrounded by questions of doubt and speculation, questions about anything and everything, Jesus. Who was He?, who sent Him?, what is He teaching?, under what authority does Jesus say and do the things He is saying and doing? All questions of doubt and inquiry. Jesus didn’t being His ministry with a big fan fare. If you pause and reflect, you will recognize from scripture, that Jesus worked purposely to keep a lid on the things He was doing. At the wedding, He asked those around Him to step out of the room, even His mother, He asked. Jesus repeatedly used the expression, tell no one, keep this to yourself. As He began His public ministry He had spend time continuing the reflection He had begun as a child. All throughout His life, Jesus knew His Heavenly Father, had sent Him to be on mission, with a purpose and He was working though His own decision about obedience. That was the challenges facing Jesus, so why would we think we could avoid an emotional roller coaster, when Jesus Himself faced the challenges and the temptations to fight His way through to obedience? Last Sunday Jesus had entered into the City of Jerusalem being greeted by folks lining the streets, waving palm leaves, and shouting “positive” phrases as He rode into town. Yet, in just 3 days, Jesus would find His disciples sleeping on the job, He would be betrayed by one who was with Him in the inner circle of trust, Jesus would discover those who had sat and listened to Him teach in the temple and hillsides, to now discover they had only been by-standers and were not followers at all. Jesus would be arrested, beaten and all the hopes, thoughts and dreams His followers had believed, was now all being questioned. This is how on that first day of the week, there was no fanfare by any of His followers. It was only Mary and Mary Magdalene only and even they had great reservations, and were so distraught from all they had just experienced. They were on their way to the tomb because of obligation. Jesus’ death had caused them a great rush to get His body into the grave before sundown. The work wasn’t finished and this was the first opportunity they had to complete the task. This was the church scene in that day, which is much different than our Easter Sunday services today. Today it is celebration, big dinners, happiness, faith expressed in many ways and forms, but in that day, the Mary’s had great challenges to even convince the disciples that Jesus was alive! Life has many experiences, up and downs. This Easter Sunday maybe filled with great highs, but come next Sunday, why should we let down the celebration of God’s love so greatly demonstrated for us? Why should we not be more pumped up tomorrow than today, because of our faith relationship with Jesus? History clearly shows we know He is alive today, where in His day and on that day, they were about to remember what He had taught them. If we know, then let us not delay, but God help us lead. Until then

Dependency is a strength

No one wants to be dependent on anyone or anything. Independence is the goal. We love the idea of freedom. Being able to pick and choose, do what we like and want to do. The thoughts of being dependent on someone else makes us feel weak and we might even have the image of “us” waiting around, just twiddling our thumbs, waiting on “that” other person to show up, to let us in, or do what we can’t. If that’s your thinking, there is no questions about those feelings. We’ve all been there a time or two in our lives and we might even be in such a situation right now. That is the feeling of helplessness and most of us immediately reject such type of thinking. Being strong is considered a positive image and I’m not disputing that is a positive image, because it is. However, strength can be demonstrated or measured in many ways. The word strength does’t seem to match with the word dependency. The word independence doesn’t seem to match well with the word dependency. The word freedom doesn’t seem to work well with the word dependence. However, I am suggesting that to recognize appropriate dependency is a great strength. Recognizing needs and solutions is a great strength. Recognizing surrender is a step to freedom, might seem to be totally out of step, but dependency and understanding work hand in hand when properly applied. In an attempt to be wise, I heard an individual say, “I make my own decisions.” I like the confidence and resolution of the statement, I even like the thought and attitude, but such a position that eliminates the clear need of help, assistance, direction, support and aid in life, will leave you stranded along life’s highway if you don’t take due notice. Dependency identifies a condition. I have been many things in life and I continue to remain dependent upon God. I am not writing this to be spiritually superior, I am sharing this because it is a truth that took the repeated experience of Him carrying me, to finally recognize. Being dependent Sid the best spot for me. I’ve branched out enough, I’ve done my own thing, and repeated that process over and over, thinking that I might discover a different result somehow. Sounds like insanity, because it is. I know I have no ability to control anything. I can share this because I’ve attempted to control many things. I have thought, I had things figured out, to just discover myself broken down along that same road of life you might be traveling today. I found strength in surrendering to God’s plan and purpose for my life. I found strength in acknowledging my survival depended totally on the shoulders of another. That other person is Jesus Christ in my life. I found strength in confessing my need for direction, wisdom and help. I have actually found more than I could have ever imaged through faith, because of God and His plan and because of Jesus and His obedience to God’s purpose for His life. The best decision I ever made in my life, was to begin my journey of faith and following God’s call on my life. I am confident you too will discover this same truth, but trusting God’s plan and purpose for your life. Until then

The Season of Lent

This is the fourth week of the Season of Lent. Lent is a time period of 40 days. The 40 days represent a time of fasting, which Jesus spent in the wilderness. Lent also represents a time of testing, in which the devil tempted Jesus. Jesus being in a hungry state of being because of fasting, the devil first tempted Jesus by telling him to turn stones into bread, which Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8:3. The devil took Jesus to the top of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. Surely the Son of God could throw Himself off and not be hurt? Jesus responded by quoting Deuteronomy 6:16. The devil also took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world. The devil offered Him a choice. By-pass His father’s plan of dying in our place on the cross at Calvary and the devil told Jesus he would give Him all the kingdom’s of the world. Jesus again quoted God’s Word. His response to this temptation was Deuteronomy 6:13 Lent is a Season of reflection, purpose, determination, evaluation and commitment to cause. Jesus Christ Himself spent His 40 days reflecting on what lied before Him. He knew He had been sent by His father to die in our place. The only Son of God, was going to yield freely His will and be obedient to His father’s purpose and die for us! Jesus was preparing to be lied about, lied too, abused, betrayed, plotted against, accused of crimes He did not commit and He was preparing to hear the crowds yell “release Barabbas” and He was preparing to hear the crowds also yell “crucify Jesus”, when asked what they wanted done with Jesus. Imagine the preparation, I know I can’t, can you imagine what He was thinking? Jesus knew the very crowd that would great Him with palm leaves and singing hosanna as Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem, was the same people who would cry out for Him to be put to death. That requires something that I know I can’t even fathom getting ready to experience. If you ever have trouble understanding the Love of God, I’m with you. I am in the camp of people that are standing wondering, what kind of love is this? Love that freely gives up their life, so we would never have to experience the pain of death. For a Christian, there is no sting in death because Jesus died and lives, because He arose from the tomb, where they had laid Him. I’m confused by that kind of love, because what Jesus was demonstrating had never been seen before. Jesus was going to die for everyone, including those that were shouting for His death. You and I, were are no better of a person, simply because we are not shouting for His death, we are just as guilty. Jesus was preparing to die for the sins of the world, and He took His time in the wilderness to prepare for this, I’ve written about and yet so much more. Lent is a Season for us to reflect and ponder too. Lent is a Season for us to confirm our decisions, define our commitment and to become fully surrendered to following Jesus. Jesus had told those listening that they could destroy the temple, and in only 3 days He would build it back. This was a most confusing statement. It had taken the people some 46 years to rebuild King Solomon’s Temple. What kind of person would even think, they could do, what had taken hundreds of people years to do? It's a fair question to ask, or ponder. What kind of person would make such a statement? I know I am not qualified to make such a statement personally. If we got the best builders available, would they be able to rebuild the temple in 3 days? The best minds in the. construction business would not even give a consideration to such a crazy construction statement. Yet, Jesus made this statement. He being the Son of God, knew that what was impossible with man, was fully possible with God. Jesus also knew that man struggled to understand the ways of faith because we always think of things in terms of what we know and understand. God’s way are so much higher than ours. His thinking, ours doesn’t even compare in any fashion or way. Don’t be confused by the words of Jesus. Scriptures invites us to lean not on our own understanding, but in all our ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct our paths. This invitation sets in motion a step by step process, that leads to life, through faith. Take time to get away with God. Jesus did, we call it Lent. Until then

Twisting Arms

“Twisting arms” is an expression that indicates one person is inflicting pain, discomfort, or pressure on another individual to get them to do something they don’t want to do. Of course, arm twisting has many different variables of pressure and pain. Some individuals may require just the slightest twist before they give in, while others may requires a full submission mode before giving into the demand of another. My yearly verse of scripture for 2021 came from the Book of James, chapter 4, verse 7. The first two words of this verse, “Submit yourselves…”, was my focus. The time devoted and energy I spent was toward my goal of fully understanding what the impact of making such a decision looked like. The focus was to comprehend actions that would serve as a good indication that I had made such a “Submit…” commitment. In a real “twisting arms” event, I think of my brother Jim. I could be professional today and say, we were just playing around when he would twist my arm and make me submit. However, that would be like saying when my mother would twist our ear off, while we were sitting in church and we were misbehaving, that mother was just playing too! Reality is, “twisting arms” is designed to demonstrate superior force and to make you do what is demanded by making you consent through force and infliction of pain. Faith in Jesus Christ is an act of submission, but there is absolutely no force from Him, to make anyone believe or follow Him. Faith is a free-will decision. I do so of my own free-will, no force, no coercion, no tricks and no moves to cause one to submit against their will. The best example of free-will submission is Jesus. Him following the wishes and will of His Heavenly Father, we’re all decisions of obedience, not force. Submit, submission, surrender, are words that to some, might be considered words of weakness, words that describe personal failure or a flaw. Faith and following would be two words that I believe best describe “Submit yourselves…” from James 4:7. Faith in Jesus Christ is not a decision that He, Jesus Himself, would ever force on anyone. Faith in Jesus Christ is not a decision that the God Himself, forces on anyone either. Faith is an action of free-will that unleashes all the resources of God into our lives. A decision to follow Jesus immediately provides direction, purpose, and a foundation from which we can begin to view our circumstances in light of His will, which changes everything. “Submit yourselves…” can also be view as a voluntary enlistment to become a Christian. It a perfect way to view a clear understanding of God’s demonstrated love for us and our free-will response to His death on the cross and His offer of forgiveness for the asking. Faith and following Jesus are never and will never be something forced upon anyone, ever! Will there be a time that everyone will acknowledge that Jesus was the Son of God, born in Bethlehem, the one who died on a cross in Jerusalem, was raised from the dead and lives forevermore, absolutely, but you will never be forced to follow Him. In 1961, Frank Pourcel recorded an instrumental song titled “Chariot”. Then in 1963, Little Peggy March sang the song, with added English lyrics, written by Norman Gimbel that led to big music success back in that day. Today, that classic song, is referenced to the movie Sister Act and Whoopi Goldberg, “I will follow Him”. A song about free-will submission that is motivating and encouraging. It is also a song of personal testimony that has seen millions of people profess through faith and actions by following Jesus. “I will follow him, wherever He may go. There isn’t an ocean too deep, a mountain so high it can keep me away”. The second stanza words are: “I must follow Him. Ever since He touched my hand, I knew, that near Him, I always would be and nothing can keep Him from me, He is my destiny”. The chorus to the song is the commitment and is a great refrain for anyone declaring submission to James 4:7, “Submit yourselves …”. “I love Him, I love Him, I love Him, and where He goes I’ll follow, forever and ever and side by side together, I’ll be with my true love and share a thousand sunsets together, beside Him”. Jesus will never twist your arm, but He will be and is gently knocking at your door. Until then

Shake off the dust

Frustration is an experience, that even when we’ve done all we know to do, we can still end up feeling totally frustrated. It is that feeling, that there is no way to get around the issue you attempted to solve or those you intended to help. Maybe you’ve planned, maybe you even over planned. You built contingencies for the contingence. When you’ve gone to that extreme measure, the last feeling you want to experience, is knowing that nothing you did mattered. Throwing my hands up, giving up, or quitting is not in my DNA. Yet, I have found myself in this very spot, on more than two or three occasions in life. Matthew chapter 10, verse 14, reads: “And whosever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when you depart out of that house, or city, shake off the dust on your feet”. Responsibility carries a heavy work load. I believe the burden of responsibility starts off light. We make a decision to go help out, or we make a decision to just check on someone or on a situation and we find ourselves engaged, passioned with energy to be of cheer and aid to our friend. But we end up being so very frustrated because of a lack of acceptable progress or even reasoning on the behalf of others. It kinda a very weird twist how others can so easily impact our state of being. Giving advice, sharing “best practices”, or relating current situations with previous experiences is often a great resource for understanding and direction to current problems. ` Jesus instructed His disciples to go two by two when they went out into the world. He did this because it is always good to go with a companion who is at the ready to help. Two minds are better than one, someone, somewhere said. Sounds like solid thinking to me. It’s practical advice that could and should work. If you have ever been 4-wheeling up in the mountains, then I’m sure you know what it is like to get dusty and even muddy for that matter. A dusty trail will certainly leave you with a layer of dirt covering all about your person, your machine, even your ears, nose and eyes will leave you with dust particles, everywhere. When you finally stop riding or driving on that dusty trail, the first think we attempt to do is shake off. We will pop our shirts, slap our hats against our jeans, we will do anything we can to get the dust off of us. Sadly, the one steps that will be required for us to get clean is a shower and putting our clothes in washer . This scripture from Matthew 10:14 instructs us to “shake off the dust”. This is not the only place in scripture where this instruction is given. I like the visual of this instruction. The visual works for me because I done this before. That is, attempt to shake off the dust. The one side effect is that even when attempting to shake off the dust, we will still discover dust that has remained. I’ll confess I’ve even showered and still discovered dust that remained! This instruction that Jesus was giving to the disciples with this “…shake off the dust” comment, was not really about dust. It is a comment about obedience. We Christians have the tendency to take on the weight of the world upon our shoulders. This is activity of taking on the weight of the world, its not only unhealthy for us personally, by no where in scripture does Jesus even suggest that is our responsibility. Our duty, as a Christian, is not about producing results. Our duty is obedience to God’s commands and instructions. Results are always the responsibility of the Holy Spirit. Frustration can easily beset us, but we should never be dismayed, unless we are not being obedient to God’s leadership. Then we can be frustrated all day, at ourselves. If we have exhausted following God’s with all our might and strength, then you have done all you can do. “..shake off the dust”, and wait for God’s next instructions. There is nothing more to expect of yourself. Until then

Three's for your considerations

There are many things about faith that run in three’s. Faith, hope and love being three often quoted examples. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are the three biggest foundational examples. Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego are my personal favorite of three’s. Here is one more example for good measure. Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. I have created a list of three’s in the Bible over the years and I’m sure you have some that you’ve considered and memorized from your studies in scripture too. Yesterday, today and forevermore are three more examples and are three very strong adverbs. Adverbs modify verbs and adverbs add distinction and significance. Merriam-Webster uses the word “indeclinable” in describing their use in grammar. In the 56th year of my numbered days of living, I wrote and recorded a collection of my daily thoughts in what I reference as the #56 Series. On day 166 of that year I wrote: “Whatever you hope tomorrow, it starts today”. This is another example of faith in three’s for me. Hope, tomorrow, today. “Whatever” is a pronoun that is a substitute for a noun. Whatever your aspiration are by name, whatever your dreaming, whatever you are thinking, whatever the goal you have set, whatever it maybe, it begins today! Procrastinating is delaying an action that is necessary or even required. Hope should never be delayed, hope should never be placed to the side or easily discarded. Hope is a foundational building block from which whatever can be built upon in faith. Whatever you hope, let that be our focus, let that be our energy and let that be our interest. Too often that which is most important is only addressed after all other failing efforts have been tried and exhausted. So what is your hope? Today is a really important moment and opportunity that we have. For this column, I am considering the word today to be much shorter that the 24 hours which defines a day in time. Today is the 2 minutes and 17 seconds that it took me to re-read this column, so I could write this sentence. What about your “today” 30 minutes ago before you took time to read this article? What about the 30 minutes of time that will follow after you have read my conclusion, until then? The way in which we see and observe time matters. Do we all wish for more hours in a day?…I know I have many times. We may never have all the time we need and our days are filled with many activities. For me, Bible reading, talking on the telephone, writing cards and notes, answering questions from people, listening to others tell stories, and reading newspapers is a part of my daily routine and I didn’t even mention eating, sleeping and driving. Three more three’s for me. Time is unique. Time matters to each of us differently and use of our time is observed differently too. I often hear people say “I am going to get up and leave here, I’ve got things to do today.” Truth is sitting could be a very valuable use of your time. Listening and taking in the scenery can also be a valuable use of time. Getting up and going is also valuable, I know this because I’ve had to tell myself to get moving before too. Whatever it is we are hoping for tomorrow, I am fully convinced it will require some due diligence and effort today. Tomorrow may not come for me or for you, but if it does arrive knocking at our door and we did nothing to prepare for it or nothing to aid our “whatever hope” then if that arrives without your effort, you can rest assured someone did the work for it to arrive. You just became the unexpected beneficiary of someone else’s labor. Don’t just think about tomorrow, get ready for it today. Until then