February 29th: Be free in Christ - unshackled from self bondage

The story...

I can't get no satisfaction trying to please me - it's impossible.  Worse yet, on my own, my efforts to be a good boy leave me insecure when facing rejection, inevitable suffering, and death.  I can't get no satisfaction on my own - it's like tugging around a ball and chain made out of self.

Life would be better if I was okay with me, more openly and honestly relating to other people, and bearing the type of fruit that comes from abiding in Christ - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Scripture says that happens as we trust in Christ and abide in Him too.

Abiding in Christ means a transforming, metamorphosized, relationship that includes communication.  We can never fully understand the trinity of God yet we do know, from the gospel of John, that God the Father speaks messages to the Son of God; the Son speaks the messages to the Holy Spirit; and the Holy Spirit indwells and speaks the messages to those in Christ; and those in Christ pray to the Father in the Son's name.  Prayer and meditation keeps us close to God in a right relationship that can free us from the bondage of self today.

February 29th, we'll see you in another four years if God so wills.  Let's keep the communication flowing - we need each other.

February 28th - A ripe old age

The story...

"Abraham breathed his last and died at a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people." (Genesis 25:8 NASB). What does it mean to die at a ripe old age?

Katherine Kyle wrote a helpful article that listed seven signs that a banana is ripe and healthy to eat: 

1. brown spots
2. soft when squeezed  
3. no green on the stem
4. snaps off stem easily
5. easy to peel with no resistance
6. no sound when peeling
7. doesn't leave film on teeth

So, what are the signs that a person dies at a ripe old age?  I expect they'd be considered ripe if they fully worked out their life as their Creator willed.  Maybe they've used up their gifts and resources toward fulfilling their purpose - bearing fruit along the way?

How would people work out their life within the only church in town?  First they'd have an ongoing relationship with God through prayer and mediation.  Then, I expect that the community would offer, and encourage, the application of each members gifts in accordance with the will of God.  They'd  need to know, teach and affirm the knowable will of God.  Then, I expect we'd see the fruits of God's Spirit being worked out along the way.  Like the spots on the banana we'd sense: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Goodness, Kindness, Faithfulness and Self Control within the people as they worked out their lives together.

What a joy it would be to know that I died at a "ripe old age."  Who would merely opt to die at an old age?

Just for today...

How might I best apply what's available to me within the next hour?  Pondering that thought seems good yet a first step of action seems better.   If you're down - walk alongside an encourager in truth.

February 27th - Rejection

The story...

A few years ago, I performed a personal inventory, an attempt of a searching moral inventory of me, and recorded my findings in a blue book.  The process was good for me mentally and also for those parts of me that are deep down inside - that stuff that's the essence of who I am. 

I periodically open my blue book to both reflect on what I learned and to make a few additions too. The big "aha" moment, from my personal inventory, was that I fear rejection and that fear works its way out in ways that I don't like.  I was surprised the first time that I considered the idea that "I feared rejection" - I was surprised it might be true.  Yet, I answered the inventory questions honestly and it did seem that this fear might be motivating me to behave in ways that I didn't want to.  So, I ordered a related book, Bouncing Back from Rejection, by Leslie Becker.  The book both confirmed this latent truth about me and taught me that I could reduce my sensitivity to rejection by bringing my awareness to it.

It feels good to be more honest with myself and less guarded too.  Strangely, it seems that just sharing this experience with others seems to help them to move towards a better way too - encouragement.  Yes, in the only church in town, we might best walk through life side by side rather than tending towards isolation.

Just for today...

"We can help one another find out the meaning of life . . . But in the last analysis, each is responsible for 'finding himself.'"   No Man Is an Island - Thomas Merton

Blueprint for Progress   ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0910034425

February 26th - Goodness

The story...

I experienced a wonderful day in my church community yesterday.  Why?  It may be that I, and my partner, were prepared for our role, leading children's worship, where we learned about goodness and worked out our faith together. It might've also been the old friends that I met - one needed help and asked for it, one sincerely thanked me, one reminisced about one who left us years ago, and others readily accepted heartfelt thankfulness for their service.  I met four new people, while sharing a meal together, and the balanced conversation seemed to show genuine interest and caring amongst the full group.  

My worship service was with kids instead of grownups.  We laughed, told stories about our lives, participated in the learning, clapped and interjected praise into the worship clapping activity.  We heard a wonderful story that God shared with us - being a good neighbor.  The group included people who were different from most of us - that felt good.  We ended the time doing an art project alongside each other.  We sat side by side, brushing shoulders and elbows, while we turned our blank piece of paper into something that kind of matched what was our imagination.  Finally we broke our assembly and pulled away from our togetherness - I looked back and thought "that's the way I want to live."

My project - my friends liked it and I liked theirs too.

Might the only church in town be more like that?  Hmm...

Just for today...

"If I urge someone to do what I think I would do in a similar crisis, and my advice is acted upon, the outcome may be an even greater tragedy, and I would be responsible for that. . . . . I do not know what course of action is right for anyone else. I can offer only comfort and compassion, and the good example of the life I am trying to build."  One Day at a Time (p. 57)

"Sometimes the forgiveness process fosters deeper unity and connection between people. Sometimes it points to the exit sign."  Hope for Today (p. 57)

"Shame is an excuse to hate ourselves today for something we did or didn't do in the past. . . . Today I will love myself enough to recognize shame as an error in judgement."  Courage to Change (p. 57)

February 25th - That albums left on the turntable

The story...

I left home, to go to college, with goals of: independence, knowledge, career, friends and true love.  I was fortunate to meet a friend who became my roommate for two semesters.   Stereo systems and music were important then.  Strangely, we left only one of two albums on our turntable during those days.  His favorite song and my favorite song.  I actually bought a second copy of Rust Never Sleeps because I wore the first one out.

Maybe the songs were favorites because they triggered dormant emotions or contained messaging that rang true.  I can feel some of those same emotions as I listen to My My, Hey Hey as I am typing this sentence. "It's better to burn out than to fade away or rust" resonated with my soul.  It feels good to be in touch with my soul in an honest way.

How does experiencing the reality of our emotions and soul work out in the only church in town?  Scripture says that the power of God is alive in a believer when walking humbly with God.  God given love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control reflect a great condition to be living in during all circumstances.  I expect that the church functions as well as God functions in each individual member.

Just for today...

✌

Hey, hey, my, my
Rock and roll can never die
There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye
Hey, hey, my, my

Out of the blue and into the black
You pay for this, but they give you that
And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black

The king is gone but he's not forgotten (Johnny Rotten, Johnny Rotten)
Is this the story of Johnny Rotten? (Johnny Rotten, Rotten Johnny)
It's better to burn out 'cause rust never sleeps
The king is gone but he's not forgotten

Hey, hey, my, my
Rock and roll can never die
There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye

February 24th - Let the good time roll...

 The story...

When I was 19 years old, I recorded the The Cars song "Let the good times roll" consecutively until it filled both sides of a cassette tape.  From what I remember, it was the only song that anybody in my car listened to for at least a month.  Why not choose to always feel happy and surround yourself with others who made the same decision?  I naively thought that I might be able to choose, or control, the way I felt by using the song as a consistent reminder to stay in the "groove" - suppress those unwanted feelings.

Around the same time in history, a psychologist, Paul Eckman, identified the following six basic emotions: happiness, sadness, disgust, fear, surprise, and anger.  It seems that I was trying to suppress conscious feelings of sadness, fear, disgust and anger as "we" listened to my tape. The idea is that we sense with out five senses which triggers feelings - deeper down inside us emotions are triggered too.  Yes, our emotions and feelings help us to make sense of what we both experienced and are experiencing in life.

Today, I'm more "in tune" with my feelings and emotions - less static.  I'm more aware of how I feel regarding what I'm sensing and also beginning to better understand my emotions too.  Growing in self awareness seems to be a worthy endeavor.  I spend less time belaboring, or recycling, feelings and emotions over, over and over...  It seems good to understand our feelings without quickly reacting - letting go of emotions before they become obsessive thoughts.  

How might the only church in town deal with the reality of people's feelings and emotions as they work out life together?  I've heard preachers say that facts should be the engine that drives your life train and that feelings should stay back there in the caboose.  I expect that the community might be harmed if people often react quickly to their feelings, belabor obsessively over emotional issues, or focus on maintaining heightened emotions during group gatherings. The group would likely work better if the leaders and the go-to people were emotionally intelligent.

Just for today...

"Let me learn to keep peace with silence when it is not the right time to say what comes to mind." One Day at a Time (p. 55)

"When I can't find a solution to a problem, when I have nagging doubts, fears, or frustrations, when I feel lost or confused, a searching and fearless moral inventory of myself can make a tremendous difference."  Courage to Change (p. 55)

Do you want to be a good or bad character in this epic story of life?

February 23rd - Invite me . . . please

The story...

Years ago, a young energetic man, who was new to our church community, invited me to play volleyball with a group of "our people" at the local beach.  I was part of the larger community for years and was surprised at such an enthusiastic invitation. I don't imagine that I would've attended my first meeting by way of a general community invitation.  The invitation seemed sincere and he seemed to really want me to join them.  What a wonderful summer group activity it was for 3 or 4 years - it ended with a knee problem and the group eventually did move on as most groups do. 

I need to be invited yet may reject the invitation.  How might we invite while minimizing the awkwardness of rejection?  I found this article 10 Ways to To Ask Someone To Hang Out (Without Being Awkward) helpful.

Will people need to be personally invited to engage within the only church in town?  Yes.

Just for today...

"Detachment is essential to any healthy  relationship between people.  Each of us is a free individual, with neither one in control of the other."  One Day at a Time (p. 54)

"Even as a child, I had grown up responsibilities, so it is no wonder that I grew up to be a caretaker.  It seemed so comfortable, so automatic to think of others first and to give myself completely to whatever crisis was at hand without a thought for myself." "I no longer do things for others that they could do for themselves."  Courage to Change (p. 54)

February 22nd - The incredible edible egg

The story...

The Egg Board advertised the value of the egg in a 1978 marketing campaign - "the incredible, edible egg."  Why would egg producers need to market the value of eggs?  Well, one large egg has about 186 mg of cholesterol, an interim-fasting diet may skip breakfast, and vegans view eggs as an animal product. I remember my mother buying Carnation Instant Breakfast, in the 1960s.  They advertised it as the perfect breakfast for a really good day - and it tastes good too!  I also liked this milk-shake breakfast - for a season.

Two of my favorite civil war characters are Thomas (Stonewall) Jackson and Abraham (Abe) Lincoln. I understand that the typical "sustaining" diet for a soldier was about a pound of meat and a pound of bread or flour per day. Similarly, Abraham Lincoln had a simple diet and may have ate one boiled egg for breakfast when visiting the troops. The egg seems like a good choice in a civil war camp - you could count on it being clean after you peeled off that natural protective shell.

Might the only church in town provide the food, or sustenance, for living a "good life."  Wendy's marketing campaign "where's the beef?" seems like an appropriate question to ask.  I expect the only church in town would be known for offering the path to a "good life" that's consistently worked out within the revealed Word of God.  People would witness this good life in "actualities" and through real people with skin on them - people walking humbly with God.  An advertising campaign wouldn't be necessary.

Just for today...

"In the grand scheme of things, no single decision is ever really that important.  I can do my best to make decisions wisely, but the results are in the hands of God."  Courage to Change (p. 53)

"Let me cultivate awareness of those around me; it is all the better for me, too, if I clarify my thoughts before I speak."  One Day at a Time (p. 53)

February 21st - Friendship

The story...

I didn't choose to be a Jim Carrey fan - maybe I just am one by nature.  "When Nature Calls" is Jim's movie that I'm reminded of most often.   The scene where he learns to communicate with the Chief and his son makes me laugh every time I think of it.  I don't expect that they'd likely end up as close friends yet the movie reminds me of the awkward moments that may be the beginnings of friendship.  I assume that Jim Carrey fans can be friends with non-Jim Carrey fans yet I expect that close friends do share much in common.

For me, close friendships have sometimes been illusive and I greatly value those that I have.  C.S. Lewis, in his book The Four Loves, wrote a great summary of what friendship is and he valued the few close friends he had.  Pursuing a relationship for our own sake is bound to fail.  Relationship success seems more likely when we will what's good for the other person, share much in common, and walk side-by-side together in an honest sort of way.

J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis

Jesus, in his humanity, seemed to have three close friends - one being His closest friend.  Chapter one of Thomas Merton's book "No man is an Island" gave me further understanding of the qualities of a good-friend relationship and our role in them.  Since these relationships are important, yet not necessary, it seems that we should value those we have and be alert to close friendship opportunities.

Within the only church in town, I hope that every person would have at least one close friend.  I've often heard that people are most happy and engaged in the workplace when they have a best friend. This same will likely be true within the only church in town too.

Just for today...

"May God preserve me from the love of a friend who will never dare to rebuke me.  May He preserve me from the friend who seeks to do nothing but change and correct me."  No Man is an Island - Merton (p. 10)

February 20th - Am I on a random walk?

The story...

There was a time when I searched Ebay to discover things that might sooth my unsettled inner man.  I liked the bidding process, the low personal investment, and the quest to win the prize.  One day, I found some things that seemed like a good fit.  A school was selling the motorcycles they used to train new riders. "Wow, this would be great, I could fix them up myself and share my passion for motorcycles with others."   I was more than a bit unsettled when we loaded them into the back of my truck.  The motorcycles should have been easy to rebuild but I had to face the reality that I was no motorcycle mechanic.  And, training others to ride on my motorcycles turned out to be not such a good idea either.  Three months later, I was helping a guy, who bought them from me, load them onto his truck - he seemed to have similar naïve notions.

How do I know if what I plan and do is within the will of God?  Am I behaving as if I'm on a random walk?  I expect that my walk along side others, within the only church in town, would be more purposeful.  No matter what my "self" tries to tell me, I'm just not right walking on my own self-directed path. When I do so, my eyes are focused on me rather than others - that's not a satisfying way for me to be.

Just for today...

"I told myself I was homely, thoughtless, lazy, stupid.  I would never say those things to a friend.  I realized that until I started treating myself like a valued friend, I would be standing in the way of my own recovery."  Courage to Change (p. 51)

Micah 6:8

February 19th - But he doesn't know the territory

The story...

PBS television shows, shot in olde England as the backdrop, are compelling for me.  The language, vernacular, customs, figures of speech, and even the side of the car with the steering wheel are different yet similar to what I'm used to. I think I'd feel comfortable there but attentive and curious about the differences.  It'd be great to to tour London and even slog through those really-old hiking trails west of London for a week or so.  I'm told those old trails pass through castles, Roman ruins, and farmer's fields too.  I'm learning about the territory yet I don't even claim to know the territory.  Even if I complete a trip, I won't know the territory as well as someone who actually lives their life out there.  The idea reminds me of a song from the 1962 film "The Music Man" that was set in River City, Iowa - "but he doesn't know the territory."  

The Music Man - 1962

Professor Harold Hill is the lead character who sells the small town on the idea of the "think" system for playing musical instruments. He's a flim-flam man that bilks the town out of money for new band instruments and uniforms - he had no ability to teach them to play them.  He teaches them to hum the "Minuet in G" as part of a thinking process that will supposedly lead them to play their shiny instruments without instruction.  In reality, he's stalling until he receives the money and jumps on the train out of town.  The librarian is the only person in town who actually understands music.  She's torn between the reality of the flim-flam man and the wonderful imagined reality that the town's bought into - they're happier and more hopeful following the charlatan.  She also falls in love with both the vision and the man too - to err is human.

How will the only church in town escape the trap of trusting in the charismatic pastor rather than our God which the text they'll own is all about?  To be merely satisfied with knowing about while remaining deceived within a mutually accepted and self-centered condition.  The Word of God speaks of the reality, in Christ, that bears genuine God-given fruit.  Once heard, believed, and experienced; they'll be tapped into the vine that produces the kind of fruit that the whole community will be blessed through.  Why would a man trust man rather than his Creator?

Just for today...

"None of us sees the world as it is but as we are, as our frame of reference, or maps, define the territory."  Stephen Covey

"The only way to release ourselves from the hold of those dark demons is to break the isolation and bring them into the light by sharing with others who understand."  Hope for Today (p. 50)

February 18th - Try it on

The story...

Tens of years ago, I worked within an organization as a manager.  One year, the organization went through great pains to provide me, and my peers, with an actionable performance review through a process called 360-degree feedback.  One of the suggestions, for my personal growth, was to start writing my own blog.  I was surprised by this suggestion and checked with my peers to see if they received the same advice.  No, it was just for me.  Why would I write a blog?  I already felt confident as a writer and communicator - how would spending my time on a blog help me?   As I now know, I missed a great opportunity, like a gift all wrapped up with a bow on top.  Yet, I wouldn't even open the box to try it on.  Like a person who needs a new jacket yet critiques every one they see without even bothering to try one on.

Are my suit coats boring or what?

I hope that the only church in town would retain the essential doctrine and way for developing a right relationship with God in Christ.  They would offer people opportunities to "try on" the new way of growing and working out their faith - in reality.

Just for today...

"I recognize the same shortcomings, in me, I once eagerly pointed out in others.  It is easier to accept the limitations of others when I acknowledge my own."  Courage to Change (p. 49)

"We may think we can change the things around us according to our desires, but when a solution does come, we find it was our desires that had changed."  One Day at a Time  (p. 49)

February 17th - A place to pray

 The story...

Do you have a place to pray?  What triggers your prayer habit?  In the past, my knees hurt due to bursitis.  I ordered my kneeling pad one day, from Amazon, and received it on my door step the next day - the delivery speed continues to amaze me.  It was comfortable, I could slide it under my bed, and it worked.  It surprised me that both seeing the pad and thinking about the pad triggered my prayer response - that's a good thing.

How would a place to pray work out in the only church in town?  I expect that the doors would be open often for those who are prompted to kneel in the quietness of a sanctuary.  Scriptures says that we can live a life of continuous prayer without going into the church building - remaining in a sort of constant communication.  Yet, we know there are times when we need to shut out the cares of the world and go to a place where we can kneel down and be quiet.   A place that's separate from the cares and noise of the world - a place that triggers a restorative experience of worship, praise, thanking, asking, receiving and listening.  That's a good place to be.

Just for today...

"Faith takes practice.  Fears can loom large and I can get lost in my limited thinking.  When I can't see any way out and I doubt that even God can help me, that's when I most need to pray."    Courage to Change (p. 48)

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus."  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NASB)

February 16th - Habits

The story...

I'm a thankful leader of a group of guys within Bible Study Fellowship (BSF).  This non-denominational bible study organization encourages daily scripture reading and provides a common set of questions that guides small groups towards God's disclosure and self discovery.  Our group meets and shares weekly -  truly, the group is greater than the sum of it's parts.  My friends become less guarded as we share more of the reality of our lives and some of our inner man too.  I truly agape love these men as I continue to learn who they are and grow stronger as a group.

Last year I read James Clear's book - Atomic Habits.  James shares how he started a blog to share how he recognized that good habits drove positive change and real growth in his life.  People shared and taught each other. Yes, they grew together - hence the seeds for a top-selling book.  He includes the idea of stacking habits.  Stacking suggests that you add a new habit immediately following a habit that you already have and enjoy - read his book to find out more.  It seemed foolish to read a book on habits and not make a positive change in my own life.  So, I shared my commitment with my BSF group, I willed to do my BSF study work every day after I completed my daily WORDLE puzzle.  I was successful for about four months.  Did I falter and quit after four months?  Actually, to my surprise, my daily scripture reading is now a daily habit of its own, much like WORDLE.  It's now part of the fabric of my life.

The only church in town would probably be non-denominational - reflecting the community.  Sub-groups of people would likely form.  These new groups would have the potential to grow together in ways that they never could have if they each stayed marooned on an island of their own making.

Just for today...

"We are only as sick as our secrets.  Until we let them out into the light, they keep us trapped."  Courage to Change (p. 47)

"We believe people discover their true purpose and identity by knowing God through His Word.  That is why BSF offers free, in-depth Bible studies in community for people of all ages around the world."  Bible Study Fellowship

"Love can only be kept by giving it away."  Merton, T. (1955). No man is an Island

February 15th - Coffee Habits

 The story...

A guy named John introduced me to the coffee habit on a canoe trip within the boundary waters bordering Canada and Minnesota - I was 40 years old.  It was hard to resist on a cold morning, sitting on a log near the fire - there wasn't much else to drink but water.  The coffee experience was real good from the beginning - kind of like the favorite Ad-Man commercial: "Hey Mikey, he likes it!"  Sure, I knew people, like my dad, who really enjoyed their coffee yet I resisted.  How many times did I hear him ask for one more cup of coffee when I wanted to get going?  My new habit surprised me - the smell, the warmth, the familiar taste, the clarity, the alertness, the new social opportunities... 

Yes, I like my daily morning coffee habit - performed the same way every morning when home.  Empty the old filter/grounds, drain the dregs, fill the pot, pour in, adjust the new filter, open the coffee container, scoop twice, level out the coffee, push the button, and wait to hear the sound that lets me know that the percolation's about complete.  At the risk of creeping some of you out, I believe we've owned this coffee container for years yet only washed the inside a few time.  For sure, I empty it down to a scoop or two before I fill it back up half way and shake it up to amalgamate.  It's a new mix - some old, some new, and sometimes a new brand of coffee.

Yes, this photo might be an appropriate metaphor for the only church in town.  The grounds are a mix of the old, the new, and even an occasional different brand - they're all coffee.  They're secure in the container yet don't stay there.  Power transforms them into a coffee that's shared and enjoyed within community.  Coffee's often there when the town gets together, connects, communicates and sometimes loves.

Just for today...

How about performing a personal habit inventory?  If you don't know how to add or change habits, consider reading James Clear's book - Atomic Habits.     

February 14th - Mask wearing

 The story...

Once upon a time, I was assigned the responsibility to lead a group of about twelve high-school teenagers.  I facilitated an open first session to engage them in a discussion aimed at finding out what topics were most important to them - they didn't know.  I met a college professor, for the first time, after the session and described my class topic dilemma to him.  He suggested we focus on the book TrueFaced (1995) that he previously used with a college class.  The book's main idea was that people often walk through life acting out different roles to cover up their true selves - it's like they have a mask at hand for each occasion.  I did use the material with the class and I remember that the ideas did resonate with them.  The one quote that I frequently recall is: "I prefer that you be who I want you to be rather than who you are, if it's all the same to you." (TrueFaced, p. 32).

The book TrueFaced Experience Guide (pp. 33,34) listed six masking behaviors that you may relate to:

• I become highly sensitized to my own sin and judge the sin of others.
• I lose my objectivity in a crisis and I become the issue.
• I hide my sinful behavior and become more vulnerable to sin.
• I am unable to be loved or to love.
• I become susceptible to wrong life choices.
• I attempt to control others.

Group think and the desire to please others can lead us into acting out a part wearing our own mask(s). After we act out a role long enough, might we forget who we are and where we're going?

The only church in town might offer a grace message - a safer place where people can be truth tellers.  Would it be a loving environment where people are accepted just the way they are?   Freedom is a wonderful thing.

Just for today...

"'Just trust me?' is the last thing you want to hear when you have already carefully concluded that no one can be trusted ... except yourself." TrueFaced Experience Guide (p. 44) 

"We look very impressive - we have learned to package our techniques well - but our self-effort keeps us self-centered and immature . . . Because we are constantly pursuing power and authority, and manipulating to gain control, God can never release us into our future . . . Our relational sadness, our inability to be loved, our festering wounds and broken relationships freeze us in immaturity."  TrueFaced Experience Guide (p. 145)

"Do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God in Christ."  Micah 6:8 (NASB)

February 13th - But we don't have to go anymore...

The story...

I moved to Duluth, MN for one year on a teaching assignment - yes, I have been a teacher.  UMD welcomed me; the students asked me to join them in the stuff that students like to do; the church pulled me into their family; and I lived in a small apartment.  One morning, the apartment manager asked me where I was going on the past Sunday morning.  I told her that I was walking to church.  She said: "I thought so, I saw you were carrying a bible."  She was perplexed and a bit frustrated - "You're a professor, you don't have family here, and you're free to do whatever you want.  Why would you go to church?  We used to have to do that here; but, not anymore - I'm free to do whatever I want."  I shared how it felt to be pulled into a welcoming church family who invited me into their homes and families.  I even played "broom ball" and fished with some of them - "I feel loved there."  She says: "huh, I might try church again." 

I don't think that the only church in town would spend much time reminiscing about the "good old days" when everybody was expected to go to church and behave morally right.  Teach me against my will and I will be of the same opinion still - and likely continue to behave in ways that are true with who I truly am deep down inside.  

 

The story played out here.

Just for today...

"I tried to get God to listen to me through my prayers.  He did, once I stopped telling Him what to do."  Hope for Today (p.44)

"I didn't like myself because I wasn't living up to what I believed to be true about others."  Courage to Change (p. 44)

February 12th - My way or His way?

The story...

"What if there was a place you could go, where there was no TV and you could break bread - anyone who you are sitting with was family."  Peggy Olson - Mad Men (S7:E6)  People like Don Draper and Peggy Olson are looking for love - to belong.  They're acting out their role, trying to scratch that constant itch - they know something's wrong but they hide it deep down inside.  They yearn for that person who might truly know them while remaining guarded and habitually attempting to sooth that unrelenting itch...  Maybe if we found that one right person . . . then we could work out "happy ever after" like Bud and Sissy: "Looking for love in all the wrong places ..."

Do you want to do it your way or His way?  The only church in town has an answer. Yet scripture says it takes a mighty work from the Spirit of Christ to change a man's heart - his inner man.  Can you believe that God's gospel truth can be found in that one short creed that Christian representatives agreed to in 325AD?  That creed is surprisingly awesome.

Just for today...

"Detachment allows us to let go of our obsession with another's behavior and begin to lead happier and more manageable lives, lives with dignity and rights, lives guided by a Power greater than ourselves."  Courage to Change (p. 43)

February 11th - Wisdom

 The story...

About thirty years ago, I heard a definition of wisdom that rang true to me.  It's still the best definition that I've heard - I've passed it on hundreds of times.  Wisdom is knowing where to go and how to get there.  We might all benefit by pondering this definition for awhile.  We need both the first and second parts of the definition for it to help us distinguish between a wise and an unwise path.

Isaiah 6 recount's Isaiah's experience within the throne room of God.  Meeting God would surely be a good place to start when envisioning where we're going - towards the one Who created us and spoke the Truth for evaluating the quality of our lives.  The Nicene Creed, written in 325AD, gives the church a good starting place for agreeing on how we get there.  Collectively, a church may behave wisely - a continual process for each individual and a synergetic process for the community within the power of the Spirit of God.  

I'm thankful to have a congregation of Barred owls whose family has lived with us in the woods for at least 30 years.  They do have good qualities and I would classify them as wise - I like them a lot and they seem friendly.

Barred Owl

Just for today...

"I needed love before I even knew what it was.  By loving others, I learn to treat myself well." Courage to Change (p. 42)

February 10th - Winter can be long

 The story...

Winters can be long as Jeremiah Johnson (Robert Redford) shares with Bear Claw (Will Greer).  There have been times in my life when living through the winter grew me - kind of like those tulip bulbs that are growing beneath the ground in preparation for their springing up in May. I understand that tulip bulbs need the cold winter experience to bloom as they ought.  They grow alone yet bloom together.  These darker times seem necessary for real growth; yet, I can't imagine that we were meant to stay in the darkness long. 

Today is cold yet the sun is shining bright.  I appreciate the winter sunshine.  He cuts through the barren trees and reflects off the snow - it's brighter than in July when all the leaves are out.  He ushers in feelings of thankfulness and joy.  Tomorrow the snow may melt, the clouds roll in, yet my heart can stay warm as I walk humbly and thankfully with my Savior.

Will the only church in town experience periods of winter?  I expect that they're necessary. Might life look brighter if we were a bit less guarded and acting out closer to our true selves?  Might we engage in life more fully, and express our feelings more openly, if we lived more in the Light?

Just for today...

"When I talk all the time, nothing is being added to me.  I am using the same old destructive thought material that has kept me at a standstill for so long."   One Day at a Time (p. 41)

February 9th - Live for Today

 The story...

The speaker offered me a new way of looking at a good life: LIVE for today; PLAN for tomorrow; and THINK on eternity.  This frame-of-mind seemed to be true, with "face value," and the kind of motto that a wise guy might apply. So, I pondered the motto, shared the value of thinking this way with hundreds of people, yet didn't really internalize it.  Why?  Maybe I didn't spend most of my time living in the present and my thoughts tended to camp out more in the past or future?

How would this motto work out best in the only church in town? What would we witness if we peeked into the church windows or tailed those church people around town?   It's likely that their behavior would exhibit strengths, weaknesses, character flaws and occasionally fruit that they seem to be gifted with. They would be doers who uniquely work out what they know to be true about themselves and God in the present.  Together they would be better equipped to move forward down a good and right path within God's will.  Success, despite their flaws, would bring glory to their God whom they serve.

In my past, I liked sharing the idea of this good way to live while letting my "self" reign over my life.  In my present, I increasingly make doable plans for the near future and trust God with the results.  If we ignore what we do know about "That Than Which There is No Greater" then it seems we also have an unstated plan for traveling down a well worn path that leads us to where we don't want to go. 

Just for today...

"The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak."  This quote and the following painting are from an abstract impressionist painter Hans Hofmann.   Thank you Hans.

February 8th, 2023 - What's Love 💖 Got to Do with It?

The story...

Many people are uncomfortable with the message "I love you."  There's a lot "packed" into the word "love" and it can obviously be misunderstood. What do they mean and how does the love message receiver respond?  Ideally, would we be able to say "I love you" to most of the people attending the only church in town?  What does that look like and what's the cause of that love?  Is it something you feel, a measure of the quality of the relationship, or an experienced gift of God?  Is it a verb (something that you do) or a noun (something that you can fall in and out of)?

Before I was born, C.S. Lewis wrote the book The Four Loves and presented it on a radio broadcast in 1958.   I've listened to this broadcast on my set of CDs many times.  He provided four helpful definitions of love, from four Greek words, used to describe the one English word.  In a nutshell, Storge is a normal kind of affection or familiarity that's missed when it's not present.  Philia is like friendship.  Eros is the romantic type of love reserved for the "couples" who are absorbed in each other.  And, Agape is the unconditional type of love similar to the love God offers us through His Son.  

Courtesy of Dunkin' Donuts

Agape love is what we hope to find in the only church in town.  It requires vulnerability, on our part, with the ever present risk of being hurt, rejected, or even wounded with a broken heart. Yes, the only church in town would be characterized as one where the members were free to express agape love.

Just for today...

"In the past I focused on anyone but myself . . . trying to control the disorder, discomfort, and lack of safety and security of my own childhood."  Hope for Today (p. 39).

"It is unrealistic to expect everyone to like me."  Courage to Change (p. 39)

"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind."  "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."  Matthew 22:37 (NASB)

February 7th - Bearing fruit and sensing them?

The story...

My dad and I shared many things in common - he passed on to the next life.  I inherited some of his physical features, picked up some of his habits, learned some of his life principles, yet there are some traits that reflect more of our inner man.  For example, we both were compelled to do cross-word puzzles, eat sardines out of the can, and find enjoyment from feeding the birds.  This is my bird feeding scene at present.

It's the only bird feeder, that I know of, in this "neck of the woods."  I was surprised that I had a need to show you a picture with the variety of red-headed wood peckers that are often there - vanity?  Yet, this picture reflects more of how the scene normally looks.  I truly love the birds that congregate here and sense this in my inner-man.   It costs me money, time, and space to provide this bird sanctuary and sometimes I'm concerned about them.  Hawks and owls can grab them, two chickadees were clamped into the squirrel protection device, fierce weather, and even my neglect to refill the feeders may have caused my bird friends to doubt me. I obviously don't watch them continuously.  Yet when I do spend my time focusing on them; love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, kindness, gentleness and self-control seem to ooze out of my inner man.  

I wonder what God experiences when he focuses on the only church in town where those he loves congregate, worship and praise Him? 

Just for today...

"...I always compared myself to others, particularly my family members, and vowed to be better than them.  I sought the elation of winning and wanted to be praised.  My constant  comparing and competing gradually edged most people out of my life.  Ultimately I was not even good enough for myself, and attitude that led me to harsh self-abuse."  Hope for Today (p. 38) 

February 6th - From Imagination to Sketch

 The story...

What might the only church in town look like?  I asked a sketching hobbyist friend to paint a one-church town.   She responded with questions regarding what I wanted it to look like.   I told her that I didn't want to bias her imagination but did ask that the sketch reflect the purpose of this blog.  She agreed to draw her image yet seemed a bit uneasy regarding how "good" it would turn out to be - would it meet my expectations?  She did good...

I wonder if we would more readily "draw" from our inner-person, soul, or heart if we periodically did spiritual reality assessments.  It seems like we would grow in our self-awareness as we pray, meditate on truths, and invest in quiet time where we humbly turn our ear and heart toward God.  Is this part of what it means to walk humbly with God?

Just for today...

"Troubles are opportunities to grow, to make us better, not bitter.  Rightly used, we can learn from them not to repeat our own mistakes."  One Day at a Time (p. 37)

"When in doubt, don't."  Courage to Change (p. 37)

February 5th - Idealized Hopes

 The story ...

The lyrics, of the MercyMe's song "I Can Only Imagine," kindle wonderful images in both my imagination and inner man.   What will the reality of the next life be like?  Scripture reveals Words from God and images that people were given, or experienced, such as in Isaiah 6.   I expect that all of our images are wrong; yet, close enough to motivate us to move toward them and experience real grow along the way.  

I imagined how my future spouse would fulfill me by meeting my love needs.  It probably didn't occur to me that she would also be hoping that I would fulfill her love needs and that she wouldn't be capable of fulfilling mine. These idealized hopes likely kept us moving forward until we rested in reality versus the ongoing strain of striving for an unattainable "best."  I've heard it said that insecure singe people, who marry to fill the void they feel, will likely idolize their spouse.  If and when their spouse doesn't fulfill their fantasy, then the idolizing may turn into demonizing.

I can only imagine the only church in town, that might be characterized as "the best," yet I doubt that it can every truly exist.  Personally, I've spent too many destructive hours critiquing the church, and the people in it, for not meeting my expectations.  Might the attainable good church be the place where people learn to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God in Christ (Micah 6:8).

Might the "good" only church in town best be communicated as a painting?  I admire those who can paint what they see or imagine in their mind.  I'm not an artist yet I did invest a chunk of my life toward imaging and painting something that was hidden in my inner man. I understand that it's best to just display a painting and let the viewer decide what it means to them.  So, here it goes - my first public display of my artwork.  Please be kind.

Thoughts for the day ...

"Think," yet resist those thoughts that are impulsive, compulsive or reactive.  Aretha Franklin has something good to say about thinking.

February 4th - Creeds - what we believe?

The story...

My pastor, during my High School years, selected responsive readings from the back of the hymnal.  He might've inserted them into the order of service to: support his sermon message; teach more personally about who God is and what He expects; teach church doctrine; be obedient to a prompting of God's Spirit; or maybe it was just what a good pastor did.  Whatever his reasons, I felt an internal conflict when chanting back those responsive readings along with the crowd.  I felt conflicted when vowing and repeating things that I didn't understand very well.  I don't remember thinking that these professions were untrue - I felt more like a Charlatan when claiming something that may not be true with me.  I remember being silent and listening while the crowd recited their truth.

My personal efforts to work up love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control came up short.   I couldn't conjure up the kind of fruit that God can work out through me - the fruit truly does seem to be a gift from God that allows me to be okay in most circumstances.  

How might the only church in town be different?   Maybe the responsive readings would be interpreted or explained before they were recited as the "gospel truth."  Personally, I appreciate succinct statements regarding the Christian faith.  I'm so thankful that a group of Christians could agree on the Nicene Creed in 325 AD - it's complete, succinct and easy to grasp.  

We believe in one God, the father almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible. And in one lord, Jesus the anointed, the only begotten son of God, begotten of the father before all worlds, light from light, true God from true God, begotten not made, being of one substance with the father, by whom all things were made. Who for us humans and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the holy spirit and the virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the father. And he shall come again to judge both the living and the dead. Whose kingdom shall have no end.

Just for today...

"We're only too ready to look outside ourselves for the reasons for our afflictions, when the real enemy is self-deception."  One Day at a Time (p. 35)

February 3rd - Living in the Present

 The story...

I started school younger than my peers and grew up shorter and more gangly too.  I imagined and hoped for what I might look like when I grew up - then I'd fit in and be more loved and respected.  Tall, big chested, riding a thundering-black motorcycle, playing the trumpet better than anyone else, and experiencing true love and total acceptance from "her."

How might the one church in town have taught me to accept and love myself as I was - in the present?  To work out who I was in realty - more independent and secure - positioned to be interdependent with others. 

Life clearly only occurs in the present yet I've spent way to much time dreaming of the future and trying to make sense of, or even trying to change, the past.  How could the spiritual leaders and church community have facilitated my being pulled more into the present?  Were they able to share the actualities of their reality?   Is it possible that they tried but I couldn't hear?  Was my selfish nature so guarded and cemented that I was unable to grow until "X" years of life experience?

Just for today...

How do we accept our physical appearance?  If you love yourself as God loves you in Christ then you are free to accept yourself and others too - just the way we are. Does that sound a bit like Jane Eyre?

"I pray for the wisdom to understand my difficulties clearly and honestly, and for the strength to do something constructive about them.  I know that I can count on God's help in this."  One Day at a Time (p. 34)

February 2nd - Hoping for Love

The story ...

I remember walking up to the door of my seventh-grade Sunday-school room.  The girl that I secretly loved was with a friend who she seemed to identify with.  The friend asked me to show them my fingernails.  I paused before extending my open hand and fingers with my palm facing the linoleum floor.  They both broke out laughing - "you're like a girl!  Guys show their nails as a fist with palm up."  I was secretly crushed, likely tried to pretend I wasn't affected, yet I must have emoted my internal reality.  My secret search for love was publicly dashed.  I added a few plates to my personal armor to guard against that from ever happening again.  Oh... the pain of rejection - my wounded heart!

The church where the scene played out.

How might the one church in town have helped me?  My Sunday school teacher might have noticed my behavior change. Someone might have realized that I had no best friend at church.  As some aptly describe, I felt like I was alone on an island yet surrounded by people.  My parents forced me to go to some of the youth meetings - I didn't engage.  I became cynical and critical about the group that rejected me.  

In High School, I got a job that allowed me to miss every other Sunday service. I tried to bring order and meaning into my life without God's help. I didn't even know that a right relationship with God was possible.

Thoughts for the day ...

"So I continued to hide and did not accept who I really was."  Hope for Today (p. 33)

"Today, being humble means climbing down from the ladder of judgement of myself and others, and taking my rightful place in a worldwide circle of love and support . . . My thoughts are my teachers.  Are they teaching me to love and appreciate others, or are they teaching me to practice isolation?"  Courage to Change (p. 33)

February 1st - Imagining the Only Church in Town

The story ... 

Sixth grade was the year that I felt most secure as a person within society. The school had a sort of code or ethos that I understood and the teachers did a pretty good job of controlling the environment and behavior according to the stated and unstated code. The principal was the enforcer.

Most sixth graders knew that they better guard themselves from the hurt inflicted by other "Selfs" or they'd suffer - If they didn't learn it by sixth grade then they certainly learned it when they moved on to middle school. It's an easier road to think and act like the group - do groupthink. For me, academics came easy and I was able to work in an around the rules to safely be the unique person I was - our class was the oldest and most capable within the whole school - we had it made in sixth grade.

The building that was once my sixth grade home

There are so many questions that I had when growing up that I assumed that my parents, teachers, or pastor could answer - if I could just sit still and learn.  For me, disillusionment began in Junior High School. They didn't have all the answers and I felt on my own.

I imagine the only church in town spending less time talking about the doctrines that “we” believe and more time focusing on what scripture teaches us about Him, me, and us.  There would be groups of people, within the community, that would work out their faith together – groups that could be a bit less guarded and open among the safety of their friends. 

Just for today ... 

We are powerless over other human beings.  Yet many of us act like little gods when attempting to exert our will to “help” them conform to our ideas of what is best for ‘em. 

When I change my behavior for the better, the behaviors of those around me are more likely to grow.