July 13th - Living in the reality of the "present."

The story...

As a boy; one summer time - the hopes and dreams of activities, growth, happiness, and good relationships didn't happen as I hoped.  Sadly, I remember thinking, "well, the summer's over for everybody else too" - it didn't make any difference whether my summer was good or bad.

Sunflower in August

If my current-self could sit down with my old-self, what would I share with him to give him a "jump start" on life?   How might I help him heal the wounds in my old-self's heart?  Sadly, I don't know what I'd say; yet, I believe that I'd express my sincere love for him.  How would he sense and know that love?

Who knows those hidden secrets for living the good life?  Was there a book that I could've shared with him?  Might I've shared with him the good stuff that actually would occur in his life?  Should I've told him to invest all of his money into ownership shares of Microsoft so that he would be "all set?"

The good that's come to me was centered on living in the present with a right relationship with God in Christ.  It's good to love God, love myself as He does, and more naturally love other people too.  I imagine a good life kinda looking like that really big sunflower.  Hmm, maybe I'd take my old self to see a field of really big sunflowers and share the reality of my most precious relationships?

The only church in town would be a safe place for that younger version of me to be introduced to the love of God worked out through people with skin on them - those who're still in the world of the living.   A place where true joy and happiness can be found while living in the present.

Just for today...

"How many days of my life have I wasted? . . . I rejected overtures of friendship from co-workers so that I could fret, uninterrupted about what was bothering me . . . When my worries and sorrows cloak me, the laughter and sunshine of the everyday world seem inappropriate to the way I feel.  Who is out of sync - the rest of the world or me? . . . Today I will live in the present and find what I can enjoy there."  Courage to Change (p. 195)

"Sun sets; Day's done - Reflections fade; Had I won?"
"Relationships measure; Lasting stuff - Love lasts; It's enough."   Am I a Poet?

June 23rd - Being Honest with Me

The story...

Much of my life was spent trying to change me in ways that'd: satisfy my ego; protect me from harm; experience love; feed my economic engine; provide me with comfortable stuff; get along with others; or to scratch that "itch."  Maybe I could've worked out that plan without the power of God if circumstances and random variables would've gone my way?  

I remember hearing that my sin separated me from a relationship with the Creator of all things - I was 7 or 8 years old and I was listening to a loving-old woman tell me this "truth," using a flannelgraph, at a neighbors house.  She asked if anybody wanted to come up front and receive God's gift of forgiveness and restoration.  I must have recognized the "iniquity" in my life - my heart and mind wanting good yet behaving differently.  I was the sole hearer to come up to the front to make a profession of faith.  It may've been a divine appointment.  What actually happened there is both mysterious and wonderful - the trajectory of my life changed.

The flannelgraph told "The" story in a more colorful way

I experienced the fleeting pleasures of sin yet attempted to serve even as an "Acolyte" lighting candles in church.  At 15, I made a promise to God that I'd serve him if he saved me from a predicament.  At 21, I felt brokenness and earnestly read the four Gospels during the summer of 1980.  I was surprised to hear who Jesus the Christ was.  I ask my Mom: "Why didn't anyone tell me this before?"  My mom replied something like: "Oh you heard all those stories in church and Sunday school..."  God took the reins of my life thereafter and seemed to have orchestrated my life as though I was living out a role in some sort of play - I did my part and things seemed to work their way out.

My personal book of life records: hope, faith, drifting, achievement, disappointment, joy, success, failure, love, hurt, friendships, and an increasingly closer walk/relationship with my Creator.  I've experienced much through the grace of God - I'm so thankful for all of my life experiences.  He drew me closer and closer to Him and my capacity to love God, myself, and others has grown too.  I stand thankful for my faith in God - right with Him in Christ - the Bible told me so. 

Just for today...

"The courage to be honest with ourselves is one quality we can cultivate to help our spiritual growth."  Courage to Change (p. 175)

Stewart, J. S. (1935). A man in Christ: The vital elements of St. Paul’s religion. 

"We're all different; Want the same - Wanna please; Know our name."
"Give up trying; Right with Him - Quietly fruitful;  Freed from sin."    Am I a Poet?

June 9th - What does it mean to be good?

The story...

"Rommel, you're such a good boy."  I must've heard words like that, directed toward me, but I don't recall them.  If I did, I'm not sure what those words would've meant.  They likely would've meant that I was respectful, obedient, trustworthy, helpful ...  Wait a second! That sounds like the Boy Scout law:

 "A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent."

How does that compare with what God says is good?

"He has told you, mortal one, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8 (NASB)

The difference may be that the first one is a law, that boys are asked to strive toward, and the second requires walking humbly with God in a loving manner.  How do I work out my life humbly - walking rightly with God and loving my neighbors?  God is holy and I'm not.  I was born selfish with a heart that's like an idol factory.  Those idols were barriers between me and my relationship with God.

Message to me on a felt board as a 7 yr. old - I believed it.

As I grow older, through the seasons of life, I'm walking closer with God.  Our relationship seems to bear His fruit - scripture says fruit's born through the Spirit of Christ who indwells me as a Christ one.  Yes, I've put my faith in the Son of God and His great redemptive work.  My old nature tempts me to idolize my own fantasy, where I may waste my: precious time, relationships, financial power, and even emotions.  I'm positioned complete in Christ and without Him I'm wandering through life towards...

People within the only church in town would witness people walking humbly with God with loving hearts.  They'd witness some Christ ones resting in peace through life's trials and sufferings as they journey toward separation from their body.  They'll likely see the gap between their own reality and what God said they can be.  God, the vine dresser, growing people in Christ (John 15:1-5).

Just for today...

"'The last thing I need is to be more humble.' Hadn't I been humble all my life, putting everyone's needs ahead of my own? . . . I had confused humility with humiliation . . . humility, I discovered, is the ability to see my true relationship to God and to my fellow human beings."  Courage to Change (p. 161)

"What wonderful things could happen in my life if I could get rid of my natural impulse to justify my actions! . . . Being honest isn't easy . . . I know that self-deception multiplies my problems."  One Day at a Time (p. 161)

"'I was afraid to say what was on my mind or in my heart for fear of being ridiculed, shunned, or criticized . . .  Now I have a reputation for being direct, honest, and open . . . I can let others know how I think and feel . . . I have a right to share what is in my mind and heart."  Hope for Today (p. 161) 

"You're a good boy; Momma said - I did bad; Was she wrong?"
"She wanted better; Both her and me - Imagined truth; Just ain't real."
"God sees me good; Thru His son - Peacefully believing; Son in son."   Am I a Poet?

May 31st - Dents and Stains Redeemed

The story...

I bought a new black Datsun 310 in 1981.  My best friend and his wife were my first riders.  He stepped in some kind of grease before sitting in the car - the 6" grease spot stayed on the carpet until the day I sold it.  

Then, you could drive fast in Tennessee without the worry of a speeding ticket.  When the car was a couple months old, I hit a guardrail while joy riding - the dented-rear fender stayed on the car until the day I sold it.

I moved the car to Ohio and Michigan before finally selling it - bought a new red Honda.  Years later, I found that Datsun in a junk yard, the greased-stained carpet and dented fender were still there - evidence. 

The dent's on the other side...

I try and sometimes make mistakes.  I want to be accepted and loved by other people.  Yet, they sometimes reject me or demean me by making light of me or my accomplishments - wounded pride.  In close relationships, I show my flaws and risk being hurt.  I can either hide my dents and stains or I can fully place my value in my relationship with my Creator - the only place where I must be truly okay.  He loves me just the way I am because He redeemed me - I'm His in Christ.  Scripture, my life walk, and His Spirit at work in me, confirm that I'm right with Him - even with my dents and stains.

I've skills and abilities; yet, I'm incomplete - I need our Creator and the group to walk through life rightly.  You can find a flawed, yet redeemed, group like that within the only church in town - show up.

Just for today...

"The world cannot be discovered by a journey of miles . . . only by a spiritual journey . . . by which we arrive at the ground at our feet, and learn to be at home."  Wendell Berry

"My self-esteem diminished whenever I made a mistake, didn't know something I was expected to know, did something wrong, or when something I unintentionally did or said ended up hurting someone . . . I believed my mistakes were proof of my failure at the one thing I was supposed to accomplish - perfection."  Hope for Today (p. 152)

"Old-pant fray; Saturday bliss - Friendly shirt; Just can't miss."
"Time to change; Friends you know - Dress up right; Ready for show."    Am I a Poet?

May 30th - Does it Seem Wrong to Be Kind to Yourself?

The story...

Are there good guys and bad guys in life?  Or, are we all under the curse of sin and death - bad guys?

I recently met a really good person who remembers only a few times when she rebelled against authority and acted out badly.  She seems compliant and appears to genuinely care for and love other people.  I've met other people who seem rebellious by nature and challenge most direction and attempts to control them - started as a baby and never stopped.  Personally, I tend to fall on the rebellious side of the continuum. 

On May 7, 1931, the most sensational manhunt New York City had ever known had come to its climax.

After weeks of search, "Two Gun" Crowley - the killer, the gunman who didn't smoke or drink - was at bay, trapped in his sweetheart's apartment on West End Avenue. One hundred and fifty policemen and detectives laid siege to his top floor hideaway. They chopped holes in the roof; they tried to smoke out Crowley, the "cop killer," with teargas. Then they mounted their machine guns on surrounding buildings, and for more than an hour one of New York's fine residential areas reverberated with the crack of pistol fire and the rut-tat-tat of machine guns. Crowley, crouching behind an over-stuffed chair, fired incessantly at the police. Ten thousand excited people watched the battle. Nothing like it ever been seen before on the sidewalks of New York.

When Crowley was captured, Police Commissioner E. P. Mulrooney declared that the two-gun desperado was one of the most dangerous criminals ever encountered in the history of New York.

"He will kill," said the Commissioner, "at the drop of a feather." But how did "Two Gun" Crowley regard himself? We know, because while the police were firing into his apartment, he wrote a letter addressed "To whom it may concern, " And, as he wrote, the blood flowing from his wounds left a crimson trail on the paper. In this letter Crowley said: "Under my coat is a weary heart, but a kind one - one that would do nobody any harm."

A short time before this, Crowley had been having a necking party with his girl friend on a country road out on Long Island. Suddenly a policeman walked up to the car and said: "Let me see your license." Without saying a word, Crowley drew his gun and cut the policeman down with a shower of lead. As the dying officer fell, Crowley leaped out of the car, grabbed the officer's revolver, and fired another bullet into the prostrate body. And that was the killer who said: "Under my coat is a weary heart, but a kind one - one that would do nobody any harm. '

 How to Win Friends And Influence People, Dale Carnegie

Scripture says that all men and women are unholy and separated from our Holy Creator by our selfish nature, our iniquity, and the sin that oozes out.   We'd all remain separate from God, during this life and throughout eternity, unless God redeemed and reconciled us.  Humans can enter their most important relationship with Him solely based on being identified with Christ and the atoning work He performed through His shed blood and resurrection.  He did the heavy lifting and died for our sin - He paid our debt.  Yes, we can be holy in the site of God in Christ.

Should I beat myself up for not being consistently good?  No.  I can walk each day loving God and my neighbor as myself based on the great work that God's done on my behalf and His presence in my life.  Wow, I can truly rest in the goodness of God.  I can be kind to myself just as I am - praise God.

How would the only church in town accept a rebellious man within their congregation?  I expect that they'd start with acknowledging that they're all somewhere on the rebellion-compliance continuum and that they all need the gift of God's grace daily.

Just for today...

"If I am hard on myself, I can stop and remember that I deserve gentleness and understanding from myself.  Being human is not a character defect!  Today I will be gentle with my humanness."  Courage to Change (p. 151)

"I gotta itch; Wanna give in. - He offers peace; Fruit-less sin."
"Kindness is best; Comfortable with me - He's the power; Prayerfyly see."   Am I a Poet?

May 24th - Shine the Light on Gossip

The story...

As a manager, I felt the need to "help" others find a solution to their problems and improve along the way.  When attempting to "fix" their problem, I sometimes mentioned another person's similar situation and retold how they worked through a solution that might apply in their situation.  I "did this" to a friend who worked for me and he later returned with the following helpful feedback:  "When you told me the story about my co-worker, I realized that you might say similar stories about me.  I lost trust in you - don't expect me to share much with you in the future."  The feedback was valuable yet it hurt - my behavior damaged a relationship and I had to admit that I was gossiping - ugh. 

I did this

I could've been a better listener and asked questions that might've helped the other person work out their own solutions.  The idea might've been indirectly brought into conversation without referencing another person.  A more respectful approach likely would've been more helpful.

Does this diabolical urge to fix, manage, and control other people somehow link with the pride of life and the "itch" to gossip?  It's all bad.  I wish I'd have shown every co-worker enough respect to never say anything about them that I'd not have said if they were present in the room. 

Gossip will be part of the only church in town.  People will feel hurt when a confidential matter's disclosed in public - reputations tarnished.  Trust is broken and the community begins to rust.  Gossiping is a harmful sin that points to a bad heart.  The Apostle Paul spoke to it directly:  Romans 1:29; 2 Corinthians 12:20; 1 Timothy 5:13; and 2 Thessalonians 3:11.  Within the only church in town, the preacher would speak God's revealed word before the community to shine "light" on gossip and expose sin's corroding effects.

Just for today...

"I will no longer hold a conversation about someone who isn't physically present in the room . . . Now we discuss our feelings about subjects applying only to us . . . Refraining from gossip and criticism keeps me focused on myself, and firmly established in reality."  Hope for Today (p. 145)

"Life contains but two tragedies. One is not to get your heart's desire; the other is to get it."  Socrates

"He did what?, They really did? - Hurtful words; Scarred and hid."    Am I a Poet?

May 22nd - Wonderful Grace

The story...

I remember Bill Job, a man who discipled me, explaining the concept of grace.  "Didn't anybody tell you?"  It happened at Big Ed's Pizza in Oak Ridge, TN.  We'd driven down to TN from OH during a search for truth.  We needed an answer to the legalism that was being pressed down upon us.  He handed us a small book about the grace of God.  The book seemed almost mystical - it answered the lingering inner-man questions that held me in turmoil.  Years later, I looked for that "mystical" answer book yet was unable to find it - the secret wasn't really from that small book.  The small book pointed to God's revealed truth about the grace of God found in a relationship abiding with the Son of God - freedom to live the good life.

Three Monkeys

The people within the only church in town would be described as graceful.  The grace of God would be taught and worked out through those abiding in Christ.  People would learn and experience the love of the Lord their God with all their heart, strength, and mind.  And, they'd learn to love their neighbor as themselves too.

Just for today...

"Only when I risk taking a close look at myself can my fears give way to the truth: As a child of God, I am all I need to be - loving, lovable, and splendid."  Courage to Change (p. 143)

"I know that God loves me just the way I am - a work in progress . . . If I start feeling emptiness and shame, I know I've crossed back to that place of isolation."  Hope for Today (p. 143)

"Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so; Little ones to Him belong; We are weak but He is strong."   Anna Bartlett Warner, 1860

May 20th - The Marriage Contract

The story...

I'm so thankful for my life partner - she said yes 💖.  The marriage contract is a wonderful thing - to love each other, just as we are and will be, till death do we part.  She teaches me to love a bit more each day - I'm so thankful for her...

A marriage contract might work out otherwise.  Meat Loaf sang a wonderful duet "Paradise By The Dashboard Lights."  The protagonist is obsessively thinking and lusting over the girl.  She agrees with the caveat: "yes or no? . . . I gotta know right now . . . Will you make me happy the rest of my life? . . . Will you love me forever?"  He swears on his mother's grave that he'll love her till the end of time - he signs the contract.  Then he prays for the end of time so he can end his time with her.  He'll never break his promise or end his vow.

His relationship didn't seem sustainable.  Love's veiled promise unfulfilled.  Yet, he doesn't break his promise - he suffers along.  What'll he find when he enters the doors of the only church in town?  Justification for divorce, new ways for coping, a diversion, or a new method for changing her?

Within the only church in town, he'd learn about the potential death of his old nature - co-crucified and risen with the Son of God.  He can be free from the tyrannical rule of self -  a new man by the Power of God - yet the contract remains.  Rather than trying to convince her to change, she witnesses the power of God's transformation and may allow God to perform a great work within her heart too.  God does the heavy lifting - there's nothing we can do but trust Him and watch Him work - wow...

Wouldn't that be a great ending stanza to that song?  I don't think so - the song's too good the way it is.  Do you have a favorite song of transformation?  

Just for today...

"Before obsessive thinking takes hold, there is usually a point at which I have to make a choice.  I can opt to mentally toy with a subject that has held my mind hostage in the past or..."  Courage to Change (p. 121)

"Serenity is not abut the end of pain.  It's about my ability to flourish peacefully no matter what life brings my way."  Hope for Today (p. 141)

Lust, forgetful of future suffering, hurries us along the forbidden path."  Claudius Claudianus

"Momma loved me; Flawed but true - Soulmate wanted; Had no clue."
"Disillusion-ally sad; Drew within - God took me; Redeemed my sin."    Am I a Poet?

May 19th - Fear and Hope - Opposites

The story...

I'm sitting in a pew listening to the call to fear and worry.  "Expect to be persecuted . . . this is no longer the nation where we grew up."  "Batten down the hatches - a storm's brewing!"  This seems to be the opposite of hope in God, the Creator, and His revealed plans for His creatures.

I'm not prone to fear; yet, I've been afraid.  I don't know what it's like to face the world with expectations of doom and gloom.  Sure, I've enjoyed reasonably good health and insurance too.  More of my investments have been profitable than unprofitable.  I've never gone hungry, or been homeless, unless I placed myself in a situation where that was part of the plan.  I'm thankful that, but for the grace of God, I'm not the worrying, less hopeful, sort.

I'm truly thankful with great hope for the future.  I appreciate the eternal life perspective that I was taught and worked into my reality by faith - faith in the Holy One who redeems His creatures so that they're found in Him through Christ.  I think that my inner-man, heart, is secure yet storms and trials will come...  This post seems like a long string of "I" statements.  I'd rather be in a place where "I" focused more on others and the communities that we actually live in.

Manhood - by Thomas Cole

The only church in town would be a group that's sustained by hope within the promises and upheld Hand of God.  Yes, Alan Jackson would be welcome to sing of the power in the blood of the Christ in the only church in town.

Just for today...

"The future - even as close as tomorrow - is a closed book.  We cannot know what it holds, and the more we look for disaster, the more we invite it . . . This is something only God knows..." One Day at a Time (p. 140)

"Wasn't I comparing my insides to other people's outsides . . . If I compare, I lose.  Maybe I'll come out feeling better than somebody this time, but next time I'm bound to feel worse."  Courage to Change (p. 140)

"They've got that; I'm this way - We don't fit; This they say."
"We're all moving; A path we're sold - Ready or not; Truth be told!"    Am I a Poet?

May 10th: Peace in the present

 The story...

It seems that people would want to be at peace with themselves and with others - some tried in the anti-war peace movement in the 1960s.  Yet: people disappoint or hurt us; resources are limited; suffering occurs; our decisions have consequences; we hear of daily acts of violence; God's will is different from ours...

I decided to make a concerted effort to promote peace within my family by giving every member a "Peace Frog" t-shirt for Christmas.  I really didn't wear the one pictured below.  I don't think that my family members wore theirs either.  Actually, I merely wore my peace shirt underneath a sweater.  It felt good to sport it without blaring the message towards others.

Humans don't seem peaceful by nature.  Efforts toward an imagined ideal seem good; yet, reality seems to be the better place to live.  Scripture shines light of truth regarding who God is; how we creatures can rightly relate with Him; and promise for our future with Him in Christ.  When we creatures are at peace with our Holy Creator, He indwells us in the person of the Holy Spirit.  Through Him, we're able to bear peace like an apple tree bears apples.

I 'm often surprised when I witness community peace worked out under the light of day.  People would witness and enjoy that kind of peace within the only church in town.  I want to hang out in a place like that - "Right On!"

Shalom

Just for today...

"My unexpected situation turned into a pleasure-filled gift, once I was willing to look at it differently." Hope for Today (p. 131)

"He that is in perfect peace suspects no one, but he that is discontented and disturbed is tossed about with various suspicions..."  Thomas à Kempis

"Peace be real; Lovin still - Livin together; This we will."   Am I a Poet?

April 28th - Father Knows Best

The story...

There was a radio, later tv, show called Father Knows Best.  It was popular, a theme of goodness for the 40's and 50's culture.  I'm glad that I had a dad who was wise and trustworthy.  He lived out a code that provided structure and boundaries for my growth.  He was a good man yet he didn't really know best - he knew good.  I'm so thankful that he was my dad.  He was a human who was created in the image of God; yet, he was blessed and flawed like the rest of us.

I thought that my dad was the best dad.  I remember the first time that I heard two of his sisters complaining about him, describing him negatively.  I heard them as I unintentionally eavesdropped outside the door.  It happened at a reception following my grandfather's funeral - the family's world was being torn asunder before "re-norming."  I was shocked and immediately distrusted his two sisters.  Yet, the experience opened the door to the idea that my dad was flawed.  "Might his sisters be right?"  

We know that everybody has strengths and weaknesses yet pride and suffering can move people toward isolation.  A response to rejection might be to grab your toys and go home - to isolate and protect self. 

When a person's isolation turns into brokenness, where do they go?  Who do they call?  I hope that they'd call, be invited to, or be brought to the only church in town.  There, they'd find the value of community - a community of hope!  A close friend might be found their too - the kind that you might walk and grow side-by-side with.  Together they'll have hope in their Father who does know what's best for His creation.  He is "That Than Which There is No Greater."

Just for today...

"Praying for my will to be done often led me to pain, trouble and confusion . . . God sees the whole picture."  Hope for Today (p. 119)

"I could bring myself to a brighter view of life if I weren't always feeling sorry for myself; despair is often a mask for self-pity."  One Day at a Time (p. 119)

"The best; Or nothing - His motto; Each day."
"Opine away; Judge all - They're stupid; I'm okay."
"Laugh at; Look down - Draw back; Stay away."
"Lonely; Afraid - Unloved; Distant."                            Am I a Poet?

April 26th - Humility

The story...

I was 23 years old and my feet hurt; so, I went to a podiatrist for help.  He explained that my body structure caused me to walk in a manner that caused pain.  He recommended I wear orthotics, to align my body; if, I wanted to continue doing the things I liked to do.  I said: "Tell me how to walk right and I'll walk right."  The doctor paused, probably grimaced, and said: "Friend, you have another problem that's bigger than your feet."  

Micah 6:8 says that a good life is found walking humbly with God.  I expect that the admonishment is not to "try" to walk humbly with God, rather to "actually" walk humbly with God.  This transformation has to be a great work of God in a person's inner self - there's no way that I could make that kind of change on my own.  God did the work so that I might walk humbly with Him - an honest appreciation of self.  No matter how hard we try, we can't be good enough to walk closely and humbly/honestly with God - our sin nature and God's Holiness don't fit together - like oil and water.  Walking humbly with God... what a wonderful way to be - being truthful with me.

Tadeusz Gorecki, Humility

The only church in town would frequently present the gospel truth.  The person whose trusting in their own good works would hear about both the futility of "trying" to control their own sin and about God's great redeeming work for them in Christ.  They may react with surprise and great relief.   Then they'd witness transformed people living out a right relationship with God in Christ.  Pilgrim, how's your life progressing?

Just for today...

"I've always had a prideful, exaggerated  sense of my abilities, assuming I could do anything and knew the right answers to everyone's questions . . .  I offended  many people with my opinionated, know-it-all manner . . . This new relationship with God, who knows best, invited me to rethink my position in life; it also invited me to consider the concept of humbleness."  Hope for Today (p. 117)

"A good boy; My momma say - Fully proud; Went new way."
"Humbled in Christ; Peace at last -  Loved and loving; Washed the past."    Am I a Poet?

April 14th - Stinking Thinking

The story...

When things were going bad at work, I'd here myself saying "I'm going to quit..."  I even replayed that same mental tape after I'd left that company - moved on.  Stinking thinking seems to be recorded on a set of virtual tapes that I'm able to replay unconsciously.  Sounds like I am, or was, a victim of "stinking thinking."

Proverbs 23:7 says "as a man thinks, so he is."  I expect that most of us would agree with this verse yet some may feel they're victims to their past, limitations, other people, and life circumstances.  They're left with no choice - they've lost their opportunity for happiness.  How can they think differently about their same reality?

If you aren't satisfied with your thinking, you might research Joni Eareckson Tada's life reality, read about Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret, or listen to what Thomas Merton experienced in  "No Man is an Island."  Yet, scripture says that we must be redeemed or renewed - true freedom from "self" and self's "stinking thinking."

Haven't read - title seems "right on."

The only church in town will point all to the Christ.  They'll absorb the gospel truth about Who He is, what He's provided for each of us, and How we can be redeemed - brought close to Him (NASB, 1 Corinthians 15: 1-11). 

Just for today...

"When 'stinking thinking' takes hold of me, I must do more than just dismiss the negative thoughts . . . Today I'm going to pay close attention to what I tell myself.  If necessary, I'll stop in mid-thought, start over, and replace negative illusions with positive truths."  Courage to Change (p. 105) 

"Feel rejected; Not okay - Left out; Blown away."
"Do your part; Act their play - They're just fine; In the way."
"Stay home; Away from hurt - Slowly sinking; They're pert."
"God loves me; This I know - There to thrive; Outta the show."    Am I a Poet?

April 13th - Renewal

The story...

The epic human story is about creation, curse, toil, patience, love, mercy, grace, warnings, repentance, relenting, judgment, and renewal.   Retelling the story must include the Author and Creator - "That than Which There is No Greater."  It seems that the question of the fairness of reality must be paired with the question as to whether God's thoughts can be our thoughts.  We're creatures - He's our Creator.

The Old Testament and New Testament speak of renewal.  The renewal of all things.  There will be an all knowing, loving, Ruler who will administer perfectly.  All people offered the safe and blessed hope of renewal.

Spring is a time that shouts renewal.  The annual growth plan awaits the earth's tilt on it's axis - sun shinning more on our hemisphere - warming up.  New life and beauty will surely "pop"- renewal!

The only church in town will have parts of the Easter renewal message preached frequently.   All men will hear about our renewal in Christ - freedom from the bondage of self rule and condemnation.  Then they might walk peacefully and joyfully among the tulips - no need to tip toe.  Even the inevitable sufferings of life will bring them closer to their Savior and Redeemer in thankfulness.  Praise God for springtime and renewal.

Just for today...

"Whether I accept or turn down a request, agree or disagree with someone's point of view, I can still treat the other person with respect and courtesy.  I can say, 'No,' as gently an lovingly as I can say, 'Yes'."  Courage to Change (p. 104)

"I always acted on my anxiety, and I was forever reacting.  Most times my reactions came in the form of blaming, running, or freezing.  When I blamed others, I didn't have to feel my deep sense of shame."  Hope for Today (p. 104)

"Keep in mind that we can live only in the present and that all the rest of life is either past or uncertain." One Day at a Time (p. 104)

"Earth tilts; Warms a season - Life abounds; Creation's reason."    Am I a Poet?

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?  Why do I do what I don't want to do?  The only church in town has answers.  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)

"I wanna be true, to the man inside;  Wanna be better, I choose different."  Am I a Poet?

February 4th - Creeds - what we believe?

The story...

My third pastor selected responsive readings from the back of the hymnal.  He might've inserted them in order to: support his sermon message; teach about God; confirm church doctrine; be obedient to a prompting from the Spirit of Christ; or maybe it was just what a good pastor did.  Whatever his reasons, I felt an internal conflict while chanting back those responsive readings along with the crowd.  I felt conflicted when voicing and repeating things that I didn't understand well.  I don't remember thinking the professions untrue - I felt more like a charlatan airing things that may not be true.  Sometimes I was silent - listening while the congregation 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 produces by trying.  When the Sprit of God seems the source of fruit, produced through me, I'm more "okay."

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

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)

"If we don't believe Him; we've got the problem - With gospel faith; heaven rejoices."  Am I a Poet?

January 26th - BRAGG had the secrets for living the "good" life???

The story...

In the 1980's, my grandmother shared a guide that she found helpful and supportive of the good life that she planned to work out in her latter years.  She may've been questioning the reliability of the author's advise when she shared it with me - I remember being more than a tad skeptical.  I do know that she walked to the mailbox, about a mile round trip every day, to stay in the necessary shape to live alone in her farm house.  I expect that she wanted to pass on her passion and commitment for staying physically well and active throughout life - she gave me her underlined copy with her name written in the front - I doubt she bought another copy.

Paul C. Bragg - Life Extension Specialist

Paul C. Bragg claimed he had the secrets for living the good healthy life yet his credentials and claims are suspect.  His reality doesn't seem to warrant being the object of a man or woman's faith.

The only church in town will introduce you to their Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ - the Messiah.  He has the the credentials and the power of resurrection - a restored relationship with God that will last forever.  I hope that He is, or will be, the object of your faith.

Just for today...

"For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daughters of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him."  Romans 8:14-17 (NASB)

January 19th - Virtual bars of guilt and shame

The story...

When I was little guy hanging onto my mother's dress in the grocery store, I was tempted to take a piece of penny candy from one of those huge bins.  One day I made the decision, let go of my momma's dress, looked around, picked up the candy, stuffed it in my pocket, and sweated through the long checkout line.  This is the first deliberate sin that I remember.  I felt guilt and shame - it certainly didn't end there.

Where's the record of the good and bad that I'm responsible for?  God is all knowing; the government keeps a record; the old performance reviews are archived or trashed; some people have a fuzzy sense of opinion along with memories of a few critical incidents; yet, most of it remains within my own psyche.  Some memories might trigger needed forgiveness and restoration; yet, most of them are self imposed guilt and shame that's rotting somewhere within the back of my mind.  Might the joke be on us for holding on, suppressing, reinterpreting, or periodically magnifying the bad parts of us?

The only church in town will preach and teach that sin is a significant barrier between us and God.  In fact, His Word says that we can't have a right relationship with Him due to our sin.  Worse yet, there's nothing we can do about it - we were born that way.  We must be reborn spiritually - old man dead and our new man positioned "in Christ."  This "Good News" is good because God provided the way to be restored both for this life and for all eternity too - true freedom from the penalty of sin.  He did the heavy lifting - we need to believe Him, trust Him, and live that truly good life in Christ.

Just for today...

"I used to live in my own little prison, locked in by my feelings of hatred and shame. Now I'm free."  Hope for Today (p. 19)

"Today I seek to become a little more accepting of myself, a little more comfortable in my own skin . . . I will remember to be gentle with myself today, trusting that the healing will come." Courage to Change (p. 19)

"Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus at night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus responded and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  John 3:1-3 (NASB)

January 11th - Accepted just as I am

The story...

Please read the welcoming statement that I delivered at my mother's memorial service.  The service was scheduled for Saturday, January 13th, at 2:00pm.

"Welcome to this service where we will be honoring and celebrating the life of our mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend.  Each of our relationships with her was different yet she significantly affected us all.  We’ll all have a chance to share our own experiences either within the service or with each other.  For me, a momma’s boy, she showed a loving sort of grace throughout all my comings and goings.  She was the only person, with skin on ‘em, that loved me no matter what.  Even when she didn’t like what I was doing or saying, I could get up close, smile, stare into her pupils, kiss her hand, and spread my arms out wide and she would drop her airs, smile and we were okay together.  I witnessed grace consistently, only from my momma.  I mean no disrespect to any of you who love me - it was just different with my Mother.  With everybody else, it’s been kind of conditional.  And today we’ll be praising God for the grace that was extended to my Momma, by God, through the great work of Christ when He shed his blood for the forgiveness of our sins that once separated us from God.  Her faith rested in God and not in herself - in the last years she prayed frequently for His help to endure a struggle like standing up from a chair.  That’s why I’m wearing this red tie - to remind us of the blood of Christ - the only reason I and you are right with God."

You can find unconditional love within the only church in town - throughout this life and infinity.

"To infinity and beyond!"

Just for today...

"I am accepted just as I am. I never have to pretend, or wear a mask over my feelings . . . In my new family, love is not a point system. I don't have to earn love from others - it's given freely as a gift."  Courage to Change (p. 11)

January 4th - My thinking propels me towards...

The story...

In 1983, I wanted a 1976, Volvo 240.  I researched, stared at the photos, imagined what it would be like to own one, and was convinced that it was the best possible car I could afford.  I sought it out and found it for sale from an ex-U of M football player.  I even ignored the guys wife asking: "do you like to work on cars?" The only part of the car that was good was my admiring how good my wife looked driving it home - that first day.

Where does my thinker want to send me?  My self-absorbed nature wants to take me towards comfort, praise, security, affirming group-think, competition, awards, legacy, pleasure, and admiration as I gaze into the mirror.  My spirit desires a loving and right relationship with my Creator, the giving and receiving of love from others, honest and open relationships with close friends, continuing growth within my community, and the fruit of the indwelling Spirit of God being born without my trying to produce them.  The different types of fruit from the Spirit may be found in Galatians 5:22-24.

A wise man knows where to go and how to get there.  First, he's gotta know where he is and what state is most desirable.  That means he's got to know what condition his condition is in.  He knows that he doesn't know what he doesn't know so he seeks the truth.  How will I know if and when my thinking patterns are aiming and propelling me to a destination where I don't wanna go?

The only church in town will introduce people to the Word of God and how they might develop a saving, active, and eternal loving relationship with their Creator, their Sustainer, in Christ.  God's Spirit will produce fruit within the lives of those who are His - the evidence of the "good life" that you may be unaware of, seeking or enjoying.  Why not come to God's table, enjoy the good stuff, and share it with others?  I hope that you don't try to satisfy yourself by merely hoping for it, reading about it, trying to do it on your own, or admiring it worked out within other people's lives.

Just for today...

"My own way of thinking deceives me. I can see but a little way."  One Day at a Time (p. 4)

"When I admit that my life is unmanageable, I don't admit that I am a bad person. In my attempts to maintain the delusion of exercising power where I am powerless, my life has become disorderly."  Hope for Today (p. 4)

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,"  Galatians 5:22-24 (NASB)