Going For A Ride

When I was a kid I had a friend that told me about the morning her parents shook her awake on a school day announcing a surprise. She didn't have to go to school that day. They were going on a trip! She jumped out of bed, got dressed, ate breakfast and piled her things into the car with great excitement. After getting all settled in, her parents STILL wouldn't tell her where they were going. All she knew was that she was going for a ride and she was going to LOVE IT. With every insistent "how much further, Daddy" that she giggled, the destination remained a secret. With every guess of where they were going, her Dad responded with the usual Dad clichés, "You'll see when we get there,"  "My lips are sealed" and "Uh, I think it's time we play the quiet game, now."

She never once asked, "Do you have enough gas, Daddy?"  "Did you bring enough money?" She was never in the slightest bit worried about her Dad's ability to think of the details. Therefore, she never felt the need to know those details. She never worried and the journey still turned out to be exceptional. The journey, the destination and the anticipation was meant to be thrilling. Her parents planned the whole exciting package with the intention of making memories.

This story has always reminded me of how our Lord likes to see us thrilled with his adventures. His adventures are our adventures. We do not, will not, know where he is taking us. He invites us and we can go if we want.  Who wouldn't want to go, anyway!  He drives the car and we can pester him with quirky questions. It can't get better than that.

BTW, my friend's surprise was the amusement park with extended family members. I was very jealous.  :-)

The Rock and a hard place

After living for several years in a lakeside community filled with marinas, boats, jet skis and plenty of sand, I can understand how it feels to be at the edge with the waves lapping at my feet. One can contemplate as the waves slap against rocks, look over the horizon to daydream about the future, or think about the past. You can jump into a boat and scurry along with the wind in your hair and the sun on your face or you can jump into the water for a refreshing dunk. There are just so many options.

Sometimes, though, we stand at the edge of life. There are decisions to make and emotions are in high gear. We are stuck between that rock and the hard place with no way out. Where are the options now? Humm.. you could pray. Many people think that praying is a last and final option, when there is no more hope in getting out from that hard place. You can hear them say pitifully, “Well, we can only pray” as they grit their teeth and brace for the worst.

HOWEVER, praying must be our FIRST defense. We must pray continuously, as part of the fabric of our daily lives and routine. Before we have no where to turn, we must ready ourselves spiritually. We must always be prepared for the troubles that can crop up at any time while giving praise for the good times. With continuous prayer we have peace before we need it. We have laid the foundation and strong walls of a fortress. We have quick access to the One with the answers.

Close your eyes and just say “Thank You, Lord.” Talk to Him as if He was your closest friend. Chit chat with Him. Be honest with Him. After all, He already knows your heart.

He knows about the hard places you will run into and that rock you are stuck behind. He knows the way around it. Just ask. Believe He will answer. The Rock knows. He has brought you to this place safely so far and He will continue. He never leaves business unfinished.

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” http://bible.com/111/1SA7.12.NIV

Brick Work

My dad was an Irish bricklayer. His father and grandfather before him had been bricklayers, too. It’s a tough job lifting bricks all day, many times bent from the waist for hours, and usually in the hot sun.  

But when the project was done my dad could stand back with the crew and admire the beautiful brick building that would stand firm for over a hundred years.

Laying brick isn’t for wimps but being the bricklayer’s slave, a Hod Carrier, is even worse.  The Hod Carrier has one of the hardest jobs in the world. Lugging piles of bricks without breaking them, mixing mortar and cleaning up the site, the Hod Carriers are the concierges of the construction world and the scum of the earth at the same time. They fetch ANYTHING the King Bricklayer requests and bricklayers LOVE to put the Hod Carriers through their paces. Often practical jokes are played on the poor unsuspecting youths who, at first, want nothing more than to please their boss. The job is like a never-ending fraternity Hell Week… at least until a new guy comes along.  If these lowly men are tough and survive the torment, they could request to learn the bricklaying trade themselves and move up a notch in the food chain.

My dad's lifestyle reflected the tough, hard drinking, foul-mouthed Irish bricklayer stereotype. Sharp as a tack and with a wit about him, my dad, the Shark, could count cards, remain stone-faced and wipe the poker table with his opponents.  He was a tenacious scrapper because he had to be. It was a matter of survival. That’s the way it was.

As a child he was orphaned and homeless during the great depression. He wandered the streets by himself at age eight looking for the usual things…food and a place to sleep.  He became a tiny businessman retrieving outdated bags of potato chips from the dumpster and selling them on the street. He once threw a rock through a store window just so he could get arrested and spend time in a warm bed.  About this time he was taken in to an orphanage but he hated it so much that he eventually ran away. He'd rather be on the streets.

One day my dad came across a gentleman working in his garden and stood there for a while watching. (He was probably conspiring how he could steal some food.) When the Man looked up and saw this filthy kid staring at him, he was not repulsed, but instead, was filled with sympathy. The Man was able to look past the surface grime and into heart of that ragamuffin child. I’m not sure of all the details, but soon afterward, the Man requested legal guardianship and my dad was invited to stay.

Dad was made to go to school again. In fact he was pushed to complete 2 grades during the first year. He also had to choose which church he wanted to attend….and he HAD to attend somewhere.  Then, of course, there were the chores; yard work, kitchen duty and babysitting the bratty niece. The Man was mild mannered. He spoke kindly, but firmly. It was the first time my dad felt complete. He had a roof over his head, plenty of food to eat and a home where there was understanding, guidance and discipline. He was loved. He swore he would never be homeless or go hungry again.

Then the day came when the courts released my dad from guardianship. With no job prospects and being intensely independent, the next step was only logical. Forgery.

Actually, it was rather common place during the war for underage boys to forge the birth date on their birth certificate to join the military, and the desperate recruiters turned a blind eye. Therefore, at age 14 my dad enlisted in the Navy and fought alongside full grown men on naval battleships for 2 years and six months. By the time he was 18 and released from the military, working as a Hod Carrier seemed rather tame.  

It's all in the perspective.

When I think about how that Man loved my father with such great compassion and commitment, I see a picture of what our Lord is like. Christ sees us hiding behind the bushes, hungry, and with mud on our face. He knows our clothes are in shambles and our shoes are two sizes too big. We are orphaned and foul-mouthed. Yet, without judgment in his eyes and with a kindhearted reach, Christ invites us to his home. He gently pulls us out of our pile of broken bricks and sets us up on the foundation that will last.  As we stand back and observe the Work through His eyes, we see with a different perspective.

Ephesians 2:19

You're no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You're no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home….Now he's using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. (The Message)

The Plan

My dad had been a schemer. A planner. A people reader. He had to be to stay ahead of the game and to put food on the table. I don't think he ever indulged himself by dreaming that one day he could be white collar or a business owner. He knew he was just a plain old working stiff. Nope, he just needed enough of a plan to survive. 

In 1945 Dad was released from the Navy and had already planned his next step. He went back to his hometown and connected with old friends. Soon he had a decent paying job as a hod carrier, just as he had hoped. A couple of years after that, he worked his way into the bricklaying trade. It was hard and dirty work but the money was good. After years of lugging brick and mortar around and building walls of concrete blocks, my dad decided he should take the next logical step and learn how to be an estimator. There wasn’t a school to go to for learning the finer points of estimating jobs, so he sought out knowledgeable men and began networking with them. A few months into learning the basics of estimating and convincing someone to give him experience, an out of state construction company hired him. Dad moved his family of four to the new location with anticipation and he was not disappointed.  At this Company, he received much needed estimating experience and was mentored by a clever businessman and, soon to be, good friend. Dad's plan seemed to be working.

For a number of years finances were coming along nicely, for a change. Dad had been estimating and supervising the jobs and developing a good reputation in the community. He was a self-taught, self-made man and he finally had a little corner of the world he could call his own. He took great pride in the house he had, and the opportunities offered to him. He was at a comfortable place.

Back during the Great Depression, he remembered, there was no comfortable place for him. He did, however, have a time of refuge. At one point he had formed a particularly strong bond with a group of nuns who had cared for him and showed great compassion. After that, my Dad had always considered himself to be Catholic.  He never forgot their kindness to him and was always grateful. But, he never went to church. In contrast, he always encouraged me to attend church with the neighbors. I'm sure, though, it was to get me and my brother out of the house on Sunday mornings. I was a bubbly and talkative kid and loved going to church. It was a great social connection and I had a nice group of friends. As I became a teenager, church began to mean more to me. I became very excited about the Lord and constantly invited Dad to attend church. However, he always scoffed at the prospect and made lighthearted jokes. Finally, somehow, God got my dad's attention. Maybe it was my incessant chatter. I don't know. But Dad began to scoff a little less and reply "maybe" to my invitations. I think he secretly began to consider that possibly his own plan had a flaw and that he didn't have to do this all by himself. That maybe God did have a better plan. The day my dad gave his life to the Lord put me in shock…my hope had become a reality and I was speechless.

From that moment of initial faith my dad learned to love the Lord. He was NOT a perfect man. He was just a Christian Man struggling like everyone else, learning to trust less in himself and more in Christ. Then the day came when the Company had chosen to downsize the business and three-month notices were given. My dad was going to lose his job. I'm sure terror struck his heart at first and his stomach was in knots. He had come so far from being the homeless imp to being at the top in his field. As scared as he was, he knew it was time to put a new plan into action. As a natural born businessman, he felt he should strike out on his own, and start his own business. But, it was risky. A financial failure at this point could be devastating to him and his family. Construction equipment did not come cheap and he didn't know how to run the business side of things. But, he did what he did best…he buckled down. He did his homework, borrowed some money, did a little negotiating and most importantly, trusted God and His Plan. Dad's business was born and it even thrived.

As his business prospered, so did my Dad. He gave time and money generously to causes, and to the church. He hosted Bible studies with other businessmen and his reputation expanded. Many people were touched by Dad's testimony of God's great grace and he was known as a good man. My dad remained humble at heart and he knew his success was not of his own doing. His blessings came from trusting God’s Grace Plan and not from his own feeble scrappy schemes.

Yes, he was just a working stiff, but He had a great Plan. Dad chose to thrive, not just survive. Don’t you just love it when a Plan comes together?

Jeremiah 29:11

I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for…  (Good News Translation)

The Tall Man

It was just another hot humid day around 1935 when the tall thin man was on his knees turning soil in the flowerbed. He raised his gloved hand to his head and wiped his brow with his wrist. Out of the corner of his eye he saw something move in the bushes. Curious, he leaned his head forward and looked closer. Expecting to see a bunny or stray kitten, he was surprised to see a boy.

The Boy, around nine years old, was dirty with a scowl on his face. There was uncertainty, distrust, fear, self preservation and a little hope, all rolled into one muddy face. The Tall Man saw all of these emotions and spoke softly to the Boy. He reached out his hand and offered the Boy a carrot harvested from the vegetable garden nearby. "Hungry?" he asked. Without any hesitation the Boy grabbed the carrot, quickly brushed off a large clump of dirt and ate. The Boy looked up and asked "got any more?"

The two began to chat. They sat in the garden for a bit, and then moved to the lawn. Then they went inside, sat at the table and snacked while the Boy unraveled his story.  Tall Man heard about how the Boy's out-of-work father deserted the family in the early 1930s, and that his Mom was in jail for reasons unknown. This left 5 already neglected children home alone. The older kids knew how to take care of themselves, but the Boy was the youngest of the clan and ran the streets wild. At some point officials corralled the children and awarded them to the local orphanage. The Boy had already heard “Oliver Twist” type horror stories about the place and planned on not sticking around. Sure enough, he split the first chance he got. Right over the fence. To him the street life was safer than the alternative.

The timeline and details were sketchy but eventually the Boy’s story ended where he was found, standing in the Tall Man’s bushes. The Tall Man had a nice home and seemed to have survived most of the Great Depression’s devastating effects. He wasn't wealthy, but had enough to help others. He was a compassionate, giving man and quickly gained the Boy's confidence. Soon, the Tall Man became his temporary legal guardian and a good friend.

During the time the Boy lived with the Tall Man, he learned there was more to life than stubbornly scheming and scrapping to get his way. He had to become a part of the family and learn to cooperate with others. He had to participate by helping out and doing chores, a discipline he grew to like because it made him feel useful. However, there was one chore he wasn’t really fond of. That was babysitting the ‘bratty’ niece. She was 6 years younger than him but knew her power. She insisted they play house, have tea parties and dress the dolls. To a twelve year old boy, that was just about as agonizing as it gets.  Arrrgggg. It was a tough assignment, but fortunately, she only visited occasionally.

For over four years, the Tall Man parented the Boy before he aged out of the guardianship and was released. Again, the Boy faced being on his own. However, Tall Man had trained him well. For the next twenty five years the Boy continued to grow in character and led a rather normal life sprinkled with the usual struggles. He joined the Navy and fought in World War II. Then he became a bricklayer, married, had children, and was divorced. The Boy, who was now my Dad, was very devoted to his family. Since childhood, he promised himself that he would never leave his children or let them go hungry. He would not be like his father.

One day while feeling a little nostalgic, Dad decided to visit his home town and drop in to see Tall Man.  He grew excited, maybe even a little nervous, in anticipation of reconnecting with the man that changed his life. As he walked up to the porch, Tall Man swung open the door, greeted Dad with a great big smile and welcomed him home.

And what a homecoming it was that Thanksgiving Day in 1967. Tall Man’s whole family was there and much to Dad’s surprise, even the Niece. He hadn’t thought of that pesky bucked tooth brat in over 20 years but he quickly discovered a lot had changed. The Niece had turned out to be an attractive confident brunette. It wasn’t long before love began to bloom and they realized they both wanted to play house. After a few months of long distance dating, Dad married the Niece, making her my Step-Mom, and Tall Man became my beloved, Uncle Edward.

 
I Peter 5:8-11

...So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won't last forever. It won't be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.

Don't Be a Dummy

Before video games and DVD players…way back in the old days…my brother and I used to put on our own puppet shows and presentations for entertainment.  We would clear out a section of the room and create a mini stage out of blankets, cushions and chairs. We’d prepare a detailed script and took turns being the director. However, no matter what we planned usually ended up as ad-libbed comedy.  We also had a favorite record…a vinyl 45…that we lip-synced to. We rehearsed our routines to “perfection” for hours just because we had so much fun.

Another one of my favorite pastimes was my ventriloquist dummy, Jerry Mahoney. I’d practice and practice trying to talk without moving my lips. I experimented with using visual distraction, while speaking words that were harder to disguise. I learned as much as any 9 year old could about moving the dummy’s mouth and head in human pretense. Of course, to my family, my performances were force fed but they were delighted when I was invited to perform a routine at school. I’m sure all I did that day was tell a few non memorable riddles and jokes, but people were listening. I liked that. Puppets have a way of commanding attention.  And, I think, I liked being in control. If Jerry Mahoney had had a choice, I’m sure he would have preferred speaking on his own behalf. BUT Jerry DIDN’T have a choice. He had to ‘say’ what I told him to. He was an extension of ME. I controlled his every move. His head, his mouth, his impotent dangly arms. He was my PUPPET.

First off, God does NOT want us to be His puppet. He wants us to love Him freely as a child would and choose Him to be our Lord. And even though we might be in total agreement with God’s great plan of redemption, it’s human nature for us to want to be in control. We strive to the point of ulcers to be in control of our destiny, our freedoms, our rights and the remote. Plan your work and work your plan! We want to know that what we plan will turn out exactly as intended. We have even learned to factor in the unpredictable. We use cell phones, email and Facebook for immediate communication. We buy insurance and open savings accounts for financial emergencies. We make lists, carry day planners and install apps that will make our planning easier and more efficient…but yet, are we really in control. Or, are we just making back up plans and causing tension headaches.

There is a freedom for us when someone else is in control. When we were children, we believed in the unseen, we laughed at ourselves, and we didn’t make plans passed what cartoon we wanted to watch after dinner.  I believe it’s time we learn to relax as children do and let go of the script. It’s time we spread our hands in surrender and let Life’s Master Director set the stage. Let Him be concerned about the props, and the characters. It’s time we listen for His cues and enjoy the wild ride of an ad-libbed comedy. Just because it’s fun.

Biblical Reference: Matthew 18:2-4

Jesus called a little child to come to him. He stood the child in front of the followers. Then he said, “The truth is, you must change your thinking and become like little children....The greatest person in God’s kingdom is the one who makes himself humble like this child.

Un-Tangled

When I was a kid, about 8 or so, I had a marionette.  He was a slender figure in a tuxedo and most often I pretended he was a concert pianist. I would dance him around on the table or floor and then I’d have him play some air piano. After pretending for a while, like most 8 year olds, I tossed him aside. When I returned to resume imaginary concerts, somehow he had become a jumbled mess. His leg might be stuck up around his head or an arm permanently tied behind his back. His head cocked to one side. 

Time and time again I went to my dad with my mess. He’d be in his chair watching TV when I’d approach. He’d look at me with a sigh and ask the usual rhetorical questions. “How in the world did this happen? or ” What the heck?”  Sometimes the untangle process was easy and other times he sent me away so I wouldn’t be there staring at him. Knowing me, I was probably giving him suggestions, too.

He never failed. No matter how long it took, my dad always came through and untangled my strings. He was also my go-to guy for getting my necklaces out of knots. Whether the problem was my own fault or my little brother’s, he was always there and was good at what he did without assigning blame.

Got strings? Are they tangled? I know a Go-to Guy who specializes in untangling our life messes. And He is really good at what he does.

2 Corinthians 5:17  ¹⁷ When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new!

Charlie's Wild Ride

The weather has been crazy lately. For about a week last month the wind was extremely gusty in northern Ohio. Everything that wasn’t tied down needed to be brought in. Lawn chairs, toys and small children were fair game to the sudden gusts and undercurrents of air. Every day it felt as if a huge thunderstorm was on the verge of cutting loose, but the rain just never came.

On one of those days I drove to the grocery store to pick up a few items but before going in I decided to eat my lunch. I parked in a secluded section of the lot and was almost done with my salad when all of a sudden something slammed right into my car door. I jerked my head around fully expecting to see an over-sized vintage car with a little old lady peeking out over the wheel. A bit of anger mixed with my surprise when I saw that the projectile was just a measly little grocery cart, recklessly abandoned. That single runaway cart was propelled from absolutely nowhere and somehow drawn to MY car like a magnet. What are the odds?

Afterwards, when I showed my friends the size of the dent and told them the story, they couldn’t believe a small cart like that could have such an impact. I have since then endearingly referred to the cart as Charlie, because even a pitiful grocery cart can be used for a lesson.

I generally reflect on potential lessons God is trying to teach me when incidents like this happen. Therefore, I went through my mental check list of the usual topics but, we all know, God is NOT usual.

• Even though I had to go inside the store and report the incident, contact the insurance company and arrange the repair, the process was a minor annoyance and everything went surprisingly smoothly. So, my patience wasn’t tested. Check.
• My insurance covered all the costs. So my checkbook wasn’t tested. Check.
• My rather new car was now damaged but it didn’t really bother me. So, my attachment to favorite things wasn’t the issue. Check.
• No one was hurt, so I was guilt free and my emotions didn’t get a workout. Check.

I pondered the incident for a few more days and then a subconscious thought that had been trying to develop for a while, finally began to take shape. It wasn’t quite an epiphany, but rather enlightenment on an issue we all deal with from time to time. For several weeks I had been wondering if MY life actually made an impact on other people. I know this thought sounds like a familiar “It’s a Wonderful Life” theme, but as a person gets older, they do wonder. The closer they get to the finish line of this rat race, they reflect on what could or should have been. Like Charlie, I was itching to make a dent in someone’s life. I wanted to make some kind of difference in my world. I wanted to leave my mark. We all do. However the great majority of us will never be the one person that will rock the world…and that is exactly how it’s supposed to be.

I'm sure most of us would like to have at least one mountain-top-impact experience...our 15 minutes of fame...a point in time where we can look back and know we were instrumental in changing the world. It would be great to be able to say I did something spectacular, saved millions of lives or invented the invention of all time. Indeed, it is wonderful to visit museums filled with tributes to historic icons. Many times they were ordinary stubborn people who were just plain old sick and tired of injustices and stood their ground. Others changed the world with imagination, hard work and late hours. More time was spent in the valley with failed experiments and suffering than on any mountain. Those heroes learned their steadfastness, skills and heroic ideals from other ordinary stubborn people who inspired and sacrificed. No hero becomes a hero by themselves.

OK, I'm content with the idea that I may never rock the world, but I can still rock the boat.  I WANT to be an inspiration to a potential hero. But how? Relationships. God surrounds us with family, friends and even enemies to cultivate our personalities. It's symbiotic. We all teach and we all learn. Christ wants us to encourage, be honest, and thrive in relationships. Through those relationships, our character is strengthened. We learn to shut up and to speak up. We learn to be sensitive to each other’s needs and develop passion. We learn to laugh, to morn, support and pray from examples set before us. He allows us to fall and to fail and then learn love, forgiveness, and compassion. Every generation challenges the next, one person at a time, to live like His love is true. The lasting affect we have on someone's life could come from a simple word of kindness, or the result of consistent intertwined relationships. We are always setting examples, good and bad, for all to see. We are constantly cultivating heroes with our actions. I want to be one of those people who leaves a lasting impression on lives. I want to be proof that God's Grace is real.

Charlie’s wild ride was not by his choice. He had no free will, an inanimate object whipped around by the wind. But, WE do. As Christians, we choose the wild ride. We choose to serve, to be available, to love and to impact lives in any way possible. We choose to be propelled by God’s Spirit, never holding back. We are joyously expectant in the vision we have been given whether it lands us in the spotlight or not. We want to give it all we have, land where we land and, through faith, inspire those near us to know Christ…who are then propelled and land where they land.

I appreciate Charlie the Cart's reminder, despite our abrupt run-in. Let us all live recklessly abandoned, to be a runaway overcome by the wind, to take risks and anticipate the bumps and bruises. Let's Live Like That.

What Would YOU Do?

Remember the whimsical commercials that asked, “What would you do for a Klondike Bar?” The commercials featured people making fools of themselves in order to earn the chocolate covered ice cream square. They were cute commercials with a catchy tune.

One of my favorites is where a man is getting his chest hair waxed off. Ouch. Another is a guy actually listening to his wife for a whole 5 seconds without his eyes glazing over, to earn a Klondike Bar. Then there is the Mother-in-law foot massage. I don’t like feet, so the reward would have to be a lot more than a KB for me.

 

All kidding aside, I want to ask this question. What would you do for Jesus? We would all agree that the Son of God IS more important than a chocolaty covered frozen confection so, it follows that the requests He makes of us would be more than thoughtless quirky antics meant for entertainment. Christ is like our training officer and His entreaties should be regarded as exercises meant to build in us faith and obedience. A Christian builds his faith muscle through endurance and repetition of action. Christ sees deep inside our hearts. He sees our flabby faith and goes to work designing a personalized fitness program. Some exercises are easy. Others, painful and the results are not usually seen immediately.

For instance, would you impulsively jump out of a boat without thinking, like Peter did? Cast your fishing net on the other side of the boat just because Christ said to? Would you sing praises to the Almighty while shackled in a filthy prison? How about feed the hungry and give money to the poor when your own finances need help? Sometimes we are instructed to act in impulsive obedience and other times we are asked to repeat our actions over and over until they become a part of us.

What are YOU willing to do? Would you learn patience for Him? What if Christ asked you to attend church every week! Would you tithe consistently? What if you listened to the inner voice leading you to cultivate a Bible Study at school or work or start a blog? These would appear to be simple tasks, until WE are asked to do them. Simple until we realize that we are scared, lazy, insecure and self absorbed. What has Christ been nudging you to do? Are you listening?

In moments of spiritual awakening and great resolute, we promise to do anything for Christ. But when life gets tough, we whine. I know, God's Boot Camp of Faith is hard work, but half-heartedness is NOT an option. There are no sissies in the Kingdom of God. If we are in this for the long haul, we cannot shy away from His hand of training. Our salvation begins with a personal one-on-one relationship with Christ and grows deep through the discipline of a long term commitment.

What would YOU do for HIM? Only you can answer that.


Galatians 5:22-23
From The Message 

But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

The Rule

When I was a kid, my brother and I would play a lot of games. Card games mostly, but Monopoly and Sorry were favorites. In every game there are rules. Different games have different rules. Sometimes landing on an opponent’s square will send you back to Home. Other times you have to pay huge rental fees. If you can muddle through four hours of Monopoly and come out a winner, hats off to you for endurance. A person only jumps into that game when they are snowbound. My family used to play Hearts and spent a good deal of time trying to teach me Poker. That game drove me nuts. I could never remember which set of cards beat which…even with a cheat sheet. Never mind the bidding and raises and calls or trying to bluff. Poker is way too serious for me.

Ever try to play a game with a friend for the first time only to find out that each played by a different set of rules? I found out early on that rules for the same game can be different depending on the part of the country the players came from or if rules have been changed to meet the needs of the family. Those family rules traditionally get passed on to the next generation, and after a few times of that, the game barely resembles the original. A couple of new friends playing an old game with different rules is like walking a social tightrope. Whose rules will win out? Who’s going to concede to learn new rules? Or maybe the rules will be combined and a whole new set of rules will emerge. It didn’t matter. Friends just having a good time were never really serious about rules or who won.  Well, my brother was, but that’s my brother. He was a stickler for the rules.

Rules are boundaries. They are like fences keeping things in as well as out. They can be comforting on some level because you know the rules apply to everyone and you can do almost anything you want INSIDE the precincts of those boundaries. There is a sense of freedom and security inside a cage of rules, depending on the size of the cage and if the rules stay the same. However, rules do not encourage faith. They tend to lead the confined into comfortable routines whose only vision is to protect all the rules.

When we encourage ourselves and others to step out of the proverbial box of rules we can become what God intended and where Abundance waits. However, on the other side of the Wall of Rules is also the unknown. Risk may ask us to make adjustments in our thinking or change our lifestyle. Study, commitment and emotions may become involved. Our old ideals might be replaced with new ones.

Could it be that is why God gave us only ONE rule to remember? One rule isn’t a boundary; it’s the central idea. The open ended one rule “love your neighbor” encourages our imagination and faith. The rules of the Old Testament were about what NOT to do. The one rule of the New Testament is about what TO DO. Without a formal list to help us keep track, we are free to discover on our own what we CAN do to comply. If we are listening, the Lord will reveal to us new ways to spread the Gospel, help the needy, and make new friends. We might even become less serious about ourselves and have fun in the free fall.


Luke 10:27-28 

..."That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself."  "Good answer!" said Jesus. "Do it and you'll live."

The List of SIX

"Make a list of SIX things to do today. Just SIX. Pick out the SIX most important things you have to get done."  While I was a Mary Kay Cosmetics consultant I heard that phrase, or variations of it, over and over again. The founder, Mary Kay Ash, was a highly respected, world-renowned businesswoman, as well as a wonderful Christian example.  She discovered that if you chose just SIX things a day to get accomplished you could get so much more done in the overall picture of things. Slow and steady.

A list of SIX things to do is not an overwhelming list, just large enough to help budget time. Mary Kay recognized that getting things done was important but finishing the list was not the priority. Writing down the main SIX things gave focus but still left some breathing room for busy ladies who would no doubt encounter unforeseen interruptions. Life is that way. We make plans and they get way-laid. She saw interruptions in the plan as life opportunities. She keenly recognized opportunities for business as well as for people everywhere she went. She was a lady of action and always wondered what SHE could do to make things better. She made herself available to the solution. She was a woman that used her time wisely but knew that the list of SIX took a back seat to engaging the opportunity.

Sure, we can make our lists but we should always be open to explore the endless opportunities disguised as interruptions. They are there for a reason.

Ephesians 5:15

So be very careful how you live. Live wisely, not like fools. I mean that you should use every opportunity you have for doing good, because these are evil times. So don’t be foolish with your lives, but learn what the Lord wants you to do.  (Easy-To-Read version)

The Cross Road

Have you ever been driving along with your windows rolled down, the radio blasting, jamming to some tunes and auditioning for an imaginary gig on the American Idol? That's an awesome feeling. I love those days when life is jumping with explosive energy at the exact same time I am. Everything is in order. Life is good. Seize the moment. Then you look around and realize that while you were deep into your fictitious performance, you took a wrong turn and now you are lost.

Welcome to my world. I get lost all the time. It's a simple fact. My mind wanders. I admit it. I am in my own little world when I drive, or should I say, when I'm jamming. I'm not a bad driver. I have automatic reactions to traffic laws, speeding cars and rambunctious children playing in the street. I recognize traffic lights and little old ladies in the crosswalks. However, I do get lost. Consequently, as a defense mechanism due to this lack of focus, I heavily rely on routine. I frequent familiar places and deliberately drive the same route everyday. Park in the same spots. You might say that I point my car in the right direction and flip on the switch to the auto pilot. With this rational, I can afford to indulge myself with my typically high-energy music. A fair compromise in my opinion. Mama is happy. Nevertheless, this system is not without problems and at times, my well thought out course of procedure has been known to fail.

One day while I was cruising, there was a subtle change in my groove and you might say I zigged when I should have zagged. I ended up on the wrong highway going totally in the wrong direction without even so much as a blip on my internal radar screen. There were no 'WRONG ROAD' warning signs screaming at me to turn back. Eventually, though, I began to notice minor changes in the roadside scenery.

"Wow. When did that get put in.", I wondered. "Gee, I never noticed that before" I thought.

Then it hit me. Oh, duh! I was lost, again. An all too familiar scenario. However, I had a well-rehearsed recovery plan. Immediately, I began to look for familiar road signs and markers. I focused. Fortunately, it was not too long before I began to see the guideposts and quickly figured out where I was and how to get home. I found the crossroad. That crossroad led me back home.

Are you on the right road, spiritually speaking? Or, are you be-bopping down the beaten path of life, not attending to anything in particular, enjoying the scenery. Careful not to rock the boat. Just cruising along, cloaked in the false security of a preprogrammed life. Are you concentrating on your eternal destination or ignoring the signs all around? Without full diligence and focus, we are apt to take wrong turns, make wrong decisions. Get turned around a bit. Get distracted.

Everyone loses his or her way from time to time and it can be intensely unsettling, and even, devastating. Nevertheless, the way of reconciliation and hope has been provided. The escape from our personal rationales and precision timing lies directly ahead of us. The ultimate Cross-road. The road of the Cross that intersects the core of our lives, bringing salvation, healing, and eternal life.

Biblical Reference:

Acts 4:12 "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

Bible Gateway

Standing at the Water's Edge

Jump in....the water's fine. You've heard that expression many times. The people already in the pool are really enjoying themselves, splashing each other and creating waves. Screeching with delight. Then there, at the water's edge, stands the nervous ninny, teetering on the brink of decision. To jump? Or not to jump? Jump? Not to jump? Is it fear of the unknown? Or maybe, it is actually the fear of what is known.

In the beginning a novice swimmer may be hesitant, but learns by experience that the water is great fun. With a gentle splash or so, a little encouragement from friends and a lot of courage they soon become adventurous spirits happily diving in over their heads without considering realities. The only thing they have to rely on is their buoyancy in the water. No sides to cling to. No floating devices. Just themselves and faith in the essence that surrounds them. For these fearless ones, the very thought of jumping into a cool clear pool or lake fills them with great anticipation and excitement. Fear is not an issue. But for some, there is nothing but fear.

A dry swimmer knows for a fact that the water is going to be much colder than his own personal 98.6 degrees. He is sure, beyond a shadow of doubt, the sudden change in temperature will be a most uncomfortable shock to his system, if even for a moment. Dipping his big toe in first confirms his suspicions. He knows that he will sink if he jumps in. He knows water will go over his head. He will have to close his eyes. Hold his breath. There will be no bottom to touch. He will feel helpless and floundering. He wraps his towel around himself even tighter and turns a deaf ear to wet onlookers, who encourage him to jump in. The nervous ninny fears the facts and perceives them as an undesirable truth. His fear of the known will deprive him of ever experiencing joy of the unknown. Fear of self-depravation is the issue.

How many of you are nervous ninnies standing at the water's edge merely dipping your big toe into spiritual truths, tempting the water yet avoiding the real issue? Are you making like a swimmer but never getting wet, turning a deaf ear to those trying to encourage your leap? Do you take what little spiritual knowledge you have and use it to comfort yourself? Are you standing there teetering on the brink of decision, wanting more but fearful of what you think you know? To jump? Or not to jump? Jump? Not to jump? Are you going to continue standing there in submission to self-centered fear and in the end lose the greater joy? Or will you take that leap into the great unknown, where faith is always the issue.

Biblical references: Joshua 24:15 "But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD ."

Bible Gateway: Elijah 18:21 "Elijah went before the people and said, 'How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him'." Bible Gateway