Wake Up!!!

Oh the incredible internal clock…

Since I have been travelling for work, getting up on time is a bit more critical then when I was just living the retired life. Getting up on time is also very important on the days that you need to catch a plane.

I find it incredible how my body/mind seems to know when it is time to wake up. It is very common [95% common] for the alarm to be set at 6:00 am and I wake up at 5:59. Something inside of me knows. My how we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

I can’t explain it, but it is amazing to me.

It’s a beautiful day in God’s world, be sure to see the good.

Slow

Why is this computer so slow!!!

Oh, ugh.  I am trying to type some blogs and the computer is so slow.  I am frustrated.  Then I stop and think... remember that security anti virus that you installed?  It is probably running a test behind the scenes.

I leave the room to get my shoes and socks.  Maybe when I come back, the computer will have caught up.

Sure enough, the virus search is over, and my computer speed is back.

Then I think, how dumb is it that I am complaining about computer speed.  Ten years ago, this slow would have been fast.  And 30 years ago, this computer was unthinkable.  Think about that, the computer that you have is faster than the computer that sent men to the moon.

And I am complaining about slow.

Get a life Jeff.  Get over your first world problems.  Everything is fine.  Find something else to worry about!!!

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Where Oh Where...

So I am packing to fly home. I get most of the packing done the night before, but there is always the morning packing. Toiletries are last. All done, I get to the airport and for some reason I think about my electric razor. Where is it? Oh no, I don’t remember packing it. Over the next hour I go thru the motions in my head. I walk myself thru all of the packing. Is it in the backpack? Is it in the suitcase? Did I leave it in the room? How could I do that? But I don’t remember packing it. I must have left it.

I know right where it is. It is right where I put it. The problem is, I was not paying attention when I packed it or set it down, so I can’t remember.

Side bar… have you lost your keys? They are right where you put them. We need to pay more attention to life. To every day, to every moment.

Now back to the razor. It is a $50 Wahl electric razor. Not a big thing, but I like to keep it around. I am quite fond of it.

So I am on the plane. There are two open seats next to me. I have a row to myself, so I start unpacking the backpack. 40 pounds of junk that I cannot live without is now spread out on the seats next to me.

And voila… there it is!!! That razor. Not lost after all. Packed just as normal. I just wasn’t paying attention.

Each day we have fewer and fewer days left in this life. We should pay attention more.

It’s a beautiful day in God’s world, be sure to see the good.

30 years later

So I thought of an old friend. Bobbi Myers. She is going on the Holy Land trip in January. I thought of her as I saw her name on the passenger list for the trip. I thought to myself, “oh my how I love her.” So I sent her a text and told her that. [“If you love someone but don’t tell them, it does not count” – Pat Starke]

28 years ago, I was her pastor. We have kept up over the years from time to time, but not religiously. But you know, when you love people, you just love them. I think the Bible says, “love never ends.” Love is this amazing thing that we feel for people that we are connected to.

I feel love for so many of you. I thought of Dale and Pat Maxwell the other day, and a big smile came to my face/heart. I probably feel love for all of you. I think of you all so fondly. And the time only makes it all sweeter.

Love is a beautiful thing!!! If you love someone, tell them.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Polarization

My friend Tyler suggested that I watch the show "The Social Dilemma" on Netflix.  I did.  It is about the effect of the internet, facebook, twitter, etc on our society.  Much of the show was over my head, but one thing I did pick up on.

Internet use is polarizing society.  Hatred is up.  Love is down.  People will go to great extremes to protect their world view from the "evil opposition."

Let this blog be one voice against polarization.  If you are a Republican, please find a friend that is a Democrat.  If you are a Democrat, same suggestion.  Find people who are different than you are and value them.  

The way of Jesus is not about who the good ones are.  The way of Jesus is about love.  And love is available to everyone.  If our faith comes first, then love should come first.  Make friends with the other side.  Keep working on it, until you see the good in them.  God loves them too!!!

There are no t-shirts in heaven.  There are no political parties in heaven.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Steven

A friend of mine is a volunteer in Kansas City for the program entitled Uplift. They have vans that go out into areas where homeless people live. They feed them and provide them essentials for life. She shared this story...

His Name is Steven

His backpack … he carried it on one shoulder, along with, likely, everything he owned. He waited in line for a few supplies and for us to serve him a plate of food.

His hair … it was long and dirty. Probably, it hadn’t been washed in 3 months--maybe those were dreads or maybe they were mats or maybe they were matted dreads. It was hard to tell.

His hands … they were dirtier than any words can describe. This was not the first time I’d seen him; actually, the last time I saw him was probably 3 years ago. Hard to image being homeless and living outside for that long, especially in Missouri.

His eyes … they were gentle and kind. I gave him a cup of lemonade. He smiled.

His glasses … they were coated with a thick layer of, maybe, filthy fingerprints upon more layers of the same.

I asked, “Would you mind if I cleaned your glasses?” He let me remove them from his face (I was that close to him). I found a paper towel and worked to get the lenses as clear as I could with no cleaning solution.

It was dark outside, maybe 9:30 pm, somewhere deep in Kansas City on the East side.

I took the glasses back to him … he was still waiting in the food line.

I asked him if I could place the glasses back on his face (we were that close). He nodded, so I slipped them up and over his ears.

He looked back at me with a gentle smile, and I felt an appreciation that I will not soon forget.

“Take care, Steven. Maybe we’ll see ya next time.”

[my comments follow]  Oh, my what a beautiful story.  Oh, that we could all find ways to touch another human being.  Everyone around us needs something.  Find a way to be there for someone.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to do the good.

So I have learned something new that I want to share.  I am not sure where I learned this from, but I have incorporated it into my life and it is helping.

We all ask people to do things.  We all ask people for things.  Sometimes, I have feelings that "this might be a big ask."  Or, this might be inconvenient for them.

So rather than put them on the defensive by asking, I open with this statement:  "I have something to ask you... and I want to be sure that you know that 'no' is an acceptable answer."  I give them permission to say "No" before I even ask them.

They almost always say Yes, but giving them permission to say No totally deflates a potentially difficult situation.

Do you want to help me with...
It is ok to say No. And I still love you.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Don't leave

I had a dream the other night that I was still the pastor.  I was meeting with six families that were talking seriously about leaving the church over the human sexuality issue.

Some thought we were doing to much to welcome "all kinds."
Some thought that we weren't doing enough.

Anyway, families that I had worked hard to win to the church, families that I had built memories with over the years in work days, mission trips and Sunday mornings, were talking about leaving.

It hurt.  IT HURT!!!

If you are thinking about leaving your church, think about your pastor.  Think about how much he or she loves you.  Think about the relationships, the family.  

Give yourself sometime to work thru what ever you are feeling.  Talk to your Pastor about it.  Heck, talk to me about it.

Please don't leave.  We need you and I would miss you so much.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Thank You!!!

As I write this, I just woke up.  I woke up at the Fairfield Inn, in Dallas.  The first thought on my mind after I woke up was "Thank you."

It's a prayer.  Thank you that I got to wake up today.

I love the prayer that only says, thank you.  Look at it for a moment.  Sit under it, as my friend Bob Fillmore would say.  Sit under it.  Ponder it.  

Thank you.

It is a prayer that is completely void of self interest.  And we must admit, most of our prayers are full of self interest.  God bless mommy and daddy and sister and brother.  God please heal so and so.  God please fix my car.  God must feel like Jim Carey in Bruce Almighty, just completely inundated with random often selfish requests.

Anyway, the simple prayer, "thank you" is completely selfless.  And we can pray it every moment of every day.  In fact, when we do so, it turns our attitude around.  

Thank you that I woke up.
Thank you that I get to go home today.
Thank you for the ability to work.
Thank you that I can go to church on Sunday.
Thank you that my friends are coming to visit.
Thank you!!!

Enough said.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to say thank you.

Not in the Bible, part deux

Since we are on a roll, let me continue from yesterday's post, with comment on the ending of the Gospel of Mark.  First let me remind everyone that when the gospels were written, they were not named.  The gospels do not claim to be written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  These names were added later by the church.  But that is no big deal to me, just a bit of trivia.

Anyway, one of the worst "additions" to the Bible is the ending of Mark. I can remember being surprised when I was in confirmation and was given a Bible that it included several various endings to the book of Mark.

Anyway, there are a lot of versions of Christianity. Some of them I find absolutely terrifying. Not providing medical care to children is terrifying and it seems so unChristian and unChristlike to me. And handling snakes?

The only place that handling snakes is mentioned in the Bible is in Mk 16. I want to take this moment today to indicate to you that the ending of Mark is not in the Bible. It was added later. Mark in fact originally ended with verse 16:8 where the women leave the tomb and they’re fearful. Somebody decided this wasn’t a good ending - fear was not a good light to leave the Jesus story in. So there are several versions of the ending of Mark that were created after the fact. The one most commonly seen includes drinking deadly poison and handling snakes. You’ll notice that most people that take this part literally handle the snakes but don’t drink the deadly poison. I wonder why?

Google "snake handling preachers that have died." There are a ton. It is absolutely ridiculous what some people will do in the name of religion.

Anyway this is one “Christian practice" that you don’t have to worry about because it’s not in the Bible it was added later.

It is a beautiful, snake free day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Not in the Bible, part 1

.

I have a friend that I dearly love. Recently they quoted me John chapter 8 where Jesus reportedly says to the woman caught in adultery "go your way and sin no more."

This story is included in all of the Jesus movies. And yet, this is a very unusual type of statement for Jesus to make. The Savior who includes sinners and welcomes the broken, in this story corrects and shames the sinner. The same Jesus who repeatedly welcomes Samaritans, children, tax collectors, Romans and the broken is now focusing on sin instead of inclusion and love.

Maybe the church has loved this story because it is easier to focus on sin than love and inclusion.  If I point out your sin I have power over you.  If I tell you that you are loved and included, I free you to live.

It is interesting in the story that he says nothing to the man who was caught in the act of adultery.

Fact of the matter is that this story is not in the Bible. Our earliest manuscripts do not contain the story. It was added later by a scribe. Note the notations in the New International Version of the Bible. See the attached picture.

And if you want to jump in here and "defend" the Bible, I would like to remind you that God does not need us to defend him.  It is time that we stop worshipping the Bible and worship God instead.

Just because the story makes all the Jesus movies doesn’t mean it’s accurate. I encourage you to stop quoting it and stop thinking that is is important. Instead I encourage everyone to work on seeing Jesus not as someone who’s pointing out sin but as someone who is welcoming sinners. Jesus is and has always been a friend of sinners.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

the parable of the sower

Most of us are familiar with the parable of the sower.  The sower casts seed onto different kinds of soil, hard, soft, rocky etc.  Some soil rejects the seed.  Some seeds are burned up in the sun.  Some are eaten by birds.

We have wondered our whole life if we were good soil.  We have struggled with guilt and worked to make sure that we were the good ones, because we didn't want to be the bad ones.

Barbara Brown Taylor in her book, The Seeds of Heaven, takes a different view of the parable. She notes that the parable is not the parable of the soils, but the parable of the sower. And if you think about the sower and what the sower is doing, it gives a completely different take on the story.

She writes, "What if it is not about our own successes and failures and birds and rocks and thorns but about the extravagance of a sower who does not seem to be fazed by such concerns, who flings seed everywhere, wastes it with holy abandon, who feeds the birds, whistles at the rocks, picks his way through the thorns, shouts hallelujah at the good soil and just keeps on sowing, confident that there is enough seed to go around, that there is plenty, and that when the harvest comes at last it will fill every barn in the neighborhood to the rafters?"

Another example of how we need to decide if God is for us or against us. Another example of how the interpretation of scripture makes a ton of difference in how we see the world.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Heaven is a party

I have thought of this many times and posted about it as well.  

Heaven is not going to be a drab church service.  It is not going to be about who made it in and who did not.  There will be no more fear and no more tears.

Heaven will be a banquet, a party.  Jesus tells stories about parties in reference to heaven 15 times.  Only once is heaven a courtroom scene [Mt. 25]  Richard Rohr expands on this idea is his blog of 8/31

click here to read Richard's blog

Friends, there is no reason to fear death.  There is no reason to fear standing in front of God.  Do you remember the Father in the prodigal son story?  He rushed out to meet his son and threw a party.

Heaven will be a time of joyful reunion.  Your life today should be a time of joyful living.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Ponder

One of my dear friends sent me an email the other day.  In her closing signature, there is the phrase, "ponder the sacrament of this present moment."

And so I must expand...   Ponder, consider, be aware of, the sacrament, the sacred, amazing, fantastic moment that is happening at this present time.

Whether I am sitting in an airport waiting for a flight, doing handyman work, thinking of you, sitting at your table, or whatever I am doing, it is all sacred.

Thank you my dear friend PD for that phrase...

Ponder the sacrament of this present moment.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

For or against?

I would like to live my life being for something instead of being against something.  

I see people who expend an awful lot of negative energy being against one thing or another. I want my life to be for something. I want it to be for love, for kindness, for generosity, for welcome, inclusion and the embracing of others. 

But as a realist I note that in order for my life to be for those things, my life needs to be against racism, hatred, selfish behavior, and the like.  I guess if they’re going to be things to be against in life, those aren’t bad things to be against. And I can be against them in ways that are kind and gracious. You don’t have to be hateful to be against selfishness. We can just kindly remind people of the importance of showing grace, love, and kindness. 

If you find that your life is being filled with negativity and what you’re against, you might try identifying what you’re for and spending time constructively lifting up what you’re for.  

And I would invite you to be for the things that I am for: love, kindness, welcome, inclusion, oh and did I say love?

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

To smile or not

To smile or not smile that is the question. 

Sometimes I people watch.  And I’ve noticed something about a smile.  A person that you would find rather unattractive for whatever reason, when dressed with a smile, becomes a beautiful person. 

And likewise a person that you might in the beginning think was quite attractive, without a smile becomes a dark, sad, turned in human. 

They say it takes less muscles to smile than to frown. I would suggest to you that to bring a smile to the day brightens your heart, your world, and the heart and world of many around you. 

Your smile can make you beautiful- more than any hair coloring or plastic surgery, and your smile is free. Welcome it!  use it!  share it!!!

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Gaslighting

Gaslighting is a new term for me, but I experienced it in a relationship when I was in college.  I dated a girl for 18 months.  She had a unique way of convincing me that I was wrong.  I began to feel that I was stupid and that she was much smarter than I was.  I finally recognized the relationship as unhealthy and broke it off.

Gaslighting.

The term comes from a movie entitle "Gaslight" 1944 where a husband tries to convince his wife that she is crazy.  He manipulates the gas lights at the house so that they dim every time he leaves.  That is why this term is called gaslighting.

It basically refers to an abusive behavior where one person in a relationship discounts the thoughts and feelings of another.  The perpetrator will belittle the other person's thoughts and feelings and insist that the perpetrator's way of thinking is the only right way.  This behavior is manipulative and results in confusion, loss of confidence and ultimately the destruction of the target person's self esteem.

In healthy relationships, everyone's thoughts and feelings matter.  No one is belittled.  If you are doing this to someone, stop it.  If you are the victim of this behavior, address it.

Everyone has a right to their thoughts and feelings.  In fact, in healthy relationships, open communication regarding thoughts and feelings is encouraged.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to find the good.

Heat in Florida

People [usually in Kansas City] ask me how I deal with the heat in Florida.  I like to tell them that when it is 92 in Florida, it is probably 92 in Kansas City.  I like to make it sound the same, but it is not.

We are so much further south than Kansas City [my home town] that the temperature may be the same, but the sun is at a much sharper angle.  This is why it feels hotter.  Vero Beach is further south than Brownsville, TX and Ft. Lauderdale and Miami are further south yet.

Anyway, here is how I deal with heat.  Our house is on the East side of the road.  So in the morning, I work in the front [in the shade] and in the afternoon, I work in the back [in the shade].

I also take precautions.  Sunscreen, long sleeve air shirts, big floppy hats, and a swimming pool when I get hot.  

working in the shade

gutter guard install in process

job finished!!!

Pool, here I come!!!

All in all, I am making it work.  And I guess in life, we need to learn how to make things work.  Some things cannot be changed and so we need to learn to adapt.  The temperature won't always suit me.  The world won't always align itself to make me happy.  So we need to adapt.  We need to learn to go with the flow and accept the things that we cannot change.

It's a beautiful 92 degree day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Versions of Christianity

There are a number of versions of Christianity.  The one that I grew up on, which is still prevalent today is the version that divides everything into two groups:

right vs wrong
good vs bad
heaven vs hell
in vs out
republican vs democrat
pro choice vs prolife
on it goes.

There is a problem with this version of Christianity.  And I am sad to say that I discovered this way too late in life.  But there is are problems with this version.

The problem is that it divides people, it can become hateful, it does not represent the spirit of Jesus, and it creates people who are on the warpath to fix things.

Sometimes you have to, I have to, stop trying to fix people and just love them instead.  It is God's job after all, to fix them.

Let's work on loving them.  That is plenty of a challenge for me.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

God is not mad

God is not mad.  Once a person comes to believe this, everything changes.  I no longer have to fear God.  I can actually learn to believe that God loves me.

If God isn't mad, then he doesn't have to kill things to make himself happy.

Sure there are some scripture passages that you can quote, if that is what you choose to do, that tell you that God is mad.  There are however, just as many, if not more, that tell you about God's love and Mercy.

My friend Joyce tells me that my old friend Ken Fox has presented a series of messages recently about how "God is not mad."  Good for you Ken!  

Friend, just for one moment, throw out the theology of our youth and come to believe that God loves you, loves you as you are.

When we can do this, everything changes.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Open

Deep knowing and presence do not happen with our thinking minds. To truly know something, our whole being must be open, awake, and present.
                                           —Richard Rohr

What does it mean to be open? The first opening that we learn in life is an opening of our minds. [not everyone learns this, some live their lives with closed minds.]

But beyond opening our minds, there is an opening of the heart. There is an opening of everything inside of us to pay attention to life and to learn.

How am I opening my entire self to life and to God? To others? To learning?

Auto pilot living is easy. It is cookie cutter. Opening one's self to growing and expanding isn't always easy, but it is beautiful.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

I didn't know

I got to the job and opened the front door.  I found the temporary work lights and turned them on.  I got everything ready and set up.  When the workers arrived, I would be ready.  I sat down at the plan table and waited.

Then I heard it.  A bang bang bang on the back door.  The workers had parked in back.  They always park in back.  They always come in the back door.  I did not know this.

I thought I was ready, but I wasn't.  I thought I was all set, but I wasn't.  I thought I was going to give them a great start on the day, but I had locked them out by accident.

I didn't know.

Sometimes, even when we are doing our best, we are going to miss the mark.  Sometimes when we think we have everything covered, we are still going to be off.  It is ok.  We can't do anything more than our very best.

And we can learn from our mistakes.

Every other day for the entire time I was on that job, I opened that back door first thing.  Live and learn.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

be nice

When I was a pastor, people expected me to be nice.  Pastors are nice.  Pastors better be nice.  So I was nice.  Not because people expected me to be nice, but because I want to be nice.

Now my Pastor days are behind me.  I am a Construction Superintendent.  I work with carpenters and subcontractors.  They do not expect me to be nice.  They expect me to be a hard nosed, hard hat, gruff and tough guy.  That is what they are expecting.

Oh, what fun it is to be nice to people who expect me to be gruff!!!  How joyful it is when I am able to treat them kindly and offer to help them.  I buy them coffee and donuts.  I ask about their children.  I joke with them.  And we get the work done.  In fact, they work hard for me because I treat them like human beings.

It is a joy to be nice.  It is a doubly fantastic joy when you can be nice and it is not expected.  The next time you are in a situation where you can be surly if you want to, don't do it.  Instead, surprise them with kindness.

That is what people loved about Jesus.  In a world where the Pharisees lorded it over everyone, Jesus treated everyone with kindness.  We can too.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Pain and suffering

I hate to write about pain and suffering and loss because when I do, everyone thinks something is wrong with me.  But I am ok.

Let’s be real. All of us feel pain and loss. All of us feel rejection and loneliness. We can ignore it. We can push it down. We can complain about it. We can act out and misbehave. 

Or, we can recognize it for what it is and make friends with it. You can choose to see it and feel the pain. Many wise teachers have recognized that when we’re hurting, even in small ways, we are more alive than when things are going great. 

So we choose how to face adversity.  As we grow older we can get better or we can get bitter.  

There will always be suffering of some kind and if we are lucky there will be growing older.  Not everyone gets to grow older after all.

May we learn to fight life's difficulty less and instead learn the art of savoring life.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

The dump

Some of you know that I live 1 mile away from a dump.  Actually it is a recycle center, but it might as well be a dump because you can get rid of almost anything there.  You can get rid of limbs, shrub trimmings, metal, cardboard, household trash and more.  Paint, chemicals, electronics, plastic and on it goes.

In my handyman work, I commonly haul things off for people.  Sometimes I empty entire houses.  What does not sell or go for free on facebook marketplace will commonly end up at the recycle center.

This is silly sounding, but it is a very good feeling to drop things off at the dump.  Sometimes, stuff sits in my truck bed for days, and then finally it goes to the dump.  To toss the items over the wall and into the container is lovely.  No longer unwanted at my house, it goes back in a positive way, into the environment.

I love going to the dump!  It is a small thing that makes me happy!  Oh, that all humans were so easy to please.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

kind words

Recently I have been touched by some of the nice words that friends have shared.  GL, NY and others.  Thank you.

Does it mean something to you when people share kind words?
If they say:
I love you.
You are the best.
You mean a lot to me.
I am so glad to know you.
Do you like that? Does it make you feel good?

If you are like me, the answer is yes.  And here is my point... if hearing kind words makes me feel good, it must make others feel good as well.  Don't we want everyone to feel as good as we do?  Let's share more kind words.  Spread the love.

You are the best!
I love you!!!

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Do this and remember me

Jesus told his disciples, do this and remember me.

Do what?  Eat?  Eat a wafer and drink juice?  

What Jesus wanted us to remember was that he was broken.  Communion commemorates that he was broken.  When you are broken, remember me.

When you are broken as Jesus was, remember him.

Being broken is not something to fight.  It is not something to run from.  It is natural.  And being broken is a normal part of living life in the Spirit.  When we choose to set our selfishness aside for another, we are following in the ways of Jesus.

He was broken.  Take the bread, take the cup.  Remember that he was broken.  When you are broken, you are in lock step with Jesus.

It is not about bread and juice.  It is not about a sweet remembering of his sacrifice.  It is a recognition on our part that to follow Jesus is to be among the broken.  When you do this, remember me.  When you are broken, remember me.

And that makes it a beautiful meaning filled day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

T Shirts

I was in the Allentown airport a few weeks ago and I saw some great T-shirts.

There was one that I could not find a picture for, it was quoting Monty Python.  The caption on the shirt said, "It's just a rabbit."  If you know the movie, you see the funny.  If not, it is not too late to watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Here is one more, I believe the man must have been a farmer:

It is a beautiful, funny day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

I know what is going to happen

In my old age I have finally figured something out:  I know what is going to happen.

Batman may be losing the fight, but in the end, he is going to win.  Superman will eventually escape the kryptonite and save the day.  In fact, part of almost every plot is good news, bad news, good news.  It may look bleak for the hero/heroine at points, but by movie's end, it will all be ok.

This knowledge has helped me when I am watching tense movies, thrillers and such.

It has also helped me in life.  I am not worried about the future.  I know how it will end.  I know that when the time comes, I will be met by a loving God.  His mercy endures forever.  I don't have to worry about anything.  I am loved now, and I will be loved in eternity- not because I said a prayer or followed the denominational formula, but because God is love.

God is love.  That is what he does.  That is what he is.  No need to worry.  Fall into his grace.  Life will beat you up if you let it.  Bad theology will deliver guilt if you accept it.  But in the end, love wins.

Worry less.  Live more.  Love all.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Love, Grace, and inclusion

Yesterday I mentioned that love, grace and inclusion stand at the core of Christianity.  My point being, without any of the three, we no longer have the teachings of Jesus at the forefront.  The three traits are central and they are non-negotiable.

Love:  See 1 Cor 13... If I can do all these things, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I believe all the right things but have not love I am nothing.  If I hold to perfect doctrine and have not love, I am nothing.  Love comes before everything else.

Grace:  Grace is giving favor.  Grace is forgiving.  Grace is not getting what we deserve.  Scripturally, grace is doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.  In Luke 6:31 we see that this phrase is not just good human advice, it is scriptural.  Give to others what you want for yourself.  If I want to be loved, warts and all, then I need to love others, as they are.

Inclusion:  In Genesis 1 scripture says that God made it, and said that it was good.  This principle is illustrated in the teachings of Jesus, over and over.

1.  One of his disciples was a tax collector who worked for the Romans.  One of the disciples was a Zealot who wanted to kill the Romans.  Some were educated, some were not.  He included all kinds.

2.  In Jn 4 the woman at the well is included and welcomed by Jesus.  She has been married and divorced six times.  She is currently living with someone to whom she is not married.  Jesus loves her anyway.  She is included.  

3.  In the story of the Good Samaritan, the Samaritan is not only included, he is the hero of the story.  He is the one that is "in."  He is the one who will find eternal life over and above the religious people who walked on by.

There are tons of examples of inclusion in the Bible.  There should be hundreds of examples in our lives as well.

Love, Grace, Inclusion.  Three pillars of Jesus' Teaching.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good. 

All Church Meeting

On August 31st, my home church, Fort Pierce First United Methodist Church, will be having an all church, open meeting to discuss the future of the church.

I am pretty sure that the discussion will revolve around the choices that United Methodist congregations have now, to stay or go.  Actually there are three choices that UM churches can make.

1.  Leave the denomination to join the new, conservative denomination "The Global Methodist Church."  107 Florida UM Churches have indicated that this is their choice.   That is just at 15% of the total number of UM churches in Florida.  Churches making this choice will not ordain gay people.  They will not marry them.  Gay people will continue to be treated as second class humans.  [and let that description tip you off to my position on this...]

2.  The second choice, rarely discussed, is to leave the denomination and become independent.  In Missouri, 30 churches have left, none of them joining the Global Methodist Church.  The possibilities here are endless, but the point is that you can leave and become Grace Church or Community Church or whatever you want to call yourselves.  No Bishop, no DS, no apportionments.  So structure, no connectional missions.  No extended church family.

3.  The third choice is for the congregation to stay in the United Methodist Church.  This will mean that over the next few years, we would become a denomination that welcomes gay people, ordains them for ministry, and celebrates their marriages.  And other than that, the UMC will go on as before.

However it all shakes out, at least the warring will finally be over.  At least everyone will finally, after 40 years or so, be able to follow their mission as they see it, without the distraction of fights about doctrine regarding sexuality.

Personally, I am staying United Methodist.  I don't understand everything that every person does, but I firmly believe that it is past time for the church to end the shaming of others.  No more shaming of divorced people, no more shaming of women clergy, no more shaming of gay people.  Jesus did not shame anyone.

If I can attend the meeting I will, but I pray that our church leaders and congregation will always pursue the principles of love, grace and inclusion.  Those three stand at the core of Christianity.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

How are you doing?

I asked someone how they were doing. They hesitated. "alright, I guess," they said.
I pushed on them.

I asked, did you wake up today? answer was yes.
Are you healthy? answer was yes.
Does your car start and run? answer was yes.
Does someone love you? answer was yes.
I told them that this was 4 pretty good and solid positive signs that they were ok.

Then another friend asked, what about those who don't have all 4.  What if their car is having trouble?  What if they are sick?  What if no one loves them?

Ok, friend #2 had me.  Yes things happen and we can get stuck.  It isn't going well for everyone.  But if you woke up, your car runs, you are generally healthy and someone loves you, I want to encourage you to throw a party.  No grousing if you have those 4 things going for you.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Nothing new

Eccl 1:9 "There is nothing new under the sun."

I have known of this scripture for most of my life.  It reminds me that when I have a thought that is new, it is not new.  It may be new to me, but it is not a new thought.  It has been discovered and passed on, learned, lost and learned again for centuries.

There is nothing new under the sun.

So when someone reads something that I have written and wants to use it, I say of course.  Everything that I write, everything that I say, I have learned from someone else.

In my life my teachers have been

Anthony Demello
Richard Rohr
Dan Horn
Rob Bell
Bob Tuttle
Pat Stark
Peter Rollins
Shane Claiborne
Brian McClaren and many others.  

When I quote someone directly I always try to reference them.  But regardless, there is nothing new under the sun.  No new thoughts.  Just thoughts that have been known and passed down.  If there is something, anything here that you wish to use, ever, please do.

It is not mine, it all came from someone else.  There is nothing new under the sun.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

a day in the life

So I have been working part time for a construction company as a fill in superintendent.  When someone is sick or is on vacation, or if the company has tons of work, they call me to fill in.

I am absolutely loving the work.  Here is a typical day in the life...

Wake up at the hotel.

Shower

Breakfast of Raisin Bran and 2% milk.

Drive to Lowes.  Get supplies.

Drive to the job.

Meet our team and subcontractors.  Our team is typically 2-4 carpenters who will do demolition, minor construction, wall repairs, etc.  Subcontractors work on electrical, plumbing, and such.  During the day, I help with various projects and run for supplies.  I solved problems and am the face of the company to the shop owner.

I spend parts the day keeping our guys lined up with work.  Peering ahead to make sure that everyone has what they need to keep at it.  If the plumber needs an area cleared to perform a task, I don't wait until the last minute.  I make sure that by the time he is in that area, the area is ready for him.

We work from 8-5 usually.  I eat Subway for lunch and at the closest restaurant for dinner.  At night I watch Netflix and work on the computer.

I absolutely love it.  I feel like I am making a difference in the world!!!

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

levels of goodness

My friend Pat sent me a podcast to listen to.  It was stories by Malcom Gladwell about people who followed Mt. 25.  I was hungry and you fed me.  I was a stranger and you took me in.

here is the link to the podcast

The entire podcast was good, but there was one concept that just grabbed me.

As much as I like to talk about and think about and practice kindness,  the author of the podcast, Malcom Gladwell said that kindness is "entry level goodness."

He offered three levels of goodness:

1. Kindness
2. Generosity
3. Sacrifice

Clearly we can be kind with out giving anything other than our words.  Generosity tends to involve words and stuff.  Sacrifice gives until it hurts.

This concept is another challenge to our human nature of selfishness.  Maybe just kindness is not enough.  Maybe I/we need to add generosity.  I am going to be thinking about this for a while.  

But, keep practicing kindness please!!!  But if you can expand to kindness that leads to generosity or even sacrifice, good for you.  Let's stay at it.

It is a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Quote from Keep Breathing

Last week I mentioned the Netflix series "Keep Breathing."  There is a quote from one of the episodes where the star says, "This is my happy place.  This is where I come to forget."

That phrase kind of sank in.  I guess I resonated with it.  We all need a place where we can forget the hurts.  Whether it is the redwoods, or the back porch or a bicycle ride or the kitchen table of a friend.  It is nice to have safe places.  They make us happy.

Safe and happy are both good.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

It's ok to talk to people

In Russia, if you talk to people that you don't know, they think you are crazy.  Everyone keeps to themselves.  At least it used to be that way.

I sat on an airplane next to some folks from an Asian country.  So quiet.  So private.

And I thought of these scenarios where you are not supposed to engage.  And I realize that we can still engage, only carefully and kindly.  Shy people don't like the loud approach, but it is still ok to talk to people and share the love.

Just be normal and kind.  That shouldn't scare anyone.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

How big is my vision?

A few weeks ago I was flying into New York City.  As we were preparing to land, I wanted to see the city, but I was a long way away from a window.  I was also in an Exit Row which only had the little circle windows.

view of window from my seat.

I leaned in, I zoomed in.

I can see it!  There it is!
New York City!!!

My view of the city here is like how we often live life.  My view is small and obscure, but since it is all that I know, I think that this is all that there is.

Is it possible that there is more than has been dreamt of in our philosophy?

Do you, do I have small thinking going on that would change if we got a bigger perspective?  There is usually more going on than I can see, and I could amend my outlook, if I could just see more.  It begins with opening my eyes to the possibilities.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

I love construction

I love construction.  I love watching things go up.  If they had Bob the Builder when I was a kid, I would have watched every episode.

So a new train system is being built in Florida by Billionaire Richard .  Brightline is a highspeed train that will connect from Orlando to Miami.  Unfortunately it is going to race through Vero Beach and will not stop anywhere near us.

That being said, new tracks are being laid, and new bridges built.  I find that watching the process is very exciting.

Trees are cleared, gravel railbed is set.

New concrete ties with hold downs.
The rails will then set on top of these.

Railroad crossing road sections ready for installation.

Long rail waiting to be set.

Crane working on a bridge.

We should all worry less and enjoy the simple things of life more.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

The quiet voices

Be sure to listen to the quiet voices.  Just because they are not all over social media does not mean that they don't get it.

The loudest voice in the room is often bellicose and full of itself.  Sometimes the high volume is a wishful misdirection from what is going on underneath the surface.  The divorce rate amongst loud people is 50% too.

Those who say, don't know, those who know, don't have to say.  Run from those who pretend that they do not have any problems.

Somewhere in your life there must be a quiet person who is just sitting by watching.  They may be chock full of wisdom, and you would never know.  They are never going to blow their own horn.

Watch out for the noisy know it alls.  Spend more time with the quiet, thoughtful ones.  In fact, work at being one of the quiet thoughtful ones.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Keep Breathing

Keep Breathing is a six part, short series on Netflix.  It is about a woman who is in a plane crash and then deals with the elements of the Alaskan wilderness.  Along the way, she also deals with the wilderness of her upbringing.

I could relate to it.  I wish that one of my parents would have told us that it wasn't our fault.  But that ship has sailed.

Sometimes in life, you have to let go of the past and just relax.  Just fall into the current and see where the water takes you.

If there is a current in life,  the good Lord knows it and watches it.  After all, he has the whole world in his hands.

Sometimes you have to let go of your desires and wishes.  Sometimes we need to just wade in and see where the current takes you.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Why does something always have to be wrong?

I continue to be annoyed by the negative "news" on the news.  In fact, I rarely watch it.  There is a lot of talk about "fake news."  Well, the news outlets that talk about fake news also provide fake news.  

Oh my gosh.  Flights have been cancelled.  Turns out it is less than 1% of flights in a given day.  And the next day, the news has moved on to some other tragedy.

Oh my gosh!  There is no baby formula.  The president must do something or he does not care about babies.  Hmmm.  What do mothers do in poor countries?  What did we do before the advent of baby formula?  Yes, there are other options.

When I was in Lincoln at that grocery store, I noticed a lady checking out.  Looks like she had some baby formula.  And look at the supply in the baby formula aisle.  Maybe the news should have told people to drive to Lincoln to get their formula.

Look at all the formula she is buying.  I wonder where she got it?  She must have bought the last cans.  Lucky girl!!!

Then I found the formula aisle.  OH, look!  Lincoln grocery store on 27th street has tons of baby formula.  Someone please tell channel 9.  They will be so relieved.  They can share the good news!

Anyway, the next day, it was a non issue.  Evidently supplies were back.

The news goes from one emergency to the next.  And I think it keeps a lot of people stressed out.  OMG there is a recession.  What will we do?  Hmmm.  What did we do in 1987?  In 2001?  In 2008?  I think we will survive.

What if the news focused on what was good and what was right?  What if the news showed random acts of kindness?  Maybe instead of filling people's brains with worry, they would inspire other acts of generosity.

Anyway, don't get sucked into the worry pit.  If you want to worry, there is always something to worry about.  Instead, be a part of the solution.  Be a part of the good story.  Create a good story.  Be the good story.  Change the world.  Change your attitude and let it flow out to others.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Paying Attention

So I am driving my shopping cart through the grocery store on N. 27th St. in Lincoln, Nebraska.  I have never been in this store before.  It is kind of a warehouse store and the shelves are really tall.  I am looking for the signs to direct me to the proper aisle.

Suddenly... plop!!!  My cart is in a hole!  There is a bang and a crash and I look at the front of my cart.  I have driven it into a hole.  

Yes.  Right here in the store, marked off with orange cones is a nice hole to trap shoppers.  Actually it will only trap shoppers who are not paying attention.

I was able to pull my cart out and go on.

But... how many of us go through life without paying attention.  We cannot find our keys because we were not paying attention to where we set them down.  We lose touch with a friend because we forgot about them.  We miss joy and meaning and hope because we are not focused on seeing the good.

There are many pitfalls in this life.  Most of them are not marked out with cones.  You have to pay attention to avoid them.  And you have to pay attention to see the good.

May we all pay a little more attention.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

turn it around

Murphy's Law - if anything can go wrong, it probably will.

And that is how many of us live.  Constantly waiting for something to go wrong.  Always worried about what "might" be.

What if we turn it around.  If anything can go well, it will.  This little sticker lays upon my desk.  I wish I could get it stuck in my head a little more.

It almost seems counter intuitive to think that things could go well, but they can, and for most of us, they have.  Most of us have had more good than bad happen in this life.

What are you thinking about today?  What are you expecting?  Bad or good?

If anything can go well, it will.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

brains filled with

What are our brains filled with?  This is a painful picture, but it illustrates what we do with our brains.

Too many Christians strive to have their brains filled with ideas.  We say, Let's listen to this great teacher and lets learn all of the facts from the Bible study.

Ideas, ideas, IDEAS.

What if life is not about filling our brain with lots of ideas?  What if the Christian faith is not about filling our head with more ideas?  How will the second coming happen?  How many angels can fit on the head of a pin?  How was Jesus both God and man?  Who cares?  Spend your life worrying about stuff is like wasting your life.

A person can waste their entire life lost in thoughts that we do not, and will not know the answer to.  Christianity has created a culture full of people who want to know everything, but have lost the true purpose of life.

Our brains should be filled with one idea.  Love.  Especially if you are a Christian, our brains should only focus on love.  Stop wasting time and energy and get to the real business of God:  love your neighbor.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Don't mess with my brain

I have always loved this photo/meme.  It is such a perfect illustration of how our brains work.  

I think what I think. Don't mess with what I think.
I know that I am right. If I was wrong, I would change my thinking.
I don't even have time to consider the craziness that you are suggesting.
Leave my brain alone.

And yet, healthy growth, enlightenment only comes to those who are willing to let their brain be stirred.

What ideas do you or I need to let go of?  The light only appears when we are willing to shed the darkness.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

The end of grace

The end of grace.

Oh, just the title of this post makes me feel uncomfortable.

An end to grace?  NO!!! How can that be?  If you are like me, I believe that God's grace is immense and that it never ends.  His mercies are new every morning, so says Lamentations 3

Yet we have been taught, and maybe have taught ourselves, that there is an end to grace.  That we live this life and can find grace in this life, but the moment that we die, grace is over.  Grace is over when we die and we are judged based on what we did in this life.

So grace and mercy ends?  What does that say about God?  Grace and mercy is real but temporary?  That sounds like a shallow love to me.

Yes, this messes with part of my brain that was taught and preached that we would be judged when we die.  But friends, either God's grace is new every morning, or it is not.  We have to choose which scriptures to believe.

For me, after spending a childhood being manipulated and guilted, I am ready to believe in a God that actually loves us.  Now and forever.  Grace does not end.  And if that messes with your brain and your theology, so be it.

Learn to be loved.  It is not too late.

It's a beautiful, grace filled day [even for those who die today] it's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

waiting

A few weeks ago I was waiting in line to turn in a rental car.  There was only one guy there to check your mileage and he was slow.  Really slow.  And I was in a hurry.

Did you ever notice that when we are in a hurry, other people seem slower?

Anyway, if you have ever looked at a struggling person and thought, "they should get a job" this guy did.  He was not the sharpest knife in the drawer, and he loved to talk.  Evidently, he needed to talk to people.

It seemed forever that he took with the first car.  By the time he was done with the second, Methuselah had died.  By the time he finally got to me, if had I been a Buddhist, I would have been on my 4th life.

Finally it occurred to me... he is not going to go any faster or slower based on my angst.  Who by worrying can add an inch to their height?  Who by worrying can add a moment to their life?  These thoughts comforted me and I finally relaxed.

The next time that you are in line behind someone that is slow or will not turn left, just remember... they are not going to turn until they choose to turn.  Maybe their eyesight is bad.  Maybe they are not a confident driver.  But no matter the reason, they are not going to turn, until they choose to do so.

My angst about them moving faster is not going to do anything except upset me.  It is time to let that stuff go.  It is time to relax.  

I got my rental car turned in.
I finally turned left.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, don't worry about anything and be sure to see the good.

and if you wondered who Methuselah is- click this link

the pain of the past

This little sign sits in my den.  I am not sure
but I think that one of my sisters gave it to me
after that peculiarly difficult thing happened.

We all have collected wounds and scars over the years.  The wise ones find a way to rise above them.  Many of us spend the rest of our lives wallowing in our hurt and/or being resentful to those who participated in delivering the pain to us.

What if there were no mistakes in life, just lessons.  What if the way that person treated me was more about them, than me?  What if I was just wrong and can admit it, and move on?  What if I come to truly believe that there is a lesson in every rainbow and every pothole?

If I can focus on the lesson, I can move on into the gift of this day.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.