If God is not mad

I have posted on this before, but I have to stay with the topic.  It is such a challenge to my brain.  This thought also messes with so many things that I have been taught.

God is not mad.

If God is not mad, then it changes everything.

If God is not mad, then he does not need to kill things.  If God does not need to kill things, then he does not need to slaughter and torture his Son.  The death of Jesus becomes a sign of love instead of a remind of how mad God is at you for being a sinner.

If God is not mad, then we can stop worrying about every little sin.  If God forgives us, then his grace endures forever.

You can't have it both ways... God loves you but he has to send you to hell.  What!  Whose idea was that???  If God loves us, then he loves us.  period.  Time for old ideas to change.

Decide.  If he doesn't love you, then live in fear.  If he does love you, then live.  Just live.  Live a life of love and joy.  That is what those who follow Jesus should be about.  Lives of love and joy.

God is not mad at you, he is madly in love with you.

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

I am not getting the blog

Before today's post, an update on Ian the hurricane.  We are in California til Saturday on vacation.  Our son Scott closed the hurricane shutters yesterday.  Most of Ian skirted Vero Beach.  As of midnight eastern time, we had high winds and lots of rain, but nothing terrible.  Please pray for my friends in Cape Coral and Ft. Myers.

Now on to today's blog post...

Lately I have heard from a few of you, "I am not getting the blog."

Ok, that will happen... First, check your spam or your trash.  Mass emails often end up there.  If you find the blog there, you can click on those emails and indicate that they are not spam.

Secondly, please remember that the blog is posted daily on a web site.  That means that you can go to the web site, just like you would type in amazon.com or walmart.com or yahoo.com or anything dot com, you can go to the blog web site.

www.canyouhearthebirdssing.blogspot.com

I know it sounds old school, but it works.  Type in the address and read it there.

Also, if you need to resubscribe or if you have a friend that you want to subscribe to daily emails, go to the web site and type in the email address.  See the white box in the upper right corner in the picture?  [sign up for emails of blog postings]   Type your email in there and click "subscribe."  You will get an email asking you to verify the subscription, and then you should be good.

Well, you are already good.  At least I think so, and so does God.  More on that tomorrow.

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

6 months

Today is my oldest daughter, Allison's birthday.  She is 35!!!  Wow, how time flies.  She is such a good egg.  She is also pregnant with our second grand child!  That is pretty awesome!!!

Today is also a six month anniversary for me.  Six months ago, on March 28 I made a few new years resolutions.  Yes it was not new years, but I decided it was time to make some changes.

I decided that I would change what I was putting into my body.  What I ate and drank.  I also decided that I would be in church at Fort Pierce First UMC, every Sunday that I possibly could.

December 2021 at Disney

August 2022 w my buddy Tyler

Now, I have missed a few Sundays because of travel, but I have loved being back in church.  I love the people at the church and our new pastor is awesome!  And as far as the eating consumption resolution, I have lost 30 pounds or so, and I have kept it off.  I feel better, I have more energy, and I am sleeping better.

Point is, it is never too late to make a resolution!!!

On another note, several of you have reached out about hurricane Ian and us being in the path.  As I write this, we are on vacation in California, so we are safe.  How will the house fare?  We will see.  I will keep you posted.

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

I hope you dance, part deux

So after yesterday's post, you know that I like the song, I hope you dance. I love it when it comes on to play. It always makes me happy and it takes me back to a very special time.

Well, for all of the years that I have listened to that song and enjoyed it, I heard something new the other day. Isn't it interesting how, if we pay attention, we can find new things?

In the song, there is a descant.  But I never paid attention to those words. As Leanne Womack sings, I hope you dance, there is a descant in the background. Here are those, very important, very powerful words.

I hope you dance...........
and underneath those words...

Time is a wheel in constant motion 

always rolling us along

Tell me who wants to look back on their years 

and wonder where those years have gone

and then back to those words...

I hope you dance...

Point being, dance. DANCE. Live. LIVE. Live now. Pay attention. The years go by quickly. Make today count.

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

I hope you dance, part one

Back in my Woods Chapel days, one of the songs that was on the table annually was Cindi Harris singing "I Hope You Dance" by Leanne Womack.  It was always one of my favorite moments.  Such a great message, such a beautiful song.  Here are the lyrics.  Take a few moments to read through them.

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty-handed

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance, I hope you dance

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances but they're worth takin'
Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth makin'

Don't let some hell-bent heart leave you bitter
When you come close to sellin' out reconsider
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance, I hope you dance
I hope you dance, I hope you dance

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

Dance, I hope you dance
I hope you dance, I hope you dance
I hope you dance, I hope you dance

Click here to listen to the song on youtube

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

Halloween

My family has always loved Halloween.  I was driving to one of my handyman jobs and I saw this skeleton.  I thought someone should make a sign to put in front of it...

Don't be afraid, I am disarmed!!!
[see arm laying on the ground]

I find that thought to be humerus.

And boom there it is... here comes a line of jokes... bone jokes.

If you boil a funny bone, it becomes a laughing stock.

Why didn't the skeleton go to the dance?  He had no body to go with.

What do skeletons order at restaurants?  Spare ribs!

Why didn't the skeleton cross the road?  He didn't have the guts.

Humor is a good thing.  We need more of it in our lives.

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

Hurricane Prep

 Several have asked in the last few days, what do we do for hurricane prep.  And as they watch the news, they wonder if the latest storm is a threat to us.

Well, first of all, you know that the news likes to sensationalize everything.  If they say it will snow a foot, it snows 1/4 of an inch.

The storm that we are currently following now, Ian, is only a storm.  It is not yet even a hurricane.

At any rate, I have begun preliminary hurricane prep.  I have filled all of my gas cans with premium gas [this is what the generator runs on.]  I used to have big 5 gallon gas cans, but I realized pretty quickly that they get too heavy for me to work with.

We have 15 gallons of rec fuel in the garage in cans and then the cars are all filled up as well.  We have a siphon hose to take gas from the cars if need be.  In case of loss of power, we should have plenty of gas to keep the generator going.

Other hurricane prep... I make sure the flashlights work and get them out and available.  If we were really worried, I would put up the hurricane shutters.  At this point we are not putting them up for Ian.

I make sure that we have lots of cases of water and general food items.  We have two extra propane tanks so that we can cook on the grill after the storm passes.

Nails for tarps if ever needed.

In case a storm is really bad and we lose some shingles, we have in our garage a number of very large tarps and the kind of nails needed to hold them down.  We hope that they are never needed.

All furniture on the pool deck goes inside.  All pictures, anything that is not tied down, goes inside.  The doors come off of the screened in porch to help neutralize the pressure against the lanai.

The other thing that I do is to make sure that my neighbors know that I am available to help them if need be.

And then now, all prepared, all snuggled safely in the house, we watch the news and wait.

Hurricane prep 101!!!

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

One thing at a time

Worry less, love more.  

How?

Choose to focus on positive things.  You can only think about one thing at a time.  YOU CAN ONLY THINK ABOUT ONE THING AT A TIME!  

If you choose to embrace worry, then you cannot think about love.  If you choose to think about love, then love will fill your mind.

We may be used to thinking about one thing or another, but we can change.  Turn that channel off.  Stop reading that internet site.  Stop listening to negative people.  Find new friends.

Negative thoughts, bad news, turn it off.  Good news, positive voices, turn them up.

You can only think about one thing at a time.  If you want your life to be filled with good, then make the conscious decision to focus on that.  Out with the bad, in with the good.

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

Worry Less, Part Deux

Oh, the immigrants! Oh the Supreme Court! Oh the economy! Oh the democrats! Oh the republicans!

Oh this, Oh that, Oh my!!!

Friends. We have a choice. What will we focus on? If you want to worry, go for it, but it is a waste of your life. Remember the words of Jesus:

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

If Christ followers would be such, they must follow Jesus.  His words on worry are clear and simple.  Begin by making a decision to stop worrying.  More tomorrow.

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

focus on the good

Before I get to todays blog, I want to visit my morning prayer again.

Yesterday I woke up, and the first thought on my mind was what I consider the best prayer ever.

"Thank you."

Simply said, thank you, thank you, thank you.  Try it.  Thank you is the best prayer.

Now on to today's blog...

I talked to a friend the other day who is struggling to see the good. So much negativity in the world, so much discord. So much going wrong. It is easy to get sucked into worry.

Here is what I have to say: worry less, love more.

I know you have seen versions of this, but we need to remember, we must remember how good things really are.

“If you have food in your fridge, clothes on your back, 

a roof over your head and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of the world.

If you have money in the bank, your wallet, 

and some spare change you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness 

you are more blessed than the million people who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, 

the agony of imprisonment or torture, 

or the horrible pangs of starvation 

you are luckier than 500 million people alive and suffering.

If you can read this message you are more fortunate 

than 3 billion people in the world who cannot read it at all.” ~ Unknown

Oh, friends, the next time you are feeling overwhelmed by negativity, please remember the good.  There is so much!!!

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

Thoughts on the personal budget

For most of us, budgets are getting tighter.  Things are costing more, but income is flat.  At least that is the case here in Brinkmanland.

Here are some thoughts on making ends meet when costs are up and income is flat:

1.  Make more.  My son in law, David Philips says that everyone needs a job, and everyone needs a side gig.  Even if you don't have a job, there is some side gig for everyone.  

• Sell stuff on ebay or facebook marketplace.
• make something crafty to sell.
• get a part time job.
• become a pet sitter/walker
• sell your services as a shopper or a driver.
• there are lots of ideas if a person would apply themselves.

2.  Spend less.

Don't buy that. Stop buying that thing completely.
Buy generic
Buy in quantity.

Find alternative items to purchase.

search "affordable meals to make at home" and cook them.

Turn the thermostat up.

3.  Save more.  Every dollar saved today, is a dollar available tomorrow.

4.  Don't waste anything.

Waste not, want not.  When I was a kid, we never ate out.  Well rarely.  We went to McDonalds 2X per year and eating out was for birthdays only.  My mom washed off aluminum foil and reused it.  We ate leftovers until they were gone.  Nothing was wasted.  Ever.

Finally, to make a budget work, everyone has to be willing to do whatever it takes to make the ends meet.

We will work it out.  All of us.  And we can help each other along the way.

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

Talk like a Pirate Day!!!

It is back!!! Today is one of my favorite holidays, it is national talk like a pirate day. I wouldn't miss it for the world. Here are some terms to help you make it through today as a joyful participant.

Avast ye =Pay attention
Hornswaggle =To cheat
Shiver me timbers=An expression used to show shock or disbelief
Head=Toilet on board the ship
Poop deck=Deck that is the highest and farthest back
Landlubber=A person who is not incredibly skilled at sea
Davy Jones' Locker=Refers to death
Ahoy, matey=Hello, friend
Batten down the hatches=A signal to prepare the ship for an upcoming storm
Blimey!=Something said when one is in a state of surprise
Booty=Treasure
Crow's nest=The place on the ship where the lookout stand is built
Heave ho=Instruction to put some strength into whatever one is doing
Old salt=A sailor that has a great deal of experience on the seas
Scallywag =A name that is used as an insult to someone
Seadog =An old sailor or pirate
Thar she blows!=An expression used when a whale is spotted from the ship
Three sheets to the wind=Someone who is quite drunk
Walk the plank=A punishment which entails someone who walks over the side of the ship off of the plank. Their hands are often tied so that they cannot swim and they drowned.
Yo Ho Ho=There is often used to express some sort of cheer but also can be used to call attention to the speaker.

Be sure to tell a joke or two.
Where do pirates buy their music?
Aye - tunes
Why are pirates cool?
They just rrrrrrrrrrrr.

Rrrrrrr. It's a beautiful day in God's world, be surrrrrre to sea the good!!!

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.