Halloween

My opinion...

Halloween is fun.  Cute kids.  Scarry costumes.  A pot of chilli.  Scary movies.  Halloween is fun.

Not my opinion, this is the truth...

My mother, who was a religious zealot, was strict about everything else, but loved Halloween.

More truth...

Halloween is not the devil's day.  The devil does not get a day.  He is a subordinate creature, created by God as an angel.  He is not all knowing, not all present, and not all powerful.  We have made a creature, created as an angel, into the opposite of God.  

My opinion... this is silliness on our part.  We love dichotomy.  We love dualism.  So we love the for and against, the either or, the good and bad, the in and out.  And so we created a mental system where the angel is on one shoulder and the devil is on the other.

The devil is not the opposite of God.  The devil does not have and does not get a day.

Halloween is fun!  It should be fun!  Relax!  Enjoy!  Celebrate those who have gone on before us.

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

If I make you mad

From time to time, what I write is evidently upsetting to some folks.

• Maybe I was too hard on the church.
• Maybe I shared what someone else wrote.
• Maybe I offered too much grace.
• Maybe I thought we should help the homeless.
• Maybe I thought that we should be more generous.

And someone sends me a note to complain.  And that makes me happy.  Because, I want to make people think.  I want to help us look past the self and see the bigger picture.  I want to help us to move away from being manipulated and to learn to live lives of joy.

If what I write is upsetting to you, then maybe something good is happening.  It is good, really good to question our ways of thinking.  We should never be threatened by new thoughts.  Without new thoughts, we do not grow, we do not change, and we remain stuck in old systems.

Consider what I write.  Consider what everyone says, especially those who are on the other side of a discussion.  I am glad to hear from you anytime.

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

$13.02

Family dollar. 

I was on the way to church on October 16th and I stopped at family dollar. I stopped because I was early for church and I had time to run one of my lists of many errands. 

I stopped to get chocolate for the server at my favorite restaurant. And I stopped to get greeting cards, thank you cards for four pastors. 

This is pastor appreciation month. 

When I got in line to pay, the guy in front of me couldn’t get his Apple Pay to work. So he had $13 worth of stuff and no way to pay for it. He and the cashier spent about 10 minutes messing around with this Apple Pay.  I finally offered to pay for it.  I don’t know if it was because I was getting aggravated for waiting or if I actually had a generous moment. 

But I would like to say again that giving up $13.02 did not kill me. Generous moments are always better than stingy ones. 

What would happen if we all carried $13.02 in our pocket, every day, for such situations?  And when you spend it to help someone, replenish it?  What would happen?  

Join the $13.02 club.  Who can you be a blessing to today?

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

Lucy the St. Bernard

My sister Amy has a 9 year old St. Bernard named Lucy.  For a number of common reasons, Lucy has gone mostly blind.

I was thinking about Lucy and how your world changes when you lose your eye sight.  For a dog, they still need to go on walks, but they must rely on the leash and the voice of their master.

Oh how comforting must be the voice of the master.  Especially when, particularly when, one cannot see.  I know that Lucy takes great comfort from Amy's reassuring voice.

I thought of the scripture passage in John 10, "my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me."

How comforting to know that in a world where we cannot always see what is happening, there is a comforting voice.  In a world that includes war and economic concerns, the voice of the Master is still there.

Stop.  Listen for his voice of peace.

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

Selfishness

Recently posted in the neighborhood app, "I have branches on my sidewalk, when is the county ever going to pick them up?"

Wow!

This in an area that was devastated by a hurricane!  Some people don't have a house and you are worried about a few branches on your sidewalk?

Self-centeredness is a terrible thing.  We are born self centered, but we do not have to stay that way.  

Start asking yourself... What is going on with others?  What kind of a day is that person having?  How can I help others?

I can promise you, when we focus on our own problems, they seem bigger.  When we focus on caring for others, our own problems seem smaller.

It is a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the serious wounds in other's lives, not the palm fronds on your sidewalk.

Pastor Appreciation Month

Pastor Appreciation month is October.  It is almost over.  If you have not done so, I would invite you to write a note to your pastor or tell him/her that you love them.

Granted it is an obscure holiday.  It was probably created by Hallmark to make money, like Cinco de Mayo.  Last week in church I brought a card for Pastor Tim 3 and asked where the box was for cards.  No one knew what I was talking about.

The life of a pastor has some very rewarding moments, and some very difficult ones.  I miss the rewarding ones, and do not miss the difficult ones at all.

Yet there is good news for me, and for you.  All of you, pastors or not, can still provide the rewarding parts, which include loving people.  We can do this every day, even if we are retired.  

Even if you don't read this until November, please tell your pastor, "hey I missed pastor appreciation month, but I love you and I am thankful for you."  It will mean a lot to them.

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

which mountain

On either side of the valley, there is a mountain.  On Mt. Sinai, Moses received the law.  [We all know about the law and living a life of rules.]  But that is not the end of the story.  On Mt. Zion, we are invited into God's family.  On Mt. Zion, God taught us about love, grace and welcome.

On one side of the valley is the mountain of our youth.  Certainty.  Right and wrong.  Doctrine.  In and out.  Good and bad.  Tribalism.  Security.

At some point in our lives, we begin to have serious questions about the mountain that we live on.  As soon as we start asking questions, we are either shamed into repentance, we are shunned, or we begin the process of the descent into the valley of uncertainty.

In the valley of uncertainty we find discomfort.  We find a fear that maybe we should run back to the mountain of our youth.  We wonder what is on the other side.  In the valley of uncertainty, we plod on, looking for something better than the place that we left.

Finally on the other side of the valley, we emerge and journey up a new mountain.  It is a simple mountain.  On this mountain, the air is clear, the sky is blue and there is no guilt and fear.  On this mountain we find, experience and learn to give, God's grace and love.

A week or so ago, I received a note from a dear friend describing their journey and their struggle in the valley. I wrote this back to them:

I encourage you to continue on the journey away from doctrine, away from rules, away from who is right and who is wrong. I encourage you to enter the valley of uncertainty and make your way to the other side where awaits a world that is dominated by grace.

May we all continue the journey away from dogmatism, away from guilt and shame and towards the light of God's love and grace.

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

What we see and what God sees

In response to a recent post, my friend Joyce wrote in about a study that the UMW had some years ago entitled, "Walls that Divide Us" where the abiding quote was, "when God looks down from heaven, the walls of our churches that divide us are so infinitesimal."

What we see and what we hold dear is likely very different than what God holds dear.

While we are all tied up in our Nationality, God just sees people. We are for the Missouri Tigers or the Alabama Crimson Tide or the Florida Gators. Does God even notice when we steps across the supposed "state line?"

We have our Methodist box. We have our denominational doctrines. We have our walls.

God sees people.

That is all.

God sees people in need of love and care. Maybe we should get back to the basics of the work of the Samaritan and forget about our tribes and our tribal doctrine.

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

drink the koolaid

"Drink the Kool-Aid," or "drinking the Kool-Aid" is a phrase made famous by the People's Temple incident of 1978 in which over 900 followers of Rev. Jim Jones committed suicide by drinking Kool-Aid laced with cyanide.

Kool-aid was/is that sweet, tasty drink from our youth that was so satisfying.  But when poisoned, it can be deadly.

Sometimes the rank and file believe what is coming down to them from the top without question.  Sometimes this is safe, and sometimes this is the right thing to do. Some leaders can be trusted.  But in many cases, what we get from the top is fraught with self interest, so much so that the information cannot be trusted.  [hint:  if information is not disclosed, or if you are not allowed to question, then beware.]

In such cases, to blindly believe what we have been taught is tantamount to "drinking the Kool-Aid."  In Christianity, there is a lot of Kool-Aid to drink.  Lots of doctrine, and lots of ideas that have been pushed onto us from the top down.

Don't drink the Kool-Aid.  When something feels fishy to you, always return to the words and teachings of Jesus.

Just because you have been taught something your entire life does not make it true.  Look in the mirror.  Is there a purple stain on your mouth?  Is there one on mine?

Never be afraid to question what you believe.  God is not threatened by our questions.  He welcomes our thoughts and questions.  A relationship with him is a place of peace, not a place of fear.

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

Love your neighbor

There is a fad program of late called "Love your neighbor."  A day is selected, a Saturday.  Programs are visited by members who show support, love and care in various ways.  An elementary school, a homeless shelter, the local firehouse might all be recipients.

It is a good idea and it is, they are good programs.

But, they should be seeds of a lifestyle, not, never a one and done.  If they serve to teach people that this one Saturday should turn into a lifestyle, then great.  If they serve as a day that can help the self centered Christian feel like they are loving, then it is time for more education.

We don't "interrupt our lives" to love our neighbors.  Loving our neighbors is meant to be inert.  It is meant to be daily, hourly, moment by moment.  Not one Saturday per year, but every Saturday, every week, every day.

Love your neighbor.

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

how to do it

But how do I love?  Ok, I get it, I should be more loving.  But how to do it?

I take my neighbors flowers.  [I take flowers to my neighbors.]  I cook brownies for my sick friend.  I serve a meal at the Ronald McDonald house.  But somehow, I feel that something is lacking.  What can I do?  How can I show love?  How do I know that I am truly being a person of love???

I think loving your neighbor begins with seeing your neighbor.  Whatever we see we value.  Whatever we focus on, we value.  If we’re not seeing, if we’re not paying attention to a thing, we’re not caring.  That’s how we lose our keys, that’s how we lose our relationships  that’s how we lose our way. 

What are you paying attention to?  Do you want to be a person of love?  See people.  See the cashier at Lowes.  See the man at the car wash.  See the person wanting to get into the lane of traffic.  Don't get lost in your stuff.  Always have time for people.  Always see people.  

That is what Jesus did.  And, if we follow him, we will see people too.  See them.  Love them.

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

it's not a hobby

More from my friend Brian Swanson's sermon...

"Love is not a hobby for the Christian."  I would expand... it is not that we are Christians who choose to love.  It is not an add on.  Love is not an extra.  Love is not a hobby for the Christian.  If there is no love, there is no Christian.

A person can wear the clothes.  They can put a cross around their neck.  They can talk about following the Bible.  But if there is no love, there is no Christianity.  He that loveth not, knoweth not God.  1 John 4.

It is not a hobby.  It is central.  It is key.  It is the mark, the sign of a Christ follower.

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

they have a life too

Someone was crappy to you?  You got the raw end of the deal?  Maybe the other person was having a bad day.  Maybe their mom died.  Who knows.

But they are supposed to serve me!!!  Yes, but people in the service industry are humans and they have a life too.

Just recently I was working at a CVS and the pharmacist on duty had a family emergency.  She had to leave, and so the pharmacy had to close.  Right in the middle of the afternoon!!!  CVS put up signs to explain the situation.  It did not matter.  People were furious!  How dare that person have an emergency!!!

Now, agreed, a pharmacy is a very important thing for us to have, but people are people, and people needs our grace and care.  The world is not always going to align itself to suit me.

wanted a pharmacist, instead, facing disappointment.

Sometimes we don't get what we want.

Everyone has a life.  Everyone has issues.  Everyone needs grace.  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

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

the life

As I was writing yesteday's post, I thought about the word "life."  I thought about how many churches and Christians provide a life for people that is full of negative things.

Fear
Guilt
Exclusion
Negativity
Dualistic thinking.
Fear [repeated on purpose, for reason]
Guilt [same as above]

When we find the life of Jesus, all of these go away.  When we find the life of Jesus, we find joy and peace.  We are no longer dominated by guilt and fear, because God is love.

Are you living?  Are you living the denominational life of guilt and exclusion or are you living a life of love?  When we set aside the negativity, that is when we find the freedom and the joy.  That is what Jesus meant about life.  That is the abundant life.

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

The Way, the Truth and the Life

Oh how we love to make things about us.  Our brains are "me" centered, and our churches are usually wired for self preservation.  That means that we have created doctrines and systems that support "our way" as if it were the "only" way.

Let's look at the phrase, "the way, the truth and the life" found in John 14:6.  The way that denominations use it makes it feel like this...

In the Baptist church, it sounds like, "I am Jesus, and I am the Baptist way, the Baptist truth and the Baptist life."  In the Catholic church it sounds like, "I am Jesus, the Catholic way, truth and life."  There are denominational Jesus' of every type.  There is a Mormon Jesus.  There is probably a Methodist Jesus.  These are all created to support our denominational, our tribe's way of looking at theology and the world.

Jesus will not be defined or contained by any of them.  He is bigger than our definitions of him.  He is larger than our formulas.

What if, when he says, "I am the way, the truth and the life" he means this...  

Before the world was formed, I am.  Before Pastors insisted that you believe it their way, I am.  Before the religions organized, I was.

Therefore, where ever you go in this world, you will find me.  I am the way.  If you find something that feels like the way, that is me.  I am the truth.  If you find truth, regardless of the label that man has put on it, that is me.  And if you find freedom and life, regardless of the parameters, that is me.

I am Jesus.  The Way, the Truth and the Life.  I am the Cosmic Christ from the beginning.  I will not be bound by denominational definitions.  I am not contained by man's doctrine.  

Find me.  I am out there.  I am out there in all kinds of places that might surprise you.  I am Jesus.  I am everywhere.  

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

The roll of quarters

I was out of town for two weeks of work.  During the first week I got to thinking about laundry.  At the hotel I wondered if they had laundry facilities.  I was down at the desk and I asked if the woman behind the desk could break a $10.  She thought I needed coins for laundry so she gave me a roll of quarters. I took them and went on my way.

I didn’t do my laundry that week but by the second week I definitely had to do laundry - "PU!!!"   

I started looking for laundromats and the one that I found in Logansport, Indiana had a sign on the door that says that they will do it for you.  So since I didn’t have the time to wait, I just dropped it off.

I came back to pick it up after work the next day. When I was getting out of the truck to go in to get the clothes, I saw the roll of quarters. My brain said, Jeff, you can give that away to the people inside.  People in laundromats need quarters.

Then I thought, how do you know who really needs it?   I thought also that the $10 will buy my dinner. I thought "yeah I can give it to the people at McDonald’s to pay for my big Mac and fries." 

But I thought more about giving it away... and then I thought that if I spent that roll of quarters on my self at this point I would feel like a heel no matter what I was buying. So I took it into the laundromat, I paid the bill and asked the lady if they ever gave quarters to people in need.  she said yes, "every day I do it out of my own pocket."

So I gave her the roll of quarters and asked her to give it to someone in need and I’m sure that she will. The more we learn to give the better life goes.

I found it interesting that once I thought about giving that roll of quarters away, I knew that I could not spend it on myself.  It was almost like it wasn't mine anymore.

Lord please make us all more generous.  Especially in these times, it is needed now, more than ever.

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

As Yourself

My friend DH reminded me the other day that Love your neighbor as yourself is often spoken without the "as yourself."  Point being, we should also love ourselves.  We should be good to ourselves.  We should go easy on ourselves and offer ourselves grace.

Odd how life works, later that same day, I received this poem from my friend Bruce. I loved it!!!

The Most Important Thing by
Julia Fehrenbacher

I am making a home inside myself. A shelter
of kindness where everything
is forgiven, everything allowed—a quiet patch
of sunlight to stretch out without hurry,
where all that has been banished
and buried is welcomed, spoken, listened to—released.

A fiercely friendly place I can claim as my very own.

I am throwing arms open
to the whole of myself—especially the fearful,
fault-finding, falling apart, unfinished parts, knowing
every seed and weed, every drop
of rain, has made the soil richer.

I will light a candle, pour a hot cup of tea, gather
around the warmth of my own blazing fire. I will howl
if I want to, knowing this flame can burn through
any perceived problem, any prescribed perfectionism,
any lying limitation, every heavy thing.

I am making a home inside myself
where grace blooms in grand and glorious
abundance, a shelter of kindness that grows
all the truest things.

I whisper hallelujah to the friendly
sky. Watch now as I burst into blossom.

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

Pet Peeve

I have a pet peeve.  

But, before I get there, let me give a shout out to my friend whose pet peeve is people who take more than 10 items into the ten items or less line at the grocery store.  In deference to the well being of my friend, please do not enter the 10 items or less line if you have more than ten items.  Seriously.

Now on to my pet peeve.  When we cross a street, we cross directly across.  We don't want to be in the street any longer than possible.  But in a parking lot, it is a different story.  We will walk at a 45 degree angle towards our car, even if we are blocking traffic.  I have seen people walk in the middle of the drive lane towards their car, with no mind what so ever to the poor shoppers that are trying to park.

People.  When you are going to your car, walk directly across the drive lane, then make a turn toward the aisle that your car is in.  Think of the people who are driving.  Don't make them run you over.

Be safe.  Walk strait.

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

Love

I listened to a sermon the other day by a Pastor friend, Brian Swanson.  The topic was "Love your Neighbor."  One of my favorite topics!!!

Brian put it very well:

1. We are created in God's image.
2. God is love.
3. Therefore, we should look like and act like people of love.

It doesn't get any more clear than that.  If Christ followers are to be Christ like or God like, then we need to be people of love.

God is love.  We are created in his image.  Love.  Show it.  Be it.

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

California Trip, Day 4

This was our last day in wine country!

We had a lovely trip.

Armstrong Redwoods State Park

Daughter Jenny and I at the redwood park.

La Crema

Simi Winery Redwood Picnic area

View from Francis Ford Coppola Winery

As I type this blog, we are on the way home, and I am very tired.  But it is always a blessing to see beautiful places.  May we always be thankful for the opportunities that we have.

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

California Trip, Day 3

Today we spent touring wineries in Sonoma County.  Kendall - Jackson in Windsor.  Hawkes Winery in the Alexander Valley.  Ferrari Carano in Dry Creek.  We went to another wine tasting room in downtown Healdsburg.  We had a nice dinner at Jackson's in Santa Rosa in the Railroad District.

If you are asking yourself, why Jeff is posting stuff from his vacation on the blog, there are many answers.  Probably the most important is that we got to see some beautiful places on the trip, and I hope that the pictures will give you a sense of the joy that I felt.  We need to be aware of, and really "see" the beautiful things, people and places in God's world.

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

California Trip, Day 2

Our second full day on our vacation we spent in the Napa Valley and then swung up over into the Dry Creek Valley.  We visited wineries:  Frog's leap, Mumm, Hans Fadhen and Dry Creek Vineyards.

Even though I don't drink wine, I serve a purpose... I am the driver.  Also, I enjoy the trip and the visits very much.  I enjoy the California air, the weather, the cool mornings.  I love the fog.  I love the smells.

I hope you get to enjoy a vacation or go somewhere that makes you happy!

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

California Trip Day 1

Every year we try to take a week's vacation in Napa/Sonoma.  I went to Jr Hi, High School and started college in San Jose.  Northern California is in my blood.  My little sister still lives in San Jose.  Cathy and I love the trips to Napa.  She tastes the wine and I drive.

I also enjoy the beautiful, amazing weather and scenery, which I have documented with pictures over the years.  Over the next few days I will be sharing some of my favorite pics from the trip, day by day.

Clos du Val winery

Happy taster

Rombauer Vineyard

Morning fog in Napa Valley

Look for something beautiful today and savor it.

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

forgiveness

If you are like me, forgiveness is a topic that you think about weekly.  It is a major theme in the lives of people who wish to rise above the negative experiences in their lives.

Richard Rohr says that, "the gospel comes down to forgiveness."  While I have been saying that the gospel comes down to love and kindness, being able to show love and kindness is not possible without forgiveness.

So forgiveness is a key piece of living the Christian life.  We cannot compartmentalize.  We cannot love some and resent others.  The resentment of the one will spill over into everything else that we are.   If I harbor unforgiveness for one, it affects everything in my heart that would go out to anyone else.

Desmund Tutu had a lot to forgive, for the injustices that were done to him.  He wrote, "It is the knowledge of my own frailty that helps me find my compassion, my empathy, my similarity, and my forgiveness for the frailty and cruelty of others."  In other words, when I think of some of the bad things that I have done, it helps me to release others who have done bad things to me.

If you are harboring resentment, keep working on the issues.  It takes time, but you can make it to the other side.

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

Thank you

I woke up the other day.  I was groggy.  I made my way to the bathroom.  I got a cup of coffee.  I had on my  morning face.

Then I grabbed my phone and your text popped up.

"Good morning friend!  I thought of you during my study time and just wanted you to know that you are special to me.  Have a great day."

I cannot tell you how happy your text made me feel.  My attitude went from morning groggy to awake and happy!!!

Thank you so much for your kind words.

Note to me and to everyone... people won't always remember what you said, they won't always remember what you did, but they will always remember how you made them feel.

How can you help someone feel good today?

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

Prayers answered

The recent hurricane prompted many to pray for safety.  That reminds me of one of my favorite stories, or sermon illustrations.

A woman said, "during the war we prayed that God would keep us safe.  And, Praise God!  He did!!!  All of the bombs fell on the other side of town."

We must always remember that the storm is going to hit somewhere.  And while I don't want it to hit our home, I really don't want it to hit anyone.  I don't want anyone's life to be devastated.  So while we may be happy that our family and friends are safe, may we remember that someone else's family and friends were not safe.

Let us expand our circle of care to include those we don't know.  Those who are outside our normal circle.  May we all expand our circle of love and care.

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

Satisfaction

I love handyman work.  I love construction work.  At the end of the job, you can see a difference.  You can make the world a better place.  You can consider a project, sleep on it, and come up with a solution.

And so, one of my clients had a light that was hanging off of their house.

If you zoom in, you can see that the metal strap has rotted off and the light is hanging by a thread.  Well, I have taken apart many an electrical box in my time and I know how these things go together.  I told my client that I thought that I had everything that I needed to fix his light, at home in my garage.

And so I pulled a Roger Grout.  Roger is my friend who prides himself in having enough supplies in the garage to fix a problem without going to Lowes or Home Depot.

I assembled the parts from my collection of electrical things and returned to my clients home.  In 30 minutes I had the light repaired and reinstalled.

Ahh!!! It looks great!  Satisfaction for sure!  A smile to my face, and to my client!

There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour.  This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.  Eccl 2:24

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

To become a wise one

On Sept 23rd, Richard Rohr posted about becoming a "grand parent." A Grand parent, not in the sense that my kids had a kid, but in the sense that one had arrived at a place of wisdom.

The final stage of the wisdom journey in mythology is symbolized by the ruling image of the king or queen or what I like to call the grand father or grand mother.

When we can let go of our own need for everything to be as we want it, and our own need to succeed, we can then encourage the independent journey and the success of others. The grand parent is able to relinquish center stage and to stand on the sidelines, and thus be in solidarity with those who need their support. Children can feel secure in the presence of their grandparents because, while their parents are still rushing to find their way through life’s journey, grandpa and grandma have now hopefully become spacious. They can contain problems, inconsistencies, inconveniences, and contradictions—after a lifetime of practicing and learning.

Grand parents can trust life because they have seen more of it than younger people have, and they can trust death because they are closer to it. Something has told them along the way that who they are now is never the final stage, and this one isn’t either. We need to be close enough to our own death to see it coming and to recognize that death and life are united in an eternal embrace, and one is not the end of the other. Death is what it is. I am a grand father when I am ready to let go. To the grand mother, death is no longer an enemy, but as Saint Francis called it, a “welcome sister.”

The soul of the grand parent is large enough to embrace the death of the ego and to affirm the life of God in itself and others, despite all imperfections. Its spaciousness accepts all the opposites in life—masculine and feminine, unity and difference, victory and defeat, us and them and so on—because it has accepted the opposition of death itself. Grand parents... have come to realize that spiritual growth is not so much learning as it is unlearning, a radical openness to the truth no matter what the consequences or where it leads. They understand that they do not so much grasp the truth as let go of their egos, which are usually nothing more than obstacles to the truth.

Wow.  I want to be that...

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

Respect

In response to a recent blog post, a friend wrote in and said,

I am struggling because I seem to be surrounded by those who have a dogged determination that every jot and tittle of the Bible is gospel vs Jesus' message of love God and love your neighbor. Such literalizing of scripture is tearing the "organizational church" and former congregations apart. Over the years, I have moved from a conservative thought to "hate the sin but love the sinner", to "who can cast the first stone".

Where is the love and mutual respect?

Who can cast the first stone?  But for the grace of God go we.  People are still more important than ideas.

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

The Dentist

Ugg!!!

I hate going to the dentist.  But then I remember when I went on the dental mission trip to Jamaica and saw the teeth that had never been to the dentist.  Those poor souls would wait in line, overnight, to see the dentist.

If you have regular dental care, this is something to be thankful for.

So I am sitting in the dentist chair, waiting for the famous shot.  This will only hurt for a moment.

And I notice the sign.  There is a good day to be at the dentist?  I guess so.  Many people wish they could go to the dentist.

And here is a close up of the sign.  It is a good day for a good day.  Hey!!! there is some good advice.  By the way, do you know the best time of day to go to the dentist?  2:30

[too thurty, tooth hurty]

My dentist is a Christian, he has a favorite scripture, he calls it the dentist's psalm:

"Open wide thy mouth, and I will fill it."  Ps. 81:10

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

Biblical ideas we don't or shouldn't believe anymore

The title speaks for itself.

Biblical ideas that are no longer relevant.  There are ideas presented in the Bible that we should not, cannot believe any longer.

In no particular order.

1.  Women are property.  Women should be subservient.

2.  Slavery is OK.  It is an acceptable part of society.  Slaves, just obey.

3.  Rebellious sons should be killed.

4.  If the enemy surrounds your city, it is ok to eat your children.

5.  Something must be killed in order for God to be happy.

6.  You can't or shouldn't eat shrimp.

7.  You shouldn't have a savings account... don't store up treasure on earth.

Just because I set aside archaic ideas that are presented in the Bible does not mean that I do not love God.  Actually, when I can be honest about this topic, I love God more.  God makes more sense.  The Bible is still a book filled with lots of great wisdom, and I can gain much from it.  Today I am free to experience and follow a God that is truly a God of love.

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