Sunday’s Blessing – 03/31/2024

As you walk through this Easter Sunday, among all the beauty of God’s creation

May you never cease to be amazed at the wonder around you

If you cannot see the wonder, I pray you will slow down a moment

So you can find the beautiful expression of God’s creativity

In the budding trees and plants, in the joyous laughter of children

As you greet your family or your neighbor

Or simply realize you are still breathing

May the reality of The Resurrection give you renewed hope

And awareness of God’s grace and mercy

To know that no tomb, real or imagined, can contain the life God has placed in you

And to experience the stone-moving power of God to release you

From any and all feelings of captivity

To allow the God-life in you to flourish

And affect your world for the Kingdom

Knave, Nave, Know, Now

Knave, Nave, Know, Now: English is hard. Communication is harder. So much of our communication is non-verbal: pitch, volume, intonation, emphasis, inflection, facial tics, posture, gestures, eye contact, eye movement, ... We do all of these things subconsciously when we speak, yet none of this is communicated when we write. We've tried to adapt to the digital age by capitalizing, emojis, acronyms, bold, italics, underline, ... However, you cannot completely emulate human behavior, hence, communication, by words alone. If it's important, make time to have a face to face conversation. It will mean more to the hearer, whether it's good news or bad.

Sunday’s Blessing – 03/24/2024

May you fully grasp the importance of acknowledging the Kingship of Christ.

He was born a King from royal linage.

Kingship was bestowed upon Him by the Maker Himself.

He conquered all other kingdoms to become the One True King.

May you fully understand that you co-reign with Christ in His Kingdom.

You have been made a king and a priest of the Most High God.

You have access to the treasure of the Kingdom.

It is all yours through grace, and grace alone.

May you fully walk in the benefits of the Kingdom.

To know He IS our peace.

To know the Holy Spirit is always present to empower, guide, teach, and comfort.

To know this Kingdom is unshakable.

Peak, Peek, Pique

Peak, peek, pique: English is hard. Communication is harder. One of Steven Covey’s “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” states: Seek first to understand, then to be understood.

This takes constant effort. We are prone to be preparing our next barb or witty comeback instead of actually listening to the content of the conversation. Especially when the topic is one which invokes passion. Actually consider the words spoken by others. It will lead to a much more cordial conversation, and you may learn something in the process.

This is so needful among Christians. We have a proof text for everything. As soon as we hear the "trigger word or phrase" we run through our rolodex for the perfect way to refute or reprimand the speaker with "the truth" and never actually hear what is in their heart. Take the time. Be patient. Every person deserves the respect to be heard. 

Sunday’s Blessing – 03/17/2024

May you realize your significance in the eyes of God

To know you are a priceless treasure

To know God gave everything to redeem you

To know He loves you without cause and without limits

May you realize your significance in your world

To know you are the only one of you

To know your purpose to impact those around you

To know greatness is not the goal, but faithfulness is

May you realize your significance in your own eyes

To love yourself so you can love your neighbor

To believe you are enough because of Christ

To pursue your passion with abandon

English Is Hard - New, Knew, Gnu

New, knew, gnu: English is hard. Communication is harder. Context is often difficult to ascertain in terse phrases, like texting. That's why it's important to have actual conversations when the topic is important. Even in long email, nonverbals are lost in translation and your meaning can get sidetracked by the internal frame of reference of the reader. This is also the primary reason why AI, in my opinion, will never replace a real person.

Be human. Talk to other humans. It can make all the difference.

Sunday’s Blessing – 03/10/2024

May you fully understand grace: the desire and ability to do God’s will

Because He loved us before we even knew there was Him

Because His Holy Spirit was drawing us when we didn’t even know we were lost

Because He has plans, purposes, and pursuits for each of us

May you understand this grace is unmerited favor

Because if it was earned it wouldn’t be grace

Because if it could be earned, we are not capable

Because a gift is not a result of obligation

May you grow in your knowledge of our Gracious God

Because knowing Him will bring understanding of His grace

Because trust grows out of knowledge of His character

Because ignorance is a hindrance to receiving grace

May you experience an immersion in grace

Because He overwhelms us with His favor and blessing

Because we are baptized (to whelm) into Christ

Because He wants us to be in Him, hidden with Christ

May your thoughts become slaves to grace

Because your dreams will grow when grace is present

Because your path is part of God’s provision

Because He has promised to make you complete

A Day in the Life of My Brain

A life is constructed of fragments which accumulate over the years

Beginning with a single cell formed by two DNA strands

Each human begins to take form as attributes are set in place

Eye color, skin tone, gender, hair texture, height: every part of you

As you become aware of the world around you through the senses

Each sight, sound, smell, taste, touch shapes your understanding

The pleasure or pain you experience influences your mental state

Each success or failure hones your personality

Then each person with whom you interact

Leaves a fragment of themselves with you, and you with them

Some influences for good, others for bad, others are indifferent

Constantly evolving with the addition and removal of encounter residue

Sometimes these fragments remain dormant in you

Until one day something causes them to erupt, spring forth, shine

Bringing personal illumination, or

Inspiring effect on your world

You are the keeper of this treasure-trove of influence

Each memory neatly organized in your mind

Waiting to be matched with the key

Which unlocks the potential

Maybe today will be a touchpoint for something amazing

It’s inside you

All it takes is a look, a sound, a feeling, a fragrance, a taste

Then an avalanche of potential is released

A single moment can change your entire existence

Yes, bad things can happen

But, just like the good things, your response makes all the difference

Because the future is determined by you

Fog

I recently read this quote: “A fog covering seven city blocks is composed of one glass of water.” I Googled it and found the following citation: “According to the Bureau of Standards in Washington, a dense fog covering seven city blocks to a depth of 100 feet is composed of less than one glass of water. That amount of water is divided into about 60 billion tiny droplets. Yet when those minute particles settle over a city or the countryside, they can almost blot out everything from sight. (Source Unknown)”

This is quite amazing when you think about it. One glass of water is hardly enough to wet a single person thoroughly, yet it can cause a fog which could cripple transportation if it happens to occur in a busy thoroughfare or airport. I remember my first trip to London’s Heathrow Airport. There was an observation deck where you could watch the planes takeoff and land. Sort of. That particular day the “London fog” was very present at the airport. You could see the planes taxi down the runway, hear the roar of the jet engines, but as soon as the wheels left the ground the plane disappeared from sight into the dense fog hanging over the airport.

Can you imagine being a pilot, flying one of those huge planes full of anxious passengers? That is a lot of responsibility. You have to be thoroughly trained on the instruments in the cockpit. Beyond training, you then have to have complete confidence on the direction being given from those instruments and from the air-traffic controllers in the tower. Much of this process is now handled by computers following signals being emitted by equipment on the ground. Even so, as the one in charge, the captain has to trust the process and be prepared to intervene should something go wrong.

My friend, Jason Peebles, used flying as an illustration often in his teaching. It is so easy to see the application. Each of us are the “captain” of our life. We are ultimately responsible for our outcome. Using the instruments (scripture – The Word) to get information about our journey, relying on prayer (communication with the tower – The Father) to give us additional information which is not available on the instruments, and following the inward witness (training – the Holy Spirit), we approach each takeoff and landing with care. 

Before we taxi to the end of the runway we will use to make our exit, we thoroughly examine the plane, the maintenance verification, fuel gauges, and radio to insure everything is in proper working order. This could certainly fit nicely with the description Paul gave for the Armor of God. When we reach the launch point for our takeoff, we make sure we get our bearings by setting our gauges to coincide with the direction of the runway. We set destination coordinates to the location we expect to reach at the end of our journey. Once we receive final instructions from the tower and one final check of the instruments, we press down on the throttle to release the power of the engines which propels this multi-ton flying machine down the runway until it reaches lift speed (point where the air pressure on top of the wing is less than the pressure under the wing) and pull back on the yoke to send the plane soaring, defeating the force of gravity trying to keep it on the ground.

It took humans many centuries, even millennia, to develop the ability to do that which birds could do since the day they were created. To watch a bird take off and land with such ease has intrigued man from the beginning. After years of trial and error, manned flight was finally accomplished at Kitty Hawk. It has progressed by leaps and bounds since those early days of the "crazy young men and their flying machines." By using what we now know about flying, it gives us a beautiful picture of how the Godhead works in the life of the Believer to help us traverse this planet and accomplish that which we were created to do.

The description above of the process of getting a plane off the ground may sound complex, but only if you are not familiar with the process. God’s plan for you is so simple, a child can do it. I believe the Western Church has tried to complicate living the Christian life to the point that we forget how to fly. Just like the birds, who were created to fly without even thinking about it, we are created to be sons and daughters of the Most High. It’s not hard!

I love Paul’s description in Ephesians 1, where he uses a phrase over and over to help us understand some of the most complex topics in scripture; things like predestined, adoption, and being sealed by the Holy Spirit are all “to the praise of His glory.” At one point he gives us counsel to simply “be to the praise of His glory.” You don’t even have to think about being. You already are. Just like Jesus, we are destined to be kings and priests of the Most High. We are born a king when we become identified with Christ. We are kings by bestowal (“joint heirs” with Jesus), Who was coronated “King of kings” when He was seated at the right hand of The Father. We are “kings by conquest” when Christ defeated our enemy. All of this was accomplished in us through Jesus.

So, the next time you seem to be in a fog, remember who you are in Him, and Whose you are – a son or daughter of The Father. Look for the beam from the Lighthouse of Heaven, leading you to safe passage, and listen for the lowing of the Foghorn of God, the sound which beckons us homeward.

Generational Blessing

A hobby I’ve dabbled with for a while now is genealogy research. Knowing my roots has become more important with age. Generational transfer of information seems to be a lost art in our Western culture. I don’t think it was anything intentional or malicious, but lost, nonetheless. Life has become busy. Information is accessible in so many forms. Now, we simply post a meme or reel or emoji instead of having a conversation. Again, I don’t think it is some evil conspiracy, just the result of a culture unaware of the importance of generational connection.

I love to find old photos of my ancestors. Occasionally, I’ll come across a story discovered in old newspapers or sites like Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org. I also love to visit the location of an old home place or business of my ancestors and imagine what life would have been like for them. It doesn’t change history, but will hopefully make life richer for me, and possibly those who come after me.

I think all of us, at some point in our lives, wonder if we have made a difference in our world. Have we accomplished anything which will remain after we are gone? There is a lot of talk about legacy of politicians and other public figures. Recently, it seems this has become a fixation while people are still living. The problem with those still living, any attempt to determine their legacy is somewhat futile. Legacy is something determined by future generations. 

The talk of “The G.O.A.T” (greatest of all time) in various sports, again, is moot because we haven’t lived “all time” yet. Plus, sports are constantly evolving. Sports technology, medical technology, and the rules by which the game is played all affect how “good” a particular player is. Other factors, in my opinion, are things like the coaching staff, facilities, teammates, and in the case of professional teams, ownership. “No man is an island,” according to John Donne. The case is constantly being debated: Jordan vs. LeBron, Montana vs. Brady, etc. The reality is we will never know because these players, and many like them, will never face one another to determine the winner.

Instead of worrying about our legacy, we need to try and live as one in pursuit of that for which we were made. Inside of every person is a desire to pursue something. Far too many lose this desire early in life due to tragic circumstances: physical abuse, poor health, being disadvantaged (finances, culture, ethnicity, etc.), etc. When you face every day with words being directed at you like, “you were a mistake,” “you will never …,” “you’re a disappointment,” it takes a special mental and spiritual makeup to not be taken down.

This is one reason I have taken up the practice of blessing. For the past few months, I’ve been writing a Sunday Blessing for my blog. There are always those giving you reasons why you will fail. I believe it is in the heart of God, the Father, to want His people blessed. If you study scripture, you will find ways how God built blessing into the culture of His followers. We have recorded for us in the gospels where Jesus was baptized by John. Afterward, as Jesus walked up out of the water, a sound from heaven came with the words, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!” Again, at what is referred to as the Transfiguration, the same voice from heaven came, declaring, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” If Jesus ever had a doubt before His baptism, those doubts vanished when such a blatant display of love and affirmation came booming for all to hear.

My father was taken from my life when I was nine years old. I never received his words of affirmation spoken over me that I remember. I was cared for and was never abused or mistreated as a child. There was plenty of love shown in our home. But having such a vital influence removed from my life during such impressionable years affected me. It’s not an excuse for anything. It did cause me a lot of grief through the years. I struggled with being a father because I never had it modeled for me. The only grandfather I ever knew died the year before my father. My paternal grandfather died when my dad was only ten years old.

Even though I was raised in church, the practice of blessing is no longer part of the fabric of the Western version of Christian expression. This is changing, but very slowly. Several authors have dedicated their efforts to bringing the importance and meaning of blessing back into the Church. We need more.

If we can raise a generation who are aware of the blessing they were created to be and allow them to live the pursuit of that for which they were created, we will see a change in the tide of creativity and freedom which can change the world. When an army of souls have the understanding of their place in The Kingdom, and their relationship with The King, armed with the confidence that they matter, and that their God and their family are backing them every step of the way, there is no limit on what can be accomplished.

So, by speaking the truth about God, and His Son, and the Holy Spirit, coupled with unqualified love and support, we can then speak into the lives of those coming after us which will be unstoppable. We will see mountains moved, bridges built, and generational gaps eliminated. Let’s celebrate what is in these amazing children and grandchildren coming after us. Even if you have never heard of “blessing” it is never too late to start. Regardless of the hurt, disadvantage, etc., these warriors can still affect change in their world, and ours. Take some time to learn about blessing. Learn how it is the heartbeat of God, and see your world transformed.

Sunday’s Blessing – 03/03/2024

May you always wonder at the images of the splendor of Heaven

Where The King is seated on the throne

Where we are seated with Him

Surrounded by the magnificent continuous worship of the living creatures and elders

May you always live from the posture of one seated with The King

Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named

Where not even the shadow of death can touch you

Where you are closer to the Father than anything else

May you never strain to know the Father’s love

Since you are one of His

Since you sit at His right hand

Where you are covered by His mighty hand

May you pray with the confidence that the Father hears you

Because you have His ear

Because The King is with you, interceding for you and with you

While being empowered by the Holy Spirit

Joy for the Journey

The grand illusion of happiness

Like the brightly painted horses on the carrousel

The calliope blaring it’s melodies

Beckons for all to join the ride

The carnival attraction seems to offer an escape from reality

Once aboard, the amusement brings instant elation

A distraction from all which is looming outside the circle

Around you go, carefree, but not really gaining ground

There is nothing wrong with entertainment

But it is not a panacea which erases life’s pains

Once the carrousel horses end their run and the music fades

You are left with yourself, your thoughts, still needing answers

The joy you seek is not in the placebo of lights and sounds

Only by facing the issues you wrestle in the night

By going to the mat, taking the opponent down for the count

Can you rise to be acknowledged as the winner

This is not accomplished by your own effort alone

But you have to be willing to contend

Knowing that your Father is the Judge, your Lord, the Referee

And empowered by the Holy Spirit

The fight is rigged, already decided in your favor

You walk into the arena the winner

You walk out the victor

To ride the real horses into the hills of your destiny

You hear the songs of deliverance being sung by your God

The sweet, still small voice, of your Guide

And following the King

You conquer each demon-thought which dares rise up

Do not allow the night-terrors to rob you of life

When the One who gives life

Has chosen you as His own

And will not allow you to become a castaway

Embrace your journey called life

Do not back away from the pursuit

For the answers you seek are ahead

Not in the wake of all which has tried to stop you

(C) 2024 Kurios Publishing