Another take on the mask

16 Admit your faults to one another and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous man has great power and wonderful results. 19 Dear brothers, if anyone has slipped away from God and no longer trusts the Lord and someone helps him understand the Truth again, 20 that person who brings him back to God will have saved a wandering soul from death, bringing about the forgiveness of his many sins. (James 5:16, 19-20 TLB)

Our pastor spoke about authenticity recently, another in his series about being established in our walk with God. As he said many times in the sermon, we finally come to the place of experiencing God's tremendous love for us once we are courageous enough to be the 'real deal' with God and others. There was a point in the sermon where he told us how hard it was for him to develop this authenticity in his own life. Now, you might think it wouldn't be a struggle for a pastor to be 'real', but the truth of the matter is that even pastor's are human! Humans have a hard time sometimes when it comes to not 'hiding' what we really feel, how we really have been behaving, or what our real struggles might just be at that moment. Pride, and sometimes shame, keeps us from being authentic with each other.

At one point, he shared a time when he was really struggling in his life and this is where he established a solid relationship with another guy who was also a Christian in order to really get his life back on track. He put himself in a place of 'accountability' in order to not further bury his real issues and concerns in that season of his life. Let me be the first to admit that this was a pretty bold and brave step to take. Why? It is much easier to bury stuff, putting up a front, than it is to be genuine and bear it for others to see. I think there is this misconception in life that others will judge us for our failures and shortcomings, so we don't share them, even though we so much desire for another to actually help us face them head on and deal with them. Maybe this has proven to be true when we bear them to the wrong individual, but when we get established in a relationship with another committed to helping us grow - someone also walking out this day-to-day life with Christ - we have the opportunity to be real.

Trust is a big part of authenticity - trusting that others will not take what they discover about us and put it out there for the whole world to see. After all, we might be willing to share it with another who will pray for us, give us wisdom as to how they have dealt with the issue themselves, or even just walk with us in discovery of the truth together, but we don't want the entire world to know! We want accountability, but not publicity! Yet, even in the closest of relationships, we sometimes hold back bits and pieces of our 'real self' because we still don't want to let anyone else know that 'side' of us. It is that 'side' of us that needs the healing, though, so not being will to allow discovery of it will significantly impact us coming to know God's love as we should on that 'side' of our lives.

Love requires authenticity - being the real us. We are the closest to God's heart when we are the real us. If there is anything I have learned about authenticity over the years it would have to be that all of life cannot be a masquerade party. The mask has to come off some time. If it doesn't, we will never really discover the way God's love can and will minister to that area of our life where we have been struggling the hardest and the longest to 'live under cover'. Even the most skilled 'cover taker' cannot remain concealed forever. Pride being what it is, we might attempt to mask the 'real us', but that only keeps us from really experiencing the tremendous healing of God's love. Just sayin!

NOTHING - EVER

For I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels won’t, and all the powers of hell itself cannot keep God’s love away. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, or where we are—high above the sky, or in the deepest ocean—nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ when he died for us. (Romans 8:38-39 TLB)

Separation occurs wherever there is a point of some type of parting. When I wash clothes, I 'separate' them into stacks of dark, medium, and light colors. Why? Those darker ones have the potential of causing me a great deal of extra work if they get in with the lighter ones because they can actually leave stains on the lighter ones. It makes sense to separate them into these piles because of the potential of one to affect the other in a negative way. I have been at some homes of people where even the cans of food are stacked neatly in rows of whatever is contained within those cans. This may give them an indication when they need to buy more corn or peas, but in my estimation, a stack of canned veggies, whatever they may be is just fine! They all get used up and I know where they are when I need to find them - if I don't have peas, I eat corn! While it makes sense to live with certain 'separations' in our lives, there are times I think we feel like we need to 'separate' some of our emotions, actions, or even influences in life from our relationship with God. The truth is that "NOTHING" should separate us from God's attentive and caring love!

We know the big stuff shouldn't and won't separate us from his love, like the actions of the devil in our world, or the finality of death on our human form. Yet, I wonder if we also realize that no fear should ever cause a separation, nor worry any deviation from remaining consistently engaged in closeness of relationship with him? Like it or not, our emotions can (and will) separate us from God's protective closeness if we allow them to drive a wedge in between us. Worries have a way of causing us to begin to spend a ton of thought and effort on ways to solve whatever issue is bringing that set of worries into our lives. We spin and spin, attempting to find a solution - all the while that spinning is taking us further and further away from the solution - Christ! We might think we are just helping God take care of whatever is leading to this set of worries and woes, but in reality we are allowing them to drive us to a point of separation - we are forgetting that God's love "overrides" any set of present or future worries. If we remain connected to him, the worries begin be rightly dealt with by the one who has all the solutions for whatever it is in the present or future that may give us this sense of emotional unease. 

A whole lot of things attempt to steal our joy in life, separating us from God's peace and his presence. We must take a stand against all these 'separating forces' - for scripture declares solidly that NOTHING shall EVER be able to separate us from his love. That doesn't mean NOTHING will EVER try to do so, but we can stand on the truth that as long as our eyes are firmly fixed on him, nothing shall ever be able to bring any degree of separation from his love and care. Just sayin!

A lesson about paper towels

Don’t criticize and speak evil about each other, dear brothers. If you do, you will be fighting against God’s law of loving one another, declaring it is wrong. But your job is not to decide whether this law is right or wrong, but to obey it. (James 4:11 TLB)

As I was considering this morning's blog, I thought about a roll of paper towel hanging from the side of my refrigerator. Do you remember back in the day when paper towel just came in one size? The sheets were all pretty large squares and if you needed less than one square, you just had to take the whole thing. Today, we can tear off these 'half-sheet' sized pieces if we need only a small piece. If we have a slightly bigger job, we can tear off three of these sections, allowing us enough to complete the job, whatever it may be. Some of us want to have the same kind of 'a la carte" way of picking and choosing just how much of our lives we want to give to each other. Sometimes we want to give just a little bit to one, while we want to give lots to the other. We want to 'tear off' just enough to 'get the job done', but we don't want to tear off more than is needed. God doesn't really cater to this kind of a la carte way of us interacting with each other. In fact, he asks us to invest our lives in service to one another - something that requires three sheets for some, and a whole lot more for another!

Let me be the first to admit there are times when I don't want to give more than the 'minimum' in a particular relationship. It might be that I am tired, or stretched in more ways than I might want to admit. It often can be that the other person just 'rubs me the wrong way'. They do things, say certain things, mess up things, etc. - all of it acting as 'irritants' in our lives and making us want to 'limit' how much we allow them into our lives. It is a whole lot easier to 'give of one's self' freely (lots and lots of sheets from the roll) to the ones who don't 'rub us the wrong way'! It is much harder to want to keep allowing that one who gets on our last nerve to have access to as many sheets as they need, isn't it? We want to 'ration' their access to the roll! Am I the only one that struggles with this on occasion? I kind of doubt it. It is human nature to sometimes want to label someone as one who 'consumes' way too much, while we allow a great deal of latitude to others to 'consume' as much as they need. We do this because there is something in that individual that might just reveal a little bit about ourselves that we don't want to have to deal with, making it easier to avoid them than to embrace them!

We need to be truthful here. When someone 'rubs us the wrong way', making it harder for us to really be loving and kind toward them, we just want to avoid them. We don't want to give them access to the roll! If we do give them access, we allow them only those 'half-sheets' of our time, energies, and talents. Why? They drain the roll! They have a way of 'using up' the sheets of our time, energies, and talents over and over again. We want to have something left on the roll for those who also allow us to take a few sheets now and again from their rolls! While it is not easy for us to 'deal with' those who are 'super consumers' in our lives, it is something I believe God wants from us. Do you know why the paper towel is right there on the side of the refrigerator in my kitchen? The sink is right there! It is the kitchen and things happen in the kitchen that require frequent 'wash ups' and 'pick ups'. In life, we will always be surrounded by others who need some 'wash ups' and 'pick ups'. Put the 'roll' out there for them to use - that is the entire purpose of the roll! It isn't for beauty or display. It is for practical, everyday use on messy stuff! Just sayin!

Are you criticizing me?

To learn, you must want to be taught. To refuse reproof is stupid. (Proverbs 12:1 TLB)

"The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism." (Norman Vincent Peale) The ruin of many a good man or woman began with the downward spiral of the heart's push and pride's pull! There is no greater battle some of us have than to remain teachable when we get to the point of having a little knowledge. As we have all heard at some point in life, a little knowledge can be a very dangerous thing - it can launch us down paths we might regret later on. I have a little knowledge of plumbing, but I am not a plumber. I have a little knowledge about car engines, but I could not keep one running today because the technology under the hood mystifies me. The knowledge we possess isn't always the thing that saves us - it can be the very thing that the heart uses to push us into pride's path and that certainly can be a very slippery slope!

While none of us appreciates criticism, there are times when we each need to hear the truth others observe about our behavior. It may not be really "wrong behavior" so much as it may be behavior that is keeping us from being our best in Christ. It may be something that is limiting our growth because pride closes door to growth more than it opens them! Praise is far more palatable than criticism, but when we receive criticism in the spirit of a 'what can I learn from this' mindset, we are more likely to lean into that criticism as an opportunity to respond differently the next time. It might surprise you to hear that YOU are not the best judge of your actions - others see us in ways we find it almost impossible to see ourselves. This is the power of having others in our lives that aren't afraid to speak truth into our lives - even when it isn't always the things we want to hear about ourselves!

The 'full truth' isn't always going to be about the 'good stuff' in life. In scripture, God sometimes had to confront people quite abruptly about their sinfulness, didn't he? He didn't mince words at times, because the fact of the matter is that truth needed to be seen. Jesus often confronted the religious leaders with words that showed exactly where they stood - such as when he called them whitewashed sepulchres. He was saying all their 'finery' of religious robes and even all the 'out front' religious talk didn't make them really righteous at the center of their being. It was all for show. Did you realize the original meaning of the sepulchre was a tomb? He was saying all their religious actions amounted to no more than 'dead actions'. Yup, the truth can hurt at times, but when it comes from the heart of one that loves us more than words can describe, the truth may hurt, but it also can heal! Just sayin!

Oh, but this is beyond remedy!

Stop for just a moment to consider your most "damaged relationship". It is likely the one that is the most "strained" every time you have contact with this individual. It is the one you might not really understand the 'why' behind the damage, but the damage has been done somehow and you might not have a clue how it can be fixed. If we really stop to consider it, the most 'damaged' of relationships we have is that we have with God himself - but the good news is that the 'fixing' of that damage is not our doing! In fact, we might think we are the ones that bridge that gap by our good efforts, but the truth is it is Christ that bridges any gap we might have allowed to be created through our sin - first in our relationship with him and then in our relationships with others.

My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God. (1 John 4:10 MSG)

"Damage" in relationships is hard stuff to deal with, usually because someone has to 'give in', 'give up', or 'give out'. That takes sacrifice and a whole lot of work. The clearing away of the damage is incremental in those human relationships that have gone awry, isn't it? We might have an all out sit down and hash it out session, but even when we 'clear the air' between us, there is something that still lingers in the sense of needing to rebuild trust. The air might be cleared, the slate wiped clean between us, but there is some expected action we each want to see evidence of before we totally trust the other individual again. 

Do you know what 'damage' really is? It is anything that diminishes the value of the object. In the case of our relationship with God, sin diminished the connection, but the extreme value God places on each of our lives is never diminished. In fact, he sees us as of the 'highest worth' or 'value'. In our relationships with each other, we are actually diminishing the value the other individual has in our lives when we allow these fractures to come within them. We declare them to no longer serve a 'use' for us and we pull away from them as a result. 

Stop for a moment to consider your most 'damaged' relationship on this earth again. If we say that particular person has 'no usefulness' in our lives any longer, we are probably wrong. Why? Even the most damaged relationships can prove 'useful' when we allow them to drive us to our knees and to for a searching of our hearts and minds to occur. Even the most 'damaged' of relationships can still have value - we just need to realize that extreme value. In some of my most 'damaged' relationships I have learned much about prayer and a whole lot about forgiveness. I have learned to sacrifice even when I didn't think the other person would ever know about that sacrifice. The opening of one's self up to the possibilities of finding the 'good' in the midst of the 'damage' might just change how we begin to see the other individual. Just sayin!

A little lesson in calculus

Have you ever been asked a question just way too hard to be answered? Somehow the answer eludes you when you most need it, or you simply cannot conclude you even come close to knowing the answer at all! I once heard it said that if the question was just too hard to answer, changing the question could help. When we ask things a slightly different way, it is amazing how the answer may emerge! When God's truth is revealed to us, asking for a response from us, we sometimes have a hard time accepting or 'knowing' that truth. At other times, that very same truth becomes so easy to grasp or 'know'. It isn't that truth changes - it is that we are hearing the question that beckons us to understand truth in a slightly different way. I think God often asks the questions differently so that we will eventually get to a full comprehension of the truth!

The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us do what is right. (2 Timothy 3:16 TLB)

We embrace things at different paces - all of us a little different than the other when it comes to our learning. I once had a pastor friend who used to say, "Some of us are like a Missouri mule...we need a two by four up side the head to get our attention." I hope none of us are like that too much of the time, but there are definitely times when I know God is asking me the same question, just in a different way. I didn't get it the first, second, or eighteenth time! I needed his repeating the question - framing it in a different manner, at a different time, or in a way that illustrated what he was trying to help me understand just a little better. There is no crime in needing the question 're-framed', my friend. It might just be the very thing that helps bring the liberty you are so desperately seeking!

Just in case you were wondering, I have actually asked God to ask the searching questions that reveal where truth needs to come into my life - sometimes repeatedly for the same area. I am not afraid to tell him I need it asked a 'different way' because I just didn't 'get it' the first or eighteenth time! There is no harm in admitting the question didn't get the answer we needed to arrive at in our lives - and in asking, God isn't going to turn us away. He will 're-frame' it so we have another chance to see the exact same truth, but from an angle we may actually understand and embrace! As I said, it isn't that the truth changed - it is that the way we view truth because the question is asked a little differently has opened us up to see truth - maybe for the very first time.

Truth doesn't come all at once - we wouldn't know what to do with it if it did! We'd be on overload. If we went into a calculus class one afternoon, textbook in hand, professor at the whiteboard, would we expect to learn all the principles of 'continual change' all in that one hour class. Did you realize calculus was the study of 'continual change'? Differential calculus studies the 'rate' of change - how much there is a slope or curve to the change. Integral calculus studies the 'accumulation' of the parts that go into that change (what makes up the parts under or over that curve).  Just knowing that much about calculus is not going to make us a calculus 'expert', is it? Yet, understanding it is the study of change might just give us insight into our own ways of learning...

--- We all have the need for 'continual change' and all of life is based on the 'curve' - we are going through change from the moment we are conceived till who really knows when? Even in death, we are changing! Decay is even a process of change. If we know this about ourselves, then we shouldn't be surprised that God will 're-phrase' the questions until the change is complete! After all, the truth will bring change and change is never done!

--- We all have moments of recognizing change is based upon 'accumulated knowledge' - we embrace new aspects of the same truth and put it into practice. There are parts 'beneath' and 'above' the "curve of learning" in our lives that make up the accumulated parts of that change. God is assuring we see all the parts by asking us the questions again and again, in new ways, until we have a thorough understanding of the 'parts' of truth that make up that 'curve' of continual change! Just sayin!

Capacity overload

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. (Mahatma Gandhi)

Serve - to render assistance, be of help, be useful. The actions of service are not always as evident today as they may have been in a time when our pace was slower and our lives were a little less "cluttered" with all manner of distractions. I was watching a series of shows called "Little Men" over the past couple of days and observed several 'actions of service' that stemmed from a desire to honor another, create something meaningful another could put to use, etc. In the last episode I observed something akin to someone being on "overload". Deadlines were approaching, unexpected changes in circumstances were making demands on the individual's time, and it was getting harder and harder for her to 'keep up'. Because of the extreme 'overload' the character was carrying, the things she once enjoyed so much became an extreme burden to her. What once was 'service' - the giving of one's self - was now a burden. We cannot simply say "simpler times" made the difference in service, for the human heart is capable of taking on much more than is humanly possible to accomplish!

It is to freedom that you have been called, my brothers. Only be careful that freedom does not become mere opportunity for your lower nature. You should be free to serve each other in love. For after all, the whole Law toward others is summed up by this one command, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’. (Galatians 5:13-14)

What once was enjoyable can become a load too heavy to carry any longer when we continue to 'take on' load and never stop to consider the 'weight' of the load. I could pile bricks into the back of my SUV, but eventually the load would become too heavy for the springs. Just because there is 'space' left doesn't mean that it is wise to put any more load into that space, my friends! We all know individuals who take on more and more, very capable of doing almost anything they put their mind and effort into. One day, there is a subtle shift in the attitude they had toward those things, though. What happened? The capacity and capability factors didn't match. Capability doesn't always indicate there is a capacity to do whatever may be before you. Sometimes the wisest thing to do is admit that although you have the ability to do something, you are not the right person to be doing it right now. The timing may be off slightly, the resources may be scarcer than you might like to admit. God asks us to serve, yes, but with wisdom.

We are free to serve, but when service puts us back into bondage, it is no longer service! It is a prison we desire to escape! If we were to be honest with ourselves, we had that niggling somewhere "back there" that indicated we were taking on way more than we should have, but we didn't listen. It may not be the easiest thing to admit it now, but it could be the most liberating thing for us to actually step back and allow another to take over. In fact, by taking on what we did not really have the capacity to take on, we may have limited another's ability to engage in their actions of service! Did you ever stop to think of it that way? Maybe the thing we find so burdensome isn't because it is 'hard work', but because the work has become hard for us as we are constantly straining under the load of all the work! It is always good to step back once every now and again to just evaluate where it is we are called to serve. At this season in my life, it is in service to my aging mother. Some may desire me to take on more, but for now, this is what I am capable of doing and what I have the capacity to accomplish. If you find there is a mismatch between your capability and your capacity, it may very well be time to hand over some of what has you extended beyond your capacity! Just sayin!

Pickles anyone?

5 Happy are those who are strong in the Lord, who want above all else to follow your steps. 6 When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of springs where pools of blessing and refreshment collect after rains! 7 They will grow constantly in strength, and each of them is invited to meet with the Lord in Zion. (Psalm 84:5-7 TLB)

Strong carries different meanings for different folks. To the one who cannot open the jar of pickles, strong are the hands of the one who makes it look so easy. To the one who cannot take their failing pet to the vet for those last few moments of life together, strong are the arms of that one who stands alongside even though it wasn't their lifelong pet. To the one who needs a trench dug through tough Arizona soil, strong are the arms of the teenage man who wields the pickax in rhythmic movement until that soil yields to his strength. Strong is often observed in ways we might label as "service" toward another. When we were weak, another was strong on our behalf.

Service isn't for the weak. It begins by recognizing the need exists - something that we may not believe possible becoming possible because someone 'steps up' with a strength greater than our own. The most memorable service of this type was that of Christ's strength being revealed when we had absolutely no way on our own to do away with our sin. That strength is multiplied day after day, each time we need a moment of grace to 'right' our missteps. His 'service' on our behalf never ceases, so why should we think he would desire any less of a response from us? Our service is an outcome of having been served in the greatest of ways possible!

It is this 'following in his steps' thing that we are considering this morning. The moment we decide to follow Jesus we enter into a lifestyle of service - becoming the strength others draw upon when their weakness or need is at its greatest. Some think weakness suggests some kind of 'bad thing' in one's life, but where I am weak is where I relish the service of another who is also connected to the heart of Jesus. Why? They might just be able to turn my weakness into a strength by that service! We don't have to fear God will ask us to give up all our worldly wealth and traipse off to some remote corner of the world to convert the natives. We have to fear we won't be responsive to the needs right there in front of us!

Service is all about serving where there is a need. The need may not be great to you, but to the one who is too weak to open that jar of pickles they have been craving for a week, that service is a blessing! Just sayin!

Let's get love right

Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear." Love is indeed harder to sometimes abide within, but the actions of hatred come easier than many would imagine. Love requires investment of one's self - entirely and without hesitation. Hatred has a very low 'ignition point' most of the time - making it an easy 'burn' for us, but hatred, like love, has to remain fueled in order to actually continue to grow.

Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong. (I Corinthians 13:4-5 TLB)

The total truth about love is probably not known to any of us. I think we all see bits and pieces of love in action around us - experiencing it in varying degrees depending upon a number of factors ranging from our own receptiveness to the time or season of our lives in which it is experienced. Too many of us think of love as a "thing" - clearly forgetting true love is a person - Christ! We forget that love is shown long before it is known. 

If we remember that all written in this passage in the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians is really about a person (Christ), then we can see how it is possible for love to not demand its own way. We know this is not always the case with we humans, for we get our way muddled up in the mess of this thing called relationship all the time. We want this - they want that. We think it should be done this way - they have another idea. All the while, 'our way' is demanding to be heard, honored, and responded to. 

Just because these words best describe our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, doesn't mean we might not have the potential to rise to this level of love in our own lives. In fact, I believe this is why this chapter was written - to show us the opposites between love and hatred, between sacrifice and stubbornness. The words would be quite damning if there were no hope of a "way" to exhibit this kind of selfless love, wouldn't they?

If we struggle with jealous thoughts, envy of any kind, we know just how hard it can be to get to the place we let go of those emotions that wreak havoc on our thought life. The very idea of letting go requires trust. Trust requires truth - the very thing we blow out of the water anytime jealousy or envy enter into our thoughts! Instead of truth, we rationalize a whole lot of untruth - we accept the lies because they seem more "realistic" than the truth. 

To be truly loving as Christ loves each of us, we begin to allow him to replace the imbalance in our emotions with the perfect balance of his peace. We allow more of his truth to enter into the places where any untruths have been allowed to exist for any length of time. We open up to his love, in turn finding ourselves able to really begin to love others in small ways that model his love. We may not get to the point we love as he loves right away, but live with him long enough and his love gets pretty ingrained into the fibers of your being! In time, he gives us eyes and ears to see or hear things which foster love, reducing the burden of hatred exponentially in our world! Just sayin!

Stop overshadowing me!

Leo Buscaglia was quoted as saying, "No one can grow in the shade." As a professor of special education at the University of Southern California, Buscaglia taught many students throughout his career - each one learning that if we "overshadow" another long enough, we stunt their growth. We need to let others experience the light in order to grow! It was his firm belief that love began around the supper table - around a good, old-fashioned meal. Why? If done well, with clear expectations set that media and electronics would not be interrupting this time, it became the place where dreams were shared, thoughts were expressed, ideas were proposed, and people got down to the business of getting to truly know each other. If we want to allow others to grow, we need to give them a way to shine!

If I had the gift of being able to speak in other languages without learning them and could speak in every language there is in all of heaven and earth, but didn’t love others, I would only be making noise. If I had the gift of prophecy and knew all about what is going to happen in the future, knew everything about everything, but didn’t love others, what good would it do? Even if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move, I would still be worth nothing at all without love. If I gave everything I have to poor people, and if I were burned alive for preaching the Gospel but didn’t love others, it would be of no value whatever. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3 TLB)

If you didn't know this about Mr. Buscaglia, he was known as "Dr. Love". Why? He had learned well this idea of not 'overshadowing' others, but allowing them enough space and light to grow to their full potential - whatever that may be. Maybe this is why he chose his profession - helping others learn to teach those who others in society may label as not having 'much potential'. It was n the context of 'family' that he learned some of his greatest lessons. Family isn't always about those that share our same last name, though. Sometimes family can be those God has graced our lives with - those who make a connection with us and become the ones that foster our growth. Family isn't everything, but without family we might not see the areas where we need the most help growing.

As he often said, the love we have given we will have forever, but every moment lost in expressing or sharing that love is lost for all of eternity. I believe the opportunity to grow may be the very act of love that takes a step back and allows another to take one forward. The opportunity to 'shine' isn't realized until one has something to reflect. In order to have something to reflect, one has to be graced by the light! Human compassion is a very good thing - true connection with another is something which comes when someone can actually begin to appreciate the subtle differences between one another and then work to let those differences shine forth in the light of Christ's love.

If you have ever observed the shady places in the tall pines of the forest, you see growth, but that growth is something quite different from that which is graced by light at least some of the day. Why? The light challenges the tiniest of growth - it urges it to break forth - then to struggle to find root - so that it may grow even more. We need to love in such a way - so as to help others grow in ways only the light of Christ's love is capable of bringing growth! Just sayin!

To everything there is a time

There is a right time for everything: A time to be born; A time to die; A time to plant; A time to harvest; A time to kill; A time to heal; A time to destroy; A time to rebuild; A time to cry; A time to laugh; A time to grieve; A time to dance; A time for scattering stones; A time for gathering stones; A time to hug; A time not to hug; A time to find; A time to lose; A time for keeping; A time for throwing away;  A time to tear; A time to repair; A time to be quiet; A time to speak up; A time for loving; A time for hating; A time for war; A time for peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 TLB)

In hindsight I can see how some years are different than others - going through them may be like riding a roller coaster of sorts, but when the year is over, I can look back and observe there were subtle differences in those months that passed. Zora Neale Hurston puts it this way: "There are years that ask questions and years than answer." You might find yourself in the year that asks more questions than are being answered right now. You might find you came out of one that seems to have all the questions posed in the last year being answered in the present. Either way, the years all have meaning or potential. 

What we find posed in the form of questions in one season of our lives can be the launching spot for some of the most meaningful answers at another. It is a mystery me how God does that, but he remains faithful to bring the changes in "season", not out of it! There is a time...no one can tell God when that time may be...but there is a time. There is a season...reliant upon his graces and goodness...but in that cycle, we find increase at times - at others a little lessening of the load.

Is it your time to plant this year? You know that the planting isn't going to yield an immediate harvest, but without the planting, there is no harvest. Have you come out of a season of tearing down and now you are entering one of rebuilding? The devastation left behind when the 'tearing down' occurred might make one think there is no hope or help in rebuilding, but rest assured - God provides both! Perhaps this is your season to find what has been lost, or draw closer to what you have come close to losing. 

The time to be quiet - the time to speak up - each plays an important part in any relationship. Learning which season you might be in is critical to maintaining the harmony of the relationship, but if it is the season to speak up, to hold back may stunt the growth of the next season! The time to love and find peace is good - we embrace both with open arms. The times that produce discord and unrest are harder and we want to push them away quickly. One does not exist without the other - one brings the tearing down - the other brings the building up!

I don't know the season you are in - maybe the one that is posing all the questions, or perhaps the one that seems to be revealing the long awaited answers. Either way - embrace it. Walk in it. This is a season designed for your growth - even if it seems like one that is just about to 'do you in'! Just sayin!

Bring on the enemy!

Most of us have heard that saying to "keep your friends close, but your friends closer" right? Ever think about the meaning of that one? Keeping our friends close makes sense because they bring awesome things into our lives in special ways by their laughter, hugs, tears, and even their wisdom. We WANT that stuff in our lives. Our enemies, on the other hand...well....they don't bring the kind of stuff most of us would label as "awesome". You might think keeping your enemies closer is so that you can wreak as much havoc in their lives as they have in yours, but just when they aren't looking! Is it possible the real meaning of this saying is keeping our enemy "closer" might just reveal some stuff about ourselves that otherwise would go undiscovered?

“There is a saying, ‘Love your friends and hate your enemies.’ But I say: Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way you will be acting as true sons of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust too. (Matthew 5:43-45 TLB)

Jesus put it slightly different, but he wanted us to realize the potential in our enemy. If we keep them close to us, we find ways of allowing them to help us grow - to discover strength we didn't know we had or needed. That 'enemy' actually reveals stuff about "YOU" that you didn't know existed until they got too close for comfort. They reveal both the good and the bad - the latter being why we might just not want them all that close to us!

Let me ask you this - what one thing has someone you have labeled as an "enemy" in your life revealed about you just by their presence in your life? Chances are, if you really take some time to think on that one, you will begin to realize they drove you to your knees on occasion, had you searching for answers you had yet to discover, or perhaps even taught you a thing or two about what it truly means to love unconditionally. Our enemies have a way of helping us to realize behavior WE need to correct, not just that THEY need to correct!

We can curse the darkness, or we can light a candle to see what is revealed in that darkness! The enemy we might want to push away is the very thing we need to 'push us' closer to Jesus, or deeper into the discovery of his truths contained in his Word. I'm right there with you - I'd like to just 'be rid of them' as much as the next guy - but God asks me to love them - embrace them. Why? If I do, there is something that happens to BOTH of us in the process. I get to know myself (and my Lord) in ways I didn't know before AND they get to see just a little bit of Jesus (something they might not ever see otherwise). Just sayin!

Crown him

10 The Lord loves those who hate evil; he protects the lives of his people and rescues them from the wicked. 11 Light is sown for the godly and joy for the good. 12 May all who are godly be happy in the Lord and crown him, our holy God. (Psalm 97:10-12 TLB)

How do we actually "crown him" Lord of our lives? I think it is in the small ways, like when we choose to be kind when a hurtful word would be easier or quicker to say. It might be in the moments when we give of ourselves unselfishly to help another who is struggling to figure something out. It could be in those moments you offer yourself for 'whatever needs to be done', knowing someone is having a hard time keeping up with the tasks at hand. It is definitely in those moments when we actively choose to worship him, but it is also in those small things that might not seem to matter all that much, but that make all the difference in the lives of another.

Someone once said you can get happy in the same pants you chose to get mad in, or feel good about life in the same pants in which you chose a sour disposition instead. We choose to crown him in our actions - not in just our words. We make conscious, and some not very conscious decisions to honor him within the context of our everyday comings and goings. We don't need to 'have church' to bring him honor - because giving him honor is elevating him to the place of the highest control and the most frequent focus in our lives.

We looked at the word 'honor' just briefly yesterday and found the meaning to be that of having or living with integrity between one's actions and beliefs. It is fine to 'believe' - Jesus told us that even the devil believes. It is fine to make gestures of good deeds, but they don't stand alone. The link between beliefs and actions is what produces honor. Some equate honor to that kind of fame someone gets for winning the gold medal, or coming in with the highest marks. While this is true, it isn't the root of honor - honor began with the belief one could win the medal, underwent years and years of rigorously focused training in order to win it, and then performed at the top of one's ability to obtain that honor. Beliefs were linked to specific actions.

Honor begins with making the right choices. We choose to give Christ his rightful place in our lives - at the center - in control of it all. Then we choose to actively learn how it is we live each day continuing to make the active choices to leave him in that center of control! Yep, it isn't a one time deal - it is a continual choosing. It takes actively choosing to turn away from evil and toward what is right and true. In time, our actions become more consistent and we begin to see our beliefs and actions align. As this alignment occurs, we are bringing honor to Christ, for it is in the evidence of his presence within us that he is seen. Crown him today, in both your beliefs and actions. If they aren't in perfect alignment yet, don't fret - you are on the way! That is one way we honor him with our lives - by taking the first steps in the right direction (even if we have to take them a few times over and over again until we get consistent in taking them each time!).  Just sayin!

Truly honorable

The man who tries to be good, loving, and kind finds life, righteousness, and honor. 

(Proverbs 21:21 TLB)

How does one live in a manner that expresses the goodness of God? This is probably one of the hardest questions for us to answer in life because goodness, true goodness, often evades the human mind and heart. "Good" expresses the meaning of moral excellence - virtue taken to the 'nth' degree. This is why it is sometimes hard for us to truly grasp this type of behavior - because it is motivated in a heart not corrupted in any manner by sin - or with a sin nature at the core of all its actions. Indeed, we need an exchanged heart, for ours is incapable of this type of 'moral excellence' or goodness.

A loving and kind disposition is what stems from this goodness of heart. Honestly, if we struggle at times to act in a way that expresses the love of Christ, it is probably that we haven't connected in some time with the heart of Christ! We need more time getting to know him, being renewed by his Spirit, and taking in little bits and pieces of his person into us so that we are molded and fashioned by that character into morally strong and confident beings.

Life, righteousness, and honor - the three byproducts of seeking this moral goodness in every fiber of our being. Life comes because we are disconnected from a decaying life source and reconnected to the source of eternal and vibrant life. Righteousness because we begin to see the sin nature stripped away until what is left is right and true. We see an exchange of what appealed to our sinful desires - because our desires begin to change the more we find ourselves spending time with Jesus.

Honor seems oddly placed in this list of character traits because we often see this as belonging to God himself and not us. Did you realize the primary definition of honor is honesty, fairness, or integrity in one's beliefs or actions? In other words, get the mind and heart of Christ into the fibers of your being and what emerges is a total "connection" between our actions and that heart of Christ. There is a congruity of character! One that is worthy of being called "honorable". Just sayin!

Truth to be Trusted

For all God’s words are right, and everything he does is worthy of our trust. He loves whatever is just and good; the earth is filled with his tender love. (Psalm 33:4-5 TLB)

Some of us need to hear these words today because we have had our trust violated, someone giving us their 'word' and then never 'making good' on that word. As a result, many have a hard time ever trusting again, going through life a little skeptical. Trust lost is a hard thing to regain - is it not? The good news is there has not been even one moment of time in which God's word could not be trusted! He CAN be trusted, but our circumstances in life have made it harder than some would imagine to ACTUALLY trust him - especially when that breach of trust was caused by someone in a position of authority in our lives.

Break it down - ALL God's words are right. There is no "sometimes he gets them right", or "every now and again he hits the nail on the head". ALL his words are right - meaning we can trust them because they are never in error. The are also RIGHT - maybe not what we want to hear, but what is RIGHT for us to hear. Truth has a way of not always being what we WANT to hear, but because it comes from a heart of one who loves us intensely and with unwavering faithfulness, they can be trusted as the RIGHT ones for the circumstance at hand.

It goes without saying that we humans have a hard time carrying through on only the best of actions - sometimes we cross the line into whatever action may be considered a little 'edgy' or kind of 'out of character' for a child of God. Maybe that is why we have such a hard time believing God's actions on our behalf are always to be trusted. He never crosses the line of his love - even when that means he allows us to follow our own selfish will on occasion. It isn't that he wanted us to do those things, but he loves us too much not to give us the choice!

There is no greater hope we can have than to trust in his goodness and faithful love. There is sometimes no harder decision we can make than to choose his will over our own. There is nothing that bespeaks his love more than his words, for they are consistently backed by his actions. This is where we differ from God - his words and actions are consistent - true and right. We might have to test it out a little at first, because we haven't always done well with where we have placed our trust, but the more we test his truth, the more we realize it is indeed truth to be trusted! Just sayin!

Deserts, Beaches, and Mountaintops

What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well.  

(Antoine de Saint-Exupery)

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady. Then, when that happens, we are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens and know that all is well, for we know how dearly God loves us, and we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. (Romans 5:3-5)

I grew up in the desert of Arizona, very much before all the sprawling expanse of industry and growth took over much of the desert land around Phoenix. As a child, I'd spend hours and hours just poking sticks in holes to see what was in them, turning over rocks to see if I could find lizard eggs, and lazing under Palo Verde trees watching industrious ants go to and from from their nests. To me, the desert wasn't a thing to be feared, but a very exciting place to explore. Why? I didn't know anything else as well as I knew the desert! I thought the desert was beautiful and bountiful - not barren and something to be feared. Yes, the tall pines around the lakes were beautiful, but they weren't the place my family called "home". There are those who wouldn't think the desert offered much, but to me, it offered everything! 

Some will find the desert places in life a little less than desirable, because they are used to the mountaintops or the beaches. The beach is beautiful, bountiful with items to discover, and constantly changing. The mountaintops give great views and help us see the expanse before us, but there comes times of great snows and icy temps. Each offers something different - the point of discovery is when we begin to look beyond where we are and discover who we are in the place we presently find ourselves. Deep inside the dry wash created by monsoon rains of seasons past, I'd discover tiny toads that otherwise would not have been born. Out in the blazing hot of the noontime sun I'd observe the creatures of the wild slow their day's work to a crawl, resting up until the blazing of the sun lessened. 

The lessons we learn right where we are today are not to be dismissed as unimportant or unimpressive. What today's experiences provide for tomorrow's challenges cannot be underestimated. The key is in observing well what it is we find in our 'today experiences'. They may be desert-type experiences, but there are learnings galore, even from the barren places. They may be mountaintop observations, but there are lessons to be found by looking at the strength observed in giant trees surging to the sky from what appears to be nothing more than rocky crags. They could even be beach-side experiences, filled with all manner of living discovery in an ever-changing environment controlled not by your own making, but by the making of a 'tide' much greater than you.

There is hope in each experience, but it must be found not so much in the experience, as in the one who helps us enjoy and comprehend each experience. Just sayin!

So, what's that you say?

William Wordsworth said, "Wisdom is oftentimes nearer when we stoop than when we soar." I would tend to agree, for whenever I have needed great wisdom I find it comes in ways I rarely expected - from places I wouldn't always think to look, or even from the lips of a child. Why is that, I wonder? It may be God isn't always impressed with the more lofty answers - he seeks to inspire with the simple ones. The simplest of answers can be the ones that open the doors wide to great discoveries!

Yes, if you want better insight and discernment, and are searching for them as you would for lost money or hidden treasure, then wisdom will be given you and knowledge of God himself; you will soon learn the importance of reverence for the Lord and of trusting him. (Proverbs 2:3-5 TLB)

Sometimes it isn't that we cannot find the wisdom we need, it may just be we haven't simplified the question enough to really get at the answer. One of the things I frequently attempt to do is re-frame the question. Why? It may be in asking it in a slightly different manner, I get to the point of clarity in really asking it in a way the solution can emerge. There is no harm in asking questions - in seeking answers. There is definitely a drawback in never being willing to change up the question to make it clearer, or to get at the real point of the matter!

It was Wordsworth who also reminded us that it is the "wish to find out" that is more important than the "will to believe". It is that desire to get at the root of a matter that makes the difference between finding an answer for the 'right now' or an answer that will endure the test of time. When the individual just wants a quick answer, there may come an answer, but will it be the one that produces the outcome again with any degree of reliability? Not always! Sometimes we need the "tested answer" instead of the quick one! 

It is something we must guard against in our walk with Jesus - this desire to get the "quick answer" and not to wait upon him for the one that is more enduring. Both may very well be "correct" answers to the situation at hand, but one will produce a much better outcome! Just sayin!

I was thinking...

11 No one can really know what anyone else is thinking or what he is really like except that person himself. And no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. 12 And God has actually given us his Spirit (not the world’s spirit) to tell us about the wonderful free gifts of grace and blessing that God has given us. (I Corinthians 2:11-12 TLB)

Have you ever had one of those moments when someone else finishes your thoughts even before you get them out? It is like they are so perfectly connected to you that they just 'complete' you. I have always thought if they could complete those 'harmless' thoughts so quickly and perfectly, how much could they possibly know what I am thinking that is not as 'harmless'? Kind of scary to think about, huh? Someone else knowing you so well that they actually 'get' both the good and bad about you so well they just know what you are going to say next. If that 'someone' is the Holy Spirit, there is a connection to goodness that is bound to come through - because he is God and perfectly reflects the mind of Christ in us!

All we need to know and act upon comes from God himself - the mind of Christ resident within us in the person of the Holy Spirit. Stop for just a moment to consider what it would be like to be connected to some 'super-computer' that could spit out any piece of information you needed at that very moment. You'd ask a question and in what seemed like just nano-seconds, the process of answering your question became evident on the screen. We'd all probably pay good money for this kind of treasure, wouldn't we? There is a knowledge that surpasses even the most powerful computers in the world, or the most highly intelligent individuals who have amassed tons and tons of knowledge. The computer is only capable of crunching data someone put into it! The human is only as intelligent as their learning capacity has taken them.

The mind of Christ far surpasses all human knowledge and certainly all computing devices known to man. There are no 'super-powers' greater than his power - maybe because his power emanates from his all-knowing mind and wisdom. The mind of Christ is known to the Spirit - and by his presence within us, we have access to this same mind. Scripture actually challenges us to allow the same mind that is in Christ Jesus to be our own - in other words, allow his thoughts to be the ones that come forth most. Easier said than done, I know. The struggle in our mind is so evident because of the evidence of our actions. Our actions betray what we think about the most. Although we have access to the mind of Christ because the Spirit of God resides within, we don't always rely upon these thoughts, do we?

Wouldn't it be wonderful if Christ began to complete our thoughts? Wouldn't it be more awesome if he actually began to initiate those thoughts, as well? Just askin!

If I needed advice, I'd have asked for it!

Advice is like snow - the softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind. (Samuel Taylor Coleridge) We all have received advice at one time or another, embraced it, and seen the difference in our lives as a result of that sage council. There are probably a few other times we have received 'advice' that we didn't really grasp hold of simply because of the way it was presented to us! As a novice in investing, I appreciated the advice of a more knowledgeable friend when I was seeking ways to make my retirement fund grow. As a novice nurse, I looked to my 'elders' in nursing to help me develop the little tips and tricks they don't teach in nursing curriculum so as to no miss important facts about the patient and to improve the level of trust the physicians placed in me in caring for their patients. We all can grow from advice, but if we treat the Word of God as mere 'advice' we can either accept or reject, we will somehow be missing the point - it is truth and truth is what we should base ALL of our decisions squarely upon!

For whatever God says to us is full of living power: it is sharper than the sharpest dagger, cutting swift and deep into our innermost thoughts and desires with all their parts, exposing us for what we really are. (Hebrews 4:12 TLB)

Notice clearly in our passage today - it is God speaking TO US. It isn't just mere advice - it is directed conversation. It is conversation 'full of living power'. The Word of God has a way of taking truth into the depths of our hearts and thoughts - so that we gain 'exposure'. In wound care, one of the first things they teach is that wounds don't heal if they aren't cleaned out well. That might mean we have to 'cut back' to healthy tissue once again. If you have every cut into your finger or hand, you know that 'flap' of skin created can sort of 'dry up' as healing begins to occur, but it doesn't 'belong' there any longer. Why? The vital supply of nutrients it needed has been cut off. It is damaged tissue and needs to be sloughed or cut away. God isn't going to be able to help the healthy stuff in us grow by giving us 'advice' alone - we need truth - because truth is what cuts away the 'dead stuff' in our lives!

If you'd allow me this morning to 'meddle' a little, may I ask what 'dead tissue' you have been trying to preserve in your life? The area where there has been damage because of repeated sin, or maybe some of those hurts we've held onto way too long - these might just be the 'dead tissue' areas of our lives where the Word needs to get into us and do some 'debridement' of that dead stuff. If you recall that snag of skin drying up around that cut on your hand, what purpose did it serve as that wound was healing? If it was like some of mine, it got in the way of healing! Why? It was a point of 'snagging' that opened healing tissue again and again! I had to snip it away in order to expose the new tissue underneath. Yes, that tissue was a little 'sensitive' because it was not calloused by years and years of wear and tear, but it was fresh, vibrant, and growing! This is what each of us hopes for when truth comes into our lives - freshness, vibrancy, and continued growth.

Apart from truth, all the other stuff we receive into our lives is mere advice. God isn't an 'advice' giver - he is a truth-giver. In giving truth, do you know what he is actually giving? Himself - for he is all truth and when he brings truth into our lives, he is leaving behind little bits and pieces of himself in those places he touches. Pretty neat, huh? Oftentimes, we need truth, but we are seeking advice. Maybe we'd do well to ask for truth instead! Just sayin!

Catch up, please!

O Lord, you are so good and kind, so ready to forgive, so full of mercy for all who ask your aid. (Psalm 86:5 TLB)

I wanted to take just a few moments to remind each of us of the importance of forgiveness. It isn't that we need forgiveness sometimes as much as we need to forgive ourselves for some misguided step we took. We somehow understand that God forgives us - by our asking / seeking his forgiveness. We have some level of understanding that the forgiveness we receive is based solely upon the actions of another on our behalf - Christ's actions on the cross. We get that we don't deserve it, but that it is freely given. We also comprehend to some degree that it is no longer an offense remembered by God - he wipes the slate clean. Yet, somehow we don't always believe we should forgive ourselves and move on. We get anchored to our failure and spend a great deal of time just kicking ourselves in the seat of our pants because we made those unwise choices! One question - if God isn't kicking us, what makes us think we should be?

Memory is often the hardest part of forgiveness - because we remember what we did and sometimes we even have the insight into 'why' we did it. The mystery of grace is that what matters is that we are restored to the 'condition' of heart that is as if we had never done the misdeed in the first place. The mystery of the memory is that we have a hard time changing the memory that is anchored to that misdeed. Perhaps what we need is for God to help us apply grace to our thoughts, as well! If we are fortunate enough to have insight into 'why' we took the steps in the wrong direction, then we also know how to create safeguards to ensure we don't take those same steps again. Handrails are on stairways because missed steps can bring catastrophic results! 

Forgiveness is to involve both the actions of Christ on our behalf - grace - and our part is in the willingness to let go of the guilt or shame associated with that action deep within our minds. Guilt and shame are not 'things' - they are emotions and emotions get 'tied' to every action we taken or that is taken against us in life. Guilt is one of those emotions we can take to the extreme. We find it harder and harder to escape that which we take to the extreme! Stretch a rubber band to the limits of the band's strength and what happens? It snaps! Stretch our emotions to the point of the extreme and we just get snagged in the repeated memories of those emotions.

If God is full of mercy and 'at the ready' to forgive when we ask, why are we stopping short of just having the 'sin' wiped away? Why aren't we asking God for the grace to move beyond the painful memory of guilt and shame, as well? Why aren't we asking him to help us recount his goodness and faithfulness to forgive, shutting down every thought that tells us we aren't good enough to be forgiven? I think it is because we count on our emotions to 'guide' us more than we believe we do! We want to 'feel' better, but there is a negative feeling associated with guilt and shame - a 'feeling' we sense we cannot easily escape. Maybe we begin by asking God to help us not count on the 'feeling' as much as we count on the 'fact' of his forgiveness. In time, feelings catch up with what faith believes! Just sayin!

Get schooled!

Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. (Ephesians 4:2 TLB)

If you have ever worked with the elderly in that latter stages of their lives, or little children in the early years of theirs, you know just how hard it can be to constantly be telling them the same things over and over again. Add to the elderly's constantly dwindling short-term memory the issues of not hearing well, problems with their sight, and the advances of pains galore and you have a recipe for some challenging moments that put to test the fibers of your character. Think about the boundless energy of a small child and constantly challenging curiosity and you have a recipe for exhaustive patience. I wish I could say I never get frustrated repeating stuff over and over again, but I do. I would like to report I never have an edge in my voice that betrays my lack of enthusiasm to be moving at a snail's pace when I'd like to be zooming ahead. I'd like to say I never grow weary in doing the right stuff - the really good stuff - for others, but I do. What I can report to you is that sometimes I have to ask for forgiveness - I just wasn't as patient as I needed to be in making "allowances" for the needs of the other individual.

Humility, gentleness, and being available to the other person are earmarks of a child of grace. Don't be duped into believing these things come easily for a child of Christ, though. They are still three of the toughest character traits to develop and consistently display in our lives. Like it or not, this is a life-long ordeal of learning how to truly live in humility. It means we learn to not be brash in our responses - displaying a little more tactfulness than the occasion may warrant, being consistently reverent in times where our response may logically border on criticism or sarcasm, and being available to take the time to help another understand. Gentleness engages all our senses so that we are not allowing any roughness either in our action or our speech - even when our nerves are fraying a little. Both bespeak living in such a way that there is evidence of a "moderator" over our actions and words.

Christ desires to be that moderator, my friends. He desires to help us know when our pride is going to lead us straight into a landmine. He has ways of helping us realize there is about to emerge a sense of roughness in our actions or words that can be conveyed in so many different ways it could set a forest on fire. We don't always recognize these things on our own - sometimes even justifying our lack of humility or gentleness with excuses. It is the 'you did this' and that made me 'do that' kind of rationalization. It takes a life of consistent connection with Jesus to help us realize there is no real rationalization for bad behavior! It takes this consistent connection to help us recognize opportunities for change. In the past week, I have emphasized this need for consistent connection over and over again. Why? There is no substitute for grace, and their is equally no substitute for those moments in which his grace "schools us" in how to behave! Just sayin!