The first day of the rest of my life.

Each year, on December 28, I pause to reflect on my story.

Life moves past us at such a brisk pace that it's easy to forget what life was like 45 years ago; what life could have been like, had God not intervened that night in 1968.  It was the last Saturday night of the year; I had a plan for my evening, and it certainly did not include an up close conversation with God.  But, He had a different plan...and, as it turns out, it changed my life forever.

1968--Hair!

But the path to that evening in 1968 started many years before...when my Grandmother, who lived with us at the time, would gather me up and carry me off to Church and Sunday School--I still have my first Bible, the one mom gave me to take to church with Grandma.  I didn't know, until I was a young adult, that my grandmother faithfully prayed for me each day--that "BJ would experience the power of Christ in his life and embrace Jesus as his Lord and Savior."  She eventually moved back to her roots in Fort Scott Kansas.  But I continued to get myself to church until 8th grade.

I don't recall why I decided to "drop out" but I'm sure it just didn't feel very "cool" to attend church and sunday shcool any longer--and since I went by myself, it was my decision to make.  Fast forward to the fall of my Jr. year in High School.  One evening I landed at a "Campus Life" meeting at the home of a classmate (Jim Rehnberg)...it was the kickoff for the school year and as advertised, it was a "Burger Bash"--all you could eat--and a huge crowd of students.  But I got more that evening than a big meal.  The Campus Life leader, Mark Zier, gave a short talk at the end and he asked the crowd..."If you died tonight, do you know where you're going?"  I didn't; it bothered me, then I moved on.

On the evening of December 28, 1968 I was set to attend an "Afterxms" party with some buddies (Jerry McClain was driving).  Our "wires got crossed" (coincidence?) and they never showed up; stuck, I recalled something was happening at the Rec-center with Campus Life that night--they called it a "Campus Life Rally."  There was a girl I had some interest in (Colleen Rehnberg) and I knew she would probably be there (I was right);  I managed to catch Mark (Zier) before he'd left his house.  He was delighted when I called, and he swung by and picked me up.  An evening of activities, music and then a guy, Roger Cross, got up and challenged me again about my life and death.  This time I was ready and wanted to get this question resolved; Mark talked with me and then invited me to pray a short, simple prayer, and the rest...is history.

1969 TOHS Prom 

Three weeks later I went to the Ventura "Rally" because Mark asked me to share about my recent conversion experience with that half of the county we lived in. Mark mentioned a girl he thought I'd really like, a cute sophomore at Buena HS named Laura--he wanted to introduce us; he was right.  In that span of three weeks I'd had two introductions that literally changed the direction and the outcome of my life: I'd trusted Christ and met my future wife--we married 3 years, 48 weeks and 6 days later.

My home was a rather complicated place.  Lot's of love and pain.  I was carrying some emotional baggage by that time and was making some bad choices.  Christ changed all that in an instant.  The baggage was there--if fact it didn't get fully "unpacked" for years.  But His presence in my life set me in a "best direction" that just never wavered.  Laura's family embraced me as a "son" as our relationship grew; they, especially her dad (my dad died suddenly in 1970), filled a great need in my life.

In the 80's there was a popular gospel song written by Bill Gaither that describes my story, I get choked up every time I sing it; the chorus declares..."Something beautiful, something good; all my confusion He understood, all I had to offer him was brokenness and strife, but He made something, beautiful, out of my life."

December, 28, 1968.  What a difference a day makes.

White...again.

The snow switch has been flipped, again; my world has turned white with snow; fluffy, beautiful. Weather keeps life interesting. The seasons help me find a rythm I never experienced growing up in SoCal. It's refreshing. Life slows down; relationships breath deeply & gain strength growing deeper roots, becoming more initimate and real. I wouldn't change a thing, even if I could.  Merry Xristos!  bN

WRONG war!

The "culture war" is the wrong campaign.  It's a battle for minds.  People of faith are called to battle for hearts.  Little wonder minds have become utterly corrupt.  

In this process, we see how people of faith have been seduced too.  The culture war is self-serving.  It's an attempt to preserve and re-create a world less hostile, less chaotic, less wrong-headed for our benefit.  It's about preserving our values, protecting our children, maintaining equilibrium and economy so we can live out our god-informed vision of what our lives should be like.  This is normal; it's also carnal...it's the way most humans think and act.

That's not the vision people of faith have been called to by God. We have been called to social justice, to selfless living, to compassionate action; to loving the unreached citizens of this world like God does.  When people of faith do that, people with no hope notice. They understand that this kind of concern is counter-intuitive.  It's not the way normal people live; they want to know "why?"   

Peter's first letter to the church contains instruction for us...
"...in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." 1 Peter 3.15 NIV

We win the world one heart at a time gently, respectfully.  It can't be done with legislation.  We don't win them with constitutional amendments.  The silver bullet isn't packing the courts with the "right kind of thinkers."  It's done by living alongside people who aren't like children of the King, who don't share His values and act in ways that reflect how radically confused people without effective faith are.

When people of faith insert themselves into culture in a transformative way hearts begin to change.  When hearts begin to change, minds begin to change.  When hearts and minds begin to change, culture begins to change.  When people with no hope begin to see faith, hope and love in their neighborhoods, schools, workplaces they pay attention!  They realize they are thirsty, hungry and without hope.  They realize there's more, and they want to know where they can embrace it...one heart at a time.

For too many people of faith, living this way just isn't something we want to do.  We're more comfortable on church properties that create space between the world without effective faith and our world of grace.  We shield our children from the world without effective faith in ways that create fear and contempt in their hearts. We forget what life without grace is like, and we become entrenched in a battle for minds using the least effective means available to us--the wisdom and power of the world system. 

Little wonder we seem befuddled, put-off by what Jesus described as "sheep without a shepherd."  They aren't like us, they don't think or act like us.  They are driven by differnt values, often by different passions.  Yet, they carry the same godly imprint on their souls that people of faith reflect...we are all created in His image.  We are all loved with an unconditional love.  We all have access the same unmerited overflow of His grace.  We are all sinners in need of a Savior. 

These lost sheep, souls, are not the enemy.  They are victims in Satan's attempt to foil the purpose of God in the redemption of all people.  That purpose begins with a battle for hearts...and minds will follow.  We win hearts when in the power of the Spirit we come along side these unlovely people and their messy lives and seek to serve them in compassion, with sacrifice through love. 

One heart, one mind... gently, respectfully, powerfully.  bN

Truth is...

Truth is to living what physics is to life.

Physics is like a rail that gives structure to life.  We can't "see, smell or hear" the laws of physics, but without them, nothing works; what we do see, smell and hear is the result of these laws being applied with purpose or spontaneously.

In the same way truth is the rail living rides on. Ethics, the rule of law, cultural norms, relationships, parenting, good government, freedom--to name but a few aspects of living--all work based on a set of core values, derived from the common grace of God, who wired humankind with an intrinsic sense of what truth is and an understanding of what's "right."

Truth, like physics, does not function in a deterministic way. I can ingore Newton's Law of Gravity and embrace a belief that I can float, then step off the top of a tall building. Newton's Law does not override my right to choose. But my choice to embrace and believe I can float will not prevent a very bad outcome.

I can believe that truth is relative, subject to change, given to multiple definitions or simply an outdated cultural moray. People, and cultures, can choose to ignore the truth, or worse, be deceived and believe a lie--at great peril. The reality of these choices is sobering; culture spirals out of control, chaos trumps the rule of law, justice is driven by pop-culture and becomes a "moving target," bondage becomes the norm and brokeness the face of a nation.

Life does not work without physics.  Living does not work without truth. 

Truth sets us free.  bN  

It's simple...

God's love is simple.  The Word became flesh.

"When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners...God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us..."  Romans 5.6,8

Christmas is joyous because God's love never fails.

To all our friends, family and those who stumble into this blog posting, Merry Xristos and best wishes for a prosperous   New Year.  bN