A work in PROCESS

The cause/effect relationship between the way we think and the outcomes we achieve is uncanny.  

A "mind," even a poorly developed one, is a powerful force.  God blessed us all with beautiful minds; having been fashioned in His image gives us access to resources beyond the natural, built right into our DNA.  

Our minds are, of course, the most unique aspect of our beings.  So...what are you doing with yours?  It's "the first day of the rest of our lives," May 21, 2015--nearly at the mid-point of this year;  a wonderful moment to look back at what was, then gaze into the second half of the year at what might be.  

Here's a perpetual list I use to keep my life compass oriented, "true North." Quite frankly, this is a "three steps forward, two steps back" process much of the time; but even one step at a time is progress!   We are on the cusp of the half-way mark in the year; finish strong in 2016...

• Go to and get out of bed earlier.  
• Be active, body and mind, with the extra morning time.

• Give up painful thinking.
• Don't throw others "under the bus."

• Refuse to think like a victim.
• Seek balance in my life.

• Look for the best in people.
• Find ways to add value to the lives of others.

• Give generously to a cause you feel great passion for.
• Volunteer and serve in some fashion, some place.

• Don't be a cynic.
• Refuse to associate with negative people.

• Spend time in dialogue with people who don't think like me.
• Make the effort to grow my intellect and expand my perspective.

• Transform obstacles into opportunities.
• Begin something that makes me feel challenged.

• Mentor someone younger and/or less experienced.
• Find someone to mentor me; be accountable to someone.

• Read and listen to good books that make me feel enriched.

• Journal: keep it simple and short; then watch that discipline begin to expand.

• Leverage the dearth of resources available on the Web.
• Use technology in a way that prevents me from becoming its slave.

Finally, most significantly...

"...do JUSTICE,  love KINDNESS and walk HUMBLY with your God."  
                                           ....Micah 6.8  ESV

For me, it starts by asking God (again) to empower me to resolve and retool the way I think and as result, the way I experience life:

"Father in heaven give me clarity to know myself; give me desire to reflect Christ; give me discipline to lean-into You; give me focus to remain on task; give me wisdom to make 'best decisions.'"  

Through Messiah Jesus, let it be.   



bN  tGit

Better than Beethoven.

Many of my friends express concern about the fact that "God is being forced out of the public square." It's become a favorite pastime for People of Faith (yes I'm guilty)--lamenting the "sorry state" of the Nation.

What concerns ME?  It's this: People of Faith have come to embrace the notion that the symbolic presence of God is the same thing as the authentic presence of God.   Here is a short list of "hot-buttons," not intended to be exhaustive--but illustrative.

• Do we want God in our schools--disciple your children to know and love Jesus. 
• Do we want our Nation to understand that marriage is a beautiful metaphor, designed by God, of a much bigger relationship--and for this reason it is a sacred estate? Love your wife selflessly and trust your husband implicitly.
• Do we want values to govern our economy, greed to be disdained--choose simplicity and invest our resources on behalf of the poor, widows, orphans; be seekers of justice for all the disenfranchised.  
• Are we befuddled by the National obsession with abortion, perplexed by the disdain modern cultures have for human life, and high regard they show for endangered species?  Find your voice and speak passionately-forcefully for the little Ones, consider... adoption, Foster parenting, Mentoring programs.

For too long, too many of us who profess to be followers of Jesus have routinely "phoned it in."

• We've been content to build private school sanctuaries, teaching Bible courses, that will disciple our children for us.
• We've turned a blind eye to the failure rate of marriages in our churches.
• We've justified selfish ambition and the boastful pride of life as "what's ours is ours" and left justice to government inefficiency and the dehumanizing impact of its one-size fits all insanity.
• We've ceded the heavy lifting for protecting the lives of unborn-children, the quality of life for born-children to others "called" to missional living.

Consider this: God's plan has always been to "show-up" via the beautiful music being played through lives well-lived by those who are His devoted followers--the Scripture makes clear that no law can stand against such purposeful, selfless living, "...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." Galatians 5.22,23 NASB

Lives lived this way will produce a breathtaking symphony that will bring relevance back to our Mission as His Church--no longer engaged in managing the kingdom (small ''k") but compelled to build HIS Kingdom (big "K"). 

WHEN we take seriously our empowerment, from God, to add value to the lives of people, to make hard lives easier, to speak the truth of the Gospel into the brokenness of life without Christ, to model the transformational reality of the Gospel through the choices and investments we make--with our lives and resources, THEN they won't be able lock God out of the public square. There is no law that can stand against this kind of authenticity.

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3.20,21 NASB

I hear a symphony.  Through Christ, let it be.

bN tGit