We will Level UP!

It's June.  

One year ago we lost our beloved grandson (on this side of the vail) to a dragon called cancer.  Braden is a constant companion in my heart.  He battled the disease and in the end, he lost his life, but HE NEVER LOST HIS HOPE; the certain promise that he, as a believer in Jesus Messiah, would finally be transported into the presence of His Lord and Savior, there to enjoy life as HE designed it to be. 

Life is hard, then we die.   We will all lose our lives in one final breath;  but we need not lose our hope.

Praise God for the hope we have in Christ, and the healing death brings for those who have embraced Christ through effective saving faith.  For these death is not something to be feared; it is a gracious provision that carries us back into a "face to face" real-time relationship with God. 

Without death, we become eternal beings, like Lucifer and the legion of angels which were cast out of heaven because of their rebellion...eternally separated from God, without death we would be chained to a relationship of enmity with God; no reverse, no repair--no redemption.  NO hope.

Death became the modality that God uses to foil Satan's attempt to co-opt God's crowning creative act, the human race.  So then, death is the definitive "check-mate" and demonstrates God's mastery; always steps ahead of evil and the chaos of sin. Genesis 3 describes the event that initiated the rebellion of Adam and Eve to sin and it's necessary result, death; it's also here that we learn that death is part of God's bigger plan for hope and the redemption of human-kind.

The rest, is history, 1 John 4.9,10...

"God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son 

into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 

10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us 

and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins."

We know that love is a four letter word, spelled H-O-P-E; more importantly, we know that death simply marks the first day of the rest of our lives, 2 Corinthians 4.16-18...

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet 

inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary 

troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 

18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, 

since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

We will rise--Braden declared "I'm leveling UP," thanks be to God. It's a GRACE day.

Life is fast.

Live it well...bN M6.8

Whisper their Names...Remember.

Taps begin.
Time adds little perspective.
Death in a hostile place, a time not chosen.
Cities hard to pronounce; countries hard to find.
Cause, clarity clouded, confused; hard to recall.
Whisper their names.

Taps begin
Time dulls memory.
Pace pushes people on.
Space vacated, empty, gone.
Place dissolves, no trace; so it seems.
Whisper their names.

Taps begin.
Time stands still; this I remember.
Their laughter, their scent.
First smile, first step, first word, first love.
A Friday night; life was simple.
The future, a certain dream, bullet proof, not.
Whisper their names.

Taps begin.
Time release; tears flow freely.
Pride in lives well lived.
Grieving for lives given, invested and gone.
The loss, the pain; broken plans, broken hearts--shattered.
Whisper their names.

Taps begin.
Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Coastguardsmen, Airmen.
Duty, honor, country.
Last full measure, their devotion.
No greater love, their sacrifice.
In peace, now rest.
Whisper their names
...and remember.





Life is fast.
Live it well...bN M6.8

Change the way you think.

The cause/effect relationship between the way we think and the outcomes we achieve is uncanny.   Paul understood this and wrote to the church in Rome...

"12 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.  2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."  Romans 12.1,2  NLT

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, 2017--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 2017...

• Have a systematic reading plan in God's Word.  Read slowly, reflect and journal impressions, insights and new understanding.  Memorize key parts the Scriptures.  
• 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 Jesus Messiah, let it be. 

Life is fast.

Live it well...M6.8  

What Joy!

Water flows; silk across rock.
Resounding concert of joy.
Linger, listen.

It comes, it goes.
Course of life it forms.
Reflect, rejoice.

Linger, listen
Reflect, rejoice.
Every morning--New mercies.



Life is fast.
Live it well...M6.8

Irish Eyes

Patricia Blankenship Baier, Tennessee Ernie Ford & Ben Baier 1960

Red hair, hazel eyes
Bright with life,
mischief, delight.

Red hair, hazel eyes
dimmed by rebellion
discipline too harsh.

Red hair, hazel eyes
filled with sorrow;
bad decisions,
heartbreak the consequence.

Red hair, hazel eyes
swept by strength;
refuse the victim
children her focus.

Red hair, hazel eyes
glimmer fades;
live with regret,
press on; what waits?

Red hair, hazel eyes
determined, hard;
give up? Refuse.

Red hair, hazel eyes
weary, worn;
too many
bad days,
lonely nights,
dreams dashed.

Red hair, hazel eyes
ablaze with light,
smile restored;
happiness,
an island
found.

Red hair, hazel eyes
weak with disease,
filled with fear,
questions;
needing peace
wanting rest.

Red hair, hazel eyes
closed too soon;
hope a reality,
mountains our reminder,
eternity her destiny.

Red hair, hazel eyes
a memory now;
children her legacy,
Peaceful rest.
Irish eyes are smiling.
Miss you mom.

Grace. Amazing.

I need not run from a Christ-Centered world view to embrace ALL people with compassion and love. 

Being passionately concerned for others who do not "look, act or think" like me, while refusing to embrace their values, isn't hateful. It is the ultimate expression of Christ-like love; reaching out in spite of a great divide, seeking to build bridges. 

 "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly."  Romans 5.6 NIV

Grace.  Amazing.

Live it well...bN M6.8

Death By a Thousand Cuts

Culture in America is on an inverted spiral out of control--devolution. "Civil rights" have replaced "the moral imperative" as the final arbitrator in America. We've come to embrace the idea it's (here's the irony) "immoral" to deny the rights of individuals to act as they see fit as long as "no one is hurt in the process." But this rubric fails to understand that morality isn't defined as just "the absence of a victim." Debased behavior, wether it's Wall Street, the Silver Screen, Congress, Education, Church or at home diminishes the entire culture and has set in motion a "death by a thousand cuts" cultural bleed-out.

In the name of freedom we have acted in ways that have produced unintended consequences. We have come to believe that because we have the protection under law to do something, produce something, say something--we can. The problem is that liberty in that context is license--and license leads, inevitably, to lawlessness. One of the most important lessons I learned at home was this; just because I CAN do something, doesn't not mean I SHOULD do it.

If we as a culture, can get back to this simple lesson and apply it with consistency to the way we LIVE our lives, run our companies, invest our money, lead our homes, churches, communities and our nation, THEN I believe we will have taken a FIRST-STEP toward restoring sanity to our decision making process and rebuilding the ramparts that protect our culture from evil and devolution toward certain destruction.

But mark this, healing our culture must ultimately address our spiritual need. The Older Testament prophet Micah lived in a truly evil world. The theme of his prophetic letter stresses the integral relationship between true spirituality and righteous conduct. Toward the end of his letter he turns to an axiomatic concern: Micah 6.6 "...with what shall I come to the Lord and bow myself before the God on high?" In today's vernacular it might sound something like this..."What kind of life will reflect and infuse truth in a world whose reality is based solely on pragmatism, pleasure at any price; driven by relativism?"  He reveals that answer to us in chapter 6, verse 8...

"He has showed you O man, what is good. To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."   Micah 6.8

Friends, it's not a fiscal cliff we see looming on the horizon. 

Life is fast.
Live it well...M6.8

Choice Matters

My choices shape my character. 

When I chose Jesus Messiah through effective faith, God's Spirit began to inform and impact my character. Godly character will empower me to be the kind of person He uses to make hard lives easier.  

Making hard lives easier is a legacy that will transform my world, one needy--and often underserving, person at a time.  

This is the miraculous power of God's love and His amazing grace.

Life is fast.
Live it well...bN M6.8

Keep Your Eye on the Ball!

The cardinal rule of good hitting--baseball, golf, billiards--is of course, "keep your eye on the ball." 

That said, my mission as a follower of Christ--to proclaim the truth about God, His love for humankind, His provision for our redemption--does not require me to fear a culture filled with souls who "are like sheep without a shepherd."  It does NOT require me to win the so-called "culture war."

Jesus saw the crowds of distressed people and was "moved with compassion" all the way to the Cross where He crushed the power of sin, once-and-for-all.  God's Word makes it clear who the enemy is..."For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places"  Ephesians 6.12

God's Word tells me what it is I must do to engage these evil adversaries and prevail...

"10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."  Ephesians 6.10-24

Note that this passage does not instruct Christ-followers to revile the sinner, legislate a solution that protects my family, leave the Union, or disengage from "life in the world--not of the world."  This is not a political war, not a culture war--it is a Spiritual battle that calls for weapons fashioned by God for taking down, taking back, strongholds.  Our weapons?  See...truth, righteousness, the Gospel of Peace, faith, salvation, God's Word, intercessory prayer, wisdom from God to speak the truth in love with boldness behaving as an Ambassador/Doulos (bond-servant) for the King.

When we allow ourselves to be drawn into a "culture-war" mentality, we lose; people yet to trust Christ and experience spiritual re-birth lose.  We allow "the rulers, the powers, the world forces of darkness, the spiritual forces of wickedness" to pick the time and place of the struggle; we lay the Armor of God aside--and we are impotent in the face of such evil. It's high time believers figure out "who and where" the enemy is and the rules-of-engagement; then take the fight to the enemy as per Paul's instruction in Ephesians 6.10-24.  Only then will we see the tide of evil begin to recede. 

We will not prevail in the long-term by building higher walls around the spiritual reservations we have fashioned our churches into,  by asking Focus of the Family to lobby our politicians, by finding conservative--too often shrill--politicians to write laws and pack the courts; cursing-the-darkness won't win the battle. 

Choose God.  Love people.  Know who the enemy is and "10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil."  Ephesians 6.10   

Our battle is NOT against flesh and blood.  The stakes are infinitly higher than a culture-war; eternity hangs in the balance for those yet to embrace Christ with effective faith.  

For the sake of the Kingdom,  keep your eye on the ball.  

Life is fast.

Live it well...bN M6.8

God's love finds a way.

The confessing church has aligned itself into two camps.  This division has created a wall that impacts Christ's church in a profoundly negative way.  The challenge Believers face is to embrace both the social justice and eschatological mandates of the Gospel; it isn't either/or, it's both/and.

The irony is that the same end, passion for people who have become as Jesus described “sheep without a shepherd”, drives both “camps;” yet we (all of us) "preach" a different gospel when we fail to apply the whole counsel of God to our praxis.  It has stripped the church of its relevance on one hand, and spiritual power on the other--leaving only a shell for those "asking, seeking, and knocking" to behold. 

The good news is that God isn't marginalized by our failure to embrace the whole Gospel. His love continues to find a way. If only we who have confessed Christ and embraced effective faith could come together, face the harsh reality that WE are the problem, and seek God's face, healing would come; that's the promise of 2 Chronicles 7.14... 

"...If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land." 

May His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.


Life is fast.
Live it well...M6.8