Where can I run?

Can swift water outrun its flow?
Can darkness swallow the sun?

Where can I run…
His lovingkindness not transform?
His watchcare not attend?
His provision not sustain?
His strength not carry?

Can swift water outrun its flow,
Can darkness swallow the sun?

The name of the Lord is a strong fortress;
the godly run to Him and are safe.
Lay your burden down,
Run, to the Everlasting arms.

Do. Love. Walk.
Live it well...M6.8 bN

Seen NOT heard.

"I can...
Be there for you when it can't get much harder,
Cover your head when life starts to rain,
Hold on tight when you feel like you're falling,
Bread crumb the path when you've lost your way,
Make you laugh when the whole world is crying,
Build you up when you're broken in shame.
But if all that we do is absent of Jesus,
then this so called love, is completely in vain.*"

Absence makes the heart grow harder.
Sometimes...
God's children should be seen and not heard. 

Followers of Jesus, let's walk the Walk in 2018.



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



* This So Called Love by MercyMe

What a difference a day makes.

1968: Hair!

The years go by like stones under rushing water. 

Each year, on December 28, I pause and reflect. It's easy to forget what life was like 49 years ago, what life could have been like, had God not intervened that evening in 1968. 

It was the last Saturday night of the year; I had a plan, and it certainly did not include an up close conversation with God. He had a different plan and, as it turns out, it changed my life...forever.

But the path to that evening in 1968 started ten 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, what amazing grace!  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 Jesus in his life and embrace Him 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 School any longer--and since I went by myself, it was my decision to make. Fast forward to the fall of my Junior year in High School. One evening I landed at a Campus Life meeting (thank you Pauline Adams!) at the home of a classmate; it was the kickoff for the school year and as advertised, it was a "Burger Bash," all you could eat and attracted a huge crowd of students. 

I got more that evening than a big meal. The Campus Life leader, Mark Zier, gave a short talk to close the event and he asked the crowd..."If you died tonight, do you know where you're going?" I didn't. It bothered me for a few minutes, then I moved on.

On the evening of December 28, 1968 I was set to attend an "After Christmas" 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 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 to embrace Jesus as Messiah, and the rest...is history.

Our 2nd date 1969

Three weeks later I went to the Ventura Campus Life Rally. Mark asked me to share about my recent conversion experience with that half of the county I grew up in. Mark mentioned a girl he thought I'd really like, a cute Sophomore at Buena High School 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 Jesus Messiah and met my future wife--we married 3 years, 48 weeks and 6 days later.

My home was a rather complicated place (aren't most?). Lot's of love, AND pain. I was carrying some emotional baggage by that time and was making some bad choices. Jesus changed all that in an instant. The baggage was there--in 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.  

Thanks be to God for our Blessed hope!

Life is fast.

Live it well...M6.8 bN

Wait.

Wait.
Be still and wait.
A glorious calling.

Trust God and wait.
He comes in the silence.
He inhabits the stillness.

Those who wait, rise up on wings of eagles.
Those who wait, run and grow not weary.
Those who wait, walk and do not faint.

Wait.
Be still and wait.
Emmanuel. God. With. Us.



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

Blessed.

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve 2017.

I am blessed. Not because life hasn't taken anything away from me, or disappointed me. Not because every dream I ever had for my life has played out in spades.

I'm blessed because the older I get, the more acutely aware I am that life is hard, harsh--unfair and riddled with sorrow. Yet in spite of that, as I look back I see God's fingerprints all across my 64 years.

I'm thankful for my family of origin. It was a perfectly normal not-perfect home; but we were loved, and the provision was so sacrificial. I remember Hody's Drive-in, singing in the family station wagon, Christmas mornings, baseball card collections, my parents trusting me. Back yard barbecues. Working in the family business. They gave me my foundation, my work ethic, many of my core values and showed me what it means to be a responsible adult.

I'm grateful for my brother and sister, Brad and Tamara. I was the proud younger brother to Brad and the protective older brother to Tamara. I love them both and appreciate all we share and their part in making me, me.

I'm thankful for my Grandma Blankenship and my Aunt Carolyn who stood in the gap for me, prayed for me and lovingly intervined on my behalf when I desperately needed an advocate...for my cousin Patty who was like a big sister to me.

I'm thankful for friends made a life-time ago that have come back into my life through social-media. The memories we share form a strong bond and a rich tapestry woven from the community we shared together growing up in a little town North-West of LA called Thousand Oaks. These people helped give me a good start.

I'm thankful for Mark who showed me what effective faith consisted of and then mentored me in the early years of my walk with Jesus Messiah; introduced me to the girl who would become the woman I've shared my life with for nearly 45 years and challenged me to pursue a call into ministry--which extended into 26 years.

I have been blessed by friends in 4 different States;North Carolina, California, Illinois and Indiana, over the past 45 years. People have loved us well at every stop; they mentored us as a "just married" college couple at Duke, befriended us as co-sojourners with growing families in our early years when I was a young Merchandising Exec, allowed us to lead them as their "clergy couple" over 18 plus years as a Lead Pastor at three stops--California, Illinois and Indiana. Many of these folks remain in close contact with us.

I'm thankful for the years I spent a Duke University--an opportunity that wasn't even on the radar when I finally sat down to consider where I might pursue my college ambitions--yet when the time was right, God delivered me to that place--and a paid-in-full promise.

I'm thankful for my Talbot Seminary experience. The timing was all wrong, but so right. This was such a formative time in my life. My brain finally unfolded and study became a discipline that shaped my life and my ministry.

I'm thankful for Laura, my wife. As I mentioned, we will celebrate 45 years of marriage on January 5, 2018. She is my very best friend. She has worked along side me, loved me, made our home a place of nurture for our children, supported us all in the pursuit of our dreams. She has stood by me through some very deep water, I'm so grateful. She is an immensely talented woman with special gifts as a musician, homemaker and grandmother.

I'm thankful for Laura's parents, Gene and Janice. They loved us well and were generous with their love, wisdom and support. They left such a legacy of Godliness and service. They became a second set of parents to me--so critical because I lost my dad at age 17 and my mom at age 31. They stood in the gaps for me.

I'm thankful for my kids, Erin and Joseph. They have become such good citizens, parents and are raising their kids with love, grace and sacrifice. They are my friends; intelligent and stimulating, opinionated and articulate. They have such passion for the ideas they believe in. Best of all, they love Jesus Messiah and endeavor to live in a manner that reflects His image to their worlds.

I'm thankful for Matthew and Miranda, my son and daughter-in law. They are talented, compassionate people, love my kids well and are wonderful parents. I prayed even before our children were born for that person they may eventually share their lives and dreams with. God did good. They are companions on the Way with our children and have established homes that honor Christ and serve Him.

I'm thankful for our four gandchildren, Braden, Kellen, Gabriella and Grayson and an as yet not born second grandaughter (Joseph and Miranda) due in March 2018. Grandchildren are everything that's right about life. Pure joy, delight, potential. There isn't anything quite like the blessing grandkids introduce into our lives. These four, plus one, make my heart explode with joy, pride and thanksgiving.

Our firstborn grandson Braden, marks his second Christmas in the company of King Jesus. He lost his battle with cancer on June 28, 2016--passing into his Savior's loving arms. He lived it well. The legacy he left behind is a blessing--his courage, his story, touched the lives of thousands of people all across the nation. One of his last wishes was to "see the word of his testimony spread" and it has in a fashion only God could have orchestrated. He was diagnosed in February 2015 and it has been such a difficult journey, a journey God has made with us. We have seen such goodness and generosity from people, many who were strangers before this disease brought us together--many remain strangers today, but generous benefactors none-the-less. It's humbling. It's transformative. We will be together with Braden again, at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, because of our blessed hope--Jesus Messiah.

I'm thankful for our faithful family pets who have shared life with us and made our lives better in ways we could not have expected...Alphie 12 years, Max 13 years, Barley 15 years, Kate 15 years, Lily 9 years in progress and Chance 5 years in progress.

I'm thankful for 26 years we invested in ministry, the good, the bad and the heart-break.

I'm thankful for my last 16 years with State Farm. A great opportunity to pursue another side of my gift-mix. It's given us security we never anticipated we would enjoy. It has been a wonderful platform from which to make hard-lives easier--truly a market-place ministry.

I'm thankful for physicians who have done an amazing job over the last 25 years in controlling my diabetes--all my organs are healthy and I still have all my fingers and toes; and most recently in giving me a shot at putting the disease into remission by making it possible for me to lose 136 pounds since July 2015. Doctors Knight and Knapp are great healers.

So much to be thankful for, so little space and a memory dimmed by 64 years. That said..."Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise Him all creatures here below, praise Him above ye heavenly hosts, praise Father Son and Holy Ghost."  

Breathe it in and let it out.

Life is fast.

Live it well...M6.8 bN

Feeling G-old.

Conventional wisdom is that "the benefits don't outweigh the tradeoffs" associated with growing older.

True enough.

But IF, through that process, one discovers tenderness, that...is a "state of being" more precious than gold.

Feeling old? Try a little tenderness. Make it GRACE.


Life is fast.
Live it well...M6.8 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

Wow. 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.   Life is fast.


Live it well...M6.8 bN

Yes. Black lives matter.

As the year comes to a conclusion, I am reminded of Lincoln's words, from his 2nd Inaugural Address, spoken to a nation torn apart, divided and at war with itself. Those were difficult days.

Distress continues to divide us. As we wage an un-civil war of words--and worse--over civil rights, let us never forget that because this Nation lacked the moral courage, the humanity, to end slavery--we paid; the blood of 620,000 lives lost, an economy that took generations to rebuild and a Nation adrift. Make no mistake: Black lives matter.

On that day as the Civil War raged Lincoln said...

"... Fondly do we hope--fervently do we pray--that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue, until all the wealth piled by the bond-man's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash, shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said 'the judgments of the Lord, are true and righteous altogether.' With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan--to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations."

With malice toward none, with charity for all...let us strive to finish the work...a lasting peace, among ourselves and with all Nations. 

God bless America and empower us to be that city, set on a hill, shining brightly--hope--for our Citizens and the World to behold and believe in again.

Live it well....M6.8 bN

Truth & Physics.

Truth is to living what physics is to life.

We can't "see, smell or hear" the laws of physics, but without them, nothing works; that which 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 of top of a tall building. Newton's Law does not override my choice. But my choice to embrace and believe I can float will not prevent a very bad outcome.

One can choose to 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 result/reality of these choices is sobering. Living spirals out of control. Chaos trumps the rule of law, justice becomes a myth, bondage becomes the norm and brokeness the face of a nation.

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

"...And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”   John 8.32

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

Grief remembered, reminded.

December 7, 1941. 
2400 dead. 1200 wounded.
18 US Ships and 300 planes destroyed or damaged.

"A date that will live in infamy"   

President Roosevelt

"I fear we have awakened a sleeping giant and instilled in him a terrible resolve."  

Admiral Yamamoto

Both men were right; the world was rescued from an Axis of Evil, but not before millions lost their lives and the planet was gashed by a nuclear weapon. 

America, an idea that produces passion to sacrifice. Freedom isn't free.

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