Adoorable Back to Gallery This category is not misspelled... I catch a few doors in my walk-abouts, too. How adorable, huh! Show Me More

Wanna Go Back to Egypt? Right in the middle of your anguish, you typically have that 'look back and long for the good old days', again. Sure, they were good... well... mostly. "Bett'rn this!" you think. Read on and see why God does lead us through our trials, our woes, and our fears... on to the promised land of His life. < Previous See… the life I lead just seems so fragile anymore… so precariously balanced…. and somehow, it tends to lean toward the anxious side of things… the hurtful side of things… the sorrowed side of things… causing me, in itself, to be even the more discouraged… even more the stressed… even more the SURE that I am SO weary from well doing… from trusting the Lord… from being faithful… from holding out here… afraid… scared… lonesome… troubled to the core of my soul… weary… fatigued… so downtrodden. I cannot help but consider how my life was before I met the Lord…. and began this whole journey… Compared to NOW, it all seemed so normal…. so much closer to nice, then… so much safer, then… easy… settled… quiet… and certainly consistent!! And then, I began to reflect on the massive exodus of the children of Israel… when they were in bondage in Egypt…. and Moses led them out…. to the Promised Land they went… on that sacred journey! They cried to the Lord, and He heard their cries, huh?? He sent Moses to them… showed the entire Egyptian world just how alive and powerful God really is. And their journey was well on it’s way too. But, even in the middle of all those wondrous miracles… the many, many ways God ‘saved’ them time and again… showed them He was trustworthy… fed them… fought for them… led them… protected them… lighted their way! Such an utter presence of God in their lives…. even then. And yet, when things were hard for them… they seemed to quickly return to grumbling, and moaning, and complaining… and TOO often, would reflect how things were SO much better…. in their past…. in their Egypt . This really made me think…. made me pray… made me bow my heart in shame… in complete resolve. So many lessons to learn from these ‘wanderers’…. so very many places where God was always in their midst, yet they missed the essence of His leading. His promise for them… His love for them… and His patience for them! So, I found myself looking back over time… reviewing the WHY as to the reasoning for these children of God to even be in bondage in the first place… to need saving… to finally getting to the place of calling out to their God… to help them… restore their world… save them from this torment… from the utter agony of separation from Him. And I am remembering that the Israelites were all subdued and intertwined with the Egyptian culture… mostly due to hardships in their country, but certainly as a direct result of the sin and disobedience of each and every king, the priests, and certainly the people themselves. See, slowly but surely over the years, Israel and Judah gave in to the compromise of commingling… of being ‘ in the world ‘ instead of only being ‘of’ it… and ultimately, the entire nation was embedded within the Egyptian culture… within the Egyptian world. And the leaders of Egypt saw that these Israelites were multiplying… and fear set into the hearts of the Egyptian leaders. The decision was made for the Israelites to all become slaves… under the Egyptian’s total control… See, in the event a war broke out, the Egyptians did not want/need too many people fighting for the enemy… and they realized that they were quickly becoming outnumbered!! So begins the utter slavery and bondage of God’s people… slowly, it takes over… slowly it consumes your life, and your very soul… without ever really noticing it. Along with this bondage, Pharaoh also decides to kill all the sons of the Israelites… ordering the midwives to execute the boys as they are being birthed, and allowing the girls to live. God’s much smarter and quicker than all that, and Moses is born, and survives… for at least three months, with his mother. Then, fearing certain exposure, he is placed in that fateful little ark (yet another ark of deliverance ), and set into the water at the river’s edge. Sometime later, Pharaoh’s daughter spots him and has him retrieved from the river. He is wholly and completely accepted into the Pharaoh’s house… and grows to be a fine, strong Egyptian soldier. Some 20-odd years later, Moses witnesses an Egyptian soldier brutalizing one of his own people, the Israelites… and fights and kills the soldier… this ultimately leads to Moses fleeing the country altogether… to avoid certain death himself… to follow God’s plan, oddly enough. Meanwhile, the Israelites have already endured utter hardships at the hand of the Egyptian culture. At the hands of this world that they so wholly accepted some 30 years previous… as though this new way of life… the popular way of life, was really any salvation at all. Sure, it appears welcoming, and safe… but, the snare DOES close…. The trap was certainly set. But our friend, Moses, goes into the desert and finds a bride, has a family…. Sort of disappearing from that whole bondage scene…. For almost the better part of 40-odd years…. Just tending his flock… nurturing his family… and being steadfast in the Lord. As you can guess, the bondage and slavery of the Israelites becomes worse and worse… and the people begin to cry out to the Lord… to beg for mercy… to really wail!! You know that wail? That deep down “ I really, REALLY mean it ” wailing you have when you finally realize the depth of your troubles… the completeness of your loss… the wholeness of your emptiness…. You know that feeling… right??? Well… the children of God were there… and had been there for SO long. Only, they were really so busy enjoying Egypt, it took a while to really realize it… In fact, it took two generations for them to actually hear the burdens on their own heart… and realize just what it was they sold out to. They sold out to the very opposite of God’s leading… to the very separation from God Himself… such a lonesome and empty place… when you settle down enough to be honest with yourself … to acknowledge that eating leeks and onions is NOT a nice thing… that working with someone over your back is NOT acceptable… …that someone beating you and your family is completely wrong… this all is NOT a condition of freedom and security… this is not a by-product of love and acceptance… NO!! On ANY level!! So… God summons Moses… gets his attention… pulls him back onto the scene… and through many, many interesting chains of events and miracles, Pharaoh finally ‘allows’ the children of God to depart from Egypt… not as bonds-people either. They are wholly and completely lavished with tons of gifts, provisions, and material goods to assist them with the journey they were facing. And off they go… jubilant, for sure… optimistic, at least… hopeful, proud, thrilled, excited, trusting, and certainly with a renewed love and faith for the Lord their God. Their ‘rebirth’ caused SO much energy and passion. So, they travel and travel… some number of days… and finally come to the edge of the great Red Sea… that massive body of water. Unable to cross it, however!! It does not take long for the people to begin to complain… to point out the obvious… to surrender… and even to begin to consider just how goofy this whole trip really has been… I mean… to go all that way from any civilization… to have such a mass exodus from Egypt… after being such in integral part of that society. And many of them begin to even consider things from that curious angle we all look at things sometimes… you know that angle?? That angle where we consider ‘how is this even possible’, almost NEVER considering where God was in all that… No! Instead, they begin to consider how it was that they so easily got out of such a horrible and tight bondage. Who was this Moses guy anyway?? REALLY?? Some say he actually grew up in Pharaoh’s house… and that he was just ‘absent’ for all these years… And they begin to doubt… to over-analyze, and not trust… to rethink, and not recommit… to look for tangible answers to spiritual problems!! And then, it happens… they actually seem to forget just how bad that bondage was… they forget the depth and passion of their cries for God to save them… to redeem them. They even begin to acknowledge that while it ‘was’ bad there… it was at least BETTER than ‘this’… than being here WITH God, and facing ‘the impossible’… facing that huge body of water… wondering just how they were ever going to get across. “Promised Land” my foot… “ we’ll do good to see it from here, on a very clear day “, they’d mutter! …and then MORE happens! Over the horizon, behind them… a great cloud is stirring… and they learn that this cloud is being stirred by the rush of all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh’s mighty army… and that he is bearing down on them there… with no place to go… no weapons… and even if they HAD weapons… they have not assembled an army of warriors… ‘ever’! See… these people are 2nd and 3rd generation slaves. Slaves do not know how to fight…. Have never really been exposed to it… They think a shield is something you use to keep the hot desert sun off your back while you are in the mud fields!! The pressure really sets in here. See… on the one side, the great waters are no escape… on the other side, the warriors are bearing down on them… Hopeless, either way!! They see this entire scene from a ‘godless’ approach… Looking at the ‘limits’ and not even seeing the opportunities, the promise, the hope… forgetting, only days before, all the majestic moves God made in their midst… forgetting, SO quickly, just how close to them God really was… at all times… leading them… caring and providing for them… watching over them… loving them, certainly! And they boldly begin to jest at Moses…. To remind him, again, that ‘at least’ in Egypt, they had food, shelter, safety, and security… not all this uncertainty… all this turmoil… and certainly, the apparent foolishness of this very situation. They consider how ALL of Israel will forever be remembered as utterly foolish, for the ‘unbelievableness’ of this very situation. How, nation after nation will forever remember their plight, and folly… Only, for some reason, the Israelites are looking at the loss. They are defeated before the battle even begins… they have resigned to loss… they have already surrendered to the enemy… without even lifting a sword… without even seeing the enemy close up… weak… feebly minded… hopeless in heart… lost… utterly lost. And, as you know… God moves Moses to part that mighty Red Sea… to allow an escape… relief…. salvation… grace… mercy…. What an AWESOME God!! Leading us, despite ourselves!! So… wanna go back to Egypt now?? NOT!! Somehow, when we see those waters part, we don’t give it a second thought, huh?? Sure… we are no longer following God by ‘faith’… we are now following a very tangible leading of His spirit! Has the Lord brought you out of any Egypts? What bondage has he freed you from? Which Red Sea are you now facing, and can just feel Pharaoh’s Army bearing down on you now?? See?? Even when we ‘fall’, we know ‘where we stand’!! Well… the Israelites went on to the infamous Mount Sanai… to the very location where Moses meets God again, and receives all those new ordinances… directions for a righteous life in the Lord… and there, as well as many other places, the people quickly resort to grumbling and complaining… often looking at their current predicament, and measuring it against that life they had back there… in their little Egypt experience… And they KEEP coming back to that moving song of Keith Green’s… So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt? They are thinking that “at least THAT was better than THIS”! Why?? Why are we SO weak and fainthearted?? Why?? So faithless with God… almost always looking on the things of this earth as proof that the Lord is REALLY going to fulfill His promise to you (us). This all brought me back to what actually started all this… Do you know?? Do you remember? Is God just SO bored with things to do, that He’s going to make us leave a safe a secure place… struggle in the desert of our lives. Always facing choices between ‘parting seas’, or dieing at the hand of the enemy we were fleeing? Seems all twisted and confusing… Until… Until… Until, we remember… It was actually US who started all this!! Remember… “ God heard the cries of His children “… that they have finally had enough of the disobedience and the bondage of their sin. And wanted OUT!! They ‘wanted’ to be free from this Egypt of theirs… they cried DEEPLY unto the Lord… and He heard them… in the depths of their bondage… in the face of the very impossible, He heard their cries and arranged for their freedom… for their great Exodus from that world. Makes you cry, doesn’t it?? To think… God DID and DOES hear your cry. God DID and DOES see your heart from there… and arrange the impossible to get you out of THAT bondage. He is THERE with you… right there!! He is giving you the strength and passage to flee from each and every Egypt in your life… to be loosed from that slavery… that bondage!! So… face those Red Seas!! Face those moments in your life… when YOU cannot see any way out… God is very busy making a way!! Follow Him, dear friend… Trust Him… Use your faith like you have NEVER used it before… do NOT wait for the waters to part… begin walking right towards that water’s edge… Knowing He will make that way true for you!! And, even better… Your enemy WILL follow in, right behind you (see, the enemy is not all that bright!), and will be WHOLLY consumed by the very element of YOUR faith!! Live that!! Believe that!! Trust that!!

Stairoids Back to Gallery You 'must' be on Stairoids to capture these things! Show Me More

Fat Dumb and Happy Sure, the simpler, innocent life is mellow and typically painless. While this is a go-to way to live life, this innocence can be very damaging and leave you guilty and to-blame after-all! < Previous Typically, the term “ Fat, Dumb, and Happy ” is often used to describe someone who is plodding through life without much of a care-in-the-world attitude… oblivious to pending doom… even ambivalent to even caring about not caring! Just smelling the flowers… enjoying life…. resolved to not fret, worry, stress over ‘things you cannot control’. For me, this term conjures up a simpler life… a not-as-worried approach to the buzz of the world around us… even a complacency, disconnect, and even that whole ‘devil may care’ or innocent (ignorant?) way we choose to face life. For SO many people, it is en-grained… it is part of who they are… it is a built-in trait or ‘habit’ they have settled into and just don’t even care to care to care… or care! Personally, I ‘ get it ‘. I mean… living a simpler and much more casual life can be utter bliss. Something like when we were children… when we were too young to have brokenness merged so viciously with the maturity of our lives. As we get older, we just seem to collect more baggage… more anguish… more angst, frustration, and even deep, utter disappointments. Oh, to actually be back at the Fat, Dumb, and Happy stage in our lives! Innocence Lost, some will say. Being an inquisitive and ‘curious little boy’ at times, I kind of broke this phrase apart a bit ’cause the Lord was showing me that we all so easily get into a Fat, Dumb, and Happy place with our emotional and spiritual lives with Him and our lives with those around us. Fat: plump; well-fed; like a good, fat chicken. Dumb : lacking intelligence or good judgment; stupid; dull-witted. Even lacking the power of speech. Happy : delighted, pleased, or glad, as over a particular thing. So many of us ‘ church goers ‘ or ‘ waiting on God ‘ or even just ‘ following the Lord ‘ people seem to give more time and attention to getting , than doing … to being a consumer and not a producer … to absorbing… gleaning… even just ‘soaking up His goodness’ in our lives. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. James 1:22 There is a point in our lives when we have to ‘push away from the table’ as it were, and be busy doing the Lord’s work… actively putting His leading of our lives to work for those around us. Faith is a wonderful, wonderful attribute to have in your life… a deeply settling aspect of our spiritual, emotional, and even physical portions of our lives… but, oddly enough… Faith on its own is dead… Faith on its own is useless… Faith on its own means you are obese, actually (the Fat part). See… James 2:14 states, “ What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? “ Put your faith into action… get a work-out going… burn that fat… lose the flabby, the weakness, even the unsightly bloat of an over-stuff being (not physically, silly!). Otherwise, as Proverbs 1:31 confirms, “ Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. ” Sure… the King James Version is a little awkward and tough to read, but essentially that is confirming that doing what you want, the way you want, how you want, when you want will leave you wanting! Being dumb on the other hand sounds harsh…. seems derogatory… almost insulting. So… get over yourself for a little bit here and think about how else this word can represent us as Christians. See… even back while Jesus was on the earth and healing people, a man brought his son to Jesus, and proclaimed, “ … Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit ” ( Mark 9:17 ). The boy he brought couldn’t speak… or maybe wouldn’t… as it may be in our case. WAY too many times we are either unsure of what to say to others, afraid to say anything to others, and even worse, unaware that we even SHOULD say something to others… dumb, huh! I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred. Psalms 39:2 As this passage from Psalms identifies… we can get ourselves in a place where we are ‘dumb with silence’… not being willing, able, or ready to ‘give account of the hope that is within us’… or, just simply too simple and shallow to care. appiness tends to drive that problem!Wait… WHAT??Yes… enjoying the happiness you currently have… or… maybe not wanting to be sadder… we resist jeopardizing what level of happiness we may already have. Some time ago, I wrote a story here on the site about The Pursuit of Sadlessness ( read ) wherein we work and work to be less sad… a funky form of happiness (not as sad). But, Proverbs 14:14 actually states, “ The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself. “ Now… I didn’t just call you a backslider… not me! Nope… rather, I am working to show you how being settled with being Fat, Dumb and Happy is not God’s way for our lives. Sure, you may look around your life and feel complete… appear to be well-rounded in your spiritual life (you give willingly, you attend church, you are empathetic, etc)… I just want you to be careful for the half-truth of your life. See… Proverbs 27:20 claims, “ Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied. ” It is that ‘pursuit of sadlessness’, I mentioned earlier…. we strive to survive and forget to be alive! Putting any of this into action is never easy. Otherwise, SO many people would already be doing it instead of just settling for that Fat, Dumb and Happy approach to their lives in the Lord, let alone in the world. All the ‘fatness’ of the world can never satisfy you for more than short-term spurts… resting on the surges that give us the impression we are spiritual… that we are connected to the Lord… that those ‘chills’ we get up our spine are really more than just some emotional appreciation. Nope! Unless you hunger and thirst for His leading in your life… for His will… for the things that please the Lord… you’re going to end up going back for more (things of the world). And, those things leave you ‘fat’ in so many wrong ways. Now, Matthew 5:6 tells us; “ Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. “, which is a perfect example of consuming the right things… wanting the proper pieces of God, the proper way. Hunger and thirsting after righteousness is WAY more than ‘want’… much more than desire… so much deeper than being a consumer at church, or reading spiritual guides, or even just praying over it all. Hunger and thirst AFTER righteousness… not FOR it… AFTER it! It is a matter of producing ‘fruits of the Spirit’. Growth in your life will produce fruit! Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:11 Beware though, being filled with His Spirit… having great fruits in the Lord… that warm, deep feeling of being in His will and all that… is useless if you are Dumb! No… not the ‘dumb’ we use as slang or some derogatory label… dumb as in not speaking… dumb as in being silent… dumb as in selfishly keeping all His grace in your life to yourself. Now it may be that you are scared to share… a little intimidated to expose such a personal and private part of your life… you may not have enough of a grasp on it all to even feel confident to interject in a conversation, or have anything to offer those around you. Take courage and listen to what the Lord had done while he was here on the earth… Luke 11:14 states, “ And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. “ That is to say that you can ask the Lord to strengthen your life… to remove that ‘dumb’ spirit within you… to free up your inner-being to proclaim the joy within. Well… unless you do not HAVE any joy within! But, way back in Ezekiel, God was letting him know that there was coming a day when God ‘would’ free-up Ezekiel to speak… to utter God’s grace to the people ‘once they have repented from their ways’. God is ready to prepare you to share… to be ready to give account of the hope that is within you… no longer dumb. In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb: and thou shalt be a sign unto them; and they shall know that I am the LORD. Ezekiel 24:27 Happiness in Godly things, however is a happiness that is deep, wide, and never ending. Now… I am not oblivious to the many, many things on this earth that do provide happiness… do provide such a rich sense of satisfaction… such an awesome inner glow in our spirits, even. Too very bad it is not lasting… not able to be sustained… to endure the ‘hell’ we encounter soon thereafter. Those ‘godly things’ are tough to follow, though… I mean, the bible ‘does’ tell us to ‘seek after these things’. Too often though, we want the “what do I need to do” list of items, when all along the Lord has been showing and telling us what NOT to do! 1 Timothy 4:1-11 is a bit too long to include here in this writing, but get over there and read that, please. Especially that last verse, which states; These things command and teach. 1 Tiothy 4:11 Granted… not much of an exhortation or ‘threat’ of pending doom if you don’t do all those things. But, I needed you see that verse 11 is directing us to ‘command and teach’. Command? As in ‘order people around’? No… read that ‘command’ as “ have these things under your command “… be exercised in these things… be in control of these things in your life. Then teach them to others! See… we are instructed to ‘rightly divide the word of God’, which is to say we grasp it’s meaning, it’s intent, and learn to pass it on to others, too… not just sit there all ‘fat, dumb, and happy’ in the knowledge we gained. Then, back over in John 13:17 , Jesus tells us, “ If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them .” Now THAT is the right kind of happiness… the everlasting kind of happiness. Maybe you have tried… maybe you have waited and wanted ‘this’ so badly…. so deep in your soul… but, this happiness eludes you. Not to worry… well.. much longer, hopefully! Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:24 See?? You have not been asking “in His Name”… asking Jesus to get into your heart and life, and surrender your ‘will’ to His leading. But, it clearly states there, “ ask and you WILL receive “… that your joy may be full! How? We all serve the same one Lord… we all follow Him identically different, though! I mean, my path and your path are different. We lead different lives to this point, and now we are getting ‘back on track’ to His world… to His place… to His righteousness for us. Psalms 16:11 reminds us, “ Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. “ You will be His happy.You will no longer be dumb, but speak.You will be lean in Him. No longer simply Fat, Dumb, and Happy .

Buster's REO Back to Gallery This 1954 REO Gold Comet was purchased in 1956 by Buster (Frank Redfield). They were living in Atlanta at the time, but his father was back on the wheat farm in Opheim, Montana and gettin' on in years. This wheat farm is one of the original 'homestead' grants from back at the turn of the century, and has been in the family all these years. So, Buster had to head home to take over operation of the farm... and this old truck was loaded with all their personal possessions and headed back home! Show Me More

Kauai Back to Gallery While in Kauai, I fell pray to the gorgeous flowers, plant-life and landscape serenity. I almost never do this (typically watching for the unusual and "I never saw that before" perspectives, but I made an exception. Show Me More

Flesh is Willing When it is wrong to get ahead of God... to 'get involved' in hopes of becoming spiritual... effectively attempting to justify your calling, however subconsciously and unaware you are doing this. < Previous Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak . Wait… the title of this story is “The Flesh is Willing”, yet this scripture claims it is weak… and it was Jesus who actually said it… so, that must be right! No, I am not trying to mislead you or give you some bait-n-switch headliner to draw you in and trick you into reading and doing something you really didn’t intend to do. See… the flesh is very willing to do things, to get involved, to perform or get into action… even to accomplish something in your life, justify your existence… it is very, very odd how subtle… how ingrained it can be in our lives to ‘do’ without thinking… without questioning why… just do. Many times we just have a physical drive to get involved, to make an impact on our world, to have an influence and “make right the wrongs” as we see it. Unwittingly, this emotional, mental and physical motivation can get RIGHT in front of the Lord’s leading over our lives…. His peace for the direction we are taking… His blessing for His calling on us. Sure, we have gotten so good at disguising it that we actually now think this is the right thing to do. Quite some time ago, I tweeted this thought that came to me; See… the longer we do the wrong thing… sorry… the ‘ right thing ‘ , it is harder and harder to be convinced that it is wrong and ‘that other way’ is really where Jesus wanted you to go. Again though, this all it not really our fault. I mean, it is your fault… no wait… it is not your fault… dang… wait… See… all our lives we are pressured into doing things. Many times, whether we want to do them or not… many times out of peer pressure… too many times out of guilt, or some justice-driven commitment (activists). It’s not your fault… wait… it is your fault… wait…. dang! OK… one last attempt… it IS your fault. You are to blame for your life, for your choices, for your actions. No one, but you will stand before the Lord and ‘give an answer’ for how and why you lived your life like you did… did what you did, how you did, and why you did. What Drives Us I struggle, struggle, STRUGGLE with why I am doing things in my life… not over-analyzing… not second guessing… not doubting…. just ‘checking my heart’, being sure of my choice, learning to listen, hear, and act by His Spirit’s calling and leading. But, why do we do things in our lives? I mean sure, showering, eating, sleeping… these are the ‘part of life’ things we do. But, things like Jogging… like Cycling… like Weight Training and/or Treadmill exercising… like Dieting… like “New Years Resolutions”. Each of us can only answer to the secret and inner part of our core lives for the reasons or motivations for these kinds of things. But, it is these kinds of things (the reasoning) that helps lead you to the deeper “why am I doing this” stuff that the Lord shows you (church, ministry, work, politics, music, etc). As a ‘template of thought’, or a ‘model of process’… let’s focus on Jogging or Cycling for exercise. Right out of the gate, one of the core reasons most of us do either is based on exercise. In turn, that means a healthier life, being fit-n-trim, weight-loss, cardio stability and strength. See?? All kinds of GREAT reasons to be doing these activities. These activities are both Physical and Mental… and some would say even Spiritual. No question here… so far! But, for a moment, get back to what was the core purpose, reason, or ‘trigger’ that convinced you to make your body DO these activities. The body (flesh) is motivated to ‘get into action’ by our thought process, which is driven by the mental side of us as well as the spiritual side of us… we ‘think on a thing’, or ‘make a determination’ based on information, thought, convictions (you see yourself in the mirror!). Nothing EVER wrong with this… just… if your Spirit isn’t as into it much as your Emotions or Mentality are, your flesh is going to be strung out in a bad, bad way! Whatever it is, it ‘makes sense’ (logic and rationale), so you set your body into motion over it. I mean… how long HAVE you jogged before getting really tired… that ‘wall of pain’ or ‘wall of willingness’? See… when your emotions (or rationale) convince your body to ‘do something about it’, you get right into action… you may even go to some great lengths to prepare (gym membership, a trainer, educate yourself on diet strategies, etc)… you may even have had an ‘event’ that occurred, which motivated you. Regardless… once your body gets to that ‘wall’, or once the newness wears off, or once your mental state changes (you become discouraged, or distracted, or even derailed with some other activity)… the willing flesh stops! See… the flesh IS willing, but your Spirit was too weak to drive on… to remain motivated… to own this task. Other things that motivate us into action though are less obvious… less tangible. Accolades can be a very, very subtle liar in your life! Unwittingly, we can get motivated to do things ‘in the public’ eye so-as to bring attention to ourselves (or even to bring attention to someone else). I have seen COUNTLESS people get involved in a ’cause’ because someone they know (or even themselves) were victims of something heinous, something life-changing (cancer, plane crash, violence)… and now they are a ‘champion for the cause’. The Need Never Justifies the Calling Because there is a need does not justify that God called you to solve it. God calls you, period! With His calling on your life, an outlet will be presented… God prepares you to receive and use your calling, and He prepares the world to accept your calling. Sure… no doubt you can do good… that you can improve things in people lives… that you can have a positive impact and make a change. Great… very good. There is a danger in that though… diving in to solve a problem ‘can’ be a misleading of God’s will for your life… you/we can get SO wrapped in “this is the right thing to do” that we cannot really see that our flesh got motivated into action, but without His leading over our lives. The Flesh is Willing, The Spirit is Weak Now here is where we need to explain what happens if and when you are so busy ‘doing’ His will and don’t recognize you are not actually called to be doing that. There are three scenarios Jesus presented in the Gospels to help us understand where people have had “good intentions” that just failed miserably. In the midst of having good intentions , you are actually setting yourself up to be consumed by evil itself… the VERY evil you are working and fighting against… consume you! Worse, as you turn to the Lord and lean on these ‘works’ as badges of your efforts to ‘ make something of your life ‘, He will literally cast you away! Wait… God rejects us? Uhhhhh… yea… who’da thunk it! Consumed by Evil Right… without the protection of the Holy Spirit over your life, your calling, your very ‘work’, you expose yourself to being consumed by the very evil you are battling… the very ’cause’ against which you are fighting… the very, very turmoil you are trying to settle can and will cause turmoil for you, but not just by a little bit, either. 13. Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. 14. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. 15. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? 16. And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. Acts 19:13-16 Sure, the King James version is a tough-read, right! But, it helps us to re-read it and try grasping what the Lord is telling us. These Jews were really just trying to ‘cast out demons’. Remember now, they are God’s chosen people remember, not run-of-the-mill citizens… and, their ‘intentions were good’, right?! But, even ‘the evil spirit’ knew they had no spiritual backing… no spiritual strength… their flesh was willing, but their spirit was weak (I’m wearing that out, eh!). For more on this, please read the Demons & Exorcism story on this site, too. God Rejects There are times in the scripture where God actually tells people ‘get away from me’. Now… he NEVER said that to Satan… ever! He always told Satan to “get in his place’, by telling him “Get thee behind me”. But, the people on this earth who get all energetic and are so focused on diving in and being involved (some of those ‘wrong reasons’ discussed earlier) are prone to be rejected and told to ‘depart from Me’. 21. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me , ye that work iniquity. Matthew 7:21-23 Yikes… right! Not to fear… well… too much, anyway! God is NOT vindictive, viscious, or out to get you (that would be Satan coaching you from the sidelines). If you can, go back to that passage, and read from the beginning of the chapter, or at least from verse 15 (beware of false prophets)… Jesus is working to let you know how not-to-be-fooled about how He actually wants us to live. He “knows thy works”, sure… but even better, He knows ‘why’ you are doing the work… the spirit that has motivated you… the purpose… your flesh is willing to do this work, but His Spirit is weak in you. Surrender Time In all your efforts… all your work… all your passion to ‘be involved’, have you ever ‘surrendered’ to God’s primary criteria? Mark 10:17-25 provides us with a great example of “ the flesh is willing, but the spirit is weak “. In this passage a very wealthy and well meaning person wanted SO badly to be included in this ‘movement’ that Jesus has stirred… we don’t know by this passage whether he was motivated by those ‘accolades’ we discussed earlier or if he genuinely wanted to help (good hearted, good intentions). But, when Jesus told him ‘one thing you lack’ it mad this man so sad… so broken, likely. We get all zealous and motivated and excited and even plan our lives to ‘get out there and DO something’ only to find that Jesus’ primary criteria is that we start by stopping! By selling out? By giving away ALL that I can use to forward this cause? Seems backwards, dumb, and rather impractical. But, it DOES quicken your spirit and make you check your motives, right! Well… it better… it should! Too Scared to Move, Now? Don’t be… please… just be ‘aware’… just be in a ‘waiting on the Lord’ posture in your spirit… not SO ready to pounce and solve a problem, provide a solution, get involved. Sure… “there is a fire”, JUMP on it! But, you’re bored (in your spirit/soul) and seeking an activity where your skills and passion can make a difference… wait! His leading will let you know when it is time. If you ever feel ‘frozen in your tracks’ and unsure if you should even MOVE… please read the Dead Weight story on this site… it is safe to be moving in the Lord… just listen, too! One of the other, and worse, things about waiting on the Lord’s calling on your life… the ‘want’ to have God lead you… that yearn to “let go and let God”, as they say… is keeping your spirit, your heart, and your mind in a place where you are at least ‘willing’ to follow His leading. See that? “Wanting to” is way different than “Willing to”. This is not a “ Lead me. But wait… not over there. ” discussion with the Lord. Submission is key, but you’ll never get there without being vulnerable with yourself, with the Lord.

Finding Leon! So, Leon was not so much 'lost' as he was missing from our family. Leon was the Press Agent for The DOORs, back in the day and had always been an artist, thinker, and overall not-tied-to-society person. This is a recap of the story of tracking him down on a whim one day. < Previous I found Uncle Leon!!! It wasn’t really that he was actually lost… he’d just not been around our family for many years (since his mother died) and we hadn’t seen him. See… Leon has always been ‘his own man’ and prefers solitude, quiet, and being unattached. He lives where-ever he can, which is typically in and around the little town of Solvang, CA. At the time “I found him”, I was actually living in the San Francisco area, but had driven my big old Cadillac down the Los Angeles area to teach at a conference. While there, I also visited with my mother and sisters, and we got to talking about ‘where is Leon’, and not even my mother knew. So, I figured that since I was driving back UP to the San Francisco area to get home, I’d take a little different route and see if I could find him. I drove the two hours to Solvang, and just dumped into the downtown part of the city. It’s a quaint little Dutch settlement, and very touristy. I went to the Information center and struck up a conversation with Florice, who had lived there for 20+ years. She’s heard of Leon, but really knew of him by his artist pseudonym, Prints Charming… He shoots photos, then mounts them and does a little art around them… also photographing things for calendars… He’s been an artist since ever I knew him, and wouldn’t know him any other way. Florice even called her husband at home, because I mentioned that Leon had a ‘school’ of fine arts, which he called Barnard Institute… this sparked her memory, because she had an actual sweatshirt from his school (I only got a T-shirt!!)… and was calling her husband to see if it actually stated which city it was in (she was thinking the school was in a nearby city)… no luck… he couldn’t find the Sweatshirt (Florice was ‘remembering’ they ‘may’ have loaned to the kids)… but!!! He remembered Leon… and actually described him by some of his quirky characteristics. Cool!! I’m feeling close, and I just got into the city!! I went into a couple of taverns and lunch places… and got some of the same responses…. ended up in a Leather Shop (I’m a fanatic for leather goods)… the ladies in there were quite helpful, and thought they remembered Leon but hadn’t seen or heard from him in over a year. They remember seeing ads in the paper he’d run for his Prints Charming stuff, and directed me to the town newspaper…. and it REALLY gets good here…. I went into the paper office, and all the folks there were very helpful. After only about ten minutes, I had all the office staff (five people) dragging up old paper-run books in search of one of his ads (looking for the phone number). We found it, and dialed it, but it just had a quick busy signal… must not have been in service. They ALL knew who he was, but no-one knew how to get in touch with him. They were making phone calls to nearby town papers, and connecting with all kinds of good leads, but…. ultimately… nothing!! So… we were brainstorming as to HOW to find Leon, and one of the managers commented how he could remember that Leon would drive up in his little red car… and I interrupted him!! You see, I remembered (and shared the story with them) that he got that car from Oliver Stone!! THE Oliver Stone was making a movie about the DOORS and Jim Morrison, and Leon was a very close friend of Jim’s, as well as the Press Agent for the Doors… So…. Oliver was using Leon as a Technical Advisor… but Leon has really NEVER had any transportation to speak of… he’s an artist!! So… He bought Leon the little red Geo Metro… Leon still had it!! We laughed about that, and they were finally starting to believe some of the oddities in Leon’s wacky little life. Well… I resolved to running my own ad inthe paper… “Leon Barnard, call Bill Elliott, your nephew (111) 222-3333″… and left. One last time, I went by the information booth to tell Florice about the adventures, as well as let her know the outcomes…. she was about to tell me to go the paper and place and ad… so we were on the same ‘wave’ at least!! So…. I uncovered the CADI, drove away from the downtown, and out onto the main drag. By now, it was 3:45p, and I really needed to think about pointing the old beast homeward. I got on the highway and was just outside the town limits, and getting up to highway speed… A group of cars was coming toward me (as they would on any other highway), and I quickly wondered to myself if any of them would be Leon’s little red… and then… I noticed that one of the cars WAS a little red car…. and it only had ONE driver… could it be…. NO…. could it REALLY be??? Well… you know damn straight that as we passed each other (now approaching 50mph), I was cranking my head to see… and dog-gone if it didn’t look JUST like Leon!! Wow…. I found the quickest place to bring the big-blue-beast around and went SPEEDING after him!! By now, though… numerous cars, and a few semi’s had gotten between us (remember, he was driving in a pack of other cars). I ran the two red lights that little town had… and finally caught up to ‘Leon’ about a mile outside of town (on the other side)… He was turning into a ritzy neighborhood, and I turned right in after him…. honked the horn (and man, that CADI’s horn is noisy!)… gesturing for him to pull over… I pulled alongside that dinky little red car with my HUGE Blue CADI (top was down) and ever so smartly stated ” Uncle Leon… It’s Bill Elliott!!”. What a total gas!! To actually find Leon by ‘accident’, only to later learn that he hasn’t been in the Solvang area since last November (1996). He has been back for two weeks, and was only house sitting nearby for friend vacationers… that day (Wednesday) was his last day in the area!! He was actually on his way to the house to get his personal belongings because the owners were one their way home!! Killer timing!! Regrettably… he didn’t know that his younger brother (Terry) had died the previous year… and now it was all making sense… Terry died in November, and Leon, not knowing this, began experiencing a lot of stress and strain in his life… so he left! He does that… just goes away… No one ever really knows where… he just goes. I just happened to catch him… We talked for about 1-1/2 hours… then exchanged numbers and mailing stuff… and I was off… totally thrilled, and very happy!!

Choose Me! Good choices…. bad choices. How are we EVER to distinguish the right ones from the wrong ones?? This may help. < Previous Good choices…. bad choices. How are we EVER to distinguish the right ones from the wrong ones?? I mean… the ones that result in the following of a ‘good path’ in your life… and the ones that result in the following of a bad, or unhealthy path in your life? Especially, I have been giving timely consideration to the Lord in all these choices… these decisions we make in our lives… sometimes, they are quite significant, and sometimes they are moderately trivial. Regardless of their ‘weight’, they ALL comprise God’s will for your life… God’s leading of your heart, soul, and mind…. His gentle, still small voice… whispering ever go gently on our hearts… ‘suggesting’… ‘recommending’… ‘encouraging’… us as to the direction(s) to take… the paths to follow. Still…. as I face choice after choice… I often grow fatigued with ‘straining’ to hear His voice…. strain to get that ever-subtle nudge from Him… and that is where my heart found this nugget of truth… this nugget of freedom… and certainly, this precious nugget of movement in my life. See, at this point, you might want to go back and read the Dead Weight story… learning that the Lord needs us to at least be moving in our lives for Him to steer us…. for Him to correct our direction. Given that you have read the Dead Weight story, the bulk of this story will certainly cascade through those thoughts… through those truths and concepts presented there…. With that, I have been learning how the Lord places SO many choices before our lives… before our hearts… some good, some bad, some perfect, some flawed…. and I really started to consider the weighting of these choices… to do-the-math, as it were… to ‘value’ the merit of the choices. Logically, attempting to clarify which choices was ‘really’ the right choice…. which choice ‘made the most sense’… which choice would ‘equate more value’ in my life…. and lastly, which choice was actually that perfect will of God. And the Lord showed me… pressed me to the wall… burdened my heart…. weighed me down, yet lifted me high…. to see… ALL these choices were right choices…. all of them had already been weeded through by His divine grace… and I was facing some 5-odd perfectly good choices…. none of them being ‘wrong’… none of them being ‘out of His will…. none of them being ‘the wrong path’ for my life…. Allow me to divert for a moment to share…. As you know, God has made us with a free-will…. the ability to yea/nea God… the ability to yea/nea right and wrong… the ability to lead a completely selfish life, or a selfless one, or even one balanced in the middle… able to do as we please… able to learn and grow… apart from Him, as we desire…. or close to Him… up to us. When we are far from God, who has truly moved? In the depths of our rebellion and hatred… in the grossest moments of our lives… in the very deepest pains we have experienced and caused…. was He NOT right there with us? …walking alongside? …waiting for US to call on Him, and ask assistance? …ask guidance? As we took ‘the wrong’ choices…. the ones that were NOT really in the midst of His will… the ones that were really bad choices for us… does God REALLY begin to run ‘defense’ to avert the changes in His plan?? Does He REALLY run up the road ahead of us… putting all the “Truman Show” things in their proper place so-as to continue the illusion we have been living within?? NOT… No, not at all… God is NOT on the defense… He does NOT have a plan to protect… these paths…. these choices… these directions we choose are laid before us as OnGrowing challenges towards a closer and more intimate walk with Him… to encourage us to lend a listening ear… to get us to ‘lean-in’ when He is speaking… to be able to be SURE as to what He is saying…. where He is leading. So… back to the choices… See… God presents us with these choices…. not ALL are always good… not ALL are always best for us in THAT moment. See… the Bible shares “… And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose .”, which is to say that He allows SO many things to occur in our lives… to get us to grow… to mature… to learn… to stretch our faith. Therefore; as you are facing these choices… consider that each of them are really RIGHT choices… they are ALL genuinely His will for your life… He is JUST waiting for YOU to choose which ONE He will bless… which ONE He will give you strength through… The Lord is waiting for you (me) to simply make a choice… they ALL are right choices… once the choice is made, HE will begin that good work… to bring the HOW together… to shape His will in you…. to meld your life… and certainly to move your world… and bless the very thing you touch… for, in that choice, you were seeking His face.. His guidance…. His mercy… That shared, your choice is truly blessed… even as you are choosing. Tough to understand, I know… Trust me… “I” know… I stood there facing choices too… facing the many avenues my life would/could take, given each choice… Which one is THE choice… I am learning… it is the one you choose… that is the one He is waiting to bless… when your heart is selfLESSly willing to accept Him into your life… to accept Him through your life… these choices suddenly become blessed by Him… honored by Him… remember, the Bible reads; “ All things work together for good, to those that are ‘the called’ according to His purpose “. Hard to refute that… hard to see any other way around His leading there. But… it is ALL back to OUR choice!! See that?? WHO, HOW, WHEN, and WHERE we choose to share His love… choose to live His life…. choose to surrender OUR will… is our choice… He merely blesses these choices… causing us to move into an OnGrowing relationship with Him, and those around us… no longer are we now Dead Weight … we are moving… we are much easier to steer.. He can change our direction with so much less strain and struggle… Read this: Joshua 24:15 “ And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD .”

Deep End of the Pool In the swimming pool of life, it is so much easier to do the backstroke through our lives…. No?? Just calmly stroking through the waters of our lives… looking up to the heavens and enjoying our ability to stay afloat in this pool… with style, grace, and dignity. What a precious sight, in and of itself. But, as you can see… this is shallow and incomplete. Let's learn to ease into the deep end of the pool of life! < Previous Deep End of the Pool I am SO sure the Lord has finally readied our hearts for this very moment. This very place in our time, when He has revealed our hearts to each other… and allowed US to share His love…. to grow in His love… to simply bask in His love… therein, causing us to share this love with others… and in turn, return the love to Him… What an utterly precious picture of His completed work in US. No longer just taking. No longer just receiving. No longer just hearing. No longer, especially, just being loved… but, So moved by His spirit as to cause us to shout to the heavens… a shout of joy, peace, and complete surrender to His will in our lives… and SO happy to be IN His will… instead of just near it!! Just where IS this Deep End of the Pool? Just when will we know we are there? Just how deep is it? Just why does it even matter? See… I am weak, and unable to swim… to tread water… to keep afloat in the tumultuous waters of my life… and it is all SO overwhelming… somehow, the inner me is begging to go back to the Shallow End… for therein is security, serenity, calm, certainly more fellowship… and lastly… the bottom. Where I can stand on my own… where I find certain stability… where I am SO familiar with the ground on which I stand… and lastly, where the shore is SO close by… allowing me, as needed, to run out of the water – you see, because I too am faint of heart – I am scared – I am so lonely – and I am sure everyone is watching me, and that makes me SO nervous… that they just wouldn’t stare seems like it’d make it all so much easier. And what better way to begin this story… this discussion, than with THAT very thought.It is through this fear and insecurity that we choose to live at the Shallow End of the Pool… if ever even getting into the pool at all. It is in the depth of uncertainty we fear… it is FROM the reaches of the unknown that we run… and it is from the insecurity of being out there all alone that we hide… needing to be held, to be safe, and certainly to be sure of our every step and every move in our lives… Keeping us from living a deeper, richer, all-senses-tuned kind of life… So full and so thorough… Yet, we are too afraid to even try, sometimes. The pool, as you can likely see, IS my very life. Certainly, it is the people I come in contact with. It is the family members I have. It is the neighbors around me. It is the people I meet at the various stores, and in the various errands I run… some of them are even standing in line with me… some of them are behind the counter – assisting those of us waiting. It is even the very home I live in; the plants I have; the pets I may have; the very pieces of furniture I have; and even the cars, bicycles, and toys I may have. These are all things that make up my pool. But, as you know, it is not at all limited to that… In fact, this pool is SO much bigger than all that… it also engulfs the education I have; the job I have; the hobbies I have; the many movies, music, and cultural activities I may enjoy and prefer; the very talents I have; the passions I have; and even the simple little quirks I have (sure, my socks are all lined up nice and neat in their drawer). This pool also includes the things on the inside of my life, such as; my fear of heights; my appreciation for the many things in nature and the great outdoors; my love and appreciation for technology; my voice; my touch; my own body; even my sleeping habits… see?? All these inner things, and more, are all water drops that make up the pool in my life… the very water that surrounds me… and sometimes, the very water that threatens me. Also, though, this pool is certainly comprised of the many spiritual attributes in my life, such as; my walk with God; my compassion for man; my forgiving heart; my yearn to know more about our creator; my deepest thoughts; my inner-most fears; my inner-most secrets; my desire to be free; my love of the simpler things in our lives. These many attributes, and SO many more… all comprise the water drops, which ultimately surround our lives, and ultimately fill the pool around us… You see, each one of these attributes of our lives is WHAT makes us who we are. Sure, others have similar characteristics, but not ONE other individual has these attributes the way you and I do… in the arrangement you and I have them… we are SO individual in so many ways. That said… we wonder and amaze at how hard this life is… at how tough and confusing so many things are to us. And they are, because we are SO unique. Sure, we are also SO similar to each other. Yet, in that, we are also SO unique. I’m talking in circles here, I know. Please understand that, though we have so many things similar to each other, we are still so individual, and unique. Keenly devised to work alone, yet together. And, though we may have many loved ones around us, we are still SO alone in our hearts, and in our every attribute. Therein lies the struggle. As Christians, we are instructed to “work out our own salvation, with fear and trembling”, which is to say that God has given us this wonderful gift of His love. Upon it’s acceptance and deliverance to our hearts, a heart that has surrendered to Him, we begin a journey of our salvation… applying this gift of love, mercy, and grace to our every attribute. Learning to touch every piece of our lives with His love, mercy, and grace. Learning to surrender OUR will with these attributes, and their shaping. And that thought is the very WHY as to what makes me want to run right out of this pool, and back onto the dry land. You see, there are so many, many attributes in my life. And some of them, in fact many of them, I have SO gotten used to having MY way, and having WHEN I want them, and turning them off WHEN I want to… and even hiding from some of them. See that? I am in control of all these little attributes in my life. It is I who decides whether some of them die on the vine of my life, or get nourishment. See that?? It is I who decides which attributes I like best, and work best in my life… and in that feeble dominance, I decide how to shape my own life and my own character. It is I who determines just how intense, too, I will utilize these various attributes. You see, in some cases – as an example, I may decide that gambling is SUCH a wonderful experience… and I enhance the many attributes that will assist me in growing this part of my character… I decide, even, which games titillate me more than others, or which ones I excel at more than others. Take that some thought, and move over into the career arena, and see which attributes you are enhancing more than others. I mean, we seem to have natural abilities towards Math, Law, Medicine, Sports, Child Care, and the such. We get ourselves into training positions and learn to utilize these attributes, which hopefully lead to a career wherein I can use these talents. There is nothing at all wrong with that. The point being, these are all WE things. These are all the toilings over each and every little water droplet around our lives. Each of us has the full potential for as many water droplets as you want… as big a pool as you want. It’s just that, the larger this pool gets, the deeper the water…. and certainly, the tougher to balance it all, let alone face all these water droplets. You see… we don’t necessarily get to choose which water droplets (attributes) we have in our lives, or need to face at various times in our lives. These attributes are always there, prominent, festering, or lying dormant for a time. Our lives have the utter potential for SUCH a huge and great life… based on the attributes we awaken in our lives… and based on the attributes in our lives that we grow and allow to appear at the surface; not keeping them squelched or hidden… and certainly based on which attributes we allow to dictate and shape our character. All of them are used to become the US in our lives. These comprise the very essence of whom we are. They make up the very details of our personality. Each of these little, individual components are all making up the pool that is around me… the pool of my life. How many of these attributes do I need to have a life? How many of these attributes are predominant? How many of these attributes do I keep in reserve, just for those special occasions? How many of these attributes do I pull to the very surface of my life; my pool? How many of these attributes are completely useless to me? How many of these attributes are useful to God? How many of these attributes are completely selfish attributes? How many of these attributes are completely selfless attributes? And, finally, how many of these attributes are God given? See… these questions alone… will make you turn and head straight for the shore! I am SO very weak at heart. I am SO completely tired, and I haven’t even started. See… these are some deep questions. These are some very tough components of my life to be facing. And, as I said… I am weak of heart. I am feebly minded. I often yearn for the quite, peaceful rest. I long for the silence. I wait patiently for the time when ignorance is SO bliss. I tend to want less, yet need more. I seem to hide more… yet, in that hiding am exposing myself. You see… running out of the water only helps you stand out (no pun intended!!)… and therein, all of a sudden, you are one of the only ones standing along the shore… All the other people are IN their pools. At least, most of them are. So… we learn to only go in just SO deep…. so-as to be actually in the pool, but not so deep as to cause us to be SO swallowed by these many attributes that seem to be SCREAMING for my attention. See?? I mean, in the shallow end of this pool, I can at least handle the fewer amount of attributes that are nipping at my legs… and I can even become quite adept at shaping these attributes on my behalf. I can even get them all dialed in, so-as to appear to have my life (my pool) quite well figured out…. With such assurance as to allow me to even backstroke around in my pool… casually enjoying the water around me… just enjoying it all… free and lost in this pool of mine. And, the people are watching me from the other pools; none of them can really tell that I am swimming around SO gracefully in just two feet of water!! See… from another perspective, it appears as though I really have it all worked out… And, in fact… this show of assurance even attracts others to maybe even join me in my pool. Afterall, we ALL want to do the backstroke through our lives…. No?? Just calmly stroking through the waters of our lives… looking up to the heavens and enjoying our ability to stay afloat in this pool… with style, grace, and dignity. What a precious sight, in and of itself. But, as you can see… shallow and incomplete. Regrettably, not so many of us are SO able to get these many attributes under control. No. Contrarily, we look across all the other pools around us, and we see the other people swimming seemingly easily. And we certainly are teased into trying to get our attributes all under our control. Deciding which ones are easier to tackle than others. But, sometimes, having SOME of them thrust in our faces, and having to work them out, and work them into our lives… Either from bad decisions made, unfortunate circumstances in our live, or even just too much pressure to be like all the other people around us… we face the prospect of our pool with that simple and indifferent look a cat often gets when you are trying to coach it into eating the new food you just got for it! It is at this very point in our lives where our fate takes it’s turns… at this very juncture wherein we decide, if at all, that we will itemize each and every attribute in our pool… and determine how, and when to use them. And it is at this point; some people decide that it is all just too very complex for them.It is all just too tough, and too much work… and unfortunately, they do not think it is even worth it. And it really isn’t, when you think about it. I mean… who cares?? Who really cares whether you are doing the backstroke within the pool of your life? Who really gives one ounce of concern that you are happy; that you are free; that you are growing; that you are attractive; that you are healthy; that you are smart; that you are wise; that you are able to even teach others how to do this wonderful backstroke through your pool?? Who really cares?? Certainly not any of the other people. They are too busy being concerned with their own pools. Sure, there ARE those who can reach outside their pool, and encourage and appreciate your pool… but, still… Why should we even worry about all this? Why not just live in this pool, accept the water that was filled in my pool, and enjoy it? However bitter, or sweet the water is. Blissfully enjoying my life that was handed to me. Sure…. We could live a simpler life. Sure… we could live a much more selfish life… and many do. In fact, many, many people have really never awakened to the many riches within their own pools. They have SO accepted their lives in the Shallow End of their Pools, that to even begin to awaken them would take SO much time… and it seems such an impossible fog to break through… Such a dense blindness we have… Such an utterly keen ability we have to NOT see the very truths right in front of us… Such a complete, and appalling absence of brain waves… or more specifically, heartwaves. You see?? Our hearts have just NOT been awakened to these many attributes within our own pools… waiting there to be opened, explored, and certainly brought to the surface to glisten in the sunlight of our lives… enjoying a deeper and richer life (pool), as well as showing others around us just how rich and full their pools can really be. But, again… all that takes SO much work. It takes patience. It takes inward reflection and searching. It takes an open and willing heart. It takes vulnerability. It takes strength. And most importantly, it takes time. See… this pool can take a very long time to be full enough to actually swim in… And enjoy the refreshing waters. It takes so much time. Just why does it even matter? Why SHOULD we even give time to these thoughts? Our lives will work themselves out on their own, it seems. Why begin to worry about it now? Simple answer… To live the life that was taken when Jesus died on that cross. Rich, Full, and Free!You see… His love was presented to us, and His life was presented to us. But we must accept this gift of love, and the gift of life. As if that were not enough, it also matters because we are not alone on this earth. Our children are right behind us. They too will begin to have questions and concerns as to how to handle all these water-drops in their lives, and we must be ready to “give an answer for the hope that is within us”. Sure, you can live your life apart from the Lord. Sure you can even fabricate the happiness and security, as well as the completeness in your own life. But, it is SO temporal. It is SO fragile. And worse, it is man-made. This means that your life has built-in fallibility. It has built-in flaws. It has built-in pockets of brokenness and impurity. But, with enough paint, stucco, and fancy coverings, we can make it appear as though our lives are SO perfect, and pleasant. Like looking across the many bodies of others’ pools, the waters seem safe and deep, and certainly pure. But, they are often just facades. They are often shallow and stagnant. So, it matters because our Father wants us to live a life on purpose. He wants us to live a deep, rich, and full life. He so desires that we “should have life, and have it MORE abundantly”. Not just life… an abundant life. A life rich with mercy, rich with peace, rich with hope, rich with security, rich with love, rich with companionship, rich with success, rich with material things, rich with talents, rich with pictures, rich with fishing trips, rich with memories, rich with family, rich with sharing, rich with career paths, rich with exhilaration, rich with keenly honed skills, rich with writing, rich with reading, rich with speaking, rich with listening, rich with learning, rich with teaching, rich with wisdom, rich with spare time, rich with love for yourself, rich with love for another, rich with giving, rich with receiving, rich with selflessness, rich with beauty, rich with prayer, rich with singing, rich with worship… and most certainly…. rich with the peace that passes all understanding. So… What the Father wants… and what we want. Seems so far apart from each other. So, unreachable… as far as the east is from the west. And that too helps to keep me from even trying to develop this Deep End of my Pool… Seeing how many attributes I have in my life… how many more attributes I want in my life… how many more attributes the Lord wants me to have in my life… knowing there are SOME attributes that scare me, or leave me feeling to vulnerable… and certainly too close to being found out, as it were. You see, I really like a secret and private life. Not so much because I am a sordid person, or have an alter life… No. In fact, it is solely because it is SO much easier. You see?? I just want rest. I just want peace. I just want serenity. This Shallow End of my Pool affords that. I can go to my work, get involved enough in my job to keep it, yet not SO involved as to cause any real change, or pressure. Just cruising along. The house of my life is the same way. I would like to add on, or rearrange the plants in the backyard, or repaint… any number of things that all take time, and require change… and that’s what is SO hard about all this… about living in that Deep End of the Pool… it certainly denotes change. And I am SO comfortable here. I am SO used to my schedule, and rather like it. I am SO relaxed in the norm of it all… just waiting each week for my ‘sitcoms’, or special shows in TV. Even yearning for the weekend morning when I get to sit at the coffee house… drinking a well deserved Mocha… smoking my pipe… just peaceful, and rested. See… Somehow, considering moving my life into that deep end, just threatens all these tapestries of my life… and it is these very tapestries that help to settle my heart… that help to comfort my soul… that help bring balance to it all… and certainly, that help to allow me to enjoy THIS pool of my life. See… Because all these littler things ARE my life. So.. Why would I consider challenging them? Why would I consider changing them? Why would I consider even disturbing them… I am SO comfortable here… I am SO happy… just where I am… so it seems. And in THAT very thought, God reaches me, to gently remind me that our lives are not stagnant. They flow. We are but receiving His love for a moment, then needing to pass it along. We can NOT just absorb. We can NOT just receive. We must have growth, and outlets for the love and grace we have received. You see, they call it The Dead Sea for a very good reason. It receives, but has no outlet, except evaporation. There is not any water flowing out of that huge, stagnant body of water. And it has become SO toxic, and filthy, and has settled into being a tourist attraction. People actually make it a point to go there, to float, and have their picture taken floating in that water. So, it IS serving SOME purpose. But were it your life, it would not be the purpose God had intended. God would never want our lives reduced to being a tourist attraction, and simply allowing others to float in our waters… You see?? These water drops in our lives represent the love God flowed into our pools, and He wanted that water to flow out to someone else, to be a downstream blessing… to enrich another persons life… and certainly to show others that God DOES share His love to all… and wants us ALL to enjoy it’s refreshing vitality!!So… How deep IS this pool?? I mean, I get it… the love God flows down to us comes in the form of many, many attributes in my life, and experiences and circumstances… He allows things to happened to me to cause me to deepen my various pockets, which in turn hold more of His love, and more of His grace… a type of Love Reservoir, if you will. But, how deep are these pockets, and as a collection, how deep is the very pool itself? That answer, regrettably, varies from person to person. See… each of the attributes have their own depth, and have their own element of richness. In other words, God has given you a voice to sing with. And, while there is profound potential for some very wondrous sounds to come from your throat, you are SO apprehensive about sharing this voice… even nervous and insecure. Hence, you sing quietly to yourself, and barely raise your voice in congregational songs. Unsure how others around you will react when they hear your voice, and being so unsure that you are even singing the right notes, let alone the right words. So, this one attribute if yours… a mechanism you can use to proclaim the love He has given to you… you withhold, and almost never explore the possibilities where He might be able to use this voice… to encourage others to also sing out, to bless the hearts of those who don’t have this wonderful gift… to bless the hearts of those around you… You see… this one attribute can be as deep as you will let God let it be. I mean, we have been promised that He was going to give us LIFE, and give it to us MORE abundantly… pressed down, shaken together, and yet… still overflowing!! See that?? God needs you to let go… He needs you to pay attention to these attributes… one at a time, as needed, but certainly listening to His “still small voice” and following His gentle hand of guidance… He will move your life, and your heart to focus on certain areas of your life… to enhance areas and attributes that need enhancing… and along the way, your whole life will become richer, fuller… and, yes, deeper… piece by piece, this life of yours will become more and more intense…. more and more developed… more and more unique… more and more full… more and more, it will become deeper and deeper… little by little… attribute by attribute! But… it requires a surrendered AND willing heart. You see that?? Surrender to His leading… AND willing to follow it!! There’s no such thing as JUST acknowledging His will… you MUST move on it… it MUST move on you… and certainly, it MUST move WITH Him!! You see… “My sheep know my voice, and hear my voice when I call them, and they obey me…”. That is to say, you must relax your hold and fears and control over certain attributes in your life… and ultimately ALL the attributes in your life… You see that?? Remember the infamous song of calling? “All to Jesus, I surrender… ALL to Him, I freely give” You see that??? The song does NOT suggest “Some to Jesus, I allow some control…. Some to Jesus, I have taken from me”… See that??? Sure you do! You may not want to agree, or completely release YOUR precious will at this point… but THAT is the very thing that is keeping you from living in The Deep End of the Pool. You see… you need to let go of each attribute in your life… one attribute at a time… one piece of each attribute at a time… one level deeper, with each attribute… growing them, steadily… letting God lead you through the struggles and fears of their presence… and nurturing you through the harder times, comforting your soul through the ragged and angry times…. holding you close in the midst of the strain of exposing this (these) attributes…. letting Him take control and grow that for you… and your job, your posture in all this is submission, and obedience. He may say to you (leading your heart) that you need to forgive someone, or you may need to lose a vice, or you may need to “be still and know that I am God” over some other piece of your life that is so ready and waiting to release to Him… to allow Him to guide you through the HOW regarding untying the knot you have tied there… to surrender these little attributes, and even in the attributes, to surrender each piece OF the attribute one component at a time… praying, surrendering, and certainly obeying His leading in your life over that little attribute… See that? That IS the core component to Living a Life in the Deep End of the Pool… that very posture is one that will see you through the pain, fear, and uncertainty of exposing each of these attributes, and putting yourself in a very vulnerable place with these attributes. That said, please know that your life can be just as deep as you allow God to let it be. See…. He has bestowed upon you talents, characteristics, desires, personality traits, physical features, and even likes and dislikes. Each of these are the attributes, the very fibers that make up the YOU in your life. A life that ignores God, or runs from His leading, is a life that is not all that it COULD be. Sure, you can have an abundant life…. there is NO refuting that… but, our Bible says “… that we may have life MORE abundantly”… and that the life He gives to us is SO rich, full, and free… others around you will soon be noticing your life, and begin to ask about it, ask about how you became SO rich in life, SO full in life, SO free in life… and certainly they will see and ask how you became SO loved in life…. But, you must begin by giving attention to each little piece of each little attribute in your life. There are some attributes that should not even be there. There are some missing attributes. And, there are some attributes in your life that are being used, but they have developed with flawed precepts. That is to say, YOU have developed them… YOU have noticed how these attributes help you through your life… and YOU have been the one to grow them the way you see fit, and according to the needs of the moment. These attributes I am talking about could be anything from singing, to a sense of humor, to a counseling heart, to modeling skills, to business savvy… and the list goes on. But, hopefully, you will see that this is a man-made list of attributes; a man-grown list of personality traits that are good for the most part, but not so finely tuned, as they would be under the supervision and direction of the Lord… the master potter.When will we know we are actually in the deep end of our pool? I mean, how will we ever really know that we can stop, rest, and just float on our backs in this pool wherein God has surrounded us? That, in and of itself, is the answer. You will know because you can float on your back. You will know when you realize that the bottom of your life is SO very far away. You will know when you stop to consider the actual depth of each of the very tiniest attributes in your life. See that?? When you stop worrying about surrounding yourself with SO many things, and getting what looks like a huge pool… and really, really focus on the details of the attributes that ARE there now… you will soon see yourself swimming in a much larger and deeper pool than you ever dreamt possible. See?? The more attention you give to the very details of your life… the more attention you give to the teeny-tiny details in your life… and start exploring the Jesus within each of them.. and start SEEING beyond the obvious… and start living a life of purpose…. and start “acknowledging Him in all thy ways, then He will direct thy footsteps”. See that? “He” will direct thy footsteps! Do you REALLY want God to lead you? Do you REALLY want to follow Him? Do you REALLY want to surrender YOUR will, YOUR hopes, YOUR dreams, and YOUR plans…. and take on His will, His hopes, His dreams, and His plans?? Well then… You MUST “acknowledge Him in all thy ways”… and one of the most important keys you will EVER learn and find, is that all means even the minutest details in your life… Taking time, in the first place to even notice they are there… to even recognize them tucked way back there… to even shine the little light of His light onto them, and let these attributes come out and be dusted off in your life… to be cleaned and washed by His blood and grace… to be nurtured into such a wonderful and flourishing attribute in your life… See that?? Another attribute is brought forth, and nourished to a beautiful bloom in your life… …and with that, you will soon notice that your pool IS getting deeper… and certainly bigger… and most certainly, more and more a blessing to others around you, as well as to the Father Himself. You see… in that, your bring attention to the Father. You bring attention to the pool… And you bring attention to yourself… and others CAN see that all you are, is due to Him… is due to YOU living a surrendered life IN Him… and lastly due to you obeying, and not being afraid of the things tucked away in the dark corners of your life. And you WILL begin to enjoy the depth of your life, and the breadth of your life, and certainly the quality of your life. You see, it will NOT be so deep because you have so much… rather, it will be because you will notice that; what it IS that you DO have, is so very precious, and unique, and placed there for a reason, and especially God breathed into your life. You will begin to appreciate the things God intended for you to appreciate. You will begin to enjoy the things God intended for you to enjoy. You will begin to protect the things God intended for you to protect. You will begin to cherish the thing that God intended for you to cherish. And mostly, you will begin to LOVE the things God really intended for you to love. Just where IS this Deep End of the Pool in YOUR life? Right around you. Waiting for you to acknowledge its presence, piece by piece. Hand these pieces to God, and let go of them… learn to wait on Him for them back into your life. And certainly, to surrender your will to them. Let Him make them, as they need to be… perfect in every way. Then, when He does give them back to you, and let you utilize them in your life, remember it is truly a gift from God. When WILL you ever be there? Now! See?? You can be there right this very moment. Sure, it may not be all that deep at first, but the Bible does say NOW is the day of your salvation… and that we are “…to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling”. That is NOT to say it is up to you to ‘be saved’; this is that wonderful gift from the Father. You must receive this gift with a fully surrendered heart – calling on His name – but, only YOU can apply this gift TO your life. Only you can ‘work out your own salvation’, which is to say that He has given us a wonderfully beautiful robe to wear… and it is up to us to put it on, to button it up, to roll it’s sleeves, to reach into it’s pockets, and turn ourselves in the mirror of His reflection and see just how well it fits. And make adjustments, and tailor it to fit just right… for running, for walking, for sleeping, for eating, for harvest, for playing with the children… and SO very importantly; for showing others that this robe is NOT to be feared, NOT to be thrown into the back of the closet and retrieved for convenience sake, NOT to be dirtied with so many impurities, NOT to be covered by any other robe or garment, and lastly NOT to be taken off… ever again! It is worn with pride, and honor, and certainly with the love from the giver of the gift, our Father. When will you know you are there, and will it be too deep for you? You will know you are there when you see the beauty in just one attribute in your life. You will then begin to realize that all these other little attributes too have such beauty. See… when we stop and take stock of the many things and ways the Father has bestowed His love on us… when we stop and look intently at the details of our lives… when we really pause and listen with utter concentration at the words others are sharing with us… when we look with yearn into the eyes of the ones around us, trying to see IN their own souls… when we completely rest our minds and listen for that ‘still small voice’ of the Father – calling us to follow His steps… when we walk slowly and give attention to those around us – not so much people watching as much as watching people… when we begin to look at these people through His eyes… when we look into their eyes through His eyes… when we listen to their words through His ears… when we try to see their heart through His heart… when we pay attention to the very details of life around us with His attention to our details… when we stop and take stock of all that is around us, just as He stopped and took stock that fateful night on the Mount when He wept with sorrow over such a hurting and pained city of people. People that were SO filled with pain, hurt, disappointment, anger, strife, loneliness, and certainly love-less-ness… when we take on our own lives with the very same compassion Jesus takes on… then, and only then will we begin to know you are ‘there’ in the deep end of your pool. And it will NEVER be too deep. It will never swallow you up; rather, it will hold you up, it will support you, it will encourage you, it will motivate you toward a deeper and richer life IN Him!! See that?? Having ‘some’ appreciation for the pool around you will lead to more appreciation for the pool around you. And all that, with the strength of the Father, can ONLY come with a surrendered heart and life to Him. A life that is SO committed to His will, SO committed to His leading, and certainly SO committed to His spirit in your life.Will you thrive to get back to the shallow end? Sure… to get the other people down there and SHOW them just how safe and secure this deep end of the pool can really be. No, though, in all seriousness. You will SO enjoy this deeper life. You will SO grow in this deeper life, and you will SO be closer to the Father… you will not even consider the shallow end of the pool… except to reflect on the When, How, and Where of it all starting for you. Will you be too afraid to even get to that deep end? Yes… a fear of the unknown does that to you. But, it is NOT an uncertain! See that? But the Bible state “perfect love casts out ALL fear”, which is to say that in Him, you are in very safe arms. You can open your heart to Him, and it will be very safe. You can open the vulnerable places in your life to Him, and it will be very secure. You can open the very secret compartments in your life, and they will be tenderly and gently cleansed with His dying blood…. Washed pure and clean… and made whole… and in that ugly dark place in your life, Jesus will find that little sliver of Gold… and He will preserve this gold in your life, and remove all the junk from around it… and it will shine with all the other little nuggets of Gold He has been able to find there… see?? All these attributes in your life are filthy and dirty. But His tender touch can dig them out, clean them off, and certainly hand them to you to use for His glory, and for His purpose… and they comprise the water-drops in your life. From the shore, or even the Shallow End of the Pool, yes… the Deep End of the Pool can seem overbearing. Therefore, He has left this whole thing to one simple word for you; TRUST. See that? Even with our salvation, we must trust Him. Even with our hearts, we must trust Him. Even with our love, we must trust Him. Even with our thoughts, we must trust Him… it just all boils down to trust. Complete and surrendered trust in Him. He will NOT fail you! When you trust, he will provide that precious depth of life you have always wanted, and needed… and certainly wanted for those around you. But… you have so many questions… so many struggles… so very many pains and trails…. And certainly, so many disappointments and hurts. Let go and let God!! How will you ever get started? Surrender! Simple, I know… but it DOES all begin with surrender. Look deep in your own heart and see if you don’t cling to and are clamped onto your own life, your own heart, your own will, your own goals, your own beliefs, your own desires, your own vices, your own safety, your own security, your own love, your own passions, your own voice, your own looks, your very own life… the life itself you are SO hanging onto… clinging as though letting it go means dieing and giving up… Well… that IS what it means… but not to STOP living…. To START living! You see… you are NOT living now… you exist. You are surviving… You are making ends meet… you are certainly NOT living. So… surrender yourself to Him… to His life… to His heart… to His will… to His goals… to His beliefs… to His desires… to His vices… to His safety… to His security… to His love… to His passions… to His voice… and certainly to His ways!! “Acknowledge me in all thy ways, and I will direct thy footsteps” Begin to SEE God in each and EVERY thing you do… and every thing you experience… and everything your see.. and everything you feel… and everything you think…. ‘…taking on the mind of Christ…’ Where will you start? Personally, I like to start with the easy things… get a feel for being victorious over these things, and get a few of them “under your belt”. It will be great for your security, your faith, and certainly for your experience WITH the Father… hearing, listening, obeying, following, and talking with Him. Begin by looking right within you at the may attributes you already have within you… acknowledging Him in them, and learning to praise Him for them… even asking Him to enhance them and hone them into finer attributes!! Then, begin to work your way out of your life, and begin to ‘see’ God in SO many places around you. Not just the majesty of the mountains, or the wonder of the clouds in the heavens… but even in the people around you. Begin to notice how God could love someone LIKE them!! Begin to SEE them just AS He sees them…. Through the eyes of the Lord!!Why would you even start NOW? “Behold NOW is the day of your salvation!” It is NEVER too late to start. Remember the one thief hanging there on the cross next to Jesus when He was being crucified?? That one thief knew He was the King of the Jews, and he KNEW that He was facing an eternity without Him! Only, we tend to think of eternity as beginning when our lives end. That is SO not true… Eternity, dear one, began quite some time ago… and you are NOW in it without Him!! Only, do NOT wait any longer… each moment you hesitate is yet another moment WITHOUT His abiding grace, his loving peace, and certainly His staying power in your life… Behold, NOW is the day of your salvation! Dive in… the water is SO fine!!

Fine Swine Dining One of the key reasons we need to be careful with approaching those around us as though we are on a marketing campaign is that they ‘catch the fever’ and logically see and understand why they should be involved with God… get ‘on fire’ for the Lord… be a better person… and all those “it must be right, because it is for good” things. These can be a bad reason for them to ‘come to the Lord’. They ‘join forces for good’, and that’s bad. < Previous For me, my most significant flaw (failing?) in life has been wanting others to want me… to accept me… to encourage me… even to adore me. Sure, you may not see that as a flaw, but just an insecurity, or a character quirk. Who doesn’t want to be accepted, acceptable, and included, right? Regardless of how we label it, as I have aged… as I have loved and lost… as my disappointments, heartaches, and just utter anguish mounts… the Lord showed me (and has to keep reminding me) that I am actually ‘ putting my pearls before the swine ’… lavishing my love, my time, my skills toward others who may not be all that prepared to know what to do with them… may not be ready to accept or understand them… may just be too distracted with life to see that their life is distracting them from truth! I refuse to change, though. Wait… we’re supposed to be willing to change when and as the Lord directs us, right?! Sure… this is a deep, deep conviction… an inner part of my core being reminds me that I need to refuse to change. See, I take people at face value, and let them convince me otherwise… many do, some don’t. Do I get egg on my face? Uuuuhhhh… YEA! So, the Lord has been gently reminding me of this passage in Matthew 7:6: Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you . Wait… I don’t think “I” am holy or some super-saint… far from it! But, many years ago, I did tweet this; So, He has been coaching my heart… nudging my life really… and reminding me that I do have the responsibility to be careful how and where I ‘give’ of myself… how I extend and present myself… and in fact, to whom I give of myself. Parents… this is especially true of both your Children AND your own parents. Just because they are ‘family’ does not mean you give of yourself unconditionally… ever! No, they don’t have to ‘earn it’, but they should never be allowed to abuse it… to consider it ‘free’ and ever never let them ‘take you for granted’ (I said that backwards on purpose, so you’d listen!). Now, in the religious, Christian, and Biblically Inclined world, this text is generally considered to be a warning by Jesus to his followers that they should not be offering biblical doctrine to those who are unable to ‘value’ and appreciate it (let alone use it to change their lives). In many ways, He was admonishing them to not get caught in a clumsy debate (arguing, really). But, I rarely take the things Jesus taught His disciples as a letter-of-the-law reading… but as a spirit-of-the-law reading. I mean, Jesus DID say many times, “. ..he that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit sayeth “. He never EVER told us to ‘read and understand’. His communication with us almost seemed to have a way about it, like He was extending a coded message for those that “ had an ear to hear “. Now to the Pigs and Dogs references, though. Sure, the people around you are not literally pigs or dogs… wait… some of them actually ARE, huh! Nonetheless, Jesus is using a ‘base’ animal to help explain and convey the difference between His gift in you (His salvation, His love, His graciousness) and those around you. Essentially, Jesus is reminding us that we must minister with discretion, with discernment, with a ‘Spirit Led Heart’ and calling on your life. Would you try holding a serious, heartfelt conversation with a very drunk or drug-induced person? Would you give a top-choice Filet Mignon steak to a dog, regardless of the breed or pedigree? Those both should be NO answers, right? Therein, we too should be careful… be thoughtful… and especially be sensitive to the Leading of the Holy Spirit as to how we interact, communicate, and even ‘live’ with the various encounters we have in life. Now I say ‘live’, because even the people with whom you live, or live around should still be approached with discretion… with His Spirit leading you… with His guidance. Some things you share with them just will not be understood… be heard… or even be appreciated. And, regrettably, you are teaching them to ‘tune out’ your thoughts… unwittingly, you are numbing them to the Spirit’s calling on their life! Counterproductive, right! Now, to me… one of the other ‘hidden gems’ of this passage is with regards to the ‘because’ part of the passage. I mean, so many times Jesus tells us “don’t do this, because”, or “don’t do that, because”. Mercy… even God started life on this planet telling Adam “don’t do this, because”. Now, the end of this passage in Revelation, Jesus clarifies with, “… lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. ” See… no matter how much YOU care… no matter how GOOD your intentions… no matter just how sincere you are with ‘giving your gift’, those that are unreceptive… those that are unable to grasp the words, the message you are sharing with them… …they will turn on you. They don’t have His Spirit to help interpret. Worse, they will trample underfoot the ‘pearls’ you passed on to them… they have no discretion… they have no means by which to comprehend how heinous a thing it is they are even doing. Like ravaging dogs, they will be ruthless… not passively turning their noses up at you and simply walking away from you. No… REND you! Vicious, heartless, mindless, and it will tear you apart. Wait… let’s quickly look at all this from the Pig’s point of view. I mean, again your intentions are good, your heart is right, you even approach them with utter care and concern… you may have spent YEARS preparing for this very thing. But, for a moment or two, let’s imagine you are trying to “put lipstick on a pig”, or even trying to “teach a pig to sing”, as the whimsical sayings go. Sure, to put “lipstick on a pig” is a rhetorical expression, used to convey the message that making superficial or cosmetic changes is a futile attempt to disguise the true nature of a product or person (see; WikiPedia ). Likewise, you should never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig! Going Forward Sure, until this point it would seem I am setting the stage to tell you that you should never witness, never share your life with others, never reach out to help those around you. NO… just ‘be careful’… be ‘in the Spirit’… be sensitive to God’s leading in the matter. How? HA! Not sure if you’ve read other of my stories, but there isn’t a ‘formula’ for all of this. There is not a “steps to reproduce” guide. There IS encouragement from God’s word as to how to handle yourself… to bolster your life… to be prepared. Over in 1 Peter 3:15 , it states; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. See? They ASK you! They noticed something different about you… they observed your actions… they’ve “witnessed your witness”, and you haven’t said a word! Be Ready Always This passage doesn’t say ‘seek them out and make them understand’. It is a message to you that you should just ‘be ready’… be prepared… be poised for action. Now, that takes time… that takes patience… that certainly takes self-control (know when to speak and when to be silent). As the Lord’s blessing on you grows… as His grace moves in your life… as you mature and begin ‘living’ His love and not telling it… others will see… they will notice, and ultimately, they will ask you the reason of the hope that is within you . THEN you are clear to share.. clear to demonstrate… clear to let God share His grace in you… with them! See… now they are open and receptive… that are inquiring… they are curious… they are seeking! See?? You should not just spray the people around with God’s grace… with His message.. with His mercy. Love is the critical key and love is patient… love is kind… love is long-suffering… love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and even more important… endures all things. 1 Cor 13:1 actually states, “ Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. ” That whole ‘tinkling cymbal’ thing is just what is meant by the “casting your pearls before the swine” passage… we must be discrete… careful… patient and most certainly, “led by His Spirit” for when to speak and what to speak! What? Refrain from telling others of this great hope? No… be sensitive, be ready, be careful… but, certainly, be led of His Spirit. In fact, in a similar passage of Luke Chapter 21, Jesus is encouraging the disciples about the pending ‘persecution’ and rejection they will experience. Even their very mothers and fathers will turn against them. But, He admonishes them to not ‘prepare’ what they will say or do… He merely tells them (v14-15), “14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: 15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. “ See… just because ‘we’ have His grace… just because ‘we’ have been redeemed… just because ‘we’ have experienced this deep hope and peace from God, not everyone can comprehend what you are trying to convey to them…. they cannot grasp the brevity of your passion. Sure, they can see and hear that you ARE serious, and that you are passionate, and that you are even making a great argument/presentation of God’s love for them… but, even the Bible states; “ No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. ” John 6:44 . So, please keep in mind that it is the Lord who sets the stage for your witnessing… your ministry… your communication with those around you and we must be cautious with tossing His ‘gifts’ upon us, toward others (pearls before the swine). Fallout One of the key reasons we need to be careful with approaching those around us as though we are on a marketing campaign is that they ‘catch the fever’ and logically see and understand why they should be involved with God… get ‘on fire’ for the Lord… be a better person… and all those “it must be right, because it is for good” things. These can be a bad reason for them to ‘come to the Lord’. They ‘join forces for good’, and that’s bad. Wait… it is not always right for people to come to the Lord? Right… not always right… not always His time… and certainly not by His calling, His leading, and His Spirit convicting them of their SIN! See?? We can’t convince people of all the reasons TO follow the Lord. They have to be led of His Spirit, convicted of their sin, redeemed and made holy. In fact, there is a growing number of people who perform just like Christians, they actually do MORE than your average ‘saint’ in the church… in life… in Jesus’ name, in fact! But, they are NOT God’s children. What? Right… read this, Matt 7:22-23 “22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. “ See? Jesus doesn’t even seem to account that they wanted to be good… they wanted to ‘do the right thing’… they yearned to help… seems like the Jesus would recognize that and maybe just tell them, “go to the back of the line in Heaven”. Rather… He tells them to ‘ get away from me, for you are working INIQUITY… I never knew you “. WHAT? Wait… they knew Him, how could He not know them? Please pause on this in YOUR life… please pray on this for you and your ‘being’ in His work through your life. Check your spirit, ensure you’re being led of His Spirit in the matters of your life. The whole, “yea, but I am helping others” doesn’t favor with God! Therein, “casting our pearls before the swine” is one of the things that motivates them for the wrong reason. “The need never justifies the calling” Do remember that, if nothing else. Do NOT get a ‘vision’ for some work… for some cause… or even find a cause or a work that needs you… without getting God’s calling on you for that vision, cause, or work! Be LED by the Spirit, not asking the Spirit to bless your lead. The gifts the Lord has passed on to you… the gifts he still has in store for you… His good grace over your life is NOT meant to quickly turn and dump it all over those around you. Sure… “ give and it shall be given unto you “, and “ your cup runneth over ” with His grace, or even just “ freely you have received, freely give “. The Bible tells us we are to walk ‘circumspectly’ in this world. That is a cautious, determined, and calculated series of steps… movement on this earth… with a strategy, with a tender and delicate manner, with His guidance.

Attending Idiots Unaware This is a spin on that saying for 'attending angels unaware', but it is the angry, mean, and troubling angels we need to watch for moreso. < Previous Sure, the timely phrase ‘attending angels unaware’ is quite popular and we seem to secretly hope, wish and pray someone unique will bless our lives or at least give-us-a-break (they’d truly be an angel, huh). But how rare is it that we are in the presence of angels? While it is virtually impossible to know, this passage was handed down to us to help keep us on our toes and ever diligent that we treat others well (in keeping with “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”). But, the odds are much better that we’ll actually be in the presence of idiots. And, it is this unawareness to which we need to focus. Disclaimer: Yes, “idiots” is a harsh word to use, but it is merely a contrasting word to help reflect a comparison to an angel who bears gifts for you. Do not miss the forest for the trees! Hebrews 13:2 – Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares . Many times however, the natural progression of our daily lives exposes us to various encounters with other individuals; be it a quick stop for fuel, pop into the local store for some dinner ingredients, and even an innocent walk in the park. It is these common, ordinary, and sometimes predictable events wherein we should be more cautious. These relaxed encounters are not as high on our radar or watchful-eye for some spectacular or blessed event to occur; they are mundane, they are routine, they are pretty predictable, in fact. In these moments, we tend to drop our guard and even worse, loosen our skills and willingness to overlook annoyances, quirks, and even insulting mannerisms of those around us. It is in these idiotic circumstances when we should be more the wary. For, our reaction and reception of these toilsome moments define our character much better than the ‘kiss of an angel’ we might receive from the Heb 13:2 episode. From people cutting you off in traffic, to a rude or condescending Help Desk Operator, even to others around you having private conversations on their mobile devices in public areas. These types of events can really cause us to steam right up and get overheated, and maybe even lash out. CUTTING YOU OFF IN TRAFFIC Inevitably, someone is going to cut you off in traffic. We all are in a hurry at times, so to them it seems appropriate to dive in and accomplish their mission. You however deem this a rude and insulting event, and it takes all you can muster to not lash out at them. Be careful, for this offender may well be an idiot! It is this very moment, this very opportunity to grace, for patience, and certainly for forgiveness. RUDE “HELP DESK” OPERATOR It’s not really the Help Desk Operator’s fault, since you had to navigate a myriad of telephone menu choices just to get to the operator. So, you are already upset, frustrated, and have quite a bit less tolerance for any further deviation from your original intended goal. Yet, the Help Desk Operator’s impatience with you is equally frustrating, for they too do not want to be there and they do this very thing ALL day long with ignorant and helpless people like you all day long, over and again. Be careful, for this offender may well be an idiot! CELLPHONE ON THE BUS The convenience of mobile communication devices is beginning to have a negative impact on our public lives. Too many times we are subjected to an individual’s phone conversation, but we are a captive audience since we are stuck on the bus, or a train, or even just waiting in a long line. The longer the publically private discussion continues, the angrier and more frustrated we can become with this apparent disregard for the surrounding people’s presence. Be careful, for this offender may well be an idiot! Heb. 13: 3 actually gives us a few cues; “ Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body. ” You, in fact, are just as they; a fallible human. You too, at times, are an idiot. Consider how much of them is actually you, and while you grow weary of the number of idiots around you, imagine how many times through the day that you are someone’s idiotic experience! Matt. 5:38-48 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoevershall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Face the turmoil, the tension, and even the anguish of the idiots head-on! No, do not be forceful, contemptuous, or even vindictive. Merely accept these folks as though it is God accepting you (Golden Rule personalized; do unto others as you would have God do unto you). Being kind to kind people (angels) is easy. It is the idiots of our lives that challenge us and provide the best opportunity for growth; both for ourselves personally, but also (and even more importantly) for the idiots and any on-lookers. They are witness to an interaction that has a contrary result from the expected one (someone treats you rudely, it is easy to be rude back). In the process, God has been magnified and His presence in your life has become even more apparent.