Step Into It

This is the season of prom dresses, final exams, and college applications. Tis the season for seniors to become sleep deprived, stressed out, and overcome with worries about their future. Where will the money come from? Who will be my new friends? Will my old friends still be there for me? All of these are legitimate questions for those who are ready to step-up on that graduation stage and receive that diploma.

What should be a time of serious smiles, gets turned upside down into not only a frown, but a few forehead wrinkles too. I say, trust God. Simple to say, but harder to do for some of us. Remember that God is with you. Time to exercise your listening skills. Now is the time to really let Him lead you. He won't grab the steering wheel, but He will give you the right directions to take as you travel along together. He wants you to experience the joy of self discovery and the companionship He offers you in life.
Here are a few actions steps:

Thank Him for the successes you have already had in life.
Thank Him for the people He has placed around you to support you.
Thank Him for the future He has prepared for you.
Thank Him for the talents and skills you know you possess.

Once upon a time, God spoke to me as I poured out my fears to Him. He reminded me that worrying before Him in prayer, was a waste of time. God responds to faith-not worry. Take steps into your future with a heart of faith. He will open and close the right doors, but by all means, make some choices and step forward! He is right beside you and the Bible says he goes before us and behind us-just like He did with the Isrealites. You can make that more real if you will also thank Him. Speak it outloud if it helps and let your heart "hear" it.

When August rolls around, this season will seem like a century ago. It will be so in your review mirror. Walk on thru what sometimes feels like "the valley of the shadow of death" and take some comfort in His companionship and providential leading. If you don't know what that word means-look it up today. He has got you covered.

The Reflection of God

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318287594114982162" />
It is an amazing fact that when we cannot see Jesus in us personally, others can still see his reflection upon us. Often our vision is clouded or darkened by filters we have around us, or even within our own hearts. The Jesus IN US can be challenging to link-into when we experience difficult days or trials. Take heart weary wanderers! When God is working in us, his reflection still shines on us. We cannot see that glory-but it is still there. His internal work of redemption is also an external work of glory. We are being changed day by day into his image. That is his promise to hold onto.

it.

Saddle Up with the Jonas Brothers

Rodeo Houston 2009. There was a new sound heard on the grounds this year, in addition to the horses and bulls. There were the same people selling hats and fried oreos and various buckles and belts. Sure, the carnival rides were full of screams and happily terrrified children. But, this year there was the deafening squeal of teenage girls welcoming the Jonas Brothers. Now there were young men in that group, but this was clearly a girl power moment. The truth is, they are considered adorable. They have standards of conduct unheard of in the music business. With their purity rings shining, they swagger and sway around the stage playing their instruments and swinging their mics. Very Disneylike, but extremely likeable.
The brothers have often referenced their Christian faith in interviews. Having been around Hollywood for awhile, they know that is costly. Their lives will be scrutinized by both the skeptical cynics and sadly, the Christian community. Very risky to come out of the closet as a Christian in American entertainment.
We who believe have a choice, support them for their courage, or join the hungry ones waiting for the slightest slip-up to drag out the crosses for them to mount.
I think believers need support, period. You may not want to mix your rodeo barbecue with their sugar pop sensibilities, but you can at least hope for the best in their life. What's so bad about outspoken believers trying to make a living and enjoy their moment of success? Don't worry, cynics, this will soon pass for them. Age will push them right out of their genre and hopefully you will find them seated next to you in church or serving the needy at a community center. Let's surround them with cheers and not slams. Success is a wild and dangerous ride.

Is That All There Is?

Ecclesiastes is a hard read. Yes, not only is the name just a little unique, but the basic tone of this Old Testament Bible book is a little morbid. Inside you will find lots of messages about the coming judgment and death and old weak knees. Not exactly what most of us reach for on a late Sunday night to help us relax before our horizontal time. But, after your first read through, which only takes about 30 minutes, you might just begin to get a inside view to some pretty deep downloads.

First suggestion, pray and ask for wisdom when you read these Old Testament books. Let's face it, riding a bike takes a few afternoons of practice to get it down.
No one starts off an expert at Guitar Hero or Rock Band. You got to do your time to get it down. Same with some of the books in the Bible. You need to spend some quality time and practice the skill of listening to God as you read. You might be surprised at the deep thoughts that will rise out of your brain to surprise you. Remember, you are made in His image and capable of truly Godlike thoughts.

Bottom Line, Ecclesiastes answers the question: Is That All There Is? You know the one that will occasionally occur to you in those moments when life gets very real. Those moments usually pass quickly like your curtain that blew open with the breeze only to settle quickly back in place to obstruct your view of the great sunny outdoors. They are bittersweet moments we all share in common that show us there really is more to look forward to someday, than we can experience in this reality.

It challenges us with the concept of acceptance. What if that is all there is for now? What if life is a series of days blending into one seamless road towards eternity. What if it really is about enjoying life with the ones you love and discovering each day that fact is simply enough. Sure, there are mountains to climb, cities to build, money to be made, lives to be built, but the joy is in the acceptance that all those things can be pleasing to God. Just accepting the road ahead, looking for the opportunity to walk in love, and keeping your hopes up, may just be the message after all.

So, as the writer of Ecclesiastes says, Enjoy your youth...but remember in that enjoyment, that eternity looms in the future as a welcome place to receive the reward of your labors and relationships. Live well, love well, and enjoy the skyline view from your heavenly real estate. Remember who makes all this possible.

John Lennon said
"Imagine there's no heaven,
It's easy if you try.
No hell below us.
Above us only sky."
With all respect, I'd rather not, John.

Heaven will be the place that we finally get a better view. We will see how all the dots connect and who drew the picture in the first place. And that day, will be just the beginning of discovering all the rest of what there is to come.

Silencing the Lambs

This week has been a week of off-screen drama. Have you ever had a drama script playing out in your mind, where you made right all the evils of the world? It is set in a place where you say all the things you wished you had said, or did all the things you wished you had done. You get to be the hero and no one takes advantage of you.

Today, my internalized cinematic world was silenced by a roar. A bigger than life, floor rattling ROAR. The kind that stops traffic and dialogue and even Santa from finishing his December 25th flyover. Picture the face of a majestic lion with full mane, bared teeth, and glowing piercing eyes. He stands on the crest of a hill and slowly glances back at you and ROARS.

That is what silences the lambs. That is the voice of a great kingly beast that reminds us that we are the weak. All of us are weak and He will be sovereign and set all things in order. None of us need rant and rave for truth and justice. God is on the throne and He knows how to get our attention and do His job.

We have all heard about the foolishness of sheep. Suffice it to say they have a lot in common with goats.
Probably a little more picky about their diet, but prone to random acts of lunacy. They need a shepherd to protect them from just about everything.

As one of God’s lambs, my greatest danger is probably myself. I can really get off on my own agenda and get myself into some senseless drama. So, today when I heard the ROAR. It was the sound of reason saying, “Your voice is just a whisper, let me speak for you."

I think that is a much better plan. Remember the majesty of the King and trust in His voice. He is not sleeping or hibernating. He reigns and He ROARS.

Quotes to Jolt

This is the beginning of a series of random quotes from the book The Miracle Tour.
The purpose is to assault our minds with truth and wake us from complacency or simply a long spiritual nap. My challenge is that you hit me back with something equally truth bearing. Bring it on. I dare you.

Jesus was a rule breaking, shamelessly grace-filled libertarian.

Get the Message Out There

Long before the day of radio broadcasts, podcasts, and videos, Jesus was a great storyteller, We all know how the movie industry has portrayed Christ in a long white robe, hair glowing in the sun, happy shining people seated and listening intently. I am not so sure that was the actual scene, due to the size of the crowd and a distinct lack of microphones. Instead, I think he utilized the platform of a large rock and there was a lot of row to row murmuring going on. Don't you wonder if the disciples were placed around for crowd control, or maybe to answer questions in individual groups? Talk about social networking. I can't help but think the hillside hang was pretty great though due to the fact it was Christ's main platform for communications. It was intensely popular and Jesus had to resort to the unexpected like teaching from a boat, pushed back from the crowd.

What we have on the record about his teaching style is a typically visual story told to reveal the heart and mind of God. Jesus used common lifestyle stories with an eternal twist. Not all of them were bedtime stories. Some were very challenging, but woven into a familiar narrative.

So today, we have a no hillside hangouts. We have rallies, concerts, and even chatrooms where we can communicate the good word. Our culture still likes a great story. No matter what tough times comes along with our economy, movie theaters stay full for a great flick. We who believe in the unfathomable God of the Universe, have a rich resource for ideas and concepts to tell our stories. Get edgy and post something on Facebook that says you are a Jesus person. Be bold in your faith and pass it along. Write a song, an essay, paint a painting, create a dance, just do it. Today, think about what you can do to tell the story. It is about telling your story, God's story through your life. It's a lot easier than sitting in the grass, swatting at gnats, and straining your voice to be heard. Each of us have our own hillside. Stand up and be heard.
ICorinthians 14:26
So here's what I want you to do. When you gather for worship, each one of you be prepared with something that will be useful for all: Sing a hymn, teach a lesson, tell a story, lead a prayer, provide an insight. ...

Twilight

Twilight. For those of you who are Twilight junkies, this is not a review of the book. Ok, I admit it is a pretty sweet photo though. I know how you adamantly demand your fix of popular vampire romance. I give up on the dialog of meritorious literature, the whole issue of vampiring, etc. I leave that to you to decide. But, twilight is ,nevertheless, a mysterious time of transition. The element of the unknown is unnerving and ever so fascinating. Thus it is a fitting title for the book series and this posting.

Twilight, is the weird land of half-in and half-out. The pause of gray that separates black and white. It is a zone of indecision where we travel through to be where we belong.
Here lies the trouble with life on this planet. This existence is like an extended tour of duty on Planet Twilight. The place between creation and the completion that is to come.
For all of us left in the in-between there is hope. Christ knew his followers would be left in this gray space and he had words to comfort them.
John 14:1-6

When they peered ahead at the future without him, they could not imagine the images that lay before them. Life as they knew it would change forever. That part they got. What Jesus knew was that they needed to remember that He knew who they were. He knew they were hungry. He knew they were tired. He got the whole needy thing about being alive. Been there done that revelation. God had always known, and that is one of the messages Jesus came to communicate.
If they never made the transition between distant God and personal Saviour, they would stay stuck in that fearful twilight. God had a new image in their minds. He was no longer that scary guy.

Christ came to reveal who God is in His person. He is God and therefore mankind got a first hand view of what they had only heard through stories and scrolls. While living in the twilight Jesus brought the fire to warm them and illuminate the future with Him. With Him in the circle there was more of a warm red glow than a gray pallor. This twilight thing is more doable when we trust Him with it. Can you trust Him with it? I return to thoughts on Twilight, the novel.

If we can view a man with fangs as a safe place, surely we can see Jesus as trustworthy with our real life. In the book series, it is all about taking risks for the ones you love. Isn't that what Jesus championed for us all?

Think about it.

Icons of our Age

One of my fascinations with church history is built around the Christian culture that gave us the concepts of icons and relics. Odd little words that are seldom used today. Icons are defined as, a representation of someone or something sacred, like a saint or martyr. We use this word now to describe a tool on our computer screens. Now, I like my computer world, but I doubt there is anything saintly about it. The concept of sacred seems mystical and abstract to me. If you stopped the average man or woman on the street and said "Hey what is sacred to you?" you would probably get very little response. There would be a lot of extended pause time, baffled looks, heads cocked, and mouths open. Some might say, their ipod or car keys, but most would just be stumped and sent to the back of the line. Good question, is it not?
Throughout church history believers held the cross as sacred. It was a symbol of something sacred, something sobering, something personal in connection. That has changed to more of a fashion piece or wall adornment in real time. Collections of carved crosses and plastic kitsch flowers were all the rage a few years ago, displayed as little shrines to a different way of life south of our borders. I am not passing judgment on this decorative moment, I am asking the question, "What is sacred to you?"
In all honesty, I am struggling to find the answer to that myself. Sacred is defined, to be devoted or dedicated to a deity. Simple enough to say, but much more challenging to do. That means my life is sacred. Emphasis comes on the word, my. It is my life that is sacred to God.
It puts a new urgency into the purpose of purity and excellence and even that big stretch, holiness.
Oddly enough, it is not really my life at all. I didn't make or initiate my life. All I can do is return it to my creator in response to the cross. The cross is an icon of much a deeper act of devotion. It symbolizes the devotion of God to me.
If I wear it around my neck, or display it on my wall, it won't change the world. If I chose it for my heart, is changes everything.

The Message that points to Christ on the cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. I Corinthians 1:17

Don't Mess With Shakespeare

Table talk for our family usually involves at least one conflict over the misuse of a word.
My children think I am slightly daft. I can live with that. I have a little of a Shakespearean complex that leads me to believe that I too can validate new words. I make them up "on the fly," with great degrees of self-satisfaction. The horror of a wounded word is not to be tolerated in my home. There are cries of foul play and penalty, but I hold my Shakespearean head high and grin maliciously. I also mix my Spanish and French into my own little language, but that flaw will be saved for another post. I have created communication mayhem with these skills on more than one continent.

For now, I will simply share with you my favorite real words. All of these can be found in a dictionary, and I hope they will eek their way into your conversation this year.
Give a new word a chance.

Words that inspire me:
catalyst, portal, possibility, gracious, achievable, gratitude, eternity, excellent, promise

Great mean words:
loathe, repel, despise,vex, malicious, malevolent, vendetta, Machiavellian (this one was to impress you). Note the repeated use of V. What is that about?

Happy words that need more use:
whimsical, radiate, embrace, kite, delicious, cocoon, savor, curious, bliss, release

Four letter words to try:
love, hope, help.

How about you? Have any swell words to share?
Share them with me. I am blissfully curious to savor your gracious contributions.