Fear

 I see so much fear around us.  I see people with face shields and a mask and you cannot tell who they are. Their eyes are barely visible behind their protection from the Coronavirus. They could rob a bank and not be identified. Many churches are still shut down because of fear. Businesses are going away and never coming back. Children are not going to school like they need to. We cannot see families and friends like we need to. I see people driving in their cars all by themselves with all this covid protection. I see people walking along a street all by themselves, with a mask on. Fear has gripped us and divided us. I saw a picture of a person in ocean water, no one anywhere near with a face mask on. This past political season has been used effectively to divide us. To cause us to fear. I am not saying we should not use precautions, wash our hands, and wear a mask if in a crowd. But it is political and fear raises money for a political party. Both sides have used our fear for political purposes.  It will happen again. When you heard these ads that catered to your political leanings, were you more tempted to give to the party of your choice because of fear of the other side, than if you had no fear and were content? I believe this fear of climate change is politically driven.  The earth has gone through ups and downs before. The warnings of climate change catastrophes have come and gone and new deadlines set. Fear of so many things. God set this earth in motion and the stars still shine. It operates at his command. Yes, we should take care of the earth. Remember when paper bags were the culprit and we went to plastic. Now plastic is the new culprit. Should we go back to paper, probably?  But what other fears are going to drive us? As the wisest man said there is nothing new under the sun. God does not want us to operate under fear.  I wonder how many times God has said fear not. God is still on his throne, the earth still turns. On a cloudless night, we can still see the stars. Seasons come and go. We are told to believe science when it agrees with someone's political agenda. Science is not political. But fear is and it is being used to manipulate us in so many ways. God is still on his throne and still desires to change men's hearts. I have what I think is a rational fear of a dog biting me. On the route, I try to walk every day is a dog that is very aggressive. I tried to make friends with him but he wouldn't have anything to do with me. The hair on the back of his neck stands up. Other dogs will bark and wag their tail and I have made friends with some of them. But this dog I believe will bite me and I don't want to get bit. I have a fear of him biting me. I don't let the fear control me, I started carrying my gun with me, I do have a concealed carry permit. I also started carrying dog spray. I don't want to shoot the dog but am determined that he'll be dead before he bites me.  It is a fear but I still walk my route, I deal with it the best I can. I hope I don't have to shoot him. I have talked to the people that own him and explained I will shoot him before he bites me. I talked to the police chief, not a lot they can do, but he did say you gotta do what you gotta do. But it seems after I tried to spray him one day one of his owners has been keeping him back. It's hard to teach an adult dog new behavior but I believe they are trying. It is a fear that I have of getting dog bit but I believe it is rational where the fears being pushed on us by political parties is wrong. The fear of climate change is wrong, it is more political than real, it is designed to control us. The fear of the other political party is being pushed on us to raise money for political campaigns. God tells us not to fear but put our trust in him. The dog I can deal with but these fears like climate change and the other political party are politically driven and irrational.  Coronavirus is real but it has not changed the number of days God has assigned to you.  God bless, LVZ.

Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Matthew 10:31

The Mob

 I am expressing an opinion here. The mob that broke into the white house I believe was led by Antifa and perhaps some of the more radical BLM leaders. I also believe there were mostly Trump supporters. But in typical mob fashion, there were a lot of followers. If true Trump supporters had not followed the mob, it would have been easier to identify the thugs. Anyone involved in that was wrong and needs to be prosecuted. This is my opinion, I was not there. Anything that happens is going to be spun in the most harmful fashion towards Trump.  We should be leaders and not followers. We should stand for the law and order we believe in. If the true Trump supporters had not followed I believe there would have been very few breaking into the White House. Many Democrats have said much worse and advocated violence toward Trump followers many times. We should not copy the tactics of the left. Two wrongs have never made a right. Our country is just plain crazy right now. Much does not make any sense. We need to continue to follow God to the best of our ability. I know God is in control and it is God we should follow. It appears that we had some false prophets lately, one false prophecy makes a false prophet. God always knows to the last detail what will happen. Much of it was saying what we wanted to believe. God has a plan that we do not always understand. A lot of times we just continue to follow by faith. Over a year ago I started what I call First Step Prayer group.  At first, I was really unsure of myself. But as the year 2020 progressed I believed more strongly that God did put this on my heart.  It is said hindsight is always 20/20.  As I move forward I believe I need to continue to pray for the President as 1 Timothy2:1-2 tells us to pray for those in authority. I really did want Trump to win and expected him to win. But often I would end my prayers, God thy will be done. I cannot see what God is always doing. I don't understand things at times but I believe God always does what is best for us. We don't understand what God is doing, but let us not follow the left and destroy the country because we didn't win. Let's not join a mob but continue to pray for God to guide us. Let us continue to try and imitate God's ways to the best of our ability. Let us try and be better at showing the love of God to those around us. It is still the hearts of men that need to change. It is still my heart that needs correction. And always remember we can take our failures to God. I am so thankful for Grace and Mercy. God bless, LVZ.

Speaking Of Being Wise

 Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts. Psalm 119:98-100

I have been reading Psalm 119 lately and I run across these verses. The God who created us has put wisdom in his commandments.  They are the best way to live. God makes the universe work. God makes our planet to work. It is his design as are we. God has been there since the beginning. He sees from beginning to end. He knows every one of our days before they happen. I am in the process of taking a financial course. There are 2350 scriptures talking about money/finances in the bible. Wisdom is only good if we adhere to it. If we know it and don't follow it does nothing to help us, we suffer the consequences. The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty. Proverbs 27:12. I have ignored good advice and suffered the consequences. In two of my failed marriages, I was warned and didn't listen.  God is not up in heaven waiting with a hammer to knock us silly if we disobey. He allows free choice and we suffer the consequences of our decisions good and bad. He advises us, tells us the best way to live but does not take away free choice. Sin looks good and often feels good but in the end, it kills, it destroys.  God is a sovereign God, and he sees the beginning and the end. He does what is best for us even when it hurts at times and we can't see it or don't understand why. God bless, LVZ. 

Be Wise

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Ephesians 5:15

A few days ago  I published a post called "Decisions". I made a good decision and many years later I have no regrets that I decided the way I did. The decision I was talking about was sticking it out in my senior year of High School instead of quitting and get a High School diploma. It was a wise decision. I have made many bad decisions in my life that I regret. I was listening to Andy Stanley and he talks about asking enough questions when we make a decision. He also said here is a question to ask yourself on any decision, what is the wise thing to do? How will this affect me in the future? It has been so many years since I made that decision I don't remember if I asked any questions.  But If I had asked what is the wise thing to do, I am sure I would have determined to complete High School. I only had six months to go. When I got married for the first time and the girl I married was pregnant, it wasn't mine. What would have been the wise thing to do? I understand it is too late now to decide differently and I have two precious children. But if I had asked what was the wise thing to do, and listen to myself, would I have done differently and saved some regrets? I had a good car a few years ago but I saw a very pretty new car on the lot and I traded. I believe if I had asked what was the wise thing to do, I'd have kept the good car I had with a lot of miles left on it instead of making payments. I bought a house at 21 years of age and hindsight tells me it was a wise decision. Did I ask myself if it was a wise move? When we make decisions and we look back to the past and see the good decisions that we made and the bad, I think we would do so much better if we would ask what is the wise thing to do? After getting divorced in a twenty-year marriage and counseling said to give yourself time to heal. Would I have been better off to ask what is the wise thing to do? Yes, the wisdom from the counseling was to give yourself one year to heal for every four or five you were married. I can look at so many decisions good and bad and if I had asked that question honestly and did the wise thing, I would have so many fewer regrets and I could look back and say that was a good decision and that was a good decision if I had asked myself that one question, answered it truthfully and lived like a wise person. I can see it now, it is a good question to ask. Paul the Apostle tells us in Ephesians to live like a wise person and not like a fool. That one question could have saved me a lot of regrets.  God bless, LVZ.

Servanthood

 I am reading a book and in that book, they said there have been many studies done that show people that volunteer and serve others are happier, healthier, and live longer. The Book is "UN christian".  I do know that much of my life at least in recent years I try to find some way to give back to society. It usually is nothing big, or noteworthy.  I have mowed lawns, picked up trash, very simple jobs.  Since I have lived here on West RD I have tried to pick up trash along the road. I remember the first time I did it, I filled up our weekly garbage bin twice with just road trash.  I try to keep it up but when I have been sick or on a road trip I get behind and I end up having to fill several buckets the first few times out.  I help change light bulbs at the church I attend or paint a room. We deliver meals on wheels several times a month either in Tupelo or in Verona. These are things anybody can do.  Jesus said in Matthew 20:26; Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,  I believe we can find many more verses on serving others. Jesus Christ himself came to serve and be a ransom for many.   Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, Philippians 2:3. We live in a very selfish "me first" world and that is contrary to being a Christian or being Christ-like. Ever notice how many commercials point to getting all you can get or getting everything you deserve. Or the funeral expense insurance, the mom will say I am so glad you'll be taken care of to her grown children. So much of this is actually contrary to what God teaches us. God designed us to serve others. I look at people like Bill Gaither that has spent so much of his time and talent in promoting other Christian artists. Some of the greatest parents have served their children. I think of the story Ben Carson told about his mother having them read and writing a book report on the books they read. It wasn't until later that he realized she didn't know anything about those books but she would mark up his report like she did. She poured her life into her boys.  Servanthood can take on many different avenues. In humility value others above yourself, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.  So much of Christianity is counter-culture, goes against the grain, against what society teaches us. God created us and designed us, to serve one another.  God bless, LVZ.

Decisions

 I made a good decision when I was 18 years old. It benefited me even up to today. I wanted to leave home as soon as I turned 18. I still had six months of my senior year of High School left. I made the decision to stick it out until I had a High School diploma. Now as a 60 Plus-year-old and thinking how decisions affect us for many years. I am thankful for making a good decision. As it was I felt inadequate working with people that had an engineering degree, and I wonder if I had felt even worse had I not finished high school. Maybe they wouldn't have even hired me to begin with. I had a really good job and I wonder would I have done as well without a high school diploma. When we make a decision we suffer the consequences good or bad and even our families feel the consequences of our decisions. I bought a house when I was 21 years old. I really didn't know what I was doing but it was a good decision and benefited me for many years to come. I have made bad decisions and had regrets. Sometimes we make a decision that we should know will affect us for many years to come even before we make it. We choose a mate and get married, this woman becomes the mother of our children and I can tell you that I did not give due consideration to this major decision. If I ask even hard questions would I have seen red flags? My children grew up with the mother I chose. It affected me, my children, and even affects my grandchildren. I have regrets about the decision I made and went through a divorce. For 47 years I have lived with that decision and it was more important of a decision that I made with several homes I bought, some of the jobs I held. I chose to join churches, some were good decisions and some were bad. Did I ask enough questions for many of these decisions?  I remember when my Granddaughter Callia was at that age of asking a lot of questions. She would ask why, and you answer that question and she would ask why again. I said you ask too many questions and do you know she stopped asking questions. I regret that today, she was at an age where she was learning a lot, and asking all these questions is a good thing. I hope she grows up and asks lots of questions about the decisions she makes. I think if we ask enough questions, even difficult questions perhaps we would make decisions with fewer regrets.  God bless, LVZ. 

Making It Mine

 Whenever I read a book or hear someone preach and it touches me, I try to make it mine. I try to understand it and apply it to my life. I am reading "UN Christian" and it has touched me in a lot of ways. Christians we do have a story to tell and we believe there is a Heaven to gain and a Hell to shun. But as this book points out sometimes we do a terrible job of presenting the gospel to the world around us. I thought of an incident in my life many years ago. I don't remember the man's name anymore. But I think I met him when I first moved to the Renton plant. I didn't know very many people and needed a friend. He came off like he wanted to be my friend and I was looking forward to meeting him outside the job as a friend or to form a friendship. He wanted to sign me up with Amway and that was the whole deal. I didn't want to have anything to do with Amway. He really didn't want to be a friend he was looking for someone to sign up under him in his Amway business. After that, he really didn't want a friend, it was a ruse to make a contact for his business.   Sometimes as this book describes, that is exactly how we come off. We want a convert to Christianity. Can you imagine how people feel if that is how you come off to them. I was really disappointed at that time because I did need a friend. So as I try to make what is touching my heart in this book mine, I wonder how many times I have pretty much done the same thing. We have an important message to give to the image-bearers of God around us. Even when they don't think like us they are still image-bearers of God. A while back I thought about my ex-wives and the stories I tell of my side of those experiences. I thought one day about those ex's that hurt me, they are also image-bearers of God. They are just as important to God as I am. I am thankful to be a Christian and know the God that I know. I wish I could present him as I know him. A loving God that loved me even when I was at my worst. He never gave up on me through my many struggles. He answered prayers for me in the middle of divorce even when he hates divorce. He still loved me. I hope I can learn from this book and bear the image of God in a better fashion. I want to be transparent and not make excuses for being unChristlike. But you know Christianity has survived many centuries of imperfect witnesses for God. Christianity is still relevant and still changes hearts and lives today as people get to know the God of the Bible. I want to make this mine, it is a very thought-provoking book. God bless, LVZ.

Heart Issues

 I would like to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem. That's why I write this blog. I have been a Christian for many many years with valleys and mountain tops.  Christians do have a message they want to impart to those around us. The religious people in the days when Jesus walked this earth are not that much different than Christians of today. They wanted to win, they wanted Jesus to be on their side. Over and over again Jesus tried to teach them and point to a time when he would not be here on earth with them. They really didn't understand until after the resurrection. When the followers of Jesus when to the tomb early on that Sunday morning and the tomb was empty it started to make sense. But they were still questioning it all. Jesus met with some of his followers walking and talking about the things they had seen and as he was walking with he explained the writings of the early prophets to them.  Then just like that he left them. Later he met with them in an upper room. They were afraid, they had followed him expecting Jesus to win against the Roman empire. And then he was crucified and then his grave was empty. Everybody wants to be on the winning team. Jesus told them many times they didn't understand. I feel like we are so much the same today. God gave us a good president and even he talked about winning over and over again. It appears it did not happen, God is still on his throne and nothing happens that he does not at least allow. God is not here in our hearts to win political battles. He wants to change us into the image of his son. But we still want to win just like the early Christians. But over the centuries there have been many that got it. Jesus came to be a ransom for many. Jesus wants to win the battle raging in our hearts. Jesus wants to be the king in our lives in our hearts. He wants to change us from the sinful creatures we are into his image. Be imitators of God, He knocks on our hearts' door and we need to open. He will begin a transformation when we ask him in. The teachings that we read of so many of his prophets and teachers are designed to help us in this transformation.  There is no area of life that God does not want to affect. Our raising of Children, our job performance even in secular jobs.  In our relationships in our families and on the job, our neighborhoods.  Our relationship with him. I look back and I see so many struggles. I once thought I was a good parent as I have learned more and realized some of my motivations were wrong, I know that I really wasn't that good of a parent. There were so many areas of life I held back not really trusting God to direct my life. I was messed up and probably still am in many ways. But I realize the one who rose from the dead on that Easter morning so many centuries ago still wants to change lives including mine. It is where I don't look like Jesus that I fail, and am sometimes a stumbling block because of my imperfections. I am learning. Once I thought I was a good parent and now realize I did poorly. Once I thought God doesn't care if I buy a Ford or a Chevy, I now realize he wants to be active in every part of our lives. I once thought that seeking God for a spouse is like asking a parent for marriage advice when I saw them have a marriage I didn't want to copy. After a few failures, I finally prayed God if you want me to be by myself help me to be happy with being single. The focus of my prayer also changes from wanting a spouse that was right for me to want to change to be right for someone else. Change me, fix me. It has been a long journey with a lot of bumps and holes in the road I traveled. But I learned that Jesus cares about me even when I mess up. He wants to change my heart. Everything seems to amount to a heart issue when you get to the bottom of it.  Jesus wants our hearts. Financial issues are heart issues. Is God able to supply all my needs? Marriage issues are heart issues, am I treating this spouse as an image-bearer of God?  Relationships with others even people that we disagree with sometimes expose heart issues. Our political problems also expose heart issues. We want to win instead of trust in a sovereign God. God's people in the old testament days had good kings and bad kings as God allowed. God wanted their trust to be in him. It is still the same. We see the corruption in our political system, they point to heart issues. God is still on his throne and still wanting his image-bearers to turn to him. Financial errors that I made point to heart issues. God still wants our hearts fully submitted to him. I think of the Joesph with the coat of many colors in the Bible story. He didn't understand it all when he went into slavery and prison but he trusted God and late in life when he met his brothers again that had sold him into slavery, Joseph said, you meant it for evil but God meant it for good. He had the opportunity for revenge but realized he was just a tool in the hands of God to save many. He trusted God through evil and good times. Moses took a different route and fled for his life. But in the end, God used him also to bring God's people back to the promised land. Everybody's story is different there are no two alike but God has a purpose for each of us. But he needs our hearts to fulfill his will for our lives. It is a journey that starts with a single step of submitting your heart to God and he will change you. It will take a lifetime but the start of the journey starts with a single step, turning towards God instead of away. God loves each of us, those that claim him already and those that rebel. He really wants our hearts. I didn't learn everything about following God when I took the first step, but then I took another step and another, and here I am today thankful for God's mercy and Grace.  God bless, LVZ.

Upside Down

 I wanted to start the New Year and post something every day. It's day five and I am struggling with what to post already. Why am I having a problem so soon? I get a lot of ideas about what to write from sermons and books that I read. I try to make the things that stand out to me, to make them mine. To apply these things to my life. I started reading a different book, "UN christian" by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons. I have tried to write three different posts already and am afraid to publish them. It is a very good book and one that I think every Christian should read.  I see the perceptions of the non-Christians about Christians in this book and I even thought the same way many times when I was struggling with my faith. It makes sense to me. When you grew up in a Church that believed in perfection and we saw imperfection all around us, it's not hard to develop a critical attitude. We saw our imperfect earthly father and often thought our heavenly father was the same. We really don't need that type of Christianity.  Somewhere along my spiritual journey I seemed to have caught sight of the real Jesus and the real Heavenly Father and was able to separate my tainted view of my earthly father from looking at God the same way. The problem is our world today is we do not see the loving God as he really is. Often we see other imperfect Christians instead. Its like a worn-out Cliche, Christians aren't perfect just forgiven. How many times have I said that?  It is true but it is almost like making excuses for bad behavior in Christians. How did I growing up the way I did see past the hypocrisy and develop a relationship with my Heavenly Father? Here I am a man that was raised in a Church that taught against the divorce and remarriage evil and has managed to get divorced 4 times and still call myself a Christian. I received Grace and Mercy. I want to write and be transparent about my failures and not sound like I am making excuses for bad behavior. I'll bet I even turn people off when they read my blog description at the top of my blog. This book is turning me upside down.  In a way, I saw a view of what this book is talking about many years ago in my mockup job. One of my co-workers was a young Christian man and he was talking with our supervisor who was not a Christian. I believe the young Christian man had been trying to witness to the supervisor and the supervisor came back with; "to you I am just a heathen", kind of heatedly as I remember it. What do we even call non-Christians that we come in contact with. Unsaved, one pastor likes to call them pre-Christians.  But even there we can offend before we even get started. Many times all they see is us and not the real Jesus that we are supposed to represent. But then Christianity has survived thousands of years already, it has survived the imperfect representatives of Christianity through many centuries already. Somehow many start on this spiritual journey and get to know a loving God and a savior Jesus that died on a cross for our sins. Somehow we have botched the greatest story ever told. We have something very important to say that has eternal consequences and we seem to be losing. Recently I read about Tim Tebow and how 94 million people in this country googled John 3:16 that he wore at a championship game in the shadow under his eyes. I want to be transparent and not excusing my bad behavior as a Christian. Jesus died on a cross for our sins and he is the only way to eternity with God and somehow we are botching the message. Self-righteous, hypocritical, judgmental, how many more bad ways can I list describing  Christians that are supposed to be taught to love even their enemies. In other parts of the world, Christianity is thriving but here in America it is declining. I think of a Christian lady I went to church with one time in Marysville, WA, and a drunk came into the building. He did need a bath and her reaction was what is he doing in here. The sociable nice high-class Christianity that is too nice to stoop to welcome somebody that really needed God's help. We have the greatest message to give to a lost and dying and hurting people and we are not doing a very good job. This book is turning me upside down. I know a God and a savior Jesus that everyone needs to know. They often don't see the loving God I am supposed to represent, they see a Christian like me. I am blest to know this God. How did I make it through all the garbage this world threw at me and still come to know this Jesus? Millions have come to know this Jesus through the centuries, before Bibles were even printed. America was so blessed by God and we are slowly becoming UN Christian.  God bless, LVZ.

We Don't Understand

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,  and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  Matthew 20:20-28 (ESV).

In this story, the mother of the sons of Zebedee (James and John, two well known disciples) came to Jesus and kneeling before him asked that one of her sons could sit at his right hand and the other on his left hand in God's kingdom.  They didn't understand, even today Jesus sits at the right hand of Father God. That is like asking the one on the left to sit in God's place.  They really didn't understand. All through time, Christ's followers have wanted to win. Even today we want to win. 

When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. And they went on to another village. Luke 9:51-56 (ESV).

 Here we see the same James and John that wanted to sit on his right hand and left hand wanting to call down fire from heaven to destroy a city of Samaria because the Samaritans did not want these Jews to stay in their village overnight. There was animosity between Jews and Samaritans. Jesus rebuked them because they did not understand. Jesus did not come to win battles. As Jesus tells us above, he came not to be served (win) but to serve and give his very life as a ransom for many.  If we want to be great we must learn to serve others. There are so many ways to serve others. His whole life I believe Jesus was teaching to serve. The feeding of the four thousand and the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus was meeting the needs of people. The people he healed, delivered from demons, Jesus taught serving. Even when Jesus was arrested before his crucifixion, Peter cut off an ear of a servant of the High Priest that was coming to take Jesus to be crucified. They didn't understand, Jesus didn't come to win, but to give his life. I believe he spent a big part of his ministry serving the needs of needy people. We want to convert everyone to Christianity but perhaps our message would be better heard if we quit trying to win and learned to serve others. Think of Mother Theresa, Think of so many missionaries that go into poor countries and see the needs of the people, Samaritans Purse an organization that sends food and medical supplies all over the world to meet the needs of needy people. Yes, they do present the gospel but they try to fill hungry stomachs and meet medical needs while they are at it.  Do you realize how many hospitals and colleges were started by Christians to meet the medical needs and educational needs in our country? I wonder if we got Jesus' message, he came to serve, if we would win more to an eternal truth?  Jesus didn't come to win political battles but to meet needs. We do have spiritual needs as well as physical and emotional needs. Have we found a way to serve society? I use to think I couldn't work for God in a secular job like building airplanes. But I realize even secular jobs sometimes fill a need in our society. Have you found something to do that blesses society and fills a need in society? We all understand that nurses and doctors serve others. Do we understand that farmers that make a living feeding our nation are also serving others?  Do we work in a field that blesses society in some way?  People needed airplanes to travel and even move supplies around the world even grain, it served society, not in a big way like a doctor or a nurse, but it was needed. That nurse and doctor and school teacher needed transportation to get to their job. The farmer needed machinery to raise the food that feeds our nation.  I don't have anything good to say about a drug dealer or a thief that destroys society, but any honest wage is probably giving something good back to society. Have you found a way to serve society? Have you built shelter (homes)  to protect people from the elements? Have we found a way to serve society? I still believe that Jesus is the only way to God but have I learned to serve others or am I still trying to win? I wonder if the opposite of winning is serving others? God bless, LVZ.

The Art Of Losing

 In our culture today there is so much thought given to winning. We have participation trophies for our children so nobody loses or has to feel a loss.  I stumbled on this by accident in a recent post on this blog and I keep coming back to it and adding more thoughts to losing. I have a Grandson, age 11,  that lost his mother age 34 a few months back. It is a loss few 11-year-olds will experience.  Why did God allow this to happen? Are we doing the wrong thing in our society to concentrate on winning? Our President in his campaigning has talked about winning and winning and now we believe he lost the election by fraud. It hurts to lose, and it doesn't matter if it is my Grandson losing his mother at such a young age or a President that has lost a political campaign that we were so sure he would win. To make it worse we believe he lost by fraud. The other side has been so angry at losing in 2016, they have fought this good President for four years every step of the way.  It hurts to lose. In looking at GOOGLE I found a site that gave 32 dirty tricks at winning an argument. I wonder how many marriages have been destroyed by people who knew how to win an argument? This hits close to home for a man that has been divorced 4 times. I wonder if I won arguments and ended up divorced? Would I rather have lost an argument and kept a marriage?  We often hear about a win/win situation. I wonder if sometimes there just needs to be a loser? I think that Jesus showed us how to lose. He gave his life that we could have eternal life. So many times the disciples walking with Jesus wanted to win and Jesus kept trying to teach them that was not his purpose to come to earth to win. When Jesus set up his kingdom (and won) which of the disciples (they argued) would set on his right hand and which on his left? Jesus said you don't understand.  He came to serve, to be a ransom for many. When they were going through Samaria and the Samaritans realizing they were Jews and did not want them to stay, the disciples asked if they should call down fire from heaven as Elijah did and destroy them. Jesus moved on to another village. When the soldiers came to get Jesus to crucify him, Peter was in attack mode and cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest.  Peter was ready to fight to win. Jesus picked up the ear and healed the man's ear. Jesus changed the lives of many for thousands of years by losing his life on a cross at calvary. Have we lost the art of losing, to win in the end? By winning in the end, I mean in eternity.  Jesus modeled losing for us when he gave his life for us on the cross, he lost everything yet million have won a home in eternity with him. Do we need to learn how to lose again, and perhaps learn servanthood?  He that would be greatest, let him be a servant. God didn't take my Grandson's mother to hurt him, I wonder if God is trying to get an eleven-year-old boy to put his trust in God? Another verse comes to mind: husbands love your wives as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for the church.  Not quoted word for word, But once again Christ lost, he gave himself up for the church.  Are we winning too much and God wants us to be servants to others? Do we need to learn how to lose? I wonder if the opposite of winning is being a servant? Our representatives for our government in Washington DC are supposed to serve us but most of the time they concentrate on winning the next election. I really think we may need to learn to lose again, sometimes it is good for relationships if we lose. Something to think about. God bless, LVZ.

Broken Christian

 My thought in this post is about being a broken Christian. I look at my history, in the past 28 years of being a Christian, I went through 4 divorces. That is not supposed to happen.  One man/one woman for life is God's perfect plan. I am a broken Christian. I came back to trying to serve God in January of 1984 some 37 years ago. I have a story to tell and every Christian has their own unique story. It is our testimony of what God has done in our lives. I am not sure I ever met a Christian that didn't have a struggle or two in their lives. We were broken by life in general in some way, every body's story is different. Christians are not perfect. I hate to tell people I have been divorced 4 times, but it is my story. I claimed to be a Christian as I went through each divorce. I believe God has used those trials and many others to shape me into the person I am today. Still not perfect. I still have valleys to go through. There have been some mountain top experiences also. A favorite song of mine by Lynda Randle is "God On The Mountain". I want to become more positive focused in my posts this year.  God has been with me through every valley, God has been with me through all of 2020 and I expect he will continue to guide me through 2021. I pray the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart will be acceptable to God. I am still broken, an imperfect work that God is still working on and I hope through me. God bless, LVZ.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism: the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own. 

Do you know I do this all the time?  I try to mention people like in recent posts I have mentioned listening to Andy Stanley and I repeated at least one story he told, but I did mention his name in my post. I feel like much of my thought is formed over the last half century plus that I have been alive. I grew up on a church bench and I remember some names and I used to remember the name of the pastor in Bismark N.D. when I was growing up. But I don't remember the name anymore.  I was influenced by Sunday School teachers over many years as well as pastors but I don't remember their names anymore. OFten as I listen to a sermon or a good teacher or if I am reading a book that touches me with a story or an idea, I do try to internalize it and make it mine. I am a product of so many people over the years. And I pass on what I have learned even in these posts.  Sometimes I get confused about who said what.  I repeated a thought last night about Christ losing everything to serve us. The pastor I was talking with stopped, it struck him, I just picked up on a nugget in something you just said and it makes sense to me. I started that thought in a post a few days ago when I talked about Christ losing his life for our sakes. About our culture that is so focused on winning. We talk about a win/win situation all the time. Our President talked for the last four years about winning.  We are terribly focused on winning at any cost. But that is not Christ's way. Christ was counter-culture even in his day. That thought is part of the nugget the pastor picked up on, I'll bet there will be a future sermon in his church about how Christ modeled losing to serve. Christ did not come to win but to serve.  When I wrote my first post about perhaps maybe we need to learn how to lose again, I was not real confident in what I was saying. Then I mentioned in a post the next day I listen to Andy Stanley's video titled "we are not in it to win it". It gave me confidence that I was on the right track.  Then in talking about this, my Pastor friend also picked up on the thought. A lot of stuff I write is not original to me. That post about  "After Effects" and  "We can't always win" were probably the most original with me ever. I am afraid of spreading heresy, I like to stick with thoughts from people I trust. It gave me confidence that I really didn't have when first writing those posts.  But I probably do plagiarise a lot because if something touches me I try to make it mine. So do many preachers and teachers. We are products of many preachers and teachers and as we make it our own and internalize it, we make it ours. Do you know they now have a plagiarism checker by Grammarly?   I have not loaded it. I do want to continue to post once a day. I missed a lot of days in December being sick and all. I was also fighting a spiritual battle in my soul. God bless, LVZ.