The Tomboy I Call Moma.

Proverbs 31 best describes the type of mother I have, except additionally she's a tomboy. I'm so thankful for that. Not just for teaching me how to dig for fish bait. Oh, she was pretty enough to be a southern belle but she just wasn't prissy. She'd catch tadpoles or lizards. As a child, she taught me to embrace diversity in work and people without abandoning my heritage or principals. So, making and keeping many deep relationships have been the rewards for the variety of hard work.  She is tough.  Tougher than a lot of guys. You get that way working on a farm and running a hardware store. She picked butter beans and turned bolts. She'd cook breakfast and supper and still managed to make life interesting in between. I don't know how she did all she did. She has this knack for growing things. People as well as plants. I could tell you how incredible it was to have her for a mother but you wouldn't believe me. So, I won't bother with telling you how multi-talented and resourceful she is or how she has an underdeveloped artistic flair. I'll tell you some things I picked up from her.

 Brutal honesty, a trait that's as much a liability as it is an asset. That's not an apology, like it or not it's the truth. Her love of life and nature, creating my obsession for scuba diving. Her love for stories. My bedtime stories were the heroes from the Old Testament. These created a boldness and craving for adventure that can only be satisfied by living the Christian life and the telling His story through my life. She taught me her: fear of The Lord, furious love, determination, dependability, loyalty, and compassion without forgetting of justice.   Mom and I have done everything from fishing to sewing, cooking to constuction.  We even fought a war with cancer. And won. From guns and hammers to brooms and spoons my mom taught me to use the right tools to get the job done. She taught me a lot. But to be brutally honest, as a mother, she has been far from perfect. She has just been simply the best . Happy Mother 's Day.

The Unknown Artist

Some people question the existence of God. They love to pressure believers for evidence. Since they can't hear the still small voice of the creator, anyone that can must be delusional. Unbelievers say logic is on their side. Yet, if I suggested no one created the art pictured below, anyone would call me absurd. To illustrate the importance of faith in an absolute truth that cannot be proven, the artist purposely created the painting below in such a way it can never be proven he created it. He can reveal himself as the artist but since no original copy exists, it will always take faith in the artist for the observer to believe he is the creator.

Would you believe paint spilled across the canvas and this painting spontaneously appeared? Me neither. How about if we did it 14 billion times?How logical is it to believe a vastly more complicated, detailed work of art, the universe, spontaneously appeared by means of a comic accident?  Just as the evidence for the artist is the painting, so is creation the evidence of a creator.  The bible says: The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. (Psalms 19:1-3 KJV).

Suppose you look at the painting and said to yourself, " I've never seen the face or heard the voice of the artist. There is no signature. It's impossible to prove who painted this. Therefore, he might not exist". Would that be logical ? Do you think that makes him less real? What if a friend said he knew the artist and offered to introduce him to you?  If you said, " I don't like his work", would that make him less of an artist?  Turning a blind eye to the artwork or finding distaste for the artist will not change the fact the painting belongs to the artist. Turning down a chance to meet the artist means you'll never understand the painting. The artist alone interprets the art's true meaning and purpose. Jesus Christ is the ultimate artist and you are His masterpiece. You are the only evidence you need to respond to Him. Will you allow Him to finish decorating?

Keeping it Real

Overall, walking in the light has been nothing short of exciting. In the past two years, I have witnesssed the sort of supernatural phenomenon and miracles that a TV evangelist dreams of. I have grown spiritually.  Still, along my walk, I've wandered into the desert and a valley or two. Unsurprisingly, I keep bumping into those well meaning brothers and sisters who seem uninfected from malignancy of mundane circumstances that often accompany this life.  While knowing Jesus as my personal savior excites me, I confess sometimes life gets me down. After a huge spiritual growth my walk feels more like a crawl. Not unlike the past three weeks. Sometimes, no matter how hard I try to spice it up, life is just boring. Worst, sometimes life is painful. Many Christians believe showing negative emotions are a sign of faithlessness. Where did the notion Christians have to always act pleasantly excited come from? Certainly not from Christ's example. Follow Jesus from Bethany to Jerusalem and you'll see His sadness, anger, and disappointment. Yet many Christ followers will force that smile no matter what.  If Jesus doesn't hide His humanity, why should we? Sometimes, I think some of us are false advertising. Odd behavior for people claiming to spread the truth. Pretending your at the top of the spiritual food chain is sort of like lip syncin and dancing to someone else's song doesn't make you a star. It just makes people question is this stuff for real.

The bible teaches us to expect hardships to even rejoice in them. It doesn't say pretend they aren't happening. We need not be ashamed of the hardships. Hope comes from those experiences.  Nothing points it better than Romans 5

 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

When we pretend our lives are perfect , we cheat God, others, and ourselves. We cheat others from the opportunity to grow by helping us. We cheat ourselves of healing and strengthening that can only come from God working through others. We cheat God from the glory He deserves from showing His power at work in people. Some people say, "God never promised us a rose garden." Promised or not that's precisely what we get. Life often shows some occasional beauty while continually surrounding us by plenty of thorns. Christianity isn't pretending the thorns don't exist. It's enduring the thorns for the opportunity to smell the roses. We can allow our experiences to bring hope not only to ourselves but to others but only if we  "keep it real". Let's be honest so we can bear one another's burden. How else are we ever going grow?

Easter Bargain

According to a CNN's website,  the average American will spend over $140 on Easter.  The US alone will spend an excess of $16 billion. There have been some pretty "egg -travagent" Easter gifts ( I know it is corny but I'm just using the made up word CNN did) . A chocolate egg sold for over ten thousand dollars. Trust me, milk chocolate can melt in your mouth for way less. This weekend retailers are discounting merchandise to get you in the door. Easter, like Christmas , has become way too commercialized. Know what else  Easter has become? Despite what America's spending this Easter, we've made it too inexpensive. 

Grace has always been free but we've managed to cheapen it by how we view the cross. There are plenty of commentaries on Jesus's death you can check on the net. Knowing details of His suffering is important but different than connecting yourself to the cause of it.  We simply cannot afford to discount the price Jesus paid for our sins. There wasn't a buy one get one free sale on souls 2000 years ago. Jesus paid the full price for you and me.

The cross proved man had not only brought death into the world, it invented and prefected cruelty to satisfy his lust for power and entertainment.  Still, the  horror of Jesus's death goes beyond the crucifixion. Imagine having every negative emotion you've ever experience happening  to you all at once. Multiply that by 14 billion. Every painful breath, He must have faced the temptation of proving who He was. Worst, He endured this to save those who had brought this injustice on. His first taste of shame and guilt was married to abandonment.  This is emotional agony Jesus must have felt as the Father turned away.

We view the agony Christ suffered as a collective sacrifice for mankind instead of an individual sacrifice for each of us. We tend to forget the cost to save just one person would have been the same to save all. We don't want to see our connection to the cross. We are individually guilty as if we nailed Jesus to the cross ourselves. I'm convinced when Jesus said, " forgive them Father, for they know not what they do " He wasn't just talking about the Romans but all of us.

 Our only salvation is found in the fact that Hope was birthed on the cross. Through Jesus 's pain  "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8 ) God died to connect with us. We are that important to Him. What a cure for low self esteem.  Easter doesn't end in death but starts a new beginning in life. Christ arose! What a bargain for us to trade death for life. But the only place you can get this deal is at the foot of the cross. Have you been there yet?

What's Missing In Inspirational Words?

"Inspiration for 2015" was the the title of the calendar buried underneath the seven months of neglect piled on my desk. Twelve photos of adventurous locations with sportsmen engaged in extreme activities were setting the illustration for each month's  inspirational one word headline. The calendar used the words ambition, strategy, leadership, excellence, integrity, energy, precision, teamwork, vision, execution, and inspiration all aimed at keeping people focused on achieving success. A caption followed every headline highlighting the importance of each motivational word.  Yet no matter how success is measured, one word was missing. Sacrifice.
Whether the religious or metaphoric sense of the word, a sacrifice is giving up something for the sake of something else. Little can be achieved without sacrifice. It unlocks the full potential of every human gift. Sacrifice separates greatness from mediocrity while bridging victory to those still defeated.  Even the gift of love's ultimate token, is sacrifice. Nothing can be more inspiring.
Our souls yearn for sacrifice. We crave it so much it lines the pages of our favorite novels and finds its way into of our art, music, and films. Sacrifice transforms all the words of my calendar into "service". Perhaps, the soul knows its addiction to self can only be cured by sacrifice.
Although we all seem to know we need sacrifice,  many aren't sure what to sacrifice or to whom. Ironically, many think the Christian life is too much of a sacrifice. As if, they are missing out on something. Other than regrets all "Christian sacrifices" amount to quantity. I have no problem sacrificing quantity for quality. Sadly, most of humanity's sacrifices are offerings to the gods of self worth, preservation, and acceptance.  But, once a man got sacrifice absolutely right. Jesus said, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13  
Jesus was the perfect sacrifice. Bloody, broken, and neglected He was buried under a pile of our ambition, He died to save us. However, He would rise to illustrate our lives with an adventure. Now, you can make a sacrifice for any god, but I bet you can't find another God who will make a sacrifice for you. Happy Easter.

TRUST

I didn't know her. I had never met this troubled young women in her twenties. As I read the multiple charges of larceny and prostitution that riddles the public record of my friend, now in her middle age years, I realized she was a completely different woman. I didn't recognize her from her past. She was looking to expunge her past and she wanted my help. As I said, I never met the troubled young woman who left home at sixteen.  I only knew the strong, encouraging, compassionate, and hard working woman she had grown into. I had only met the godly volunteering mother/grandmother.  I don't  have to imagine what kind of transformation must have taken hold of her life. It was Jesus. More than once , I have heard her say so. It has been a blessing to be her friend. Trusting me with her past has been one of my greatest honors.

Trust could arguably be the most complex human emotion. It is quite possible to love without trusting but impossible to trust your heart to someone you don't love. Trust is essential to belief.  You cannot believe in something or someone you don't trust. Simply put, it's hard to trust. Some people have a hard time loving God because they simply don't want to have to trust Him. Probably because that means submitting to Him. Yet, trust is what is required to right wrongs. The bible says  Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5-6

Jesus wants our trust so He can straighten out the messes we make out of our lives.  He expunges our records. So, God no longer remembers what we were. Through Him, we become a new creation unknown to the world.

My friend's eternal record has already been expunged. No matter what she had been, she's been washed . She became a new person, reborn through trust in Christ. If we do the same, imagine  our transformation. In just a little while, we would be so beautiful no one would recognize us either. Trust me, that's mighty pretty.
    

If God's Plan is Perfect, Why Pray?

Blasting from my truck speakers came some strong words. "If it was planned at all, it was planned in all. If it was planned ever, then it was planned forever. Nobody catches God off guard." I must have rewound the cassette until the tape wore out listening to Sam Cathy's sermon. Those words changed my life. They made me realize, if God exists, His plan is flawless, just like Him.  He gives significance to the tiniest details. He gives meaning to chance. Believing God has a perfect plan is liberating. More than once in my life, especially over the past few months,  I've heard "God's got this." He absolutely does and I find comfort in God's sovereignty. Earlier this week, someone asked,  "if God's plan is complete and perfect, why do you bother to pray? Can it change anything?" It's deserving of an answer.
First let's consider the essence of God's plan. Since God is perfect and holy, He could not have needed us. I believe God wanted us. He wanted us to love Him without making us mindless robots. Because He Is all knowing, He knew allowing us to make choices would result in our becoming unholy and separate us from Himself. He provided, in His plan, a way back to Him through the sacrifice of His son. Beyond this, much of God's plan remains as mysterious as He is. That doesn't mean He doesn't have the details worked out. It simply means we don't know the details. Part of that mystery is what role we play in it.
Now let's think deeply about God and time. Ravi Zacharias says that " God is the only enity in existence, the reason for whose existence is in Himself; all other entities or quanities exist by virtue of something else and in that sense He alone is perfect, uncaused, infinite and independent being in essence." It's more scientific than you might think. New experiments in quantum mechanics have shown effects can happen before the cause. The bible teaches in Revelation God is  "the Beginning and the End." God can operate outside of time and space or from whatever, whenever, or wherever He chooses. He can operate simultaneously from any point of time because He is eternal. This means it's possible for God to interact with you in real time, without reacting to you, though He included your actions (or lack of) in His plan. So pray, it means you can't rule out that your prayers might be a part of the details of God's plan. Think of it this way. Suppose you were planning to put together a bike for your child. If you decided to let your young child help, would you still be in control regardless of the mistakes you know your child is going to make? Would it make him love you if you forced him to help? Would still want your child to talk to you during the process? At the end of the day, wouldn't you still have a bike?

I have prayed for God to give me things I wanted. I have asked Him for things I needed. I have begged Him to change lives and circumstances knowing His plan was perfect already. Honestly, I don't know what effect, if any, prayer has had on any circumstance. Still, I've seen miracles, signs, and wonders that defy logic.  Regardless of the effect prayer has on the circumstances, it puts you in contact with the creative power of the universe. That may not change God's plan but it's certain to change you. Perhaps, that is part of the plan. In any case,  praying can't hurt God's plan or you. Why would you miss tapping into something perfect because it wouldn't change for you? A better question might be why wouldn't you change to tap into it?  If you need a scientific reason to pray, here's a a link to the benefits of prayer.  If you're looking for a perfect answer for why we should pray  if God's got a perfect plan, I don't have one. I'm not perfect.  My reasons are simple. I follow a perfect God who told us to.

Homecoming

 As I have shared before, coming home can be the most beautiful part of an adventure. There might not be anything as exciting as getting back to normal. Since I have a while before I'm back to normal, I should be excited for some time. Some might argue I could never get "back" to normal. Another wild ride in any case. The outlook is good. I will follow up at Duke every six months. I returned to work for my first full week since September. Hopefully, I return to the gym next week. With all the excitement, I took a break from my normal routine of writing to enjoy my homecoming but soon I'll be rambling, ranting, or squawking spiritual satire. It felt wonderful to see my girls for the first time in months. The kiss my wife gave me was WOW!. Church was a blast. I couldn't walk five feet without getting a hug. It was humbling and wonderful. I made Monday night small group despite having a wicked sinus infection. Music, food, fellowship with close friends, could you tell me, how could it be any better than this? I couldn't resist throwing something at my pal, Tony. It had been too long. While he wasn't looking, in what was reminiscent of David's stone striking Goliath, a cough drop bounced from Tony's forehead. I can't say enough about my small group. When we get together the devil has to step up his game. If there's a spiritual lesson in this homecoming, then it's that people take too much for granted. Don't miss out on telling people how much they mean to you and to God. It overwhelms me that God can give every person His undivided attention simultaneously. And He loves everyone of them.

Things Jesus Never Said

 After years of sticking my foot in my mouth, I am sort of an authority on saying stupid stuff.  Don`t worry, just because I am good at it doesn`t mean I am going to run for political office. To be honest, I`m not sure if I enjoy being on my high horse as much as I enjoy not sounding like a jackass. Opinionated comments often can`t be nailed down as right or wrong, but we can all agree their timing makes all the difference. The politically correct statements made by the President at the National Prayer Breakfast are a prime example of correctly inappropriate facts.  If you`re not aware of those comments you can watch this video. The President's facts were spot on.  However, if he was trying to communicate that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, there might have been a less divisive way to say it. There's no solace, no healing, and no relevant solution for today's tragedies in nursing 1000 year old grievances. 
 Politicians don`t have a monopoly on saying stupid things. Well meaning Christians can sound dumb as a box of rocks. Here`s an example: Start off a dogmatic theological statement followed by a meme, "Things Jesus never said" in an attempt at sounding satirical. The one that set me off was, "Everybody's eyes closed, nobody looking around ... things Jesus never said". I think the "statement is probably true. As true as, what the President recently said, people, who called themselves Christians, "committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ". These memes and statements are more akin than you think, focusing on what Jesus did not teach rather than what he did. Both are true statements, but certainly not void of ambiguity. You are getting the truth but something`s missing. Sort of like the President quoting only partially Koran 5:32. and without referencing Koran 5:33 Here is a link to his speech in 2009. Here's the rest of the story, the entire passage. Changes the whole context doesn't it? Where`s Paul Harvey when you need him? 
 Let me be clear, neither the President's statement or the meme communicates unity, regardless if born from ignorance or intentionally designed to cause division. I suppose you might learn something from what Jesus never said, and I'm quite certain, Jesus never said many things. He never said " fight and kill those who believe differently than you wherever you find them, take them captive, harass them, lie in wait and ambush them." No, Jesus never said that, but Muhammad did. Jesus said, "love your enemies." He promoted peace with the enemy but He never said the enemy is peaceful. Neither did he say bring up a twisted distortion of my teachings, to smooth over

ideologies so you can all get along.  Hey, I'll be the first to tell you we fail to love up to Christ's example. But how, could following the words and example of Muhammad be a twisted distortion of Islam ? Once, Muhammad slaughtered eight hundred or so men and took their wives and children for slaves. Muslims played a huge role in the beginning of the African slave trade. They did nothing to end it theologically. While it is correct to say, some Christians were using the bible to justify slavery, Christ followers were using the teachings of Christ to kill it . Lest we forget, slavery is still rampant in North Africa today. Many Muslims, haven`t failed, as we have, in following words of their prophet. To pretend these barbaric executions and modern day slavery are some distorted version of a peaceful religion, is ignorance, wishful thinking, or deception. In fact, the opposite is true. While there are certainly peaceful Muslims, they have simply ignored much of Muhammad's doctrine. If you think I'm beating up on Muslims, you'd be wrong. Sin is a global problem, defeated only by the love of Christ. I equate my own sins as mass murdering the entire planet. Real love means embracing the truth and isn't always pretty.  Once the way, the truth, and the life was naked, raw, and dying on a cross. That's the only reason He could love any of us. 

 Despite our past failures, some Christians are now concerned about what Jesus didn`t say, as if, we had mastered all that He said. Never mind, the bible tells us that there`s more to Jesus than what the book says about Him. Check out John 21:25. To the best of my knowledge, Jesus never said for us to fold our hands, bow our heads, or close our eyes to pray any prayer. Still, I'll bet the farm this guy making the meme "things Jesus never said" does them. As far as I know, He never said: Go build structures in my name. Never said churches need hymnals, Never said sing along to organ music. Never said look your best at church. I'm betting he's done these too. What you can't know, is if God has ever used these things to help communicate the Gospel to first time believers. Let's face it, God has used many unorthodox approaches in revealing Himself. It wasn't exactly theologians Christ picked to deliver the Good News. Whatever method, salvation is a commitment to Christ. It brings about true repentance, and life change. If a commitment to Christ is present,  there`s, no reason to condemn the methods of how they came about. Christians, dispite their differences, and past failures, now more than ever, need to come together and live up to the standard Jesus set. That means loving everyone. See how easy that was Mr. President?

Jesus said a lot of things for us to do. Tough things. Things you and I most likely will never live up to. We most certainly will not by sugar coating half truths. For sure He said, "... whoever is not against us is for us." Mark 9:39.  I hope we figure this out soon cause Jesus also said, "every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand." I figure the enemy's counting on this. There is no solid foundation in the words Jesus never spoke. Let us build our house on the things that He said. Just like He told us to.

Journeys & Storms or Heaven in a Hamburger Joint

Life is more like the weather than a box of chocolates. You never know when it`s going to change. The sun can be shinning, but suddenly, like a crippling blizzard setting in, piling up layer after layer, until nothing can move, storms can come. That`s just what being treated for cancer can be like. You just don`t really know which way the wind`s going to blow. Or who it will blow in. When my best friends, Bob and Mary Cody, surprised me with a visit midway my treatment, I was overwhelmed. Then Juno hit, the blizzard of 2015. Twenty-four inches of snow in twenty-four hours crippled the city. We were separated by only two miles but were we as far apart as we were at a 1000. They hadn`t prepared for the freak storm. They weren`t, shall we say, dressed for the occasion. Other than the Freedom Trail, that I have now dubbed the freeze`um trail, the whole ordeal kept us from seeing any of Boston`s attractions. Still, I try to learn the lessons God teaches in all circumstances.

Storms are unavoidable. Be prepared for the worse while praying for the best. Jesus teaches this in Matthew 7. Build on a solid foundation then you will stay prepared. If my parents got anything perfect raising me it was this. We`ve never been accused of traveling light but you can`t properly minister to others if you`re ill prepared. Ezekiel 38:7 says "Be ready and keep ready, you and all your host assembled about you, and be a guard for them". Storms don`t have to stop us. That`s the whole point of being prepared.

 It was in the middle of Juno, during the night, that five cancer patients  (myself included) and one care giver, ages ranging from 26 to 72, set out on a trek

 over two and half miles through the blizzard. The busy streets of Boston were reduced to a white desert and we were its wayfaring travelers. Only the occasional snowplow or police vehicle were on the roads. From within their warm cabs came strange glances of perplexion toward us. Ignoring them, we traveled on, for we were on a mission. Like Paul, we pressed on toward the prize with no concerns for the things behind us. Arriving at our destination, we entered into the warmth, discarding heavy coats. Funny how a brush of death can make you feel alive. Laughter and fellowship filled the air as we feasted on the best burger I have ever tasted. Though I was caught in the moment, I couldn`t help but think of a day when we will forever caste off these clothes and rest from this journey through storms, we call life. What a feast that will be.

 The place was small and crowded, I felt fortunate to have found it partially vacant. As crowded as it was, I wished Bob was taking up one more seat. With my chin propped in my hand, I smiled. Blissful aromas flowing from the grill sent me daydreaming of how wonderful heaven must smell. Waking up to, "Come on, Clint", I bundled myself together to resume a journey I know is only halfway complete. I turn my face back into the wind and ice with this in mind:  Now that I am full, I`ve been called to go. One little storm isn`t going to stop me.