Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?                                                        Matthew 16:24-26 (The Message)

Yesterday I spoke about fasting and the idea that it is an exercise to get us in touch with the passion and death of Jesus. It puts us in mind of our mortality. Even in the start of the Lenten season, Ash Wednesday, there is a reminder that our time on earth is limited.

As we make decisions on what to fast for Lent, we should be in mind of this- simply giving something up, or denying ourselves of a certain pleasure is only half of the equation. The small act of giving something up, as noble as that may appear, is insufficient in our quest to get in touch with the true experience of Lent. We need to fill in the blank that is left by the omission of the practice we just gave up.

Nature abhors a vacuum. When there is no practice or behavior put into place by what we have omitted, the thing we have fasted or given up loses some meaning. For example, if we decide to give up the pleasure of chocolate for Lent (no small sacrifice, I might add), we need to fill in that void by making a positive gesture in its place. If I were to spend about $1.25 for a candy bar a few times per week (yes, I might do that- don’t judge), then I should earmark that amount of money toward a good project for the benefit of others. That way, my little sacrifice benefits others, it does not simply give me a sense of well-being that I have denied myself that pleasure.

The idea of making our little sacrifice a benefit to others is the essence of the run-up to the Cross of Good Friday. So, consider how that little sacrifice we make for Lent can be used for the benefit of others.

Prayer: Lord, give us discernment as we consider our Lenten mindset, Amen

“When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don’t make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity but it won’t make you a saint. If you ‘go into training’ inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face. God doesn’t require attention-getting devices. He won’t overlook what you are doing; he’ll reward you well.                                     Matthew 6:16-18 (The Message)

Lent is coming up this week as we celebrate Ash Wednesday on February 22. Interesting that Ash Wednesday falls on that date, because February 22 is my mother’s birthday. My mother was a devout Catholic, and she observed the church’s rules on Lenten fasting. I know that she also added her own extra fasting rules and did not proclaim these to others. She just had her own disciplines, and she adhered to them rigidly, all in the name of “offering it up to God” for the sake of her family and others. That was her mindset until the day she died.

During Lent, Christians are often encouraged to fast (that is, to give up for a period of time) certain foods, pleasures, or practices in order to prepare for the celebration of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. Ash Wednesday calls to mind, with the imposition of ashes, that “from dust we came, and to dust we shall return”. The reminder of course, we are all going to die.

Preparing for death is not something that inspires our best energies. Better I think to consider it another way. So, since we have limited time on earth, how do we redeem that time in the best possible way? How do we live out our faith in the example that Jesus taught us? How can we bring heaven to earth even in a small way? In other words, the big question is, how do we choose to live?  

In the next few days, I will share some more thoughts on fasting and Lent. I hope you stay tuned…

Prayer: Lord, during this Lenten season, help us to prepare our hearts in meaningful ways, Amen

A particular perspective is a particular way of thinking about something, especially one that is influenced by your beliefs or experiences.

Collins Dictionary

I was speaking with a couple the other day and we were discussing their marriage. I had talked with them two weeks earlier, and they had been making progress in their relationship, treating each other with more understanding, respect and patience. In this session, they talked about how the prior week up to this session, they had been arguing, and they wondered how it could be that they were not agreeing on anything.

It struck me that they were concentrating on the past week, and that they had discounted the progress they had made in the months earlier. I told them that from my perspective, the past week had been a blip on the screen, and that they had somehow managed to not remember that overall, they had been doing better- doing the homework I suggested, feeling accountable for new behaviors, etc.

I reminded them that it is easy to forget, in the present moment, the big picture. Overall, they were doing better. I asked them not to make the past week the benchmark of their progress. I used the example of perspective. I often put my hand right in front of my face, and all I can see is a dark blob of flesh. I have a very small and bleak picture if I concentrate on that.

However, as I move my hand away from my face, my perspective changes, and my view gets much wider. I can see the whole picture, and my hand is just a small part of the view.

So it goes also with our recency bias. We tend to be prisoners of the moment sometimes. Take a look at a broader picture, and it probably looks a lot brighter!

Prayer: Lord, help us to see perspective when we get bogged down in the moment, Amen

“It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts”                                                                                          John Wooden

I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching                                                                                  Proverbs 4:2

John Wooden, for those that may not know him, was the Hall of Fame basketball coach of UCLA. He won 10 national championships with UCLA, the first coming in his 18^th season of coaching. Between 1964 and 1975, Wooden’s UCLA team won 10 of the 12 national championships, seven of them consecutively. He is known for his insightful and meaningful quotes, as well as a genuine faith and an incredible coaching ability.

This quote above gives insight into his humility and wisdom. We all need to be lifelong learners, and that takes humility. Keeping our minds and hearts open to new things is especially important these days. None of us has the corner on truth or knowledge, but that humble and open pursuit of truth and wisdom is what counts.  

As I am open to the leading of the Holy Spirit in the pursuit of God’s daily plan, I am open to learning things that I currently do not know. A guy who toiled for 18 coaching season before his first championship shows discipline, tenacity and perseverance. He also kept learning.

I think John Wooden was on to something.  This is a guy who won his first championship at age 54. His best professional years were ahead of him at age 54.

I like John Wooden.

Prayer: We are open to learning your ways daily. Thank you for giving that daily instruction, Amen.

“He will answer them, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.’                                                    Matthew 25:45 (The Message)

“Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.”                                                                                               Matthew 18:18-20 (The Message)

I heard a story from a client recently whom I had challenged to attend an AA meeting. He knows that he is an alcoholic- at least now he does. It took a trip to the hospital Intensive Care Unit to convince him, but he knows that he is an alcoholic.

However, it was not solely my recommendation to attend AA that convinced him to attend a meeting. It was the behavior of another man in recovery who won him to the AA community. This man offered to talk with my client day or night, whenever he needed to call. He offered to drive from his home (not geographically close), if necessary, to help my client whenever he might need it.

Such behaviors are those of people who care about and understand the needs of others. They become interested in the needs of fellow travelers on this journey which often includes some rough detours.

The Church is where we find it. It is not one denomination, nor a building, nor a system of religious practices and worship. Church happens where need meets loving compassion in the name of our Creator.

Church is at an AA meeting; a support group; a funeral home; a Hospice Center- it is wherever loving compassion is shown by sacrificial service.

That’s where church is.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the plan to love you by loving others, Amen

Some of my readers followed a serialized version of my first historical novel, Joseph Shepherd, a story set in 17^th century England and America. Imagine Jesus, or someone sent from heaven, who lands on Earth in the 17^th century. He meets and influences the towering figures of the entire Enlightenment era, changes the course of history, gets involved in amazing discoveries and rebellions, heals people in curious ways, and for his efforts gets persecuted and arrested.

That book is now available as a Kindle edition at Amazon. But the news I want to share is that the sequel Joseph Shepherd, The Adventure Continues, is now available at Amazon also. The sequel finds the character, Joseph Shepherd, showing up in 19^th century America. His adventure takes him through the Civil War, and he is a first-hand witness to three presidential assassinations. Along the way, once again, he meets leading world figures in science, industry, and the military world.

Both books are historical novels and they portray history in a way that makes one think about “what could have been”. You can follow Shepherd and his traveling companion through their great adventures. In the end, you get what may be a shocking ending.

So, if you have read the original Joseph Shepherd, thank you.  If you want the “rest of the story”, pick up Joseph Shepherd, The Adventure Continues.  

Kindle and paperback editions are available now at www.amazon.com.

I trust that the books will enlighten your knowledge of history, will entertain you, and will give you a spiritual lift as you see a man of God do work that he was sent to do.

Enjoy!

The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

II Timothy 4:18 (NIV)

The Golden Gate Bridge began construction in 1933, with an estimated cost of $35 million dollars. In those days, the estimate was that there would be one construction death per one million dollars spent. Therefore, planners assumed that about 35 men would accidentally die during construction of the bridge.

The builder and designer, Joseph Strauss, decided that this project would not cost the lives of 35 men. He decided to install a safety net underneath the bridge to catch any unfortunate construction worker who may fall. Not only was this a great humanitarian concept, it led to greater efficiency. Workers could now concentrate more on the job of welding, riveting, and all the other tasks of building a bridge. The project came in under budget and ahead of schedule. Eleven men did die during construction- ten in one unfortunate situation where an entire platform fell and the net could not hold that weight. Nineteen other men fell into the net and were saved. Overall, the net indeed saved many lives.

I used this analogy with a client the other day about God’s provision for us. He wants us to feel secure in his love because he has paid the price for our salvation. We don’t need to hang onto our relationship with him- He is holding us!

Prayer: Thank you for the plan to hold us, rather than our meager efforts to hang on to you, Amen.

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.                    Philippians 4:6-7 (The Message)

After all these years as a counselor, I have my own ideas on anxiety. I sometimes give clients my  definition of anxiety- A self-defeating process that travels with us, which often comes up with reasons why things will not work out for us.

Many of my clients are Christians, and some are quick to attribute anxiety to Satan. While I certainly do not doubt the presence of this evil entity, I also do not ascribe most of the ills we fall into as Satan’s work. Frankly, the less I think and talk about Satan, the better. I give the Devil little attention.

I do agree that anxiety is part of all of our lives- an unwanted traveling partner. Some people struggle with it a great deal; others not very much; all of us, however, have some anxiety in our lives. The fact that it is a self-defeating process is baffling, yet we know it is true. Again, we all carry the seeds of our own destruction within us. That is just part of the life cycle.

My point to my clients is this- whatever we feed will get bigger. That does not mean that we simply ignore anxiety. It does mean that we recognize the presence of anxiety in our lives. In some seasons of our life, it is more prevalent than others. Expecting anxiety to “go away” is not realistic. Embrace the fact that anxiety is a traveling partner. Recognize too that we are the ones driving the bus, not the anxiety. We can learn ways to control anxiety, and thereby have the assurance that when anxiety manifests, we have ways that we can stay in that driver’s seat.

Prayer: Lord, we know that anxiety is a part of life, but we also know that we have the means to overcome that self-defeating process, Amen

Marriage is not a place to “stand up for your rights.” Marriage is a decision to serve the other, whether in bed or out.                                                                                                                                                                        I Corinthians 7:5 (The Message)

I had the opportunity recently to share an analogy with some clients who are in a difficult marriage situation. I used the analogy of a yoke of oxen. The oxen are yoked together so that they can share the load and pull in the same direction. If one is pulling sideways, or not pulling at all, the whole operation comes to a grinding halt. They are yoked together to share the burden, but also to lighten the load of the other. The yoke, while confining, also helps to leverage the maximum amount of power from the straining oxen.

This couple needed to be reminded periodically that they are on the same team. They are not trying to out-pull the other, or to try to make the burden harder. They are yoked for a reason. If they can remember to see that as they pull together, the burden gets lighter for both, they will be fine.

They are on the same team.

I find that clients who somehow have the belief that their partner does not have their best interest at stake are often not able to stay together. Even when couples are in disagreements, arguments, or just a strained place in the relationship, if they can deep down know that their partner has their back and wants the best for them, they will probably be OK.

So, even when things get tough, remember that your partner wants the best for you, even if it does not feel that way at the moment. I trust that is the case in the majority of stable relationships. Just remind yourself that you are together in it.

Prayer: Lord, help remind us that we are loved, even in the midst of trials, Amen

“At the heart of racism is the religious assertion that God made a creative mistake when He brought some people into being.”                                                                                                                                                  Friedrich Otto Hertz

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”                                                                                                                                                                              Martin Luther King, Jr.

 In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, since you are Christ’s family, then you are Abraham’s famous “descendant,” heirs according to the covenant promises                                                                                                                                                       Galatians 3:28-29 (The Message)

On this Martin Luther King weekend, it seems appropriate to re-run a blog I did last year. Unfortunately, the topic is relevant, and needs to be regularly examined to try to reduce the sickness that is racist thinking. Here is the blog…

The evil that is racism has existed as long as sin has existed in the world. The pervasive nature of racism looks a little different in each generation and in each country of the world, but rest assured, it has been with us as long as we have lived as the human race.

Indeed, there were times when it looked very different and was called different things. You know, lots of “isms”, but it comes down as people somehow discerning that one type of people is better than another. This is perpetuated by spurious social, economic, and even religious arguments and assertions. But it is the quote by Friedrich Hertz that, to me, seems to cut through the noise- “At the heart of racism is the religious assertion that God made a creative mistake when He brought some people into being”          

Of course, Hertz was exiled from Nazi Germany in 1933 for his thinking and writing. The “isms” can’t stand it when truth gets in the way of a convenient theory.

Martin Luther King offered a cure for racism- only love can drive out hate; only light can overcome darkness. So, as we are in the midst of this weekend that honors the work of Dr. King, let’s also remember that there is a cure for racism.                

 “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”          

Prayer: Lord, you have shown us that love triumphs over hate. Thank you for that marvelous plan, Amen