Oasis (def.)

1: a fertile or green area in an arid region (such as a desert)

2: something that provides refuge, relief, or pleasant contrast

Merriam-Webster

God, when you took the lead with your people, when you marched out into the wild, Earth shook, sky broke out in a sweat; God was on the march. Even Sinai trembled at the sight of God on the move, at the sight of Israel’s God. You pour out rain in buckets, O God; thorn and cactus become an oasis for your people to camp in and enjoy. You set them up in business; they went from rags to riches.                       Psalm 68:7-10

Please enjoy this visit from a previous blog…

What can be more refreshing than a cool drink of water on a sweltering hot day? I remember as a kid playing baseball in the back yard with my brother, and we would be too preoccupied with playing ball to get a drink from inside the house. So, finally, we would turn on the garden hose, let it run for a while until the water was cool, then we would drink right from the hose. The cool water splashing onto our face made the experience even better. I can still remember the refreshment of that water!

It reminds me that when we face the heat of a busy day, whether or not it is literally hot outside, we need a break, an oasis. I tell my clients that there can be larger oases and smaller oases, but we must build them into our day.

For example, for me, a small oasis might be a fresh cup of tea in the afternoon to refresh me between seeing clients. A larger oasis might be looking forward to a nice long walk at the end of the day, or a show that I can watch with my wife in the evening. An even larger oasis might be that trip that we plan for a few months in advance when we can take a week or two off.

The point is, we need to make room for regular oases to refresh us daily, weekly, monthly. For me, it is the reward for having accomplished what I said I was going to do. Sometimes we lose sight of the need for the oasis because we think of it as a “big thing”. I believe that small and regular rewards keep us going better than looking for the “big thing”. But that’s just me. Whatever your preference, be aware of what your oasis might be. Build them in regularly.

It is that cold water out of the hose on a hot summer day.

Prayer: Father, you give us oases all around us, help us to see then, then use them to refresh us for our mission, Amen.

And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.                                                                  Luke 11:2 (KJV)

I have shared before in this space my general philosophy about good motivation. Essentially, I sum it up as “It is better to reach toward the good than avoid the bad”. I see so often people motivated by fear (avoiding the bad) in their life, and it is often not even a conscious thing. We become used to a life of trying to avoid bad consequences, and in so doing, we become tired. It is like running away from a dog who is chasing you. Eventually, you become tired, and may even give up. There is no goal other than to avoid that chasing dog.

However, if our motivation is a positive one, reaching for a goal, doing meaningful work, caring for others, etc. we focus on that, even though there are daily pitfalls that may come up.  We are not focused on the negative things that could happen; we are focused on the positive things that we can help make happen.

In our spiritual life, our job on earth is not to try to avoid going to hell. Rather, our job is to help make, as much as possible, the kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. We are motivated by love of others to make this world a distant mirror of heaven so that others may see God in his creation.

So, we act out our faith from a positive perspective. Others may better be drawn to a gospel that looks inviting, not “fear avoiding”.

Prayer: “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, Amen”

So, let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.

Galatians 6:9-10 (The Message)

There was an experiment years ago conducted with people who were in a diet study. The trait in question was the ability to move past failure and to maintain sight on the goal. In the study, participants were given highly monitored daily diets. The calorie content was regulated, and participants were to eat exactly what was put before them.

One morning, the participants were given a high calorie milkshake. I’m sure that many questioned the wisdom of drinking all of those calories first thing in the morning. It was likely the vast majority of the allowance for the whole day, however, they complied.

Here is where the study got interesting. The researchers wanted to see how the participants reacted to the experiment. They broke the group down into two cohorts, based upon this experiment. After being given the milkshakes, the participants were given more ice cream and asked to respond about their favorite flavors. They were then allowed to consume as much ice cream as they desired.

Some members, feeling that they had already “blown the diet”, went ahead and ate more ice cream, conceding that they had “already blown it anyway” Other members, believing that they needed to cut down calories as much as possible after the morning milkshake, ate only what was necessary to go along with the trial of ice cream they had been asked to do.

The point became clear about the effect of “failing once”. Some members recognized that failing once was a problem, but with determination to reach their goal, they would try to overcome the morning’s indulgence. The other members, the “hell with it” group, gave themselves permission to fail again, convincing themselves that they had already lost that day.

Further study indicated that the group who gave in to “second failures” (the “hell with it” group) did poorer in achieving the goal of weight loss. Those who were able to keep their eye on the prize, recognized their first failure, but did not allow it to get in the way of success.

We all fail. The question is, what do we do when we fail? Do we shake it off and start anew, or do we give in to shame and failure and say, “the hell with it”?

God is the God of second chances, and many more…

Prayer: Lord, thank you for never giving up on us! Amen

Disclaimer: For this blog entry, I have taken the results of several such studies and, for illustration purposes, blended them together. What I described here are the tendencies found in the mindset of how some people see failure, and how they respond.  

And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth                                                                                                                                                                                  Acts 17:11

We Americans are highly opinionated. Maybe not more so than people in other countries, but I kinda think so. At least, that’s my opinion! That is not backed by any scientific fact of which I am aware, but I think I will stand by that opinion.

I am on this topic because I read a blog some time ago which challenged the readers to consider the value of their opinions. We all have a right to believe whatever we want, and truly, people have some beliefs that are, to put it kindly, “out there”. That’s OK, because, we have this beautiful right to hold opinions and freely express them. People in some other countries do not have that right – that wonderful luxury that we have as Americans.

However, just because we have an opinion does not make it right. Some opinions are backed by research, study, and diligent thought. Some are backed by nothing more than our own hunches, gut feelings, and affirmations of like-minded thinkers.

Luke, the likely writer of the book of Acts, applauded the Bereans, saying that they were, “more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.”

The Bereans evidently did not just take Paul’s teaching whole cloth without checking out the facts for themselves. Luke gave them credit for being open-minded, and willing to search for the truth. The Bereans were searching for truth, not just something that validated their own worldview. They heard a new message from Paul and Silas, and they wanted to check into it for themselves. They searched the scriptures to see if Paul’s message was lining up with the best validation they could find.

Social media is filled with opinions. Some are reposted opinions that have long been debunked as untrue. Some are rants from people who feel disaffected and invisible. Some of them are well thought out and backed by research.

 We all have the right to post whatever we feel is important information to be shared. I also believe that we have the responsibility to check into the supporting facts or research of those opinions before we spread them around.

I trust that we can be more like the Bereans who were diligent in searching for the truth, checking the facts as best they could, and being open-minded in that search.          

Prayer: Father, thank you for your truth, which sets us free, Amen

Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord,
until he comes

Hosea 10:12

“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.
 But the more they were called, the more they went away from me.
They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images.
 It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms;
but they did not realize it was I who healed them.
 I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts
    a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them.

Hosea 11:1-4

        I read this interesting passage about God’s love for his people in the book of Hosea. It was written to the Israelite nation, but it also speaks about God’s love for his people- all people. We have all strayed in our own way, and we need guidance like children.         

        In these passages, Hosea uses metaphors which were well known to the people of the time. He used agricultural analogies to relay to them what they needed to do, and to demonstrate God’s love for them. Hosea pointed out that it was time to go deeper into their relationship with God. He encouraged them to break up the ground, to plow deeper to break up the hard ground which does not sustain plants. If one does not plow a field deep enough, the hardened crust of the top soil will not allow moisture to penetrate to the deeper soil.

        Further, the young plants, if they do germinate, cannot break through the hard crust of the unplowed top soil. Hosea is encouraging them to break their hardness of heart, and be receptive to the tender hands of the planter who loves them. They are to “sow in righteousness”.

        Hosea also uses the analogy of God as the parent who is helping them to learn how to walk (drew them with cords of compassion – a method of tying cords to toddlers so that they would feel confident when first learning to walk). Hosea also uses the agricultural analogy of taking the yoke off the oxen to give them refreshment after they have been plowing the fields. The promise is that, when we do the hard work of plowing the ground deeper, there is the reward of reaping in righteousness, and being fed by the God who loves us.

            We can never outdo God in love. For whatever small efforts we are capable of doing in loving others, God richly rewards, not according to our efforts, but according to His treasures.

Prayer: Father, thank you for your everlasting love. You call us to love you by loving others. Help us to show that love freely and willingly. Amen.   

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.                                                                         Psalm 46:1

 Peter replied, “Master, to whom would we go? You have the words of real life, eternal life. We’ve already committed ourselves, confident that you are the Holy One of God.”                                                       John 6:68-69 (The Message)

Last night, millions of people in the United States watched the Monday Night Football game. What they witnessed was a horrific injury of Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin. As of this writing, Hamlin is in critical condition in a Cincinnati hospital, possibly fighting for his life. The tragedy was a shared experience, and whenever that happens, it galvanizes people.

Immediately, the teams gathered and prayed with one another. The crowd was hushed in shock and bewilderment about what they had just witnessed. Thousands in the stands certainly were praying also. It was touching, sad, and frightening all at the same time.

People turned to God in this moment of fear and uncertainty. Indeed, where else could they turn? I was reminded of Peter in responding to Jesus when Jesus asked the disciples if they wanted to leave him.

Where do we turn when we have nowhere else to turn? We turn to God. We recognize our helplessness, our dependence upon him for our very life. So, people began to pray, and they still are. They pray for Damar Hamlin and his family. We pray for a young man now who many of us simply did not know until last night. Yet now we pray for his life and his recovery. We are joined in our desire to have him restored. Prayer is a reminder of our position under God, and events such as last night are just a very public reminder of that.

 So, we join in prayer, and that is good.

Prayer: Lord we do come to you for this young man, Damar Hamlin, and we submit him to your care, Amen

It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him                                                                                                                                                                                                    Lamentations 3:22-24 (KJV)

A good way to start the New Year is to recognize that every day is a new day. Not just January 1, the start of a new year, but every day, the start of a new day. The verse above is the basis of one of my favorite hymns, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”. The hymn reminds us of God’s faithfulness, even when, maybe especially when, we do not have enough faith of our own.

God is faithful, his mercy and compassion does not fail. They are new every morning. We are used to basing our evaluation of a “good day” on how we feel. This verse reminds us that our evaluation must not be based upon our feeling of blessing and mercy, but upon the fact of God’s faithfulness.

So, let us start the New Year on the promise of God’s faithfulness and mercy, and not our feeling about it. Let’s make that a mantra for 2023.

Prayer: Morning by morning new mercies I see. Great is thy faithfulness…, Amen

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.                                    Colossians 3:15

The year 2022 is slipping away, giving way to 2023. This time of year, many of us give thought to resolutions. Those resolutions are well-intentioned, and are probably good things for us to do in the coming year.

Just this quick reminder. I tell my clients that changes should be incremental and manageable, as well as practical and measurable. In other words, don’t promise yourself the moon for the coming year. Change one little thing. It is better, for example, to attain the goal of losing 5 pounds than to promise that you will lose 15 pounds and not accomplish it.

Small victories give us the momentum to accomplish the larger goals, but all in due time. Keeping small promises to ourselves gives us the needed self-esteem boost to accomplish the bigger goals.

 So, whatever your goals are for 2023, may they be attainable and good for you.

Have a wonderful 2023!

Prayer: May the Lord bless you and keep you, may his light shine upon you in 2023, Amen

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” Matthew 7:7                                      

When thinking about this verse, and how to interpret it, I imagine being lost and asking for directions. Yes, it is true, I am a guy, and I do not readily ask for directions when lost. I would rather somehow intuit how to find my way, but that is a reflection for another day!

So, when lost and asking for directions, we need to be trusting of the direction giver, and then we need to follow the directions. I think that Jesus is inviting us to trust him in giving the directions for living a whole and healthy life. He also expects that we would follow those directions if we really want to get where we ultimately want to go. This act of trust is rewarded with his promise that the “ask will be granted, the journey will be successful, and the final destination will be accommodating”.

So, first we get the courage to ask- an act of humility. Meaning, my best efforts to date have gotten me totally lost! I better get some help!

Having gotten the directions, we set out, seeking the destination- an act of faith. If we are good at following the directions, it is often a pretty direct route- one we had not realized before that moment.

Finally, when we get to the destination, we have not quite completed the task. We need to go up to the door and knock to gain entry- an act of courage. After all, it could be the wrong house, or perhaps even the right address, but we could be turned away.

So, to complete the journey, we need to have humility, faith and courage. Jesus calls on us to have all of those traits to live the completed life.

Prayer: Thank you for the simple plan of asking for help, and following your directions for success, Amen

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.                                                                                                                                                                   Matthew 5:16 (KJV)

“Even the smallest light shines bright in the darkness”                                                                                Donna Raye

Have you ever been in a cave? You know, like those tours in Mammoth Cave or some other spacious cave? If you have, you know how dark it is when the guide turns out the lights. Yes, it is almost painfully dark. You literally cannot see your hand three inches from your face- that dark. Then the guide lights a match some distance away, and it looks like a laser beam.

So, think about what it is like when you are in an emotional darkness. You feel that there will never be light again. You cannot remember what it is like to see or even feel the light again. Then comes a little note, or call, or card. Someone just sent a little thoughtful connection. Not a big deal in anyone’s thinking, but that day, that moment, it was as bright as a star.

You see, when it is REALLY dark, a little light shines inordinately bright. In comparison to the present environment, it becomes a huge event. Small by some standards, it is a ray of hope.

I spoke with a client recently who said that the little card and gift that she received from her church during the Christmas season, “made my week”.

So, don’t try to judge or minimize the effect of a small gesture. It really could be the brightest spot a person gets all week.

Prayer: Lord, help us to really see the little lights you send to us from others, Amen