Rick’s journey: Lessons of Manhood From "The Walking Dead" Conclusion

"If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too..."

Rudyard Kipling

Carl thinks he'd be fine if Rick is dead.  He initiates his own rites of passage into manhood, barely making it out alive.  But he does.  He "wins." But when he has a dream (?) about his dad becoming a zombie, he can't kill his dad.  He's scared.  He's alone. 

Rick wakes up after almost being beaten to death by The Governor.  He realizes what has seemed obvious to everyone:  The world is not going to go back to the way it was.  He tried to hold on to that hope for his son and daughter. But he accepts reality, and apologizes to his son.

"You're a man Carl."

And with that, before they receive the hope of the return of a lost friend, we simply have two men.  Where will this journey lead them?  What will this journey make them?  We don't know yet, but what we do know is that so far they, and Michonne, have made a choice:

They are not zombies. 

They will not be zombies. 

We still have two men and a woman.

We see a woman's tears when she sees the silhouette of these two men. 

We hear a man's laughter when he sees her.

If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!
Rudyard Kipling

Lessons on speaking effectively

"Your only real job in giving a talk is to have something valuable to say, and to say it authentically in your own unique way." Chris Anderson, head of TED.

I'm reading, "TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking." I'm going to share what I learn with you, which helps me to learn and apply what I'm reading.  I hope it helps you too.

We all know how it feels to listen, and what makes it easy or hard to do so:

• When people talk too long, 
• don't stay on topic,
• talk too loudly or softly, 
• say things we aren't interested in, 
• when they are confusing, 
• or too excited.  

We all know what makes listening hard, and what makes it easy.

For me, talking and listening are the key skills of all life, and everyone can learn them.  I love all forms of communication, including singing, rapping, spoken word poetry, and writing.  But we can't do these things all of the time, all day, everyday.  But we can, and do, speak and listen daily.  And I want my speaking and listening to be as beautiful as music or spoken word poetry.

To achieve this, I went to the library to check out "How to Speak and How to Listen," but it wasn't at the library. So I checked out the TED talk book instead.  I'm enjoying the introduction.  Especially these quotes:

"The house lights dim.  A woman, her palms sweating, her legs trembling just a little, steps out onto the stage.  A spotlight hits her face, and 1,200 pairs of eyes lock onto hers.  The audience senses her nervousness.  There is a palpable tension in the room.  She clears her throat and starts to speak.

What happens next is astounding.

The 1,200 brains inside the heads  of 1,200 independent individuals start to behave very strangely. They begin to sync up.  A magic spell woven by the woman washes over each person.  They gasp together.  Laugh together.  Weep together.  And as they do so, something else happens.  Rich, neurologically encoded patterns  of information inside the woman's brain are somehow copied and transferred to the 1,200 brains in the audience.  These patterns will remain in those brains for the rest of their lives, potentially impacting their behavior years into the future.

The woman on the stage is weaving wonder, not witchcraft.  But her skills are as potent as any sorcery.

Ants shape each other's behavior by exchanging chemicals. We do it by standing in front of each other, peering into each other's eyes, waving our hands and emitting strange sounds from our mouths.  Human-to-human communication is a true wonder of the world. We do it unconsciously every day.  And it reaches its most intense form on the public stage."

 (Concerning rhetoric) "The word's core meaning is simply 'the art of speaking effectively.' Fundamentally, that's the purpose of this book.  To recast rhetoric for the modern era."

I'm done with the introduction.  As I learn, I'll share with you.  Thank you for your time and attention.

How to change your life RIGHT NOW! (Part 1)

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.~The Apostle Paul

Image from senegambiademocracy.org

I have good news for you.

Not new news.

But good news.

You can change your life right now by changing your focus, right now.

That's it.

That's the good news.

I'm sure you've heard something like it before.

And I'm sure you've experienced it before.  In a word:

Distraction.

You've distracted yourself before.  You've done something to get your mind off of something.

That skill, the skill you already have and already use is the life changing skill.

Imagine this.

You wake up.
You decided before you went to sleep what the first thought of your day would be.
So again, you wake up, and think that thought.  Say it's this thought:

"I determine my thoughts, emotions, and actions."

That's your first thought.  And you keep that thought in focus while you do your morning routine. You practice determining your focus, no matter what happens around you.  And you keep doing that. Imagine the impact this will make on your day.  Now imagine doing that every day.  According to the research of Prochaska, Norcross, and Diclemente, it takes 90 days to make a change permanent.  So imagine you wake up everyday, for 90 days, and focus your mind in the way we've been talking about.  You would have the power, one day at a time, one thought at a time, to not only change your life, but to define your life.

You can start now.

Decide your focus.

Click here for part 2.

How to change your life RIGHT NOW! (Part 2)

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." ~King Solomon

I have more good news.

A word.  A compound word (maybe?)

MINDSET:

A fixed mental disposition that predetermines your interpretation and response to situations.

From dictionary.com (rearranged by me.)

That's the good news.  You can fix your focus in such a way that it predetermines your interpretation and responses to situations.

Say you decide to fix your mental disposition on negative situations.  You decide to be negative.  Now say someone compliments you.  Someone says, "You really look nice today."  Because you have a negative mindset, you may interpret the compliment as a deception.  "She's only saying that to get something from me.  She just wants to butter me up for something."  So you may say, "Thank you," but you won't mean it.  You'll be watching her.

But if you have a positive mindset, and receive the very same compliment, you will interpret the compliment as genuine, and genuinely say thank you.

Your mindset determines your experience, and your responses to your experience.

Your focus is your heart.  And you have the key to what comes in, as well as what goes out, of your mind and mouth.  That's why Solomon said to guard your heart above all else, because everything you do flows from it.  

How do you change your life right now?

By changing your mindset.

Let me know what you think in the comments.

Do you really want to meet God?

For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world:  to bear witness to the truth.  All who are of the truth hear my voice. ~Jesus, The Chosen One, God's Son.

Remember, all I'm offering is the truth, nothing more.
~Morpheus, from The Matrix.

What if I could tell you something that would change who you are from now until you die?

I have something to tell you.  Something that will change who you are from now until you die.

Do you want to hear it?

That's the question.

We say we want to change.

But most of the time we don't.

We won't.

We can't.

We are afraid of that change because it will mean we have come face to face with reality.

With God Himself.

Most of us don't want to meet God.

We don't.
We won't.
We can't.

Why?

Because if we meet God, then the illusion that we are gods must come to an end.
Do you want that?
Do you want to meet God?

(I'm really asking.  You can really answer in the comments.)

When death comes to good people

The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.  Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death. Isaiah 57:1-2 NIV

I had never seen God's words above from Isaiah.  So meaningful to me.  So powerful to me.  Intuitively I think we all know that when a good person dies, it must be for a good reason. And God just gave us the good reason. The real reason.

The reason an innocent baby dies, the reason an innocent baby is allowed to die, or is taken away from this world, is to spare this innocent baby from evil.  Evidently, evil awaited this innocent child, and God spared him or her, taking him or her straight to heaven.  Imagine.  To wake up in heaven, and for that to be the only thing you've ever known, or ever will know.  So many babies have died, and are dying as I type.  God is sparing them from evil.

This doesn't mean that killing them isn't evil. It still is.  But if God allows it, He is sparing them from even more evil, from even worse evil.  God is good.  Glory to God.

And when a righteous man dies, in his righteousness, because of his righteousness, God is sparing this righteous man from evil.

When a righteous woman is taken away, when she has to leave a job, or a neighborhood, God is good.  God is sparing this righteous woman from evil.

When you have been righteous, and you've lost your job, or home, or relationship, when God took you away from those people or those situations, God was sparing you from evil, if you were righteous in that situation.

Now if you were unrighteous, that's another story. Another blog post.

But if you were righteous, and you were removed from a person, place, or situation, God loves you.  God spared you.

Praise God.

How to heal and be healed (Part 2)

So, how do you know if you are healed, or if someone else is healed when you share the good news about Jesus the healer?

How did you know you were saved when you believed the good news about Jesus the Savior?

The Spirit makes it known, as it is written, "The Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are children of God."  In other words, God Himself makes it known to you.  How else would it be?  If God is the one who is forgiving you, God Himself is the one who'd let you know that He forgave you.

And if God is the one who heals you, then you will know that you are healed in the same way you know that you are forgiven.

How do you know if you're forgiven?  You don't feel ashamed or condemned anymore.  You feel free to be in a relationship with the one you formerly sinned against. 

What about sickness?  How do you know you're healed from a cough?  You stop coughing.  How do you know you are healed from a headache?  Your head no longer aches. 

You should expect the same certainty, predictability, and reliability of healing that you do from salvation.  Is one harder for God than the other? 

Remember some men bring Jesus someone who was paralyzed?  They put him in through a roof because Jesus was so crowded by people trying to hear him.  Jesus saw their faith and said to the paralyzed man, "Your sins are forgiven."  The religious leaders thought Jesus blasphemed because only God can forgive sins.  So Jesus said, "Which is easier to say?  'Your sins are forgiven,' or 'Take up your mat and walk?' But so that you will know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins--(Jesus said to the paralytic) "Take up your mat and walk."  And the paralyzed man got up and walked.

Do you see the connection?  You can't see sins being forgiven, but you can see a paralyzed man get up and walk.  The same God who heals diseases, which came about through Adam's sin, also forgives the sin that caused sicknesses. 

But we don't usually believe that.  In Jesus' day, the religious leaders believed he could heal, but they didn't believe Jesus could forgive sins.  Today it's the opposite.  We believe Jesus can forgive sins, but we don't believe he can heal.  We may not even believe He forgives sin, not really. 

I choose to believe.  Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  He is still my Savior, my Healer, and Deliverer.

What about you?

How to heal and be healed

Surely He took our infirmities and carried our sicknesses.  By His wounds we are healed.
The Prophet Isaiah

Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that He died for your sins?  If so, you know that your sins were immediately forgiven and forgotten, as if they never happened, the moment you believed.  Period.  Jesus' death for us is a historical fact.  Even if you don't feel forgiven, that wouldn't and couldn't mean Jesus didn't die and rise from the dead.  He is our Savior.

But did you know that He's also our Healer?

Yes, His salvation is not just so we can be forgiven for sins, it's also so that we can be healed from sicknesses, as it is written,

"Praise the LORD oh my soul and forget not all of his benefits.  Who forgives all of your sins and heals all of your diseases..."  King David

The same God who forgives all sin also heals all diseases.
All sin.
All diseases.

How? 
Faith.

If you can believe God to forgive you, the same belief also heals you.
This is how you are healed:  Trust in Jesus as your healer in the same way you trusted him as your Savior.

And this is how you heal:  Share the good news about Jesus as the Healer in the same way you shared the good news about Jesus as Savior.

If the sinner accepts Jesus as Savior, he or she is saved.
If the sick person accepts Jesus as Healer, he or she is healed.

All you do is share the good news.  If the one who hears believes, he or she will be saved...and healed.

Escaping the argument trap (Part 2)

"Don't answer the foolish arguments of fools, or you will become as foolish as they are.  But speak with a fool according to your wisdom lest he think in his soul that he is wise." 
Proverbs 26:4-5


I will never argue again.  I will never verbally fight.

I've said that before, and still did it.  Why?  I see these two reasons:

1. I forget who I'm talking to: an unreasonable person.
2. I forget my focus, allowing myself to get blindsided and distracted.

So, if I don't need to forget these two things, then I need to remember two things instead.

ONLY REASON WITH REASONABLE PEOPLE
I used to be a bouncer, and the head bouncer had this motto:  Never try to reason with a drunkard.
It seems obvious.  But I would forget.  I actually had an experience that was just as telling.  A drunk woman, or a woman who was leaving tipsiness and entering intoxication, said, "I keep forgetting I'm talking to someone who is sober."  Look at that.  Even as she approached drunkenness, she had to remind herself that the best person to talk to when you're drunk is someone else whose drunk.  She saw what the head bouncer saw: The sober and the drunk can't converse.  Sober people converse with sober people.  Drunks converse with drunks. 

But I forget.  I start talking to a drunk person as if she's sober.  In doing so, I become drunk with rage.  I allow myself to get into the hellishness of arguments, the merry-go-round of fighting. 

Never again.  I will reason with the reasonable, reasonably.  With the unreasonable, I will either completely avoid them, not talk to them at all, or speak as briefly as possible.

Click here for part 3.

(The image above is from Google Images)

Escaping the argument trap (Part 1)

You've done it.  I've done it.  We keeping falling for it.  We know it's not going to get us anywhere, but we keep trying to achieve the impossible: to make people do what they don't want to do. 

We argue.

I'm not talking about having a meaningful discussion where two people don't agree.
Key word:  Discussion.

I'm talking about verbal combat.  Fighting.  Yelling.  Screaming.  Insulting. 

Have you ever had an argument, a verbal fight with someone, and the argument made any difference?
Any good difference?  Got anything accomplished, agreed upon, or settled.

I haven't.

And I'm tired of it.  I'm tired of falling for it.  I'm tired of doing it.

So, how do we escape?

I'll tell you how I'm going to escape, and you can see if it helps you.

CLICK HERE FOR PART 2.

(The image above is from Google Images)

Escaping the argument trap (Part 3)

"Don't answer the foolish arguments of fools, or you will become as foolish as they are.  But speak with a fool according to your wisdom lest he think in his soul that he is wise." 
Proverbs 26:4-5

AVOID ARGUMENTATIVE PEOPLE.
In arguments, if I stoop to the level of the foolish person arguing, I'll become like him, according to the verses I've quoted.  I need to not let myself get distracted.  I can do this in one of three ways:

1. Completely avoid the argumentative person.
2. If you can't avoid her, if possible, don't say anything to her at all.  (Never reason with a drunkard--someone who is angry or not thinking straight.)
3. If you must speak to the argumentative person, wisely and briefly say only what is necessary to end the conversation, as it is written:

"Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out." 

Proverbs 17:14


I have actually experienced victory in dealing with argumentative people--when I've remembered these things.  I have to remember who I can and can't talk to.  The key is avoiding the argumentative person, as it is written,

"Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared."  Proverbs 22:24-25

This verse says it all!  It tells us how to escape the argument trap:  avoid argumentative people, if this is possible.  If not, as it says in Proverbs 17:14, end interactions with argumentative people as soon as possible.  Don't answer them.  Don't say anything.  Leave them as soon as you can.  If you can't leave them, if you have to talk to them (like if they're your boss) speak as briefly as possible, as it is also written,

"When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise."  Proverbs 17:10

So if you're like me, and you never want to argue again, we now know how.

• Avoid argumentative people.
• If we can't avoid them, don't talk to them.
• If we must talk to them, wisely speak briefly.  (This means we say only what we need to say, only what they are open to hearing, no more no less, according to their authority if we're in their territory.)

May we never argue again. 

May  we escape the argument trap.

(Both images are from Google Images)

Is God Searching for You? (Part 2)

"The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." 2 Chronicles 16:9a NIV

GOD SEARCHES THE WHOLE EARTH
God actively looks at what is happening on earth, in each and every life, at each and every person, at each and every nation.  Searching.  Looking.  Seeking.  What does he see when he looks at me, and you?  What does he see when he looks at our hearts?

GOD SEARCHES FOR COMMITMENT TO HIM.
When God looks at everyone, he's looking for those who are completely committed to him.  He looks for men and women who live only to honor and obey him, no matter the consequences.  Complete dedication.  We know what this means and what it looks like.  Imagine your best friend.  Or your husband. Or your wife.  Or your parents.  Or your children.  Imagine complete dedication.  You know what they would say and do if they were completely committed to you.  So does God.  Are you completely committed to him?  If you are, be very encouraged; he's looking for you.

GOD WANTS TO STRENGTHEN THOSE COMMITTED TO HIM.
If you sincerely want to find God's will for your life, and the power to carry it out, and that is all you want, the most important thing to you, then God sees you.  He's been looking for you and has found you.  And he has been looking for you for a purpose, a deliberate focus:  to strengthen you.  Right now. 

But some of you may be asking, "What if I'm not completely committed to him like you've said?"

You can completely commit to him now, with me.  Let's do it together:

"God, creator of everything and everyone, my creator, I haven't completely been committed to you.  Please forgive me. I completely give myself to you, my heart and life.  From now on, I want only to honor and obey you.  Please see me, and strengthen me.  Amen."

If you prayed with me, tell me in the comment, and we can continue to connect.
I look forward to hearing from you.

Is God Searching for You? (Part 1)

"The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him."  2 Chronicles 16:9a

In the history of Israel when their kings rose and fell, a prophet came to King Asa, one of Israel's many kings.  Asa began his rule completely devoted to God, and God protected him.  But Asa stopped being completely devoted to God and put his trust in other kings and their alliances.  A prophet named Hanani came to Asa with a message from the Lord, and one of the things God gave him to say is the quote above.  This quote applied not only to Asa and Israel, but to the whole earth, to every one on earth, to you and me.  It began in the beginning.

• God looked for Adam and Eve when they hid from him after sinning against him.
• He looked for Cain who planned to kill Abel.
• He saw Enoch living faithfully for him, and kept Enoch from ever dying.
• He looked at everyone on earth with regret because every imagination of every heart was only evil all the time, except for the heart of Noah.  God saw him and his family and had mercy.
• God saw a nomad named Abram and his barren wife Sarai.  He blessed them so they'd be a blessing.
• He saw a slave woman named Hagar and her son.
• He saw Abraham's sons, the people of Israel, and later the nation of Egypt oppressing them. 

And the scriptures continue to show God's eyes searching the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. 

Is God searching for you?

Obey and Ask: How to Be filled with the Spirit

If you believe that Jesus died for your sins and rose from the dead, you are a child of God.  And as a child of God, only two things are necessary for you to be permeated by God's Spirit and power.

OBEY GOD.
According to the Apostle Peter, "God gives the Spirit to those who obey Him."  And according to the Apostle Paul, we are actually commanded to "be filled with the Spirit" instead of "being drunk with wine."  So the first thing to do is simply, completely, and unconditionally yield to the Spirit, giving Him complete and absolute control over you.  That's what it means to "be filled with the Spirit."  That is the command to obey.  Once you've obeyed, you only need to do one more thing.

ASK GOD.
The Lord Jesus said, "If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him."  So, if you are a child of God, and you've yielded to the Spirit, all you have to do is ask God to fill you with the Spirit, and He will do it.  Right now.

Obey God. (Yield to the Spirit.)
Ask God. (To fill you with the Spirit.)

That's all that's required to be filled with God's Spirit, if you are a child of God through faith in Jesus.

How to be filled with the Spirit and know it! Part 2

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:18 Berean Study Bible

Just as alcoholics completely yield to the permeation, influence, and control of alcohol, believers completely yield to the permeation, influence, and control of the Spirit.  The believer completely opens himself or herself to the Spirit's permeation, power, and control.  There is a Bible verse that effectively illustrates this for me:

"Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?"  Romans 6:16 NIV (italics mine)

To be a slave is to be under the complete control of a master.  Paul is saying that we are under the control of whomever or whatever we offer ourselves to.  It could be to sin (drunkenness) or to obedience (being filled with the Spirit.)  It's up to us.  And because Paul is commanding us not to get drunk  on wine but to be filled with the Spirit, it's not only something we can do, but also something we must do. 

So to be filled with the Spirit, the first thing to do is yield to Him.  We simply offer ourselves to Him completely, like this:

"Holy Spirit, I give my spirit, soul, body, words, and activity completely to you.  I totally surrender to you in total obedience to you."

After yielding to God, we now only need to ask to be filled with His Spirit.

ASK GOD TO FILL YOU WITH HIS SPIRIT.

After you yield to the Spirit, then ask God the Father to fill you with the Spirit, to give you His Spirit as your master.  Jesus tells us how to do this:

"Even though you're evil, you know how to give good gifts to your children. So how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"  Luke 11:13 GWT

If you are a child of God through faith in Jesus, and you yield to the Spirit's control, all you have to do after yielding is ask God to fill you with His Spirit.  The drunk person, in a sense, is asking the "spirit" to fill him or her.  (Some people call alcohol "spirits.")  Because the Spirit is an actual person, and because He will not negate your free will, He won't fill you unless you ask Him.

And when you ask Him, when you are under His influence, you actually become self-controlled, instead of losing control like drunk people do.

If you want to be filled with the Spirit and know it, say this prayer with me:

Our Father in heaven, I yield completely and unconditionally to Your Spirit.  Please fill me with your Spirit in Jesus' name.  Amen.

Let me know your experience of the Spirit filled life in the comments.  I look forward to hearing from you.

(And click here to read part 3 to see what to expect when you're filled with the Spirit.)

How to be filled with the Spirit and know it!

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.  Ephesians 5:18  Berean Study Bible

Have you ever wanted to know what it means to be filled with the Spirit, but left disappointed after reading a particular blog or book?  I have.  I've read books about it and still felt like I didn't know how to have this most necessary gift from God.  If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for your sins and rose from the dead, by the time you're done reading this two part blog, you will know how to be filled with the Spirit!

This is how:

1. Yield to God's Spirit.
2. Ask Him to fill you with His Spirit.

Yield.  Ask. 

That's it. 

I'll explain.

YIELD TO GOD'S SPIRIT.
The Apostle Paul compares (and contrasts) being drunk with wine and being filled with the Spirit.  I'll use Paul's contrast of getting drunk on wine to show you how to be filled with the Spirit.

Getting drunk involves two things:  Deciding.  Drinking. 

When I was a bouncer at a bar, I often heard people say "I'm going to get wasted."  That's the decision.  Next comes the action:  drinking until they are literally full of alcohol, so that they can feel the effects of drinking:  uninhibitedness, boldness, happiness, unbridled anger or sadness, etc.  And you know when people are drunk, though the manifestations vary.  They look drunk, act drunk, walk drunk, and talk drunk.  By deciding to get drunk, and taking in as much alcohol as they can hold, they achieve their goal:  drunkenness.  In other words, by deciding and drinking, they totally yield to alcohol.  They give alcohol complete control over their bodies, minds, emotions, words, and actions. Their blood is permeated with alcohol.  They are completely under the influence of alcohol--because they yielded to it.

This yielding is exactly what Paul is talking about in being filled with the Spirit. 
(Click here for part 2)

How to be filled with the Spirit and know it! (Part 3)

"You will receive power when the Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses...to the ends of the earth."  Acts 1:8

Some of you may be wondering how you can actually know if you're filled with the Spirit.  I can sum up how you know in one word:  power.

When the Spirit fills you, when He permeates you and controls you because you've completely yielded to His influence, you will have a power you didn't have before in serving Him, wherever you are in your life.  This power may manifest itself in varying ways, but one thing is clear, and one thing will be very clear:  you will have a supernatural power you did not have before that enables you to bear witness to the Lord Jesus.

The purpose of the power is to make Jesus known.  Now if that isn't your goal, then you won't be filled with the Spirit.  But if it is your goal, then no matter what circumstance or situation you are in, you will have power to make Jesus known in whatever you're saying or doing. 

That's what you look for:  power to make Jesus known. 

You will experience a supernatural boldness and effectiveness in doing this.  Boldness meaning confidence and certainty about Jesus.  Effectiveness meaning you will be able to communicate who Jesus is in a way that will convict those who reject Him and encourage those who accept Him.  The key is that the focus is on Jesus.  Your focus is on Jesus.  Whether you are a student or a teacher, employer or employee (or even unemployed.)  Wherever you are in life, whatever your role, you will have an ability that you didn't have before, an ability to know Jesus and make Him known. 

Look for this power to honor Jesus.  It won't be hard to find.

Friendship with God (Part 1)

You are my friends if you do what I command.  John 15:14

Do you obey your bestfriend?  Most likely not.  That's not how we usually define friendships.  Why would we?  Our friends don't owe us obedience.  But we owe God our obedience, if we want to be His friends.

"That doesn't sound like friendship to me," some of you might think.  I can see why you would, if we are defining friendships among humans.  But think about who God is. 

How can a creature be friends with the Creator if he or she doesn't accept who the Creator is?

The Creator is our Maker, and thus our Master. 
Imagine it this way.

What if you could create artificial intelligence?  You gave it life, personality, and purpose--a very specific purpose.  Now if this AI wanted to be your friend, what would it have to do first and foremost?

"Well, I wouldn't make it to be a slave, which is what the Bible verse at the top sounds like.  What kind of friend just wants to tell you what to do?"

Again, think about God.  Does He really need our obedience?  Is there really anything we can add to His eternal life?

So obedience to Him must be somehow for our good.  And if we do it, we can experience friendship with Him. 

But what's the connection between us obeying God and Him befriending us?

Jesus rose from the dead

A Jewish man lived approximately 2000 years ago, and He was God in a body; God and man.  He was born according to a prophecy: a virgin would conceive and bear a son, and that son would be God, living with and among human kind.  The prophecy was fulfilled.  The man's name was Jesus.  He was the fulfillment of not only the prophecy about a virgin conceiving, but of prophecies that go all the way back to the first man and first woman.

The first man and woman, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God, and as a result were separated from God.  This separation is death, and they brought death to themselves as well as to all of their children, to all of humanity, to you and me.  They did this by listening to a creature instead of the Creator.  Eve listened to an evil spirit speaking through a snake.  Adam listened to Eve.  Neither listened to God, who had commanded them not to eat from one specific tree that He planted in the first garden, the Garden of Eden.  This tree was called "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil."  There was another tree called "the tree of life." They were free to eat from every tree, including the tree of life; there was only one tree forbidden--the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  They were to trust God, and to express this trust in obedience to His will above their own.  But they distrusted him and trusted in themselves; we inherited their rebellious nature.  But God made a promise, a promise to set them free from the enemy, the evil spirit who had rebelled against God before the rebellion of the first human.  God said, "a son of the woman will crush the head of the snake."  God foretold that one day a man would be born who would destroy the enemy of God and people.

Time passed.  Many were born.  Many nations began.  And a man named Abram was approached by God.  God chose Abram to be the ancestor of the son who would destroy the evil spirit.  Through Abram's descendent all families and nations would be blessed.  God changed Abram's name to Abraham, from "exalted father" to "father of nations," because that is what Abraham would become.  Miraculously, according to God's promise, Abraham had a son, though he was 100 years old, and his barren wife Sarah was 90.  Their son was Isaac.  And Isaac had Jacob and Esau.  And Jacob had 12 sons.  Jacob encountered God, and his name was changed to Israel.  He became the father of the nation of Israel, and his 12 sons became the 12 tribes of Israel.  Judah, one of Jacob's sons, was chosen by God to be the tribe from whom the blessed and promised son would be born.  From Judah, hundreds of years later, came a man named David, who became God's chosen king of Israel.  God promised David that one of his descendants would be the promised son who would save and bless the world.  Hundreds of years passed, and a prophecy came through a prophet named Isaiah, who said a virgin would conceive, as was said earlier.  Jesus was and is the fulfillment of all of these prophecies.

He is the son of the woman who would crush the head of the snake, the evil one.
He is the descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Judah, from the lineage of David, born of a virgin, born of God, the Son of God.

As it is written, He went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, the evil one, the spirit who spoke through a snake in the beginning.  When the time came, Jesus would fulfill His ultimate purpose as the blessing and Savior of the world:

He would die in our place, in every human's place, because every human was born in separation from God, and continued to sin and maintain that separation.  But Jesus died for our sins, for my sins, and for your sins.  He was buried.  And after 3 days, He rose from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is the King and Lord of all things and of everything.

If you, the one reading, will accept who Jesus is and what He did for you, you will become a child of God and live forever, and God's Spirit will live in you, leading you and guiding you, loving you and filling you with love. 

You can accept the Lord Jesus by praying this prayer:

Jesus, I accept you as The Son of God, the Lord of all, that you died in place and rose from the dead.  I accept your Spirit as the Lord and Ruler of my life, from now on.

If you prayed this prayer, let me know in the comments, and we can continue to connect by God's Spirit.

The man who met me on the trail

One day I walked on a greenway and a man approached me, walking towards me. 

"May I walk with you?" 
"But you're going in the opposite direction." 
"I know.  Can we walk together?" 

For some unexplainable reason, I wanted to walk with this guy.  So I did. And we had the best conversation I've ever had in my life. 

He asked me what I was thinking about when he met me on the path.  I was actually thinking about my job and whether I wanted to keep working there.  He understood.  He somehow knew that I really wanted to be a teacher instead of an engineer.  He also knew that my passion was creative writing.  I told him he was right, but that my passion didn't pay the bills.  So he took out the exact amount I needed for an over due bill and gave it to me.  Speechless, I thanked him.  He said it was a gift from God, a down payment guaranteeing that if I trust Him and used my gift of teaching, he would take care of me.  I told him I'd think about it.  He said to pray also, and I agreed to do so. 

When we got to the end of the path, he said goodbye and continued walking, and I turned around to go back to my car.  I walked about 10 steps, looked back, and the man was gone!  Completely gone.  There is no way that could've happened.  The trail was at least another mile ahead if he went straight, or 5 miles ahead if he'd taken the left to the next path on the trail.  Either way, he couldn't have gotten to the end of either path that quickly!  No way. 

He must've been sent from God. 
A messenger. 
An angel. 

I didn't take his visitation lightly.  I quit my job that day...and applied for a job as a high school English teacher.  Three days after I applied, I got a call from the principal, asking if I could start work that day!  He was desperate.  He even offered me an advance to get started.  I accepted the job, remembering my promise...to the angel.

The day Rene was healed

I heard you can heal.
I can't, but God can.  Do you need to be healed?
No.  My daughter.
What's the matter with her?
I can barely tell you without crying.  Will you please come and heal her?  You'll see what's wrong with her.
I'll come.  God will heal her.
How do you know He will?
God blessed me with a gift.  It's His gift of compassion, and His compassion heals.
So He feels bad about my daughter?
He feels infinitely worse than you do.
Then why did He even let it happen in the first place.... I'm sorry. 
It's ok.  Let's go to your daughter.  We can talk after He heals her.
Alright.
***
Rene, can you sit up for a moment?
It's hard daddy.
I know sweetheart. 
It's ok.  She can lay down.  Rene I'm Darren.
Hey.  Why are you crying Darren?  Dad, please stop crying.  I can't stand that I'm hurting you.
We love you Rene.  Your dad.  Me.  And God.
I don't feel like God loves me.  I feel like He hates me.  I feel like I'm going to die.
You're not Rene.  You're not going to die.  In the name of Jesus, who died for you and rose for you, be healed.
Dear God!  Rene!  Your skin!  Your hair!
I feel it daddy!  I'm better!  God made me better!
God thank you!  Thank you Jesus for healing my daughter!  Thank you so much God!  Thank you!
Daddy, I'm better!  I'm not tired!  I don't feel like I want to throw up!  My hair and skin are completely healthy!  God healed me daddy!  He really healed me!  Daddy, where did Darren go?
I don't know sweetie. 
We have to find him.
Ok.  Maybe he's back at the church.
***
God, thank you so much for healing that beautiful girl!  I never get tired of seeing you do that.  Sometimes I have the same question her dad had.  Why do you even let things like this happen in the first place?
Why did I let Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit?  Why did I even make that fruit?  Or why did I allow Lucifer to rebel?
I don't know Lord.
Somethings are mysteries to you son.  But this isn't a mystery:  Evil is possible because of freewill.  The evil of one rebel effects all of creation.  The sin of one man and one woman effects every man and every woman.  I'm allowing evil for now.  But I will destroy it once and for all and forever.
Thank you God.
When Rene and her father come, tell them what I've told you.
Please give me power to tell them.  I'm sure they've heard about freewill before.
I'll be with you.  I'll speak through you.  I love you.
I love you too.

How to be Free from Anxiety and Worry

Do not be anxious or worry about anything, but in all things through prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. ~The Apostle Paul

What do you usually do when you experience anxiety, or when you worry?  I usually can't stop thinking about whatever worries me.  I can't sleep or concentrate.  I'm distracted by what I fear will happen, or by what's happening that I can't stop. 

Is that true for you?

If so, God gives us a way to be free from anxiety and worry.  I know from experience that what I'm about to share is true. 

First, God commands us not to worry or have anxiety.  This means two things:

1. It's not God's will for us to worry or have anxiety, so much so that we are sinning if we do it.   But don't let that discourage you; look at number two.

2. Because God commands us not to worry, we actually have a choice; we have control over worrying or not worrying.  It's up to us. 

So God commands us not to worry.

But He doesn't stop there.  He tells us what to do instead. 

Pray. 

• Thank Him for what we have.
• Ask Him for what we don't have,
• Ask Him to take away whatever we have that is harmful to us.

When we do these things, God promises to replace worry and anxiety with a divine and incomprehensible peace. 

This is an example of how it has happens for me.

Say I'm worrying about a financial need.  I've been sick and I need money for a specific doctor's bill that I just don't have.  I'm beginning to worry.  So I pray, first thanking God for the services the doctor provided, and that I'm actually doing better.  Then I ask God for the specific amount of money I need.  I tell him why I need it (though of course He already knows,) and I tell Him when I need it.  After I've poured out my heart to God, one of three things may happen, resulting in a divine, incomprehensible peace:

1. God provides the money.  Someone feels led by His Spirit to give me the exact amount I need, though I never asked them for it.

2. I no longer feel the need to think about the money, though I can't explain why.  I don't have any money yet.  And I don't know when or if it will come.  But for reasons I can't explain, I feel absolutely no need to think about it any more.

3. The due date for the bill is three days away, and I still have no money, or any guarantee that I will have money.  Yet I still feel no need to think about the bill.

In all three cases, after praying my heart out, I am no longer distracted by thoughts about the money at all, though I can't explain it.  I'm free from anxiety.

You can also be free. 

This is how.

What are you worried about right now?  (Be very specific.)

First, thank God for what you have, for every blessing in your life you can think of, at least two blessings.

Second, tell God exactly what you're worried about and why you're worried about it.

Third, ask him to give you what you lack, and to take away whatever is causing you harm.

Keep asking until you no longer feel distracted by the thoughts at all.  It should feel like a gradual lessening of a need even to pray any more.  Your prayer will fade into thoughts about other things in your life.  You worry will fade away.  This is God's incomprehensible peace.

Satan fleeing

No.

How can you say no to me?

I can. I am.  No.

We'll see.  Time will tell.

Not now.  Not ever.  No.

It's easy to say, but impossible to enforce.

No it's not.  I can choose or refuse you.  Accept or reject you.  I reject you.  Unconditionally.

Whatever.  I'm still here.

It doesn't matter. 

So I don't matter?

My choice matters.

Ok.  Let's look at this another way.

No.

You haven't even heard what I have to say!

I won't. 

Closed minded are we?

I reject you once and for all and forever.  I won't say anything else.

Well then I'll do the talking, how about that?

...

I can talk all night.  All day.  Everyday.

...

You can't go on like this.  Minds snap. Yours will.  All do.  Eventually.

...

I won't be ignored!!

...

Say something!!!

...

How dare you treat me like this!  Like I don't exist!!

...

I won't be disrespected!   I don't deserve it.  I won't take it.  I'm leaving.

...

You'll regret this.  It's your loss.

...

Goodbye...for now.

...

When the Spirit came to Me

I remember the night God's Spirit came to me.  I sat alone, in the dark, in my room, wanting to die-- because I kept on doing the things I hated.  But I remembered something I heard in church about death, sin, and punishment: 

Jesus died for me.

He died for all of the bad things I'd done,

the things I should be punished for. 

Jesus died for me. 

Jesus was punished for me. 

I don't know how I remembered this, but I did.  And so I said these words: 

"I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died for my sins." 

I felt peace cover me like a blanket. 

I no longer wanted to die. 

The Spirit was with me and in me, giving me life and peace.

The next time the Spirit came to me was when I shared Jesus with my whole class.  I wanted them to experience the life and peace the Spirit gave me through believing in Jesus.  So I planned a message for my class.  And on the day that I spoke to them, the Spirit covered me, like he did on that night.  But on that day it was very different.  It was like warm water I couldn't see being poured slowly on my head. 

The invisible water gave me a super power to think, see, and hear like God does.  My words flowed easily and powerfully.  No one talked while I spoke, and at the end everyone stood up and clapped their hands.  God was with me while I spoke.  He gave me power to speak, and everyone who heard me felt it and knew it.  The Spirit was with me when I spoke, giving everyone who wanted it life and peace.

The Spirit is with me now as you hear these words.  Just as He was with me on the night I believed in Jesus, and on the day I shared Jesus with my class, He's with me now. 

He can be with you if you want Him to. 

(All images are from google images.)

The Man in the Corner (Part 2)

How'd it go?
I don't even know where to begin.  First, do you want to order something?
I will in a minute.  Begin wherever you want, if you want.
Well, I called her after I got off work that day we talked.  (Thanks again for that.)  We talked for an hour and a half.
Deep things?
Very.  She's actually an intensely deep thinker.
How'd you find out?
I did what you said.  I just told her what I wanted, and she said she wanted the same thing.
What took you both so long to find out.
We were both scared.
Of what?
Of being hurt or rejected.  She'd been turned down by her first boyfriend because he thought she was too serious.  The same thing happened to me with my first girlfriend.
And you both never dated again?
Well, neither of us really date...at least we didn't after our first loves.
What do you both do?
We both want a best friend...who we could see ourselves having sex with everyday.
That's interesting.
Yeah.  In other words, we want to be married.
To each other?
We didn't get that far, but we're heading in that direction.
I'm glad to hear that the conversation went so well...better than you both expected, it seems.
Much better.  Are you ready to order?
Actually, I need to see a menu.
Really?  You've never looked at one before.
I think I'll have a meal this time.
That's good.  If you'll be here for a while, I want to ask you another question.
Ask me whatever you want.

The Man in the Corner (Part1)

Always in the corner of the coffeshop where I'm a waiter, he sat.  Sipping cider.  Seeing.  Senses serene.  I liked lingering.  Listening.  Asking him for wisdom.  He freely gave it.  Especially today.

I don't know if she's the one.
It's hard to tell based on your relationship so far.
Exactly.
What makes it hard?
I don't know.  In some ways I'm attracted to her.  In others, she's somewhat annoying.
Like someone you couldn't see yourself living with.
Or being good friends with.
But she's attractive.
Very.
How attractive?
I can't take my eyes off of her.
She entrances you.
Her face.  Her voice.  Her hands.  I can't keep my eyes or hands off of her.
How does she feel about you?
I don't know.
If you had to guess.
She lets me gaze at her, touch her, admire her.
She seems to like you liking her.
It seems like it.
And how does she show that she likes you?
She gazes back, touches me back, returns my affection.
So the affection is mutual.
Very.
What about the conversation?
I like to laugh with her.  She's hilarious.
She's fun to be around.
Very much so.
What annoys you?
I think it's that we don't talk about deep things.  She's too fun loving.
And you want depth?
I need it.
And she doesn't.
That's the thing.  I don't know. 
You're very honest about not knowing things.
Thank you.  What do you think I should do?
What do you do when you need to know something?
I find out.
How?
I look it up on line, or ask people who know things...like I'm doing with you.
Who would know things about her?
She would, of course.
Of course.
Yeah.  I guess I should just tell her what I'm feeling. 
Let me know how it goes.
I will.  Thank you for listening.
You're welcome.  Thank you for sharing yourself with me.

Home with the Setting Sun

silent still sun
soothing solitude
solitary sunrays

holy home
humble heaven
haven harmony

silent still sunset
soothing soundlessness
signs sent

holy heavenly home
humble haven
happy solitary harmony

God's voice, or your imagination?

My daughter asked me how she could tell the difference between God speaking to her and her own thoughts.  This is what I told her.

It is written, "God's ways are not your ways, and God's thoughts are not your thoughts; as high as the heavens are above the earth, so are God's ways above your ways, and God's thoughts above your thoughts."  So focus on three things:

1. You are not God.
I told my daughter this:  the question, "How can I tell if God is speaking to me or if it's my own mind," assumes that you can think something so...profound(?), or whatever, that you couldn't tell the difference between your thoughts and God's, as if there may not be a difference.  But there is a difference!  You are not God, and God is not you.  Not only that, but something else.

2. You are mind isn't God's mind.
I told my daughter this:  Not only are you clearly "not God," but your mind is infinitely inferior to His.  God's mind, intelligence, creativity, and reasonability are infinitely above yours.  Which means this:  all you have to do is think, and you can know that whatever you thought, God didn't, by definition, for this reason:

3.  You can't know God's thoughts unless he reveals them.
It is also written, "No one knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of the person in them, and no one knows God's thoughts expect the Spirit of God."  In the same way that people can't read each others' minds, no one can read God's mind, or know His thoughts, unless He reveals them.  So again, if you are thinking about something, it's clearly you thinking about it.  If you can come up with it, it's not God.  And if you have any doubt as to whether a thought came from you or God, it didn't come from God.  Because God's thoughts are infinitely above yours, you can be certain that if He reveals His thoughts to you, it would be undeniably irresistibly clear.

I told my daughter, "If you don't know if it's God speaking to you, then it's not."

Your Power

"The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit."  Proverbs 18:21

Think of something someone said that hurts you, even now...if it's not too painful. 

Now think of something someone said that changed your life. 
Or something someone said still affecting your life. 

If it helps, I'll go first.

I'll actually start with something someone didn't say.  In one of the hardest times of my life, I called my dad, hoping to see him.  It was a horrible conversation.  But I at least wanted it to end well.  So I said, "Dad, I'm sorry if this conversation is bothersome to you.  I'm going to have to go now, and I want you to know that I love you."

My dad didn't respond.

"Dad, I love you."

"I hear you son."

Then more silence. 

Then I hung up.

My dad never said, "I love you too, son."  Now, of course, he didn't say, "I DON'T love you, son."  But he might as well.  His silence, his simply "hearing" me, could've killed me.  This is because "the tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit."  My dad spoke death.  Years earlier my mom spoke life.

I was in college, or about to go to college.  I was still living with my mom at the time, and we were in her room together.  She was grading papers, and I can't remember what I was doing.  Then, for no apparent reason, she said, "Son, I want you to know that nothing is wrong with you.  I know you've been trying to find someone to love and you haven't yet.  But I want you to know that nothing is wrong with you."  She spoke life to me by the power of her tongue.  Maybe even resurrection.  I didn't know I was dead.  I'd never said or thought to myself, "Something is wrong with me."  But I realized that I must have been assuming it, in despair, in a quiet depression.  Until my mother told me nothing was wrong with me.  I still enjoy the fruit of the power of her words.  What about you?

Now that I've told you the words in my life that killed me and brought me back to life, what words do you remember?  What words of death and resurrection?  Even more importantly, or maybe more importantly, what words have you spoken that killed or resurrected someone? 

If you've killed someone with your words, there's still hope.  Your words not only have the power to kill, but also to give life.  Your apology may raise someone from the dead. 

Now think of someone one you love.  What can you say to give them life, or bring them back to life?  If you thought of words that gave you life, think of why those words impacted you.  How you can you do the same for someone else?  

Take note of the answer; it is your power.

The Spirit in Their House

May I ask you something?
What do you want to know?
I notice you don't seem stressed out when things are crazy around here at work.  Why is that?
When things are stressful, I pray.
To who?
Jesus.
And He answers you?
Yes, He does Marvin.
How do you know?
The peace you see when things are crazy.
I want that.  How do you get it?
If you want to come over to my house tonight, we can have more time to talk.
Can I bring my wife and kids?
I'd love that...let me call my wife first to make sure we're ready.
I understand.

***

Come in Marvin.
Brandon, this is my wife Katrina.  Katrina, Brandon.
Thank you for inviting us.  Marvin speaks highly of you.
You're welcome.  I appreciate Marvin's respect.
This is Fallon, our youngest; she's 10, and Garrison, our oldest, 13.
Nice to meet you both.
Nice to meet you too.
Come on in.  You can all sit where you want.  I'll call our kids down.

Lindsey is our oldest, she's 15.  Next is Nicole, 13, and Paul, 9.  Kids, say hi to Brandon, Katrina, Fallon, and Garrison.

Hey.
Hello.
Hi.
Nice to meet you.
You too.


Everyone, Marvin wanted to know why I have peace when things are crazy at work.  I told him it's because of Jesus.  We're here for Marvin's family to meet the Lord.  He can best explain the peace He gives.

How are we going to meet Him?
His Spirit, Katrina.  His Spirit is in me and my family, and He's in this house.  You felt Him when you came in.

How did you know we felt Him?
Did you?
Well, we actually did, but we couldn't put into words what we felt.
Describe it, as best as you can.
....well, it actually does feel like an invisible person is in your house, kind of everywhere in the house, but in no specific place.

I know what Katrina means.  I actually feel the same way when I'm around you at work Brandon.  I never thought about it fully until Katrina described how your house feels. 

That's the Lord.  It's His Spirit.
We want Him in us, in our house, and in our lives.  How can that happen?
Ask Him.  Invite Him.  And He'll come.
That's all?
That's it...well, with this understanding.  He's God.  Not just any guest.  He actually owns you and your house and family already.  When you're welcoming Him, you're accepting the truth of who He is.  Are you willing to do that?

Yes, we are.
You can do it now.