Restart vs Starting All Over, or I Interrupt a Lot

“Stop. Stop the video,” my son instructed his sister. “Now we have to start over from the beginning.” You could hear the exasperation and disappointment in his voice.
“Oh, man. I’m so sorry guys,” I apologized.

My kids were making a video for one of their Youtube channels, and I had just interrupted their scripted scene. Mind you, they’re young and their scripted scene just looked like throwing stuff in the floor and jumping on the couch. I must have interrupted their filming 3 or 4 times. I was the Wreck it Ralph of YouTube recording.

Every time they’d get interrupted, my son would say, “Now we have to start over from the beginning.” It took me a minute before I understood what he meant. They would start their video over from the very beginning of their script every time something unexpected happened. A sound was weird- Start all over. Mom or Dad interrupted- Start all over. Something didn’t go right- Start all over.

Hebrews 6:10 (NKJV) “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.”

I chimed in, “You don’t have to start over. You can just pick up where you left off, and edit the videos together.”
“Really?” he asked. “Oh, man. That’s so much easier.”

Restarting is much easier than starting all over. Restarting is picking up where you left off. Somewhere along the line, I got it in my head that when I sin that I start over from scratch. I thought that’s how sin and forgiveness worked. I could be forgiven, but I thought forgiveness was resetting and starting all over, and all my good works up to that point was blown away. But that’s not how God works. He’s not unjust to forget what you’ve done. Forgiveness is a restart, not a reset.

When forgiveness is a reset, it’s easy to get disheartened like my son was getting, thinking that he had to start all over from the beginning. If you trip and fall in the parking lot at work, you don’t have to go all the way back to the door and start again, right? You get up where you are, dust yourself off, and keep walking to your car. Thank God, forgiveness is a restart. Forgiveness is getting picked up and cleaned up, and starting from where you left off.

Finding Your Purpose In Life: Simple Version

Maybe I’m the only weirdo out there who struggles with “What’s my purpose in life?” What’s that one thing I’m supposed to do? It’s a heavy question and that question can put a lot of pressure on you. If you struggle with the same questions, hopefully the following will help you and take some of the pressure off:

Titus 1:3 (NKJV) “…but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior…”– Emphasis mine
Matthew 25:14-15 (NKJV) “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.” Emphasis mine

Paul was given his specific purpose from God. On the road to Damascus, Paul had a supernatural experience. It was in that experience that the Lord Himself gave Paul his purpose in life- “This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel” Acts 9:15. If God has given you a specific task as He did Paul, the answer to ‘What is my purpose or mission in life’ is already answered. Good for you. Go forward and tackle your mission with all you’ve got. Maybe He’s only given you one piece of what to do: “Go there.” Ok, go there and read what follows.

Me- I keep waiting for one of those supernatural ‘This is what I’m supposed to do in life’ experiences. Maybe you’re doing the same thing. The problem is if we sit around waiting for that, we’re going to miss out completely. I think for most of us, or most of the time, we’re given talents, gifts, and abilities, and it’s up to us to make something of them. We scream out to God, “What is my purpose in life?”, and I think He answers, “I’ve given you talents. You show me what your purpose is.”

For me, that was a radical shift in thinking. “What is my purpose” is less a question to God, and more a question to myself. Do an inventory: what are your gifts, talents, and abilities? What are your interests? What do you want to do in life? Use the answers to those questions to answer the question that God is asking: “I’ve given you talents. What is the purpose of your life going to be?”

Quick Bites: Buffered, or Jesus

Most of my posts are a bit long, but I’ve decided to keep this one short and sweet. I may start a series of ‘Short and Sweet’ posts called Quick Bites. We’ll play it by ear. With that being said, here we go:

2 Timothy 1:1-2 (NKJV) “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,To Timothy, a beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.”

2 Timothy 4:22 (NKJV) “The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.”

At the beginning of 2nd Timothy, there is Jesus and grace. At the end of the book, there is Jesus and grace. The whole thing has Jesus and grace as its bookends. That got me thinking: my story is much the same.

For those of us who have believed on His name, behind us and before us we are buffered by Jesus and by grace. It’s the beginning of our story, and it’s the end of our story. It is our current present, our redeemed past, and our sure future. Where Jesus and grace are present, there is hope and life. Enjoy the overflowing life that He brings to you.

Smelling Like a Dead Rat that Ate a Dead Possum, or Effective

“Is that all you’ve got? Really? That’s all you’ve got?”
‘That’s kind of a jerk question, now isn’t it?‘ I thought.
I had already hammered out fifty push ups. I’ve never been a big, sporty kind of guy. Fifty push-ups is getting things done, in my opinion. If someone hammers out fifty push-ups, and you ask them if that’s all they’ve got…I’m just saying, that’s a jerk move. Unless you’re a Drill Sergeant. Drill Sergeants are masters of motivational insults.
“You better give me 25 more!”
The muscles in my arms felt like they were being slowly transfigured into gelatin. ‘I wonder if this is the wrong time to explain to Drill Sergeant that I’ve obviously been bred as a lover and not a fighter,‘ I pondered.

Army Basic Training is an entirely strange experience. There’s a lot of yelling. A lot. You kind of get used to the volume, after a while. The very first paradigm shift in the journey from civilian to soldier is yelling.

And then comes the running. You run everywhere. You run to the bathroom. You run to the chow hall. You run to get to a place where they tell you that you’re at the wrong place, and then you run some more. The military is no place for jogging. Everything is done at a dead sprint. I really hate running.

And finally, there are push-ups. There’s an insane amount of push-ups to be done. You could be excused for wondering if wars are actually carried out by opposing forces challenging each other to push-up competitions. Push-ups become like breathing in air, something your body starts to do instinctively without even being told to do so. Do something right? Push-ups. Do something wrong? Push-ups. Oh, it’s time for bed? Push-ups. Just got out of the shower and for the first time all day you don’t smell like a dead rat that ate a dead possum? Push-ups.

It wasn’t immediately apparent, the combined effect of all the running and all the push-ups. But somewhere in the middle of the yelling, and the running, and the push-ups, a change was happening. Somehow, I got muscles. I couldn’t feel it or see it when it was happening, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t happening. I had been changed without even recognizing it.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NKJV) “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.”

I think maybe God’s word works the same way. Somehow, God’s word starts a work in us. The transformation may not be instant and obvious. All change takes time and effort. But just like the cumulative effect of hours of running and hundreds of push-ups work to transform a body and its muscles, the word of God works in us to produce change, and produce fruit.

So, stay in the word. Don’t get discouraged over slow progress or if you’re not seeing the results right away. The word you read may not produce a measurable change in you today. Today’s word may be the change you see in tomorrow or next week. God’s word is effective. He’s still working on you.

The Devil Wears Prada, or Clothed

The Donnie Uniform. That’s what they called it. I got the idea from Albert Einstein. The story goes that Einstein had multiples of the same suit so he wouldn’t have to think about what he was going to wear. There were more important things to think about. He found a suit he liked, bought enough of them so that he could wear them every day, and he went on with life. Genius.

A gray suit. That was Einstein’s uniform. The Donnie Uniform consisted of jeans, a black Fruit of the Loom t-shirt with pocket, and black Converse Chuck Taylor tennis shoes. It was glorious. There was no ‘what do I wear today’ conundrum to solve. It was comfortable, functional, affordable, and socially acceptable for the job I had at the time. Problem = Solved.

Colossians 3:12-13 “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.”

I think we can see the seed of Einstein’s idea in Colossians 3. Isn’t that what Paul is telling us? Paul is basically saying, ‘Make the decision about what you’re going to wear, and let that be the end of it. But do it where it counts.’ You’re going to wear something, spiritually speaking: love or pride, forgiveness or holding grudges, longsuffering or a short temper.

What if I put on mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering. Forgiveness. What if I wore forgiveness every day and wore kindness every day? What if that was the Donnie Uniform, or the You Uniform? What kind of impact would that have at home, at work, at church, or even the grocery store checkout line?

Torture in the Form of a Brain Teaser Wooden Puzzle, or Positive Thinking

“It’s impossible,” I said. It was some sadistic third world dictator who created this wooden puzzle. It was mental torture disguised as a puzzle. Easy enough to take apart, but then you have a gazillion little wooden pieces lying around with no way of knowing how they all fit back together. If I’m being honest, I thought the point of the whole thing was to get it taken apart. I didn’t know you were supposed to then put it back together.
“You gotta think positive, man,” he replied.
“I’m absolutely positive that this is impossible,” I countered. I crack myself up sometimes.

Psalm 19:14 (NKJV) “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.”

With God, nothing is impossible. Let your thoughts and words and thoughts be of hope, of faith, of truth, and of love. Those are acceptable. It’s not ‘positive thinking’ babble and tricks. With God, it’s truth. With Christ, all things are possible. With Christ, there is hope at every turn, strength and sure redemption.

That’s positively the truth.

12 Bags of Groceries and I Don’t Know Where I Put my Keys, or Rejoice

Honest sharing time: I get overwhelmed. I’m not talking the “I just went to the grocery store so I have 12 bags of groceries in my hands and now I have to figure out how to unlock and open the front door to bring everything in without slinging food everywhere” kind of overwhelmed. Come to think of it, that’s how it feels sometimes, though. I think we should start defining our day or how we’re feeling in terms of bags of groceries.

I mean, some days are 2 bag kind of days where everything is going your way and you feel well equipped to get everything done. You could even handle a little bit more, right? Only a 2 bag kind of day.
Other days are 12 bags with a gallon of milk, a sack of potatoes, and for some reason you have your keys in your back pocket and there is no way you’re getting in that back pocket without slinging canned goods down the driveway kind of days. If we’re being real, life gets heavy.

If you’re not careful, you can find yourself shouldering a heavy load, and sometimes, the load you’re shouldering wasn’t meant for you to carry (certainly not carry alone).

Zechariah 10:6-7 (NKJV) “I will strengthen the house of Judah, And I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back, Because I have mercy on them. They shall be as though I had not cast them aside; For I am the Lord their God, And I will hear them. Those of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, And their heart shall rejoice as if with wine. Yes, their children shall see it and be glad; Their heart shall rejoice in the Lord.”

The load for your family and for your future isn’t yours to bear along. Sometimes it can feel like you’ve been cast aside. But, God is there to help you. And He will help you. He wants to help you; He wants your children to see Him move in your life. Then they’ll know He’ll be there for them as well.

Whether its a 2 bag day or a 12 bag plus more kind of day, God is for you. God’s will is to strengthen you. God’s will is mercy. God’s will is for you and your family to be close with Him. Keep working with Him. You’re not in this alone. You will rejoice. He said “shall” rejoice. Not ‘might rejoice.’ Not ‘could rejoice.’ Not ‘probably rejoice.’ He said you shall rejoice, as in “it’s gonna happen cap’n.”

The Future is Full of Robots and Zombies, or Prosperous

I could tell that this was one of those moments: One of those moments that you look back on and either say, “I nailed it,” or you say, “Man, I blew it.” I mean, you could feel destiny in the moment.
So I leaned forward, looked him straight in the eye, and I told the guy, “In the end, there’s really only two options: getting eaten by zombies or being enslaved by robots. What’s the worst that could happen?”
Nailed it.
Admittedly, I am the world’s worst motivational speaker. And this is the reason why no one comes to me for life advice.

If folks of my generation know anything, it’s that the future holds only two options: being eaten by zombies or being enslaved by robots. Technology will turn against us (Terminator, Terminator 2, The Matrix Trilogy), and if that doesn’t do us in, zombies will (World War Z, Zombieland, Pride and Prejudice & Zombies).

Kidding. Well, Pride and Prejudice & Zombies is a real movie. But kidding about zombies. We all know it’s aliens that will do us in. KIDDING. I’m kidding, people. Except about the robots. I’m watching you, Google. I know what you’re up to, and I’m watching. Still Kidding.

I don’t know that I’ve seen a movie set in the future that’s all roses and rainbows. Even Back to The Future was dark. And I get it. Read the room: wars, corruption, lack of resources, disparity, racism, inequality, and etc. When the present is turmoil, you’d have to be nuts or have some kind of insider information to be optimistic about the future. Right?

Zechariah 8:12-13 (NIV) “The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew. I will give all these things as an inheritance to the remnant of this people. ¹³Just as you, Judah and Israel, have been a curse among the nations, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong.”

I present to you, my friends, insider information (link goes to https://dailyverses.net/blessing). As believers, we are the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16). Never forget that circumstances don’t get the final say over you. God’s plan is to bless you and to see you prosper. I’m not talking ‘all your wildest dreams will come true‘ prosperity shenanigans. Don’t get that twisted. In this life we will have trouble. But God’s plan is that the outcome of that trouble will be blessing, strength, and an abundant relationship with Him.

For us in Christ, our future is bright. It is a future of blessing. It is a bright future. Your job, as His sheep, is to stick with the Shepherd. He’ll take care of the rest. When all else are getting attacked by robot zombies, you can rest assured that isn’t your fate. You’ve got a bright future ahead of you. Be strong. You’ve got this.

Stealing From the Best, or I Took Notes

Dr. Tim Hill was at our church this past Sunday to honor our pastor on Pastor Appreciation Day. We have a fantastic senior pastor, and it was fitting to have another outstanding man of God to be there to celebrate him on his special day. No funny stories, or witty analogies today. Just stealing some thoughts from Dr. Hill, and passing along some things he shared with us.

In 1 Samuel chapter 30, David is having one of the worst days of his life. Dr. Hill shared several things that David did, and he encouraged us to follow in those footsteps:

David wept. On the worst day of his life to that point, David wept. It’s OK to weep. We have a high priest that knows not just what we’re going through, but how it feels. Sometimes it hurts to heal. We’re not robots. We’re people and God created us with emotions. It’s OK to weep. David was a bad mama-jama, a warrior, a king among men, God’s anointed; David wept.
David waited on God. He didn’t rush off into battle. He waited until he heard from God and made sure he followed God’s will. Wait for God to direct you.
David worshiped. David wrote songs; he danced. Don’t let the enemy steal your worship even on your worst day.
David went to war. David recovered all that was taken because he went to war. Pray. Go to war using the weapons God has given us. Don’t sit idly by waiting for God to hand you everything back on a silver platter. You have a part to play. Go to war. Go to war for the things that matter: lost souls, your family, your children.
Win. David won and recovered all, and God can give you victory. God can let you recover things you thought were long gone and destroyed. The same God that gave David victory is the same God who’s Spirit dwells in you. Expect to win.

The Amazing Disappearing Cucumbers, or Deer

I couldn’t carry it all back to the house in one trip. It was just too much. Overflowing out of my arms, cucumbers were everywhere. I pulled up the front of my shirt as a makeshift basket, but it was still too much to bring in at one time.

Looking back at our adventures in gardening, after us moving back to the city, I’d say it was a success…especially for the deer. We fed the deer incredibly well that last year we had a garden.

They’re magicians. Deer are super spies who could break into the most secured location. Our garden might as well been an all you can eat buffet with a large neon sign over top. They enjoyed the best the land could offer: flavorful cucumbers, huge squash, plump raspberries. The peach trees were decimated. They ate the cucumber vines down to stubs. We got a couple good hauls before the deer claimed the rest as their own. Funny enough, they left the sweet potatoes alone.

Side note: What’s the deal with sweet potatoes? It’s like some marketing scheme against normal potatoes: Sweet potato fries, sweet potato this, sweet potato that. Deer won’t even eat them, people. I’m not falling for the marketing hype.

#myfriesaintorange
Kidding. Mostly.

Habakkuk 3:17-19 (NKJV) “Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls—Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills.”

What do you do when you’re laboring and not seeing fruit come from it? What do you do when you’re serving and ministering and doing all the right things, but there’s still no fruit to show for it?

Rejoice. Remember, it’s not about fruit for fruit’s sake. It’s about Jesus. Your relationship with Jesus, staying in close contact with Him, is the one non-negotiable of every day. Take time, schedule it if you have to. Fight for it. Push back the drum of life and rejoice in your salvation and the God of Our Salvation. There is joy and peace in Him. Rejoice.

Why? Because God is our strength. Because we of all people have cause for joy- we have salvation and right standing with God. Because circumstances don’t get the final decision or call over your life. God does. Life and destination doesn’t depend all on us. Do your best. Prepare. Work hard. Do the right thing. But realize that the results are God’s.

In Habakkuk we learn that even if everything around you turns to ash, even if every seed planted dies before it bears fruit, even if every avenue of sustenance fails, God is able. If you stay with Him, He will make your feet like deer’s feet, and let me tell you, those jokers can go where they want. You may go through the valley of the shadow of death, but God will bring you out of the valley to walk on high hills. Your destiny and ultimate destination aren’t the valley; your destiny and destination are high places.