A Christ Follower: The Journey

     The latest job report was not so good today.  7.6% unemployment.  Wow!  If you are one of those folks losing a job or part of one, this has to sting like a scorpion. If the ax all ready fell on you, then you know exactly what I mean.  And if you are waiting for the fatal blow on your livelihood, your anxiety level has to be high indeed.      Back in the day (You can tell a writer is getting older when he says things like this) For you text junkies... BITD...  (1995 to be exact) I went through a build down of my own.  I lost just about everything.  I lost the job and or ministry I loved more than anything.  I had to sell my home, and I had to go do something I dreaded with virtually NO support.  What made this worse than anything else is that, like many men, my identity was wrapped up in what I did.  I believed this lie completely.  So, needless to say I lost my identity; therefore, I began to see myself as a failure. (Yet another lie)... less than other men, (again a lie)  I saw n...

   God is our refuge and our strength, a present help in time of need.   Psalm 46:1 When the whole world seems to be crumbling around us, there is a refuge.  When things are changing so fast we feel unable to find stability, there is strength.  When the river of life, in which our journey flows, becomes a raging rapid and a tumultuous flooding tirade of trouble and we cannot see beyond the bends and the rocks, there is help right now and right here in our present day. Trouble never takes God by surprise.  Though we may feel unprepared, unsure, insignificant, insane and out of control in this small raft or our own abilities, a Strong and Almighty hand is reaching toward us, offering us the stability and shelter of the Solid Rock.  That Rock is still Jesus the Christ. He knows our circumstances.  He knows our insecurities.  He knows our weakness, and He knows our inabilities.  Indeed... He knows more about us and our flaws than we know ourselves.  Now because He lives, even in our most ...

We live in a world of connection and disconnection.  Some of these connections are delightful and life giving, and others are dyfuntional an problematic.  Yesterday, and a few days before, I connected in ways I have never done with my family.  Vicki and I "rang them up."  That is right.  We opened up my handy dandy little old apple computer, and after we connected, I had before my very eyes those precious grandchildren and children.  As we talked, the picture was so vivid and real that our little granddaughter, Alex wanted "Mac" and me to tickle her feet.  Now they are about 1000 miles away, and yet we could see them face to face in a moment in the twinkling of an eye.  We also got to talk with Grace & Jack and later talked with Zac  and Julie.   The big experiment came when we tried to connect with my Dad in  Alabama (The Birmingham area.)  Usually a phone call with him lasts only a few minutes and he is ready to go. Hi focus is not what it use to be.  His mem...

The Psalmist once said, "Some trust in chariots and some trust in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD! " Now comes to the office of the President of The United States of America a biracial man whom some have recklessly  called "Messiah." This is INDEED a GREAT historical day! He is indeed The President of The United States of America.  He is my President, and I will support him completely in any policy that is keeping with God's law and the sacred Word of HIM who is really the Messiah, even Jesus.  This God and HIS Word have been instrumental in making our nation great.  Therefore, I will question anything contrary to either God's Law or God's Word.  I will do so with great respect for the office of the presidency and the man in the office... unlike many acted disgracefully when they disagreed with our previous President who left office today.   Now, when we think of Psalm 20:7 written above, we might say it the following way:  "Some ...

Many in today's generation don't remember Island Hopping, Doolittle's Raiders, A Bridge Too Far, D Day, The Battle For Britain and or Blitz Krieg .  Long forgotten is Pork Chop Hill. Starting to fade are the memories of Da Nang and China Beach.  The Black Hawk Down heroism is fading before our very eyes.  They are being replaced with Desert war and the present day dangers of the Mid East.  Sadly only a few in America appreciate the gravity of our time. Yet everyday, as I walk the halls of MVAMC , I see Veterans who have bought and paid for the freedoms of generations still yet to come. Some are still young who stepped up right after what we now call 911.  They volunteered to serve.  Some are VERY young who have followed in the foot steps of their older brothers and sisters in arms.  Some are getting older like me.   And others are my Dad's age.  Some are not even able to respond any longer to my conversations or blessings and prayers I give for them, much less be a pa...

All the reports (psychiatric, therapeutic , physical, spiritual... ALL of them!)  were good, and by last Saturday night, it was determined that the warrior would go home... or at least half way anyway.  He could go to his sisters home for a while and take the next steps to make it all the way back home. Everyone cautiously had to admit he was ready. What surprised me today was the Psychiatrist report: It was lengthy and expressed in great detail how this man's turn came after he "met with the Chaplain."  Something happened to him that could not be denied.  2 1/2 years of nightmares had stopped completely.  Anxiety dropped dramatically.  Combativeness was no where to be found.  He could now forgive himself for letting his young Marine, whom he was to keep alive, die. He could walk his way out of the survivor guilt. He could now work on forgiving his wife and anyone else against whom he held a grudge.  He had learned through his encounter with Jesus the power of forgiveness...

There is no greater source of power or peace than that which the Lord provides when we surrender our lives.  This is especially true of   "fixers." You may ask, "What in the heck is a "fixer?"  Well I am glad you asked.  A "fixer" is one who has the propensity to go around trying to fix things to be sure things in life are just right.  Some "fixers" try to fix things that "ain't" broke.  Another name for a "fixer" is "rescuer." Still another name is a "controller." Anybody out there have control issues?"  The GOOD NEWS is that even "fixers" can be fixed from their fixing ways and allow the freedom of God's grace to work in mysterious ways to bring balance to the fixers life.   Psalm 10:17 said it this way as it speaks of the Almighty: "YOU will prepare their hearts."   The fact is that we cannot fix or change anyone but ourselves, and that even happens only btgog...