The City of Mobile Budget Crisis

  Like most cities in the United States, the city of Mobile is facing difficult times. For the last two years the Mayor and council have been battling over the Mayor's desire to raise the sales tax rate to 10 percent. The city of Mobile already has one of the highest sales tax rates in the nation but Mayor Sam Jones has despite several rejections continually assaulted the council and the citizens of Mobile with endless requests for what he has deceptively called the 'penny tax'.

  For much of the last several months, the official line on the need for the increased taxation was the Mayor's assumption that we would be 29 million dollars in the hole for the coming fiscal year. For months at various council and finance committee meeting we have heard this figure debated despite little evidence for the 'magic number' of 29 million in deficit. Finally after much wrangling an independent and volunteer finance committee from each district came to the conclusion that the figure was inaccurate and that the deficit was more likely around 2 million at most. The 29 million figure was arrived at by various decisions arbitrarily made by the Mayor and his staff to jack up the deficit none of which were required by law or necessity. The political cries of Mobile 'going down in flames ' to quote District 1 representative Fred Richardson have left the frightened and frustrated public wondering who to trust with their money. Is there a severe deficit? For what reason exactly are we being asked to pay 10 percent on every purchase we make in the city including food and medicine?

  Last night (August 23rd) I attended an open meeting hosted by City Councilwoman Bess Rich of District 6 to discuss the budget crisis with Mayor Sam Jones and several other important city officials in attendance including 2 members of the volunteer finance committee. The Mayor introduced an entirely new set of reasons for increasing our taxes... instead of 'going down in flames' like the old disaster film 'Towering Inferno', Mobile was now on the precipice of becoming 'Fantasy Island'. But in order to transform our fair city into a 'world class city' (quoting Mayor Sam Jones) We would need to give the city of Mobile millions more in tax revenue so they could 'invest' it in development projects related to the Airbus 'incentives' and Brookley field complex infrastructure. The change in script was massive and bold. We were no longer beggars in need of a cash infusion to survive...we were now wise and savvy business investors  sure to get a return if we would just pay for everything and trust the administration to handle our increased tax burden wisely...never mind that empty cruise terminal, debt laden and often empty convention center, the old and worn Civic Center, the maritime museum,  the mismanagement at Ladd Pebbles and the city owned baseball stadium that doesn't pay rent for years..... just trust the city leaders.... or not.

  We were told by the Mayor and his minions that we would be needing to fork over millions of dollars now and for the foreseeable future to not miss this unique opportunity to better our city. We would see that increased tax revenue used as collateral to borrow even more money by issuing bonds. But don't worry it's a good investment... says the Mayor.

  The trouble is that multiple other cities have tried this formula and are now going into bankruptcy all over our nation (simply Google city bankruptcy and make a special note of California). Taking on more debt when we're struggling with an ongoing recession seems a very risky proposition to me. I agree that Airbus coming to Mobile is potentially a game changer in our local economy. I just question the suppositions put forth by the Mayor in his approach to leadership and management. For months we are told of dire consequences if not doom without an increasing revenue stream. Now we are told we are going to use our budget to create a new 'world class city' right here, right now. Excuse me if I doubt the wisdom of this proposition. Should not our priorities and focus be on the failing basic core services struggling so hard to be delivered: Police, Fire, Sanitation and a public pension system deeply in debt?

  The citizens of Mobile need to be aware of the Mobile budget situation in detail and communicate with intelligence with their council and Mayor. We already pay some of the highest sales tax in the nation. Could at least some of our problems relate to poor management and prioritization? Could it be that the current Mayor and his administration have lacked a consistent focus (other than asking for more money)? We are living in a challenging economy together. I don't know a single person or business entity that is not watching their budget very carefully and with great caution. As a concerned citizen I deeply believe that before we are asked to pay more in taxes we need to know that the priorities of our city leaders are honest, wise and prudent. There are more questions to be asked and answered before our city is granted a 10 percent sales tax.

A Sustainable Life

  For the last couple of days I've been thinking about the word sustainable. The dictionary definition tells us that a sustainable life is one that is able to be supported with the basic necessities or sufficient funds. A sustainable way of life is one that is able to be kept going or maintained.  Is your life and the vision you have for it sustainable?

  In 1992 I traveled to London to study at the Institute of Ophthalmology to obtain a diploma in Community Eye Health. One of the lessons driven home by all the learning there was that whatever we were going to do in the area of health care in the developing world needed to be sustainable. So many good works begin with great zeal but end with great disappointment. What happened? In the gospel of Luke chapter 14 we hear the wisdom of Jesus about sustainability, "But don't begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first getting estimates and then checking to see if there is enough money to pay the bills? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of funds. And then how everyone would laugh at you! They would say, 'There's the person who started the building and ran out of money before it was finished!'"


  A sustainable life is built on something much deeper than an emotional response to need or opportunity.  There will always be deep needs all around us. Emotions can drive us and lead us to places that are not sustainable and contradictory to a defined vision for our lives. Have you ever met someone who was very busy but never got anything done... or at least not done well? The 'tyranny of the urgent' is in fact the routine operating procedure of someone driven by emotional impulse. We are meant to be led by the Spirit of God and not  driven and controlled by emotions.

  A sustainable life vision needs to include an honest and transparent 'cost analysis' of what it is you are moving in the direction of accomplishing.  As I write this the world is transfixed by the intense beauty and physical accomplishment of the world's great Olympic athletes. We see great speed, strength and agility on display in seemingly effortless performances. But the cost of participating in the Olympics involves years of daily sacrifice and discipline. Great athletes know that for every goal there are corresponding disciplines that require saying NO to what others can easily say YES to. They daily face down peers and have to say no to late nights... no to dietary temptations....no to distractions and anything that might take them off the path toward athletic excellence.

  A disciplined life is a response to an inward vision and direction for our lives. When we know where we're going and what we desire in life...we can exercise an appropriate discipline and lifestyle. (See Proverbs 29:18) We need to have a vision for our lives that has the 'long view' of what our life might look across our entire life span. You will not always have the same physical and mental sharpness that you have at a particular age. We need to make a sustainable plan for our life goals that will get us to the finish line across the decades.  So many careers, relationships and visions for life falter as we age or unforeseen circumstances interrupt our 'life script'.  Perhaps even now you're facing adversity or difficulties that you could have never imagined even a short time ago. Your soul is weary and your emotions are frazzled. What to do now?

  The ability to live a sustainable life of meaning and purpose depends on a source beyond ourselves
You do have strength and purpose built into your soul. The emotions and will of men and women are remarkably strong and resilient....but there are limits. We need a life built upon the Spirit and not just our bodies and soul. In Isaiah chapter 40 we read of a sustainable source of power and strength that every person can draw upon, "He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak. Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. But those who wait upon the Lord will find new strength. They will fly on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."


  Today I encourage you to go deeper to find a well spring of life that will sustain you for your entire life. You were born for a purpose.... to build, to create, to relate.... and to love. Let God empower and guide you into a life of deep meaning and satisfaction that will last a lifetime!

Jim

Vision for Life

  "Where there is no vision, the people perish..." (Proverbs 29:18) A vision for life... a sense of purpose, a reason for being...it's an absolute necessity if we're going to have a meaningful and satisfying life. But how do we get a vision? How do we know what it is we're supposed to be doing with out lives? Today in this short article I would like to talk about three words and how they relate to finding your vision and purpose for life.

  The first word is Location. We're all born somewhere on the planet. Where we're born does have an impact on how we're raised and on our formative belief systems. Location is important but not vital to discovering what it is that is meant to define and direct our souls. We all hit a certain age when we think that if we would only change our location that we would find happiness, fulfillment or more of what we really want. But living in the right place without defining who we are and what we're called to do will only lead us to always hating where we are at the moment. You might be called to a particular place for a specific time but there are more important things that need to undergird your search for 'place' in life.

  The second word is Vocation. Vocation can be defined as " a strong impulse or inclination to a career or activity.... a divine call to God's service." Too often we find ourselves looking for a job when we should pursuing a vocation. A vocation is connected to self discovery and identity formation. Simply put, when you know who you are, you'll know what to do!  What do you find greatest pleasure doing? What do you do in life that others find brings excellence and value to the world around you? You are a unique person created and designed to do great things in life!  Read this amazing poetic statement about who you are for both encouragement and insight, "For you formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are your works, And that my soul knows very well." (Psalm 139:13, 14) When we discover and really believe that we are designed for something marvelous and meaningful, we begin to live disciplined and directed lives...where every day counts. We find ourselves walking with confidence and excitement even when we are far off from actualizing our dream. Disciplined lives flow out of God inspired dreams.  Until and unless you know who you are and why you're here, your life is in danger of futility and the kind of failure that is most deceptive: succeeding at things that don't really matter at all.

  The third word that helps us find our 'Vision for Life'  is  Motivation.  Location gives us a 'where' to fulfill our dream.  Vocation gives us a 'what' to fulfill our dream. Motivation provides the all important 'why' to our life's dream. Motivation is what provides us with a reason to act in a certain way... inspiration enough to move, to risk, to labor and to keep moving forward in spite of hurdles, obstacles and temporary disappointments.  Every dream is tested by trial, time and temptation. When our motivation is weak or misplaced we will often quit long before our dreams are realized. We need to examine our motives with honesty and humility.  Why do you want to accomplish your dream? For what purpose? For whose glory.... for what end?  Our motivations are born and developed in our inner man and woman... our soul.  Listen to the wisdom of Proverbs 4:23, "Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life." Selfish visions have a short shelf life and ultimately work to destroy the visionary himself. When our motivations are based on the things that last forever (Faith, Hope and Love ....see 1 Corinthians 13:13) than we are building and living for something that will inspire, invigorate and empower our daily lives.

  You were meant to be guided by a vision for your life and not live randomly from day to day.  You are not an accident. You were born with special gifts, talents and desires that when surrendered to God and dedicated to his purpose will bring both pleasure and deep satisfaction to you and the world around you.  Start dreaming and find and develop that vision that lies dormant in your soul.

Jim

Turning Point

  With every major transition and change in our lives we face a critical point where we must make a significant change to move into our prepared future. We call these times 'turning points' as they involve an often dramatic change in our physical, mental and emotional position in life. It takes a lot of internal strength to make a significant difference in our world. It seems the prevailing attitude in our world is pessimistic. Pessimism is a tendency to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen; a lack of hope or confidence in the future.... Sounds like the opposite of faith to me. We live in a world where 'news' is defined most often as the worst possible series of events edited together in a systematic fashion and placed into a short time format each evening on broadcast news programs on television and the internet. Our minds are being shaped and conformed to an attitude of unbelief. If we are not careful, we might surrender to a mindset that leads us into a pit of despair and hopelessness.

  In the New Testament we are given wise instruction by a man who upon an amazing encounter with God made a huge turning point in his life.  Paul who once had been a religious terrorist made a significant decision to turn around his entire world view and base it on a Spirit inspired revelation of who God was and who he was.  Paul had been captured by the spirit of pride endemic to so much of man made religious systems and it was destroying him and harming others. His instruction to you and me is found in Romans chapter 12 and verses 1-2. "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

  Until and unless our minds are shaped by absolute truth we are subject to the whims, lies and deceptions inherent in a world gone mad with self worship. We find ourselves waxing and waning between the right turns and left turns we must make during times of transition. What do I do when I graduate from college? How can I be sure that this person is the right one to commit to in marriage? Can I really believe in a God  that I can't see with my physical eyes?

  Significant decisions are going to be made in our lives whether we are ready for them or not. Time marches on for both the prepared and the unprepared. For the thoughtful and prepared person there is a destiny marked out for them based upon an  honest self examination and cooperation with the God who put them on the planet.  When you know who you are, you always get to where you're supposed to go.  When we refuse to do the hard work and self exploration of the 'ministry of the interior', we lead muddled and confused lives born along by a survivor mentality. We don't exist to survive. We exist to create, build, relate and to change our world for good!

  In Romans 12 chapter and verses 3-9 we again hear the wise counsel of Paul instructing us to recognize that people are all uniquely shaped and gifted to do some things very well. When you discover how you're shaped and gifted by God you find your place.... find your person.... and find your purpose.  When you become comfortable 'in your own skin', living as you were designed, you find pleasure in your passions and add value to all those living around you.

  Are you at a turning point in life? It might be time to do some internal self examination.  What brings you greatest pleasure?  What are you really good at?  When those closest to you speak of how you impact their lives.... what do they say about you?  As much as your friends can assist you in discovering more about yourself, you need to consider doing a little vertical communication.... prayer is a conversation with a real God whose immense power has created each person on the planet with precious and important gifts.  It's in opening your heart to God that turning points become times of favor and hope and not times of stress and fear. You were not meant to steer yourself through life without a loving guide who has your best interests in mind.  You are loved by an eternal Father God whose desire is to walk with you through all the turning points on your journey through life!

Jim

  

The Rest of the Story: My Journey to Healing

In late October,2011, I received devastating news. On the eve of an international trip to Nepal,  I suddenly began to lose vision in my right eye. An eye exam revealed a potentially deadly melanoma tumor that required immediate attention. My plans to travel to Asia were replaced with an ongoing back and forth journey to the Callahan Eye Center in Birmingham, Alabama. The tumor was large enough to deeply concern the Ophthalmologist and Radiologist who had experience with this rare form of cancer impacting my eye and threatening my life.

  The whole experience was both shocking and hard to grasp. For 5 years of my life I had helped to establish an eye hospital in Pakistan. I had never thought I would be on the other side of the equation in deep need of healing and help. The reports were sobering. Most likely the tumor had been growing for 2 years or more in the back of my eye. Once it became large enough it had begun to press up against my retina causing a lot of bleeding and a sudden loss of vision. Within a few weeks I had surgery to insert a radiation 'plaque' ( a nickel shaped piece of gold embedded with radiation pellets) into the back of my eye. It was to sit in place for 4 days and later removed in a subsequent surgery. Prior to the surgery the radiologist told me what to expect after the surgery. The goal of treatment was to save my life... not to save my vision. This instruction was repeated often and clearly. The hope was to defeat the cancer. The treatment itself would be devastating to my vision. My tumor was located in the area most sensitive to central vision. It would result in a large dose of radiation and most likely result in the loss of all vision other than peripheral(side). It was a sobering prognosis. The Ophthalmologist (Dr. John Mason) was more optimistic than the radiologist and mentioned that he had at times seen people recover a modest amount of vision and I might be able one of those blessed patients.

  It's an unsettling experience to have something potentially fatal growing in the back of your eye. The waiting is the worst... waiting for surgery....waiting to see if it will work.... waiting to see whether or not the cancer might spread.  Melanoma is a deadly disease and once it gets beyond the eye it spreads quickly and usually fatally. As a Christian I believe that God heals.  I had so many people praying for me.  God's presence and power at work in my life were evident all along the journey toward healing. From the moment when I was diagnosed I have felt the peace of God in my heart and mind. I had moments of impatience but was continually trusting that God knew what he was doing as I trusted him with my life.

  Several months have now passed since the initial surgery. For the first few visits to see Dr. Mason he seemed pleased with how things were progressing. He told me it would take about 6 months to see just how effective the surgery and radiation were. Yesterday as Dr. Mason looked at my eye on the slit lamp microscope he simply said, "The tumor is dead!"  Those few words brought a smile to his lips and a sense of deep gratitude to Mary's and my heart..... WOW! Not only was the tumor dead but my vision exam was markedly improved.  I am a blessed man. The journey toward healing over the last several months has done a lot for me far beyond the physical realm. I've written a little about the journey via this blog to help share my heart with all of you who have prayed and given to help provide funds for the surgical and medical care in Birmingham. One thing I've learned for sure is that healing is often a process involving so much more than our physical bodies.  Along the journey I've been touched by God in every conceivable part of who I am. God has healed me..... God is healing me....God will continue to heal me... and I will continue to give him all the praise and all the glory.
God is good.....all the time.

Jim

Priority One

  Any one out there besides me struggling with making decisions? With the pace of life quickening in our culture, it's often difficult to know how to prioritize our daily lives and make plans for the future. Let's take a look at the definition of priority:highest or higher in importance, rank, privilege, etc.: a priority task.

  It's an absolute truism that we make time for the things we are passionate about. All of us have the same amount of time in our day... but if we look carefully, we see huge differences in how we SPEND our days. It's good to periodically do a 'time inventory'... to examine ruthlessly how we spend our minutes, hours, days and weeks. Your time is your life!

We order our days too often by the 'tyranny of the urgent' and by the basic human appetites that capture the attention of our bodies. Jesus knew very well the tendency to worry and be consumed by our physical needs above all else.  We want to ensure our physical well being... nothing wrong with that... but  at what cost?  When we ignore the 'big picture' of who we are as humans we risk eating well while living poorly! In the gospel of Matthew chapter 6 and verses 25-33, Jesus hits us right between the eyes with a spiritual view of reality.

As a human being I am subject to worrying about having my basic needs met. Jesus in this passage of scripture takes us on a panoramic view of nature and proves that what God creates is cared for....the birds of the air, the flowers in the field... if God cares for these,  how much more will he care for us? Anxiety is a fruit of a disconnect in our souls. When we try to forge a future apart from our creator, we set our soul adrift in an ocean of doubt and fear.  "If  God gives such attention to the appearance of wild flowers--most of which are never ever seen-- don't you think  he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving." (Matthew 6:30)

For much of the first 21 years of my life I was tormented by worry... I had all my needs met but at my core I could not enjoy it because I was ignoring the most central need in my life. I was not in a real and vital relationship with the God who put me on the planet.  In verse 33 of the 6th chapter of Matthew, Jesus expresses a central truth that we must grasp before our life's priorities can be set in order! "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things (material needs) will be added to you."

Tragically we often live our lives upside down! We run around seeking to get stuff  but ignore our deep need for relationship! You were made to love and be loved. The King of the universe wants you to know, love and enjoy him forever!  His kingdom is found when we yield to the amazing grace that sent Jesus on a divine rescue mission to restore us to relationship and purpose that brings meaning to our physical reality. What a tragedy to think that the meaning of life is to consume the things that never last.  Everything you'll ever possibly need is meant to be provided in the context of knowing God and enjoying him forever.... that's priority one.

Jim

Freedom from Fear

  It was the fall of 1977 and I was living on my own for the first time. In August I had joined the United States Air-Force and spent 6 weeks in boot camp in San Antonio, Texas. Now having graduated from basic training, I was beginning a challenging medical laboratory training school in Wichita Falls, Texas.

  Military schools are known for stripping away any fluff and producing competent technicians in the shortest possible time frame. We would be in class for several hours a day and studying many hours on our own in our 'free time'. For several years in spite of doing well in school I was again coming face to face with fear in my life. I had so much self doubt that when my high school counselor called me to inform me I had been elected into the National Honor Society I had hung up thinking it was a cruel joke!  Fear is a powerful spiritual and emotional force that can paralyze and cause so much internal pain. Now as I began this new challenging school I knew I needed some peace on the inside.

  I can't recall the exact details but I was invited early on by the Catholic chaplain on base to attend a retreat along with a couple of dozen other young Air-force students. I was hesitant to participate but since school was only just beginning and I had the time, I took the risk and went along. The retreat was very peaceful and involved times of reflection, prayer and enjoying the beauty of nature. I remember consciously experiencing a lot of peace but wasn't sure if it would last...it didn't. During the retreat I was given a New Testament. Several times after the retreat when anxiety gripped my heart and the emotion of fear caused me pain in my stomach, I would begin to read the gospel of Matthew which is the first book in the New Testament.

  Each time I would read I would be fascinated by how one particular portion of Jesus words would speak directly to my own inner fears and turmoil. I will quote a portion of that text hear for you, " Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink nor about your body, what you will put on.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?  And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? (Please read the entire portion at Matthew chapter 6:25-33)

  I would read and reread this portion of scripture over and over and get temporary  relief.... I knew it to be true but I just couldn't shake that sense of fear that had taken up residence in my 'gut'.  The pain just wouldn't leave.  As school began I studied for no less than 4 hours each day. I was getting good grades and wound up ranked 2nd in my class out of about 35 classmates. But I had ongoing dreams of failure and was literally shocked every time I found out I had done well in our exams.  Fear had taken up residence somewhere inside my soul and I could not seem to shake it.  How could I get free?

  My first conscious awareness of experiencing this fear was at the age of 10.  I had been struggling in our math class and had been bringing home poor grades. One day I overheard my parents arguing in their bedroom about 'what to do with me'.  My mother was giving me the benefit of the doubt but my father was convinced I couldn't handle the work and had something 'wrong with me'.  There were loud voices and strong disagreement.... and at that moment something gripped my soul that lasted for over a decade....fear had found a doorway into my heart.

  Fear is spiritual and it has the power to paralyse and harm even when it has no basis in fact.  I was a good student but I was a vulnerable child and fear moved in and built a home. It wasn't until many years later that I found out that fear could be kicked out of the house of my soul. Even reading the powerful words of Jesus did not evict that overriding pain of the emotion of fear in my life. I needed something more than familiarity with truth to transform my life.

  It's not enough to know about Jesus.  It's not enough to be familiar with his beautiful words of truth. At age 18 I had tried to read scripture as a sort of 'worry cure' but its effects were so short lived that over time I had ceased reading.... and praying. But God's word is powerful and his person is often working in ways beyond our understanding and comprehension.  That inner peace that was fleeting on a weekend retreat was something I longed for and years later it came in a mighty way when I prayed a prayer of surrender to the God of the Bible.  It was on a Saturday night on a gym floor in Anchorage, Alaska that instead of finding  temporary peace, I encountered the Prince of Peace himself.  I took the risk of faith and asked Jesus to save me... to forgive me... to heal my broken heart. Something very real took place on that day and its still taking place today in 2012 in Mobile, Alabama. 

  I'm still tempted to worry and experience fear at times but there is a presence of God in my life that is undeniable and wonderful.  Freedom from fear isn't found in a drug... in a bottle....or in a philosophy of man.  Peace is found in the powerful love of God that believes in us and heals us one moment at a time. "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.  For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." (1 John 4:18)

Jim