Inspiration for a New Year

Inspiration is a word whose root meaning flows out of the physiology of the body. Inspiration at its root means to "breathe". To take in oxygen by inspiration and to remove carbon dioxide (the waste products) by expiration enables physical life to go on. Without a fresh supply of oxygen you will die within minutes.

Life is dependent on an ongoing intake of "new" air both to energize and supply the body but also to remove that which is no longer alive.... The new thing DEMANDS the removal of the old. If we hold onto Carbon Dioxide too long we will also die.
As it is in the physical realm so it is in the spiritual realm. Our financial provision flows out of an exchange in time and energy... When what we do brings added value to the world in which we live we are compensated/rewarded for that exchange. When the world changes suddenly and what we do no longer adds value, the compensation either diminishes or is eliminated. This is how the world works. When we fight against this we are wasting time. The world rewards a fresh supply of life and responds accordingly. When we live in the past we can count on diminished returns and lack. God allows us to hunger and thirst and even suffer to some extent so that we will embrace the new things he is trying to do in the earth. Let's reflect on the powerful word from the prophet Isaiah 43:18 and beyond, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. ....".

When we hold onto last year's provision, profession, idea or memory we deny God the opportunity to provide for us with fresh creativity and inspiration and we ensure our personal lives, families and communities will become a wasteland. God wants to restore, refresh and bring life to barren souls and communities but first we have to take a risk... open our hands and grasp the new things from God. Turmoil breeds distrust and paralysis. Risk apart from knowledge of God's will is futile and foolish. But when we cry out to God and he "impresses" our hearts and minds with a vision and plan we MUST MOVE with him into his future... the only secure place on the planet. Are you willing to move with me as I follow God?
Jim

A Christmas Message from Oswald Chambers

 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)

Jesus Christ was born into this world, not from it. He did not evolve out of history; He came into history from the outside. Jesus Christ is not the best human being, He is a Being Who cannot be accounted for by the human race at all. He is not man becoming God, but God Incarnate, God coming into human flesh, coming into it from outside. His life is the Highest, and the Holiest entering into the lowest door. Our Lord's birth is an advent.

"Of whom I travail in birth until Christ is formed in you." (Galatians 4:19)

Jesus as our Lord came into human history from outside, so He must come into me from outside. Have I allowed my personal human life to become a "Bethlehem" for the Son of God?  I cannot enter into the realm of the Kingdom of God unless I am born from above by a birth totally unlike natural birth. "You must be born again" ~Jesus  This not a command, it is a foundation fact. The characteristic of the new birth is that I yield so completely to God that Christ is formed in me. When Christ is formed in me, His nature... his life....begins to work through me.

Merry Christmas!

Crossing Over into your Future

Our hopes and dreams for life often lead us to a place of seeming impossibility. In the Old Testament book of Joshua we see God challenging the people of Israel and the leadership of Joshua with a transformational moment. They are on the edge of entering their 'promise land' when they face the raging waters of the river Jordan. How would they respond to this obstacle standing between them and their hopes of a land to dwell in and call their own?

As it was in example of Joshua and the nation of Israel (see Joshua chapter 3), God is doing something when he takes us to difficult places in our journey toward purpose and dream fulfillment. Our lives are ultimately not our own. We are not on the planet to glory in ourselves. God will often honor us as we honor him with obedience and trust, but ultimately we are meant to reflect his power and love to a doubting world. There comes a time when we need to know that God is really with us in our life's journey. In Joshua chapter 3 and verse 10 we see God speaking to and through Joshua, "Here s how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan. Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man. And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap."

God wants to do something in us and through us that is nothing short of miraculous. He knows that we will need great faith to walk out his purposes for our lives. God places himself in the midst of our seemingly impossible life obstacles.....and at the critical moment makes a way where there seems to be no way forward. So many people that I know and love are at a crossroads in their life. They've pointed their lives in the direction of change and newness. And now just before God's promise to them becomes reality they hesitate at 'water's edge'. There is a huge difference between a faith journey and presumptuous risk. In the story of Joshua and Israel we see a relationship at the center of direction and purpose. God is under no obligation to bless a vision and direction that we initiate and birth apart from him. But when God is guiding and empowering our dreams, vision and purpose he makes himself fully available to complete that which he has birthed in our souls. He is with us in this life and in many ways will prove his love and commitment to us.

Perhaps today some of you reading this are stuck in a place you know is not God's ultimate purpose for you. You've tried to make the next step in your life but you've either hesitated or been thwarted in your attempts to move on deeper into your dream. There are a few keys revealed in Joshua chapter 3 to keep you on track. First you need to be living in the context of Godly community. Joshua was leading a people of covenant into a God revealed direction and purpose. Too often we're seeking dreams and visions birthed out of our own badly informed concept of identity. When you don't know who you are, it's easy to get lost in life.  When God reveals himself to you he also brings us into community with people he has touched with his gift of life. You don't get to where you need to go in isolation. We were born for relationship not just with God but with a spiritual family who will 'have our back' during times of adversity but also hold us accountable when we are tempted to 'go back' in the direction of selfishness and sin. Joshua and his appointed leaders from the various tribes were the "Pastors" guiding the flock of Israel into God's appointed destiny. God still uses spiritual leaders in our lives to keep us on track in the day by day guidance we need in life. Don't allow yourself to become spiritually and relationally isolated!

Let's pick up back in the 3rd chapter of the book of Joshua , "So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and as soon those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over to Jericho."

God came through. His purposes never fail. We need to make sure we are going where he is going to ensure we too are getting to the places in life marked out for us before we were born. Remember Psalm 37 and verse 4, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." So often we get lost in life when our hearts fail to acknowledge and worship God properly. When your heart is right, you always get to where you need to go in life.

If you've come to a crossroad in life it's time you fully surrender your next step to the God who made you. He knows you.... He created you....and He won't fail to provide a way forward even when there seems to be no way.

River of Tears

Childhoods stolen, Innocence lost

Wandering souls paid a heavy cost

Evil rips and tears again

Questions, Questions pouring out

Who will listen to the voice of love?

The mirror speaks but we turn away

Inside our hearts, the answers lay

The Father calls and whispers words

'I'm calling all to a land called love'

His hands extended, the tears are real

The scars were born with a heavy price

An innocent Son on the darkest day

You're not alone when the evil comes

On the other side there's a land called love

Tears are flowing like a river stream

No simple answers on the darkest day

Stay and listen, Hold a Hand

Embrace the mourning and share the love

The Journey to Healing: Lessons Learned in Getting Well

  I was seated in Dr. John Mason's office waiting for my one year follow up exam for treatment of a melanoma tumor discovered 13 months previously. Dr. Mason bounded into the room and looked precisely into my dilated right eye with a slit lamp. His diagnosis was curt and to the point, "Melanoma completely dead." And with that proclamation a journey that I never wanted to take had come to an end!

  In late October of 2011, I noticed a sudden change in the vision of my right eye. It came unexpectedly and without warning. We have a default setting in our lives that assumes health and well being. When sickness of any kind intrudes our first defense mechanism is often denial. We are supposed to be well.... right? So in the first few hours of noticing I could not see well, I wanted it all to just be my imagination. I didn't want to say anything to my wife Mary at first. Having an education in nursing and more specifically having received advanced training in Ophthalmology, I knew this potentially could be very bad. But I didn't want it to be.... I had plans! Illness and disease can interrupt our well laid plans with such immediacy and force that I was definitely going to try my best to deny my way out of this! I mentioned to Mary I was going to get an eye exam prior to my upcoming trip to Nepal. In a few weeks I was supposed to travel with a group to Nepal to work with my friends Sudip and Anne Lise Khadka. I needed to be well to travel to this beautiful nation on the other side of the world!

  I had a complete check up by an Optometrist two days after my initial change in vision. I failed my 'visual fields' test. I had a serious problem. The Optometrist initially thought the problem was a retinal hemorrhage and detachment (bleeding of the retina). I did indeed have that bleeding but it was caused by a large cancerous tumor pressing into the retina. It seems that for quite a long time I had this tumor growing dangerously into the back of my eye. For several months at least I had been in some form of denial. I remembered having a few 'near misses' while driving. I remembered tripping and falling several times while jogging when I didn't see things near my feet. I had fallen hard onto my left shoulder and it always seemed my right foot was betraying me. It took a long time for me to seek help for what was a life threatening problem!  If I had waited much longer for treatment and help it would have been much more difficult to bring healing to my life. Once Melanoma spreads beyond the eye it is often fatal.

  Denial had almost done it's fatal and sinister work.... of denying me healing and wellness. The first bedrock principle of healing is that we need to admit we're in need of help before we're healed! Too often we continue in denial until it's too late. Whether it's physical, mental or spiritual healing, the first step toward healing is always an acceptance of what's really happening in our lives. We don't want to get off the train of busyness to address the deep issues confronting our health. We want to do. We want to accomplish. We want to experience and live our dreams. But we are human beings and in that humanity there are ebbs and flows of wellness that sometimes say to us in various ways: Stop....Rest.....and become well.....be healed!

  We want healing ..... we want to be well....but we want it on our terms and timetable. I remember when I was advised by experienced physicians and experts that my own healing would involve the surgical implantation of a 'radiation plaque' into the back of my eye for 4 days. Needless to say it did not appeal to me at all. A radiologist informed me that most likely the effects of the radiation would  seriously reduce my vision in that eye. I didn't want either surgery or radiation! So prior to the surgery I prayed a lot! A few times after I prayed with eyes closed, I would open my affected eye and sense my vision was better. But in fact there was no change. It seemed as if I would have to go through the process recommended by my medical team. There was an internal struggle going on.  Couldn't I hit rewind and get back to being the healthy Pastor who helped heal others?

  Healing is indeed a journey. I hope to do some writing on the journey to healing over the next couple of weeks. The first lesson I learned on the journey to healing is that I need to move beyond denial. I need to be honest with myself and others to begin the journey and process that is healing. Let the healing begin!

Jim

A New Season

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." (Ecclesiastes chapter 3)

I would like to share with you about how God works in our lives in particular times and seasons. This message is flowing out of the one year anniversary of my eye surgery for a melanoma tumor growing in the back of my right eye.

One year ago I entered a season of my life that I didn't expect and I didn't want to experience.  For much of my adult life I've been the one on the care giving side of life. As a Medical laboratory technician, Registered Nurse and Pastor I've been the 'go  to' guy in providing advice, counsel, prayer and support.

Suddenly and without warning 'the lights went out' in my right eye and I was now placed in a season of receiving care and being sent to places in the natural I would never want to go. In November of last year I wrote some reflections in my personal blog about what I was experiencing and I want to share some of that with you here. It references my expectation prior to the cancer diagnosis that I would be leading a mission trip to Nepal.

"On my way to Nepal, I took a wrong turn and wound up in Birmingham, Alabama. I had spent nearly a year planning on helping lead a team to serve the ministry of Compassion for Asia in Kathmandu, Nepal. I have had various emotions hit me over the last two weeks as I process the 'wrong turn' that led me to Birmingham, Alabama. It's one thing to understand and believe God is sovereign when he does what you want and expect with your life. But what about when our well laid plans are cancelled or altered? Well I am finding out it's not as easy as I thought! I have spent the last 31 years of my life immersing myself in God's word. It's a really good thing to have your soul saturated with truth. By God's grace which is transmitted to us through prayer and God's word, I've had an amazing peace on the inside of my life during this time.

Yesterday the radiologist who specializes in cancer treatment discussed my treatment with me. He gave me the facts regarding my prognosis and the effects the radiation will have on the cancer and also on my eye. The facts are stark and serious...but God is loving and he never stopped talking while Dr. Kim delivered his sobering assessment. One phrase of God's word which keeps coming to the surface of my soul over the last several days is 'momentary and light affliction'. I felt God telling me that whatever lies ahead of me must be placed in the context of his ongoing will for my life... an eternal perspective.

The phrase comes from Paul's letter to the church in Corinth (2 Corinthians chapter 4: and verses 16-18, "Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding  and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

I didn't get lost on my way to Nepal. I didn't make a wrong turn on my way to Birmingham, Alabama. The awesome and amazing thing about knowing and loving God is that he never leaves us...never forsakes us. His presence and purpose are being fulfilled in my life. So many of you who know me are praying and asking God to heal me. I have heard from hundreds of you via phone calls, texts, Facebook and Twitter. I appreciate your encouragement and love so much! I am listening to God through this process. I am still not completely comfortable being the the patient receiving the care and love from others. But clearly my right turn to Birmingham involves just that...being loved and cared for and healed by God and people...people like you, who choose to think of others and care for them in their time of need. I feel the love! I receive it with gratitude and great joy. There are three things that last forever, faith, hope and love. On the road to Birmingham I am being filled with all three in powerful and challenging ways. Thanks for taking the right turn to Birmingham with me. (end of blog from one year ago)

It's so very important to recognize that while we can observe the seasons of our lives and choose to embrace them...we cannot determine them or change them at will. Following God implies we trust him and lean to him for understanding.

Proverbs chapter 3: 5,6  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

We are all pilgrims on a journey with God. The examples of the Biblical saints and Godly men and women show us the way of trust and surrender. I love the Godly example of the life of Jim Eliot who said, "Wherever you are be all there! Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God."

Jim and Elizabeth Eliot are well known for their lives of commitment and service to God in difficult places. Jim was martyred in 1956 (along with 4 of his co-workers) in Ecuador while trying to reach tribal people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. He did not live long enough to see the transformation of the people he died for.  His life was guided by something he wrote in his journal in 1949, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

We are all living day to day with expectations of what 'should be' happening in our lives. Those expectations are often colored by our lack of eternal perspective. We are often more guided by selfishness than by God's desire or perspective. But God is sovereign and he overrules us just as he did the Biblical prophet Jonah and every other stubborn man or woman of God. If God wants you in "Nineveh", he will get you there!

When we recognize and surrender ourselves fully to the seasons of our lives we are better able to bear fruit for God's glory.
John 15: 4,5
"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."

God's life flows through us like sap inside a vine....it's often sticky, slow and messy! We want our dreams and desires to be fulfilled right here, right now but salvation is both a present reality and a process of ongoing growth, development and transformation. You have been saved,  You are being saved, You will be saved!

Too often we resent the present work of God by rebelling against his authority of "seasonal development" in our lives. Our resistance is futile and actually dangerous for our "growing up" and the ultimate fulfillment of God's destiny and purpose in our lives.

Listen to the wisdom of Jesus from the gospel of John chapter 12: 23-26
"And Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me and where I am there will be my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him."

When we learn to recognize, embrace and yield to the God designed seasons of life, we bear fruit for God's glory and honor...and thus we ourselves are honored by the Father's fulfillment of his purpose for creating us.

Perhaps God's will has taken you to places you never thought you would go. Right now you might be in a winter season of the soul... listen to this.

"Grace grows best in the winter." ~ Samuel Rutherford

Perhaps you are going through a winter season of the soul. All seems dark and cold. All that has supported and nourished you seems to have left you alone and feeling abandoned. Winter doesn't last forever. While you wait, the seeds of your future are being protected and prepared for the spring that will surely come. This season is a time for reflection and prayer. Listen for the Father's voice.

Every season that God has us in presents both challenges and blessings. As the wisdom of Solomon reveals to us in Ecclesiastes, we must understand that this is God's way of revealing himself in us and through us in this life of pilgrimage.

Don't resist God's times and seasons for your life. His grace is most fully realized and enjoyed when we place our head upon his chest like the apostle John at the last supper. You can trust him.

Drawn to the Light

Sudden calling, Inward longing
The path diverges and choices falling

Which way to go? Follow the light
Leaning forward in spite of pain

While others hold on to chains
I'm moving slowly with the One I love

Still uncertain of the chosen way
Love keeps filling the empty place

Faith won't fail me, Light keeps dawning
One day, One step, One way.
Drawn to the Light.

The Language of Dreams

  Men and women are made uniquely by God and in that creation we witness both substance and mystery. In the book of Genesis we read an astounding creation narrative, "God formed man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive--a living soul!" (Genesis 2:7)

  Man's story begins in the garden of Eden and it includes an amazing intimacy of relationship between creator and creation. The original perfect intimacy was broken through stepping out from under the God given boundaries meant to protect and preserve that relationship. Disobedience led to lost innocence and a change in relationship. A distance was created that we call shame. Disobedience has consequences and a break and distancing of relationship is a harrowing result of the sin that permeates our present reality.

  In Genesis 3:8, we get a little insight on what was lost, "When they heard the sound of God strolling in the garden in the evening breeze, the Man and his Wife hid in the trees of the garden, hid from God. Intimate fellowship is impossible when we're covered in the shame of true guilt. There is a huge gulf between man made relationship (religion) and God birthed relationship. One is a temporary salve of short term effect... the other is forever relationship of deep and satisfying joy. From the time of that initial break in relationship, God has been on an unending divine rescue mission to restore us back to himself. Lost is not primarily a place or location on a map we need to find.... it's actually more accurately defined as a break in relationship. When your relationships are right.... with God and others...you always wind up where you're supposed to be.

  We are complex creations of God. Our beings are a unique mix of body, soul and spirit. Our physical frame, our emotions, our minds and our inner person... our spirit are melded together in unique ways deeply impacted by the tragedy of sin. Hebrews 4:12 tells us of how we need truth to bring healing to the complexity of who we are, "For the word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

  We need truth to penetrate us before we can fully understand who we are in the depths of our personhood. At night when we get quiet we lay our heads down to rest... and we sleep...or at least we try to. For many sleep is a huge struggle. Restlessness keeps us feeling tired. Our bodily health, our emotional and spiritual state impact our 'night life' of dreams and rest.  We live in a broken world and our dream life is often tainted by various types of pain that seek to interrupt our sleep which is meant to be restorative and revelatory. We need many things to be whole and healthy. We know deeply that we need water, food and shelter to keep us well...but did you know you need to be able to dream to stay healthy?

  When Jesus died on the cross he was performing a selfless act of eternal significance... he as an innocent (sinless) sacrifice was dying for the sins of all humanity. Literally he died for you and me... to carry the penalty of our own waywardness and sin. Jesus rose from the dead and as a great gift of grace he poured out his Spirit on whoever would humbly call on that amazing grace of forgiveness.

  One of the signs of the Spirit of God being poured on his people is an increase in dreams and visions. In the book of Acts chapter 2 and verse 17 we read, "And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams...."

  God wants to speak to us in every conceivable way. We spend fully one third of our lives asleep!  Far too many of us don't fully embrace the value of the dreams God wants to both give and refine for our lives... in relationship. Like everything else that's broken by sin, our dream life is often distorted and tortured by our own rebellion and self centered souls. When we yield our lives to the great God of love we are meant to experience a renaissance of communion that deeply impacts every single moment of our transcendent existence. I want to challenge you to gain a new appreciation and desire for God to speak to you 24/7! 

Jim

The Call

  There comes a time in all our lives when we know we need something outside of ourselves to break in and show us the way forward. Often it comes in times of deep disappointment and pain. It might come after the death of a loved one, a fracture in a critical relationship, a loss of employment, a critical illness. 

Isaiah the prophet (chapter 6) responded to the death of King Uzziah with a new vision of reality. He saw things which he'd never seen....and he became someone he otherwise would have never been.Tragedy can either be an impetus to a life of meaning or lead us to a place of imprisonment. So much depends on our vision of God....and of ourselves. 

Isaiah saw God for who he really is. Majestic, on the throne, surrounded by Glory and HOLY. His glory covered the whole earth. In the shadow of who God is, Isaiah also discovered who he really was....a man of unclean lips ( a sinner) surrounded by people just like him. We're all equally lost and equally separated from God until the call comes to our heart and soul. 

We were created for something greater than the soley material realm. Buying and selling... sensual pleasure and carnal desires never totally satisfy someone created in the image of God. All of us were created for relationship with our maker. Until we hear his voice beckoning us.....calling us to himself, we're only living half a life. There is a VOICE crying out to all of us. We seldom hear that voice. Our small distractions and selfish decisions keep us far removed from hearing what really matters. We insist on our own way. We hear the screaming of the selfish hordes rushing on the broad highway of destruction. 

  But God comes and touches us on the inside. He shows us our broken places. We sense our weakness. We slow down our movement on the highway of destruction. We turn our ears heavenward and begin to hear the voice calling us home. Our Father touches us and heals us....and remakes us in his image. His call thrills our soul, "Who should I send? Who will go for us?" And with humility and hope, we reply, "Here am I. Send me." He's calling you right now. Slow down, listen carefully....his call is worth everything. Listen for his voice.

A Seamless Life

Over the years I've developed the habit of beginning each new year in prayer listening for God's direction and wisdom for the coming year. In January, 2007 I sensed the Lord telling me he wanted my life to be more 'seamless'. Honestly I had to look up seamless in the dictionary to get a better understanding for what God might be calling me to. The dictionary definition of seamless is: smoothly continuous or uniform in quality, combined in an inconspicuous way, continuous or flowing.

  As I continued to reflect on how the word seamless might be related to various areas of my life I began to get some direction. I sensed God wanting every area of my life to flow out of one central and connected purpose. In July, 1998 my family and I relocated from Pakistan to live and work in Mobile, Alabama. After 5 years helping to establish and develop an eye hospital in Gilgit, Pakistan the Lord had spoken two words to me in the winter of 1997: International Students.... and thus began a major shift in my life. Jesus tells us clearly in the gospel of Matthew, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." It seems that God's purpose and direction for our lives are meant to flow out of relationship.... a relationship that depends on hearing and obeying the voice of God to us.

  Nearly 10 years after our family arrived to Mobile, God was calling us to some significant changes in our lives and ministry. Serving as the directors of the international student ministry known as Friends of Internationals had been deeply rewarding. Over the years literally thousands of students from nearly every country on the planet had become a significant part of our lives. However saying goodbye was difficult to say the least. One significant memory is from the spring graduation in 1999 at the newly opened USA Mitchell Center. As the international graduates from FOI crossed the stage to receive their diplomas I wept.... something significant was leaving my life and I didn't know if I could bear the loss.... I told God I could not do this year after year. The sorrow I experienced that day lessened over time but never fully left me. If life is all about relationships... and I believe it is, than how was I able to tolerate the sudden abrupt leaving that graduation entailed?

  In 2001 I met a young man from Nepal in my living room during an international dinner. In a very crowded room Sudip Khadka grabbed my attention with his pointed and heart felt invitation for me to visit Nepal. Sudip was a student from the Brownsville school of ministry in Pensacola who had driven over with fellow students to experience the international fellowship of FOI. For the next several years Sudip had been asking me to come to Nepal. I rather abruptly said No many times to his overtures. I was very busy with all the related activities of Friends of Internationals. Deep down I really did want to go to Asia again but was afraid of getting stretched too thin.

  Now in the spring of 2007, God was in part saying through this word 'seamless' to begin to prepare for international travel. God's will was for our lives of ministry to international students to continue to the countries of their birth. We were to have a seamless and ongoing relationship with all those who came into our home and lives through the years. Since that time I have visited both Nepal and India and hope to visit more nations in the coming days....but more change was coming.

  In 2009 after years of prayer for someone else to pioneer a multi-ethnic church in Mobile I surrendered to the call to help begin All Nations Community Church. For years we had hosted a large and vibrant bible study in our home on Monday nights. I loved doing it...but it wasn't seamless. No matter how hard I tried it was difficult to connect some students to our local area churches. It seems God was making me a Pastor and I didn't recognize it! Since those early days of beginning the church in homes through small groups we have continued to develop a truly seamless international vision. In the book of Acts chapter 1 and verse 8 we're told, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." There was to be a seamless continuity to every aspect of our international relationships and community. We were to establish an ongoing and progressive relationship to God birthed friends from across the globe.  In some ways I would continue to have to let go of the majority of people who came into our lives through their connection with the University of South Alabama...but we were getting guidance and direction from God to be willing to go and be with those whom God has brought into our lives by his sovereign will.

  In 2011, All Nations Community Church became the Mobile campus of Liberty Church.... a multi- campus church we've had relationship with for over 20 years. The Senior Pastor of Liberty is my Pastor and mentor Buford Lipscomb. In many ways this is a seamless connection to our spiritual roots. Mary and I attended Liberty Church in the late 80's and early 90's where we studied international ministry at Liberty Bible College. We were being reconnected and reestablished in a local church family that would offer accountability, wisdom and guidance. We continue to be stretched and guided by the word seamless.

  Yesterday as I asked God in prayer to again define the word seamless to me personally he surprised me when he said, "It's Holiness." To be holy is to be whole... in body, soul and spirit. Too often we have a huge distance and separation between our body, soul and spirit...we proclaim one thing with our lips and live another.  Holiness is nothing less than a seamless continuity in every dimension of life.  I am meant to be the same person wherever I am and with whomever I am in relationship.  I want to live a seamless life.

Jim

Waiting on your Dream

Waiting is hard. Dreams are born of desire & passion. When our dreams don't develop or come to pass in our expected time frame it hurts....sometimes the delay destroys our hope for the future. We become despondent and even depressed. It's so important to remember that just because something is 'not yet' doesn't mean it will never be. Dreams are spiritual. They come to us from deep inside our souls. They are born from both within and without. Our soul was created by God and he communicates to us often through depositing something of heaven in our thoughts ,desires and dreams.

While we're waiting on our dreams, God wants us to discover him. The bigger the dream the more we need our creator to breathe life into it and us. Faith really isn't an option in life. We all believe in something....or someone. If our faith is misplaced or distorted our dreams will certainly die and our soul along with it. You truly were born to believe....to dream....to love.

Cynicism is a disease of the soul you can't afford to 'catch'. It eats away at your dreams, your desires and your passions. Before your dream can come to pass, you need to 'see it' in your soul before you can see it with your eyes. Cynical people will destroy your hopes and dreams. They have been hurt by disappointment and are intimidated by people with fresh vision and desire. Choose your intimate friends carefully....they will either nurture your passion or put the fire out in your life.

Today, you must choose to be led by your passion and not your hurts. Your injured soul is not a trustworthy guide in a world of pain & suffering. Dare to dream again. Listen to the voice of hope... the voice of love. Dare to dream again.
Jim

"Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen." (Hebrews 11:1)

When Dreams Collapse

 We are built to believe, to hope and to dream. All of us universally are created with a capacity to create and shape our futures. Right now, our world is experiencing a world wide recession. We seem to be moving backwards on an escalator out of our control. Our dreams are collapsing personally, nationally and internationally. Just what in the 'world' is going on?

  The concepts of economic and political unity which have forged a European Union and even a United States of America are fraying and faltering. Today, we are hearing of the likely collapse of Greece due to its overwhelming debt. What often starts as a grand vision of hope and excitement often collapses somewhere along the way.

  The concept of unity offers so much to those who will agree to key unifying concepts related to values and goals. But the unification of people is a very difficult thing to achieve without deep commitment and effort. Politicians can't create unity over the long term.  Democratic freedoms are dependent on an inner sense of morality and a commitment to a cause greater than oneself. Selfishness leads to an eventual collapse of a society and economic and moral chaos .

  Dictators and despots arise at times such as this. Adolf Hitler arose in a time of economic disaster and hopelessness. He offered a false sense of national unity and pride and his guns and butter philosophy set the table for the destruction and death of millions. The times in which we live could likewise produce another false hope.

  What or who are you hoping in? What are you dreaming about? There are false messiah's in every realm of life. When you put all your hope on a person or a politician you will inevitably be disappointed. The chaos we are seeing in our world today is at its core a spiritual struggle. There is real evil trying to overcome good through deception and an appeal to our sinful nature.
 The false god of wealth is not doing so well in our current climate of economic uncertainty. Money in and of itself is not evil. Money is an exchange for time.... for life.  What we do with our wealth reveals much about what we worship and what we value. When we recognize that life is about relationships and keep that front and center in our priorities we preserve and honor truth. Jesus told us clearly that a man and woman's life does not consist 'in the abundance of their possessions'.

  There is a time and a season for everything under heaven. At present we are all experiencing an economic recession or contraction. Don't waste this recession! Evaluate your priorities, your dreams and your hopes for the future.  Are your goals too materialistic? How would your dreams fulfillment impact the relationships in your life? Would your dream bring honor and glory to God?

  We are all in a time of change and transition. We're all headed somewhere and now would be a good time to decide where you want to go with the rest of your life.  As for me and my house....we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15)

Jim
  

Broken Places

A whispered pain
A broken pane in the window of my soul

The rain leaks through and reaches deep
It touches places no one knew

I'd lost hope and hidden who I really was
But the rain found it's way inside my heart

Broken places raised from the dead
And now I knew what love was for

The cracks let in the rain and gravity sent the healing where it was needed
Random chance didn't heal my soul....the Father's love rained where needed most

Letting go and letting in the grace and love inside my heart
The cracks remain but healing comes to light my path

Rain and light fall on my darkness and give me hope
I'm coming out and coming alive to a place of love where healing flows

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