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DEADLY HATE

“From the deepest desires often come the deadliest hate.”

Socrates

Of late, my heart has been overwhelmed with sadness. Sadness not in current events, nor the decisions of others, instead, my heart is saddened by my failure.

My Failure to convey the focus of my life to those who are most important to me.

It seems the word that permeates all conversation today, inside and outside our sphere of loved ones, is support. As in, “who do you support?” Or, “I can’t believe you support…”, “why don’t you support me?”

This morning, in contemplation and prayer, it became abundantly clear that my answer is imperative to ensure clarity and encourage love. As you may, or may not know, my belief is that clarity is an Act of Love and Love is paramount in all interactions, personal and public.

It is clarity, not persuasion, driving my motivation to answer all of those ominous questions of my support.

For all that have asked, or wondered, how someone with my beliefs could support President Trump? First, you must know that as a patriotic American, my support is for the President, not the person. Does my support carry over to our President’s personal life and conduct? No.

As with President Obama, there are a litany of practices, actions and beliefs that do not receive my support. Still, my prayers are always with our leaders, our Nation, the people here in the USA as well as all the people of the world.

“Hate destroys the very structure of the personality of the hater…. when you start hating anybody, it destroys the very center of your creative response to life and the universe; so, love everybody.”  

Martin Luther King

The acknowledgment of my prayers for Obama in the past, would garner as much vitriol and disbelief from friends and believers, as my prayers for Trump bring from my more liberal friends and family today. If there is any doubt, please know that my prayers are always with our leaders. No matter who they are, what they have done, or what they believe.

It’s really that simple.

“We live in an era now where if you don’t take sides, both sides hate you.”

Jay Leno

Rather than list thoughts, beliefs, actions and support for individuals or causes; it is my hope that you will take a moment to listen to a message from a fellow believer in Christ, Rankin Wilbourne. In my walk in Christ, never has any single message captured my political beliefs as Rankin has.

Presence, Rankin Wilbourne: https://subspla.sh/td2qqmq

My support for the words of John and Paul from over Fifty Years ago, is still as fervent today, as it was then….

“And in the end, the Love You Take, IS EQUAL to the Love YOU MAKE!”

Lennon & McCartney

Cheeseburger or Paradise?

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

 Matthew 6:33 NAS

Why do we lose our direction … our focus? It seems that we frequently lose sight of what is really important in our lives. Oft times we convince ourselves, rationalizing what we are fixated on, is the best thing … even when we know in our heart it will lead us astray. Why do we do that? We’re human.

Decades ago, my career led me to the Publishing Industry, working with a small start-up in Philadelphia that was a cornerstone in the Desktop Publishing Revolution. We were engulfed in my first “Industry Disruption”. Every day was a new adventure in how this new technology could, and would, obliterate technologies and entrenched practices. One of my favorite experiences during my career, was the two weeks spent at the National Enquirer offices in Florida. My job? Interview everyone involved in the paper’s production … from writers and editors to page compositors and color specialists. We even talked with the legal department that protected the paper from lawsuits. The experience was eye opening at so many levels. It set the stage for my unique understanding of the industry.

Media mogul, Generoso Paul “Gene” Pope Jr., creator of the National Enquirer that we know today, had recently succumbed to a heart attack at the age of 61. After his death, his family sold the paper to a publisher in New York City that was one of our best customers. At our customer’s request, we were sent to prepare a proposal bringing the manually created paper, into the Twentieth Century with automated publishing.

During my interviews with the Enquirer staff, there was story after story of their founder they lovingly referred to as Pope. By all accounts, Pope was a genius. Like most geniuses it has been my pleasure to know, he had some idiosyncrasies. For example, people told me that he had never made the internationally distributed newspaper a corporation, paying personal income tax on the multi-million-dollar company instead. When asked why he didn’t just incorporate and save the potential millions of dollars in tax relief, he quipped, “How many Cheeseburgers can you eat?” There was clearly no greed nor guile in his heart. His focus was not on the money, nor power. He had a vision that guided his steps and he didn’t see the lost money as a problem.

Humans are problem solvers. Whether you believe in God or not, the human history of solving problems has given our species a unique track record of accomplishment. Non-believers look at the invention of fire, the wheel, and the industrial revolution as huge milestones in the human quest to become the dominate species on the planet. On the other hand, people that believe in divine creation, when asked, will typically point to God as the architect of all human innovation. Even though believers can oft times be found patting themselves on the back for human progress, thinking “look what we, or I, accomplished!” After all, don’t we often show our arrogance in how humans treat our planet and other species? The cliché “Holier Than Thou” always comes to mind. Whether it’s a kid stepping on an ant hill or grown men betting on a dog or chicken fight. Our superior, “haughty,” view of the world is sometimes pitifully crystal clear.

In elementary school, prior to accepting Christ as my savior, my favorite subject was Native American culture. At the time, my studies focused on the Oglala and Dakota Sioux Nation of the great American Plains. The North Plains Nations spawned Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and Red Cloud – the leaders of a huge indigenous culture. These Nations, against all odds, took on the invading armies of the East. While they were no match for the onslaught of man and machine that was bearing down on them from Europe, those primitive people put up such a valiant fight, their tactics are still talked about and are taught in military schools today.

Who Was Savage?

In the same vein as William Wallace of “Braveheart” fame, the Oglala and Dakota Nations were not fighting to hold onto wealth or belongings. They were fighting for their culture, their very existence. Regrettably, both were swallowed up by technologically-advanced invaders. The supposedly civilized invaders were focused on the complete dominance of their culture over all others. Anyone, or culture, that got in their way, was assimilated … much like the haughty spirit of the child stepping on the ant hill. The invading forces didn’t understand that while they were acquiring more land, they were annihilating an entire culture.

When God introduced me to the Oglala and Dakota Nations while writing a book report about General George A. Custer, and his defeat by the so-called savages, something wonderful happened. God showed me who these great people really were, and they were anything but savages. In relaying my newfound wisdom in class, the giggles began. Students and teachers alike would ridicule my comments, teaching me lessons that altered my life. Lessons that might warrant another story or perhaps even a book of their own.

At the core of my new understanding was a deep respect for the way of life enjoyed on the plains before the European invasion. Sure, indigenous plains living was void of luxuries; houses, furniture or ready-made clothing. Still, every individual in these tightly knit communities supported one another, unconditionally. Some were hunters, some made tents, while others served the tribe with whatever skill they were blessed with. Being human they were intelligent and had a very human violent side. The brutal tactics used in their protection were the foundation of all the “savage” stories propagated by the invaders. Why were they so savage? They were being invaded. For the most part, the stories in my studies talked more about protecting families and a way of life, than the unrestrained destruction and gruesome violence we learned about in school, or at the movies. It was their way of life that attracted me to better understand who these “savages” were. Simply said, they were loving, kind people that always served one another, and ALWAYS gave glory to their creator for the gifts provided to them. It seems we Christians could learn a thing or two from them.

Reading story after story of these people’s love and respect for each other, and the unquestioning love and respect for their creator, drew me close to their way of life. Nothing was wasted, all life was sacred. When the hunters would bring home a Buffalo, every bit of the Buffalo was used for something. Meat to eat, tents and clothing made of hide, even cooking utensils and weapons were fashioned from Buffalo bone. In honor and respect of the gift, everything was used. Like my Mom always said, “Waste Not, Want Not!” It was this culture that taught me to be a conservationist, full of love and respect for our beautiful planet.

In All Things Give Thanks

The foundation of the culture was a populace that gave thanks for everything from the sun rising and setting each day to the ground that they walked on. Initially, some were thankful for these new neighbors from the east. Well, until we taught them otherwise. You may be wondering why these great nations could not find victory over their oppressors. My belief is they were not fighting an oppressor, they were fighting for their sacred lifestyle. It wasn’t important to them to hang on to property and belongings. Instead, their lives were dedicated to staying in harmony with their creator. Life and all the gifts of their world were cherished above any and all possessions. This led to compliance with their invaders, and eventually they were defeated and absorbed into western culture.

Not unlike the Israelite’s, some held on to their culture and passed it down through generations in folklore and storytelling. The culture is still understood and practiced today. Today we see a proud people reclaiming their position from within the imperious capitalist culture that engulfed them. While most have lost their focus, the way of life is still alive. If Sitting Bull knew the culture endured, it would bring a smile to that stone etched face.

You might be thinking, “What does any of this have to do with Cheeseburgers?” Simply said, the Eastern invaders were chasing Cheeseburgers, and the great Native American cultures were seeking to protect their Paradise.

Given a choice, wouldn’t most of us choose quality of life over quantity of things? Would we give up our fast cars, smart phones and $5 coffee for a blissful life? Spending everyday living in harmony while honoring our creator. Could we find joy? Regrettably, we are what we eat.

 “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.”

 Anthelme Brillat-Savarin 1826

Would we choose Cheeseburgers or Paradise? We love our fast food. Paradise seems like a great idea, but is it fun? Can we get there Right Now!? Leaving our stomachs out of it for now, isn’t what we focus on everyday consumption as well? If we spend all our time thinking about the next fast car, the next generation phone and the need for that expresso, don’t they consume us? So often we hear “As a man thinketh, so is he.” We believe the mis-quoted scripture is all about changing our thinking, recreating our brain. It’s not! The Bible teaches us over and over that we are consumed by what is in our heart, not our brain.

“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:…”

 Proverbs 23:7

You might be wondering, “if living a blissful life means total annihilation by your enemies, no thanks.” Do you believe if the native Americans had only focused on their enemy and the destruction of their culture, they could have stopped it? Much like a “back-seat driver” screaming before a car wreck, the outcome was inevitable. As humans, we often believe we can control an outcome. As Christians we should know, as scripture tells us:

“With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”

 Mark 10:27

It seems the hardest thing for humans to do is to let go of the things of this world, and, with unconditional faith, let God handle it. Like those native cultures that focused on their creator, and the blessings they were given, by keeping our eyes, thoughts and desires focused on our God, we will find the Love, Joy, and Peace promised in His word.

Always Love!

Reprinted with permission, © God’s Good News Gazette 2020

Check Out all of the great stories in this Month’s issue of

God’s Good News Gazette!

www.godsgoodnewsgazette.com

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Persevere

A Prayer for Our Children

This morning I woke to find my children embroiled in the latest debate on abortion and racial inequality.

My first thought was to debate the issues. Then in prayer, God led me to know we need to bring this to him in prayer and trust him.

Here is my prayer request…

Prayer Warriors,

Please keep our children that are in the world and those that are “of” the world in your prayers. They are beaten down daily with the ways of the world and a desire to find comfort in conformity.

In the latest battle for hearts and souls, darkness is once again using the genocide of people targeted at specific groups in the form of abortion to drive hate, vitriol and divisiveness between family friends and loved ones.

We are not saviors, and we pray for our Savior, Christ Jesus, to intervene in their hearts and remove the scales from their eyes so that they can see abortion for the sin that it is; and bring understanding to their hearts so they will recognize the racial genocide that abortion is perpetrating in the name of freedom.

While it is tempting to debate the pros and cons, it is impossible to change beliefs with facts and data. Like the song says… “No wise man has the power to reason away, what a fool believes.”

Or, as 1 Corinthians 1:25 says,
“Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

It is only our prayers and our God that can change hearts.  Love you all, please pray for our children’s hearts.

God’s Got This, Grace Got You!

Love Is The Answer

Is Your Glass Half Full, or Half Empty?

It’s Always FULL!

When we read how Jesus talked with the woman at the well saying “…whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Doesn’t it seem that, as Christians, we should strive to be full of the “Living Water” Christ talked about?

Every time we let anger and hatred in our hearts, it replaces joy and love. By allowing fear and doubt in our heart, it replaces hope and faith. When our hearts are full of anger, hatred, fear, and doubt, there is less room for God’s “Living Water”. Think of that proverbial glass of water that is either “Half Full” or “Half Empty”. Truth be known, the glass is “ALWAYS FULL”. Way back in eighth grade my science teacher taught a very simple concept, Displacement.

In a nutshell… although the glass might be only “Half Full” of water, the other half is filled with air. The more air pumped into the glass, the less water. The more water, the less air. Displacement. The water displaces air and visa-versa.

Our hearts are the same; always full. Sometimes it has more love than hate. Other times, not. The good news is that you are in control of what goes in your heart. Negative thoughts are generated in our mind, not the Heart.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”  Proverbs 4:23

When we let dark thoughts take that eighteen inch trip from our brain to our heart, displacement of God’s “Living Water” begins. We must always keep our focus on Christ and His Love to ensure our hearts remain full of Love. As Christians, we are taught to Love People; including our enemies. Love is always the answer.

Growing up, being told what to do was just about the worst thing for me. After all, what kid likes to be told “clean your plate”, “do your chores”, or the worst, “Pick Up Your Room!”?

Is it any wonder that we would push back on something called Commandments? Especially Ten of them. For me, probably like most of my generation, when someone would mention the Ten Commandments, my first thought is usually of Charlton Heston on that mountain. Once I got that picture of Moses out of my head and began to focus on reading the Ten Commandments, all of the “Thou’s” and “Shalt’s” would get in the way. Being a casual (lazy) reader, it was so much work, like reading a different language.

Then, one day, someone introduced me to Matthew 22:37-39. Answering the question “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”. Jesus responded by saying, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” For me, that summed it up in a few, simple words.

Jesus was saying… “Love God, Love People”. Not a Thee, Thou, or Shalt in it! Truly words to live by.

Those four words are the essence of being a Christian. If all of us could only follow those two simple guidelines of love. Like the song says, “What a Wonderful World it would be”.

Going forward my studies showed that those simple four words, encompass all ten commandments. “Love God” covers the first four and “Love People” the final six. Wow! What would Charlton Heston have done with that? Can you see him standing on the mountain top with a lot smaller tablet? Maybe just an iPad? Certainly, it would have made for a shorter movie.

Growing up in the sixties was all about love. While some took it to the extreme with “Free Love”. Most believed it was all about loving one another in the biblical sense. Our culture was permeated with Love. It was in our music with songs like “All You Need is Love”. It was throughout our politics as well. Love one another was the basis of the Peace crusade and “flower children”. Sadly, greed and vitriol eventually engulfed the movement, replacing love with hate. Love was also the core of the Civil Rights movement. Led by Reverend Martin Luther King, he always led with Love and Peace including statements like…

“I love you. I would rather die than hate you.”

So often, today’s protests are full of division and hatred, making me think about those days in the sixties. It didn’t take long for a generation filled with love and peace to be “displaced” by hatred and viciousness. Today, in a world where it seems all are focused completely on themselves, there is one key element missing, Love!

Always Love! – Love Is The Answer!

Love God, Love People!

Here’s a video that we put together called “Love Is The Answer” featuring a wonderful version of the old Todd Rundgren song performed by Rumer. Enjoy!

There is no growth without Friction!

PERSEVERE!

“In the confrontation between the Stream and the Rock, the Stream ALWAYS Wins… Not through strength, but through Persistence.” 
-H. Jackson Brown Jr.

We live in a frenzied world, oft times it seems most of us wish life was effortless. If we only could accomplish all our dreams. Without problems, barriers and disappointment. Really? Think how boring that would be. Making it through all the problems and obstacles in life, while persevering, fortifies us. Giving us a deep sense of accomplishment. Building character and preparing us for future difficulties and tough times.

The next time you are overwhelmed with trouble or hard times, be thankful, and know that you are getting stronger!

Think of how our bodies were created to deal with stress and injury. The first time you grab a shovel, head to the backyard for some gardening. What happens? Blisters! Just saying the word brings pain. You work hard all day to provide some food or bring some beauty into the world, and what’s the result? Your hands and knees are covered in those tender bubbles just under your skin. If one pops, you know the pain that follows. In addition to the blisters, muscle throughout your body feels like you just finished a game of football, and you were the Football!

Why?

You’ve changed your routine. You’re stretching and growing. You have started using your hands and body for physical labor. With all the pain and blisters, our body is simply protecting us from doing major damage. While your blisters and muscle slow you down for healing. Your body is recreating itself to tolerate your new activities in the garden. God didn’t promise that there would never be pain. Instead, God designed our bodies to change and become what we need them to be, to handle the task at hand. The circumstances of our lives are no different.

Sure, there are times when we feel like we can’t take one more step; that there is no clear path to a good ending. Like the blisters, it hurts and sometimes the pain feels unbearable. God knows your pain. Like any loving Father, He would do anything to eliminate your agony. Akin to how our body uses pain to slow us down, recreating stronger, more resilient, skin and muscle. So too, God has created us with His protection as He molds us to become stronger and more resistant through tough times. Story after story in the Bible depicts how the weakest were favored, blessed and honed by God to do great things. Often through extreme trials. At the end, all were given everything they needed to persevere.

Reading the plight of the Israelites during their four hundred, thirty years as slaves. Made me oft times wonder; how could that be? After all these were Gods Chosen People. Imagine, that entire culture, enslaved as “sub-human”, manual laborers for over four hundred years. Every dirty, sweaty job, too lowly for the oppressors, forced on the Israelites. Was God mad, was He  punishing them?

Understanding how God created our bodies to get stronger in adversity, it follows that the same regeneration was happening to the Israelites. After over four hundred years of toil and hard work, what shape do you think the Israelites were in? The vision of scraggly, starving slaves just doesn’t seem to fit God’s purposes, especially for His chosen people. Clearly they were well fed, not starving. Starving them would not serve their master’s needs building an empire. So the Israelites labored for four hundred years. Getting stronger every day, physically and spiritually. Is it any wonder that they became conquerors? Just as God will provide What you need, When you need it; He refined and strengthened the Israelites, mind, body and soul for the mission ahead.

We all have those times when we are overwhelmed with trouble or hard times. Experience has taught me, that it is at those times, God is making us stronger and more resilient. Physically and spiritually. Sometimes we need new tools to move on. Other times we just need to slow down. Whatever the need, God has a plan, and will provide all that is needed. When trouble comes, be thankful, not fretful. God is making you stronger, better.

Have faith in God; listening for His still, quiet voice for direction, and Persevere!

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“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”  -James 1:4

Everything!

Getting to the Root of the Matter

“…seeing the root of the matter is found in me?” – Job 19:28

Over the last several weeks, Trees, Bees and Metaphors have been saturating my thoughts. It seems God has been helping me to understand His plan for my life through allegories, parables, music and images. I love it! After all; don’t we all enjoy a good story, good music, and good art?

Oft times I recall my favorite communicators of history; Abe Lincoln, Ronald Reagan and of course Jesus. All taught through storytelling with a message. Oh, and the many lessons learned from the poignant lyrics of some of my favorite musicians. Albeit some rather obscure musicians. And from the creation of the world, the stories told through the beauty of art and imagery; are too vast to catalog, recalling the tattered cliché, “A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words”.

Over the years in my walk with Christ. If I have learned anything, it is the importance of complete submission to God, in ALL things. For some, that might seem like a startling or obsessive idea: complete submission and obedience, to things unknown, and unseen. However, the word of God is not unseen, and for those in harmony with God’s Promise, God is not unknown.

Recently God has led me to write several stories that until today, I thought were mostly unconnected. Such are the ways of God. ALL things are connected, and ALL things work together for good.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28

These unrelated titles; “What Forest?”, “There is Truth in all Things”, “Are You Just A Metaphor?”, and “The Bee, The Brick, The Wall & The Honey”. Each, with their own distinct and separate message. Or so I thought.

Thinking back to where this all started, I believe it was Mother’s Day this year. On this special Sunday, I was looking forward to hearing one of my favorite speakers at Church. In what is becoming a wonderful tradition, our Pastor’s wife, Pastor Ashli Van Horn, takes to the pulpit with powerful, God inspired messages, from a Mother’s perspective. This Mother’s Day was no exception.

As usual, Pastor Ashli was ignited with God’s spirit and delivered an inspirational message. Explaining how, as the Body of Christ, we need to stand together, strong, as a family rooted in Christ. For those that weren’t there, I highly recommend watching the video. Here’s the link to the video, Mothers Day Message, Pastor Ashli Van Horn.

Pastor Ashli used an analogy based on the powerful Sequoia trees of the Sequoia National forest in California. She detailed how these magnificent trees; some that grow as tall as 250 feet, with a circumference of 30 feet, are wholly dependent on each other for stability and support. Ashli went on to explain how these glorious trees, towering so high above the earth, it hurts your neck to see the tops; are connected by an inter-locking Root system so massive, that it is only rivaled by the trees themselves. One look at an imposing Sequoia will easily take your focus off the forest.

Like the Bees that we talked about in “The Bee, The Brick, The Wall & The Honey”, the individual trees take care of one another. Through a complex, shared root system. The massive trees sustain each other by sharing water, nutrients and strength. Who would have thought that the tallest trees on the planet are wholly dependent on the Forest?

At no time, do the trees “fend” for themselves. Can you imagine what might happen if one of these brilliant creations would “take their roots and go home.”? It’s simply not an option. From their fragile beginnings, the sprout’s roots grow and intertwine with all the trees in the forest. The forest of shallow roots permeates the ground below. Forming a root system as massive as the trees themselves. The roots provide unconditional support and strength to every tree in the forest. With the sustenance of the forest, these wondrous, individual trees are completely free to grow and prosper; unhindered by the daily need to acquire the food, water and nourishment needed to survive.

Like the Bees in our earlier story, with each Bee concentrating on the wellbeing of all the bees, the Hive takes care of itself. Gone are all thought of self, and the perceived rewards of serving oneself. The Hive flourishes! So too the Forest prospers as well. The needs of every tree are met by their intertwined roots. As Humans, it is when we become the servant to all, we prosper. As Jesus taught,

“…But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.” Mark 10:43-44

So, as with the Body of Christ, the strength is in the body, or in this case the roots. The tallest trees on the planet find their strength in helping others. Free from the worries of the day and the fight to survive; each tree towers above all others, as does the entire forest. Isn’t this truly God’s design? This design saturates our world. We see it in Bee Hives, Ant Colonies and throughout the Animal world. Was this our sacrifice in Garden? All for the sake of knowledge?

“And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the LORD; I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it.” – Ezekiel 17:24

I’m reminded of a story from my childhood where a man visited both Heaven and Hell in a dream. He told his wife of his surprise to see the ground of Hell covered with beautiful, ripe fruit of all kinds. Seeing hordes of people walking around, the man noticed that no one had elbows; making it impossible to pick the fruit and eat it with arms that would not bend. Needless to say, there were a lot of hungry faces. As he left Hell and arrived in Heaven, the man was astonished to see almost the exact same scene. Hordes of people with no elbows. A ground covered in beautifully ripe fruit; but with one distinct difference. The people of heaven were picking up the fruit and feeding it to one another.

While reviewing my writing, I am thankful for God’s Divine guidance. It is apparent, not only in content, but also in continuity throughout all the recent stories. We talked about Bees with their “Servants Heart”, and how by serving the hive, all flourished with Gods reward of abundant Honey.  We referenced a Master brick layer’s direction that taught “Focusing on the Brick, the Wall would take care of itself.” Understanding with each individual Bee selflessly working for the benefit of others, the hive would take care of itself. In a story inspired by a song from Stevie Wonder, we established that being honest and truthful was in keeping with God’s word, and an act of Love. We also recognized how being too focused on a specific obstacle, could distract from God’s vision for our lives. As we dug into the World’s view of Christians, we observed how letting others define who we are as a Metaphor, could lead to an understanding based on the Worlds interpretation, not reality. All in all, we recognized the power of God through what Jesus defined as the most important commandments; to Love God with all our heart and to Love others as ourselves.

…“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” – Matthew 22:37-39

Sure, we all want to be strong individuals. Taking complete care of our loved ones. From birth, men and women alike, are encouraged to “Stand On Our Own”, or to be the “Best We Can Be”. So often, these teachings, like so many from the World, lead us to focus on ourselves. As we talked about “by taking care of the Brick, the Wall will take care of itself.” Doesn’t Christ teach us that the best way to take care of ourselves is by loving others? When we tear down the walls of self and ask Jesus into our hearts, self-dies. As a Christian, the way to be your best, is to take all focus off self and become a servant to all.

Love God, Love People

Bees, trees, bricks, walls, roots and forests. All different ways at looking at God’s divine design. Ultimately describing the same structure.

The body needs selfless individuals, focused on others; so that ALL individuals will prosper, flourish and grow strong. The individual, when stripped of the need to provide essentials for survival, blessed with the unconditional support from the body. Is free to flourish, becoming the best, strongest and tallest individual it can be. All in a body of the strongest and best.

A simple design. God’s simple design that yields God’s divine prosperity for all.

Bee the Tree and the Forest will take care of itself.

“…do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.” – Romans 11:18

To be a servant it just takes one step. One Drop of Love!

One Drop of Love, By Ray Charles

Please Click Below to Listen:

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We ALL Live In A Yellow Submarine!

Recently I shared these thoughts with a dear friend that I have a unique bond with. He had just texted me back a comment about some music that I sent him. When I read his simple “Fantastic” comment I was reminded of a thought that I had a while ago. So, I pulled into a parking lot and wrote this message to him…

“Two constants that I’ve noticed throughout the Bible are references to Water and God’s love for Music. All my life I’ve worked to pay attention to that. With water, it’s always about the flow. So many people see things that are not flowing and they start building dams to force the water to their path. Me, I work to step back and figure out how to get with the flow, understanding it’s one of the ways God guides us.Music has always had a special part of my life. In my career, so many of my peers would try to understand people through things like astrology, birth order and various “Physcho Babel”. For me, if I could find out what kind of Music someone liked, it always told me so much about them.”

After reading my response, my friend texted me back…

“Oh.  My Word.  Water & Music.  You will laugh out loud at what I bought you just an hour ago.  I’m speechless.  No, seriously.  Wait till you see what I just got you. God blows me away. Absolutely. You really won’t believe it. Water & Music. Man, you are definitely on the right path.Just wait. I was standing at the store with my son, and I looked over, and I said, “I have to buy that for Mark!” So, when you sent me this, my mouth just fell open.”