Redemption of Identity

Being in a community of faith is an important aspect of learning to carry the presence of God. Our stream of faith values the presence of Triune God. I love this about my faith. In both the old and new testaments being in the presence of God begins with being in a community of like-minded people. Or, to put it another way, being in the presence of people. Before I get too far along with this thought, I need to throw a life experience into this. I am one of the many who gave up on organized religion. We came to a place several years ago, where my wife and I decided it was time to leave a church that we had been an integral part of for 25 years. We took about 1 ½- 2 years to just be together on the weekends with family or with just the two of us. Still in love with God but not in love with his church. We came out of this time by asking Papagod to lead us to a church body that was the spiritual family He had for us. There were some extenuating circumstance that had lead ...

Depression and panic What does grace look like for me during this time? My vulnerability is met with kindness, affirmation, encouragement. Uncovering the "big scary" in my life takes away  its power to control me by exposing it to the living light of love. Grace leads me to embrace who I am as a hand-crafted image carrier of Triune God instead of letting the depth of darkness define these moments in my life. Grace opens the door in my life for encouragement, unfettered love, acts of kindness to come in and flood a life that is parched with desperation. From those who have been in this place to those who have never experienced depression I am given prayer, encouragement, care, concern, hope, reciprocated vulnerability. These are building a breakwater, a harbor of safety, from the onslaught. The guys I do life with jumped into action, without hesitation. They know the path and we walk it together. I was surprised by a phone call from a longtime friend and mentor ...

If you be angry… act in love! The political climate is crazy. There's so much to talk about. I can easily be angry. I so want to post a meme or spout off about a number of events!! But yet, I am constrained by my own credo- "Is what I am about to say or do done in love? Does it ascribe unsurpassable worth to others? Does it increase in others an ability to ascribe that same love to those they are in relationship with?" In Mark 3 Jesus met a man with a shriveled hand. This man was not born with a shriveled hand. The original Greek word is a verb, it became shriveled. In the course of living his hand lost function and was of no use anymore. He asked the law keepers and law makers, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath, to do good or to do evil?” They remained silent. (because in their understanding of the law to do anything on the Sabbath was to do evil, therefore doing good on the Sabbath was also doing evil, this question was e...

Last night as we were closing up the house for the night we couldn't find Missy, our doggy. I have an electronic fence around our two acres and she wears a collar that responds to the fence. She is a too-smart-for-her-own-good dog. She has escaped before and she escaped last night. Living in the country has its blessings and dangers. Most pets are killed by crossing the country road, the collar protects Missy from that fate. Our home sits back from the road about 200 feet so I drove down our driveway and got out of the car to look for her. She loves getting out of our yard! She will explore the dirtiest stuff and cover herself in dirt and grime with a silly dog smile, tail wagging, jumping around excited. I just needed to find her, bring her back over the fence wire and then off to the shower to wash off indescribable smelly dirt that she loves to roll in... As I drove towards the road I saw her in the neighbors property across the street. The road was quiet, I was tired so i...

When my present life is continually affected by my past I unknowingly invite the past brokenness to live in my present life. I may feel powerless to keep it out of the present- that too is past brokenness living in my present life. Where does this powerlessness come from? It is from living a passive life. I may recognize the broken condition of my past. I may even recognize the effect it has on my present life. I think to myself that time heals hurts. But... through tacit consent... hurts, grief, disappointments are empowered to live and affect my present life. The term "tacit" has important implications legally in our society. Our laws recognize tacit consent (implied agreement without being stated) as an actual, legally binding understanding between two individuals or parties. This tacit consent provides a binding contract, even though it is not written or spoken explicitly, as long as contract law does not require a written agreement. When confronted with tacit consent...

When your gift becomes the driving force in your life then it is no longer subject to you but you are subject to the gift. It's an unhealthy dynamic that strengthens any brokenness in a person's life. A driven life, many times, points to a life that has brokenness mastering it. Brokenness will attach itself to a gift. It becomes a place of hiding for the brokenness and, at the same time, empowering the brokeness more with a possibility of causing even greater harm. It’s a life that is driven in a direction that will seemingly satisfy an overwhelming desire or want or need in a life. Much “ministry” is lived out this way. What seems like acts of service to others is really a need to have worth or value. Or a need to belong to something, in church circles it could be to be a part of a revival or feeding program or mentoring, maybe a healing ministry, etc…These are great pursuits but a person driven to pursue these may actually be driven to fill a void in their own life by these...

Three freedoms that we can have.  As we live out sexual integrity and we minister to other's sexual integrity, these three freedoms become part of our lifestyle. I use a simple way to define where I live life from. I look at the choice Adamkind had in the Garden of Eden and, for me, it helps define where my life is being lived from. The two trees in the center of the garden were, “The tree of life” and “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (TOTKOG&E). For me these freedoms come from living from the tree of life which is embodied in Jesus Christ. It's life at the cross. The place where Triune's mercy swallowed up shame. I lived life from the other tree for decades, gaining knowledge and learning to judge myself, others, and situations based on this knowledge alone. Using it as a cloak to hide the deep shame I had from a hidden, broken life. Living from the TOTKOG&E I lived by my appearance being changed from the outside, adorning myself with a cer...