The Inheritance

14 Friday Feb 2014

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I am spending my Wednesday nights sitting in a room with many admitted drug addicts and many others who are quietly dealing with their own addictions and sins. It is a classroom where the teachers always point out that the past is the past and that no stones will be thrown. We are all sinners. We are all in need of the grace and mercy of the LORD.

Last night, I saw this video for the first time. It’s seven minutes long so be prepared. Well worth it, I believe.

The Inheritance

Grace and peace.

I Just Said The Weirdest Prayer

29 Thursday Dec 2011

Posted by Seeking Peace in anger, hatred, love, peace, Prayer

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A good friend sent me an email the other day about a letter Shannon Stone’s mother had written to Josh Hamilton encouraging him to continue tossing foul balls to fans in the stands. (Story) I saw it again on ESPN today and re-read and then started reading some of the responses and just started getting mad. People writing rude things about how the mother’s name is spelled, about the son, about faith, etc. I realized I was having the response that evil would want me to have so I stopped and prayed for all the posters who wrote something rude, prayed that somehow their hearts would be touched by grace and mercy and love.

It’s weird praying for strangers who are mean but I already feel better having chosen prayer over anger. I might try it again one day.

Grace and peace to you.

More War Talk

13 Tuesday Sep 2011

Posted by Seeking Peace in Gandhi, love, peace, war

≈ 3 Comments

An eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind.
Mahatma Gandhi

Some people are going to start to think I’m nuts. Maybe I am. I may be nuts but I’m also saddened by all the war/death references I see people putting on Facebook and other places who publicly call themselves Christians but want to take up arms against others. The most recent two were women. Now, I have to wonder if they are planning on enlisting and taking the battle to the enemy or if they want someone else to do it. I did see one post about using unmanned planes but if you are going to go kill someone, isn’t face-to-face the way to do it? Just asking…

It is only the dead who have seen the end of war.
Plato

I’m afraid Plato might have it right. I don’t know if the fighting and killing will ever stop. Sadly, it’s usually not the youngsters who are old enough to be sent into the battle that are rattling the sabers but older folks who will stay at home and bemoan the death toll.

What if we laid down our weapons? What if the “bad guys” won the battle?

What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty and democracy?
Gandhi

War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other’s children.
Jimmy Carter

Wars will come and it I’m quite confident this country will take up the battle. So be it. What I hate to see is those who say they follow Christ advocating war so staunchly. War is evil and if the first thing from a person’s mouth when dealing with someone who has hurt us is war, then evil has won. This applies in our churches, our marriages, our schools, our work and our countries. The day may come when I am placed in a position to defend myself and my children and I will have to make a call on that day. Until then, I hope I will put love first.

So many ascribe to the “kill ’em all and let God sort ’em out” mentality. Jesus’ last words on the cross were to forgive for the enemy didn’t know what it was doing. Jesus took God’s side and allowed God to have the final say. I hope I will be that strong.

Grace and peace to you.

9/11

12 Monday Sep 2011

Posted by Seeking Peace in 9/11, God's love, love

≈ 1 Comment

It’s been awhile but not for lack of trying. For some reason, I cannot post anything when using my normal Internet browser. Technology can be such a frustrating thing. Much like my blog for many readers.var gaJsHost = ((“https:” == document.location.protocol) ? “https://ssl.” : “http://www.”); document.write(unescape(“%3Cscript src='” + gaJsHost + “google-analytics.com/ga.js’ type=’text/javascript’%3E%3C/script%3E”)); try { var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker(“UA-12356560-1”); pageTracker._trackPageview(); } catch(err) {}

As we remembered 9/11 yesterday, I was struck by the number of posts I read on Facebook about my friend’s hatred for President Obama, Muslims and a host of other people who don’t do things just the way my friends want them to do it and was reminded of a principle I learned reading The Shack and was reminded of yesterday as we studied Romans 15 and one of our Elders said, “remember when you are looking at someone you want to put your hands on and strangle, you are looking at someone that Jesus was willing to die for.”

I’ve too often been on the opposite side of God in my love for people. He loves them and I’m ticked off at them and hoping for a piano to fall on their head. If God loves Obama and I hate him, who’s side am I on? If God loves Muslims and I hate them, who’s side am I on? It doesn’t mean I approve of what Obama or Muslims do. It doesn’t mean I approve of what many people do who I sit in church with on Sundays who don’t act Christ-like the rest of the week either but God loves them and I want to be on God’s side so I’m going to love them also.

When those who would be my brothers and sisters in Christ want to bomb, kill and maim anyone who doesn’t agree with our way of life, I have to ask what way of life that is – the American way or God’s way and which one is most important, which one should be the priority?

I hope I will learn to love people even when I don’t condone their actions or motives. I hope I’ll do a better job of praying for those who persecute me and my fellow man instead of hoping for bombs to rain down on them. I hope I’ll always remember the kingdom of God is where my true citizenship exists and that I’m just passing through as an American.

I am thankful for those who protect us and keep us safe. I honor them and pray for their safety and protection from those who would do them harm. They have my support and I hope no one can doubt that or mis-hears how strongly I feel about those who serve our country in any capacity.

Even while I support those who protect me from harm, I will not wish harm on those who would hurt me but pray that one day love will rule and that God will be the victor over all.

Grace and peace to you.

Pitching and Conviction, Part 2

04 Thursday Aug 2011

Posted by Seeking Peace in God's love, love

≈ 1 Comment

Mike Adams made his debut with the Rangers Tuesday night and it was a bit underwhelming. Now, I don’t have a clue what it is like to pitch in the rain in your debut after a team gave up some of it’s best prospects for you and I guess I can understand that the weather and nerves might throw you off your game a bit but this guy is supposed to be Superman and I was expecting 3 outs with 2 pitches. Don’t ask me how he would do that but it’s what I expected. Better luck next time Mike.

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My discipleship is a bit like Mike Adams. My Lord gave his best player for me and often I come out and serve up meatballs to the enemy that he can hit out of the park. The good part is that just like Adams will get to go back out on the field and show what he can do, God will let me try again because he loves me so much. I read a blog the yesterday that reminded me that God is love. Not that God loves to love or likes to love and wants to love. GOD IS LOVE. If he’s love and I’m not loving, then who do I look like? If I’m not living as love, that’s when I’m serving up hanging curveballs and fastballs that are dead-red across the plate. It’s when I live in love that I am walking arm-in-arm with my Lord and nothing can hurt me, nothing can beat me because he is living through me.

Running on Empty

25 Monday Jul 2011

Posted by Seeking Peace in Faith, love, myers-brigg, personality, stress

≈ 3 Comments

It’s been tough to blog lately…as you’ve probably noticed.

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Same sex marriages in New York. A murder spree in Norway. Oh yes, now I remember why I have quit reading the paper and watching the news. Burying my head in the sand, you say? In all honesty, I think I have been more focused on my Father’s business since I went without “news” for awhile. Sadly enough, I can find enough problems in my own yard without hearing from around the world. I’m not advocating for all people to quit listening to the news, I just feel like it has been a good thing for me for a season.

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I’m taking an Organizational Behavior class for a Master’s program right now. One assignment was a Life Stress Inventory Test. A score of 0-100 indicates you have low stress, 100-200 indicates reasonable stress that a person should be aware of and taking steps to reduce, 200-300 indicates high stress that can result in a 50% chance of a major health issue within 2 years, 300 and up indicates extremely high stress that can result in a 80% chance of a major health issue within 2 years. I scored a 485 the first time so I took it again and got a 520. Maybe that’s why I feel exhausted all the time. Silly tests.

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I also took the Myers-Brigg Personality Inventory and found out I’m a INFJ. I still don’t know all that means but my personality is the same as Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Teresa and Nelson Mandela – not bad company. It’s also the same as Billy Crystal and Mel Gibson (that may explain some of my outbursts at times). Fascinating stuff.

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I got into another faith and works conversation the other day. I’m still confused why anyone would try to separate the two. I do stuff for my kids because of love. God gave his son for me because of love. Love is unseen (faith) until manifested in something I do for someone but what I do isn’t done for proof, it’s done out of love. So is my work for God, not something I do for proof but something I do because of love. It seems so simple to me.

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Grace and peace to you.
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The Lies We Are Told

03 Friday Jun 2011

Posted by Seeking Peace in Eldredge, God's love, lies, love, satan's lie

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I’m borrowing from John Eldredge again today. He talks about a lie I have fallen for and still fall for from time to time but as I learn more and more about God’s love for me, the lie is rapidly losing it’s power over me.

Subtle Attack?Looking for Agreements

The devil has more temptations than an actor has costumes for the stage. And one of his all-time favorite disguises is that of a lying spirit, to abuse your tender heart with the worst news he can deliver-that you do not really love Jesus Christ and that you are only pretending, you are only deceiving yourself. (William Gurnall)

Satan is called in Scripture the Father of Lies (John 8:44). His very first attack against the human race was to lie to Eve and Adam about God, and where life is to be found, and what the consequences of certain actions would and would not be. He is a master at this. He suggests to us-as he suggested to Adam and Eve-some sort of idea or inclination or impression, and what he is seeking is a sort of “agreement” on our part. He’s hoping we’ll buy into whatever he’s saying, offering, insinuating. Our first parents bought into it, and look what disaster came of it. The Evil One is still lying to us, seeking our agreement every single day.

Your heart is good. Your heart matters to God. Those are the two hardest things to hang on to. I’m serious-try it. Try to hold this up for even a day. My heart is good. My heart matters to God. You will be amazed at how much accusation you live under. You have an argument with your daughter on the way to school; as you drive off, you have a nagging sense of, Well, you really blew that one. If your heart agrees-Yeah, I really did-without taking the issue to Jesus, then the Enemy will try to go for more. You’re always blowing it with her. Another agreement is made. It’s true. I’m such a lousy parent. Keep this up and your whole day is tanked in about five minutes. The Enemy will take any small victory he can get. It moves from You did a bad thing to You are bad. After a while it just becomes a cloud we live under, accept as normal.

(Waking the Dead , 152-53)

Lord, I thank you that your love has more power than anything else I will ever know.

Grace and peace to you.

Can You Spare Some Change?

31 Tuesday May 2011

Posted by Seeking Peace in change the world, Ecuador, love

≈ 2 Comments

Mahatma Ghandi is quoted as saying, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

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I hope my remaining days will find me being the change I want to see in the world. Change that helps the poor. Change that feeds the hungry. Change that clothes the naked. Change that gives shelter to the homeless. Most of all, change that gives light to the lost, hope to the hopeless, compassion to the hurting, healing to the wounded and love to the lost, hopeless, hurting, wounded and lonely souls who need to know Jesus’ love for them, who need to know there is love, mercy and grace in abundance that he wants to lavish on them.

Obsessed…Again

04 Wednesday May 2011

Posted by Seeking Peace in love, obsessed

≈ 2 Comments

I’m back to Chapter 8 of Crazy Love, the chapter about what it might look like to be obsessed with loving God. It’s my favorite chapter. It’s a challenging chapter for me. It’s an encouraging and motivating chapter for me. I can’t wait to start studying it in our Bible study at work on Wednesday.

I wonder how God feels when I’m more upset by a call the umpire makes than I am by the people living under a bridge with little to eat.

I wonder how God feels when I buy enough clothes to wear for 3 weeks without wearing the same thing twice never thinking about the person wearing the same thing day in and day out.

I wonder how God feels when I dream of building a big, comfortable house while people are living in the woods on good weather nights and under a semi-trailer on bad weather nights.

I know all the arguments. Those people don’t want to find a job. Those people are willing to take whatever they can get for free. Those people drink too much, do drugs too much, have put themselves in that position.

I can make the argument but I wonder why Jesus doesn’t make that argument when he tells me to take care of the poor, the hungry, the naked…the least of these. Jesus doesn’t tell me to make judgments about their intentions, to qualify them or to be more worried about catching someone cheating than just trusting in his goodness and guidance.

I want to live more obsessed with what God is calling me to do in his kingdom.

Grace and peace to you.

If You Love Jesus…

06 Wednesday Apr 2011

Posted by Seeking Peace in Jesus, love

≈ 1 Comment

…live like it.

I need to be reminded that I should love Jesus because of who he is and what he has done because he loves me completely; not because I can go to heaven now but because he loves me so very, very much.

I look forward to Bible study today. I think there will be some powerful stories shared and hearts changed – all because Jesus loves everyone who will be there.

I want to live in such a way that people know I love Jesus completely.

Grace and peace to you.
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