Starting Again for the Very First Time

There is something unique about January 1. It begins a new year, a new time for do overs. No, you can't go back and change anything that happened in 2010, but you can move on from the miscues, foibles, and downright goofy conduct experienced in 2010.

A professional athlete is judged on performance from season to season. A number of factors determine how successful a season the athlete encounters. Maybe an injury or sickness impeded progress or maybe bad decisions curtailed expected results. With a new season comes a new start.
There have been years that did not bear the success I had planned. As a matter of fact there have been years that I intentionally stayed awake until after midnight on 12/31 to make sure that year was over and didn't hang around any longer.

Well 2011 is another year, another do over. The question is will I take advantage of a new start or will I let the inopportunities of last year plague me in the new year? It seems counterproductive to burden myself with last year's pitfalls. So maybe I should take a suggestion from the apostle Paul who said, "...forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." By forgetting, he did not mean to completely ignore the lessons learned from the past, but simply to not let the problems of the past weigh you down with regret and stifle your future growth.

There is nothing you can do to change what has already transpired. But starting afresh in the new year focuses on the now rather than the past. It is in the now that decisions are made that will effect the future.

Remember the lessons but keep the past where it belongs.

Surprises

It's Christmas. Children anxiously anticipate opening the presents they have seen wrapped and placed under the tree. They speculate as to what those paper bound bow tied boxes contain. Sometimes they know what's inside. Other times they are completely clueless. There are different expressions on their faces depending on whether they know the contents. The fun in watching is the delight expressed when they are caught off guard by a surprise.

Adults are really no different. Yes, we are supposed to be less demonstrative. But that does not tell the whole story. It's not just in the display of surprise, it's the delight of surprise that is hard to mask.

The phrase "the delight of surprise" is most intriguing. Whether the surprise evokes an immediate reaction or is subdued does not in any way negate the surprise itself. It is simply a positive experience that was not expected.

Some surprises are mind shattering and some are merely amusing. But all surprises have the degree of awe that is fun sometime to the point of overwhelming. Life is full of surprises. Let us be thankful and allow the delight of surprise to fuel our enthusiasm for unexpected joy.

Elation

Dramatic events can take place in an instant in time. Such happenings can be either good or bad, happy or sad. The one thing that is certain is the impact such a circumstance can have on one's life. If the result is positive euphoria can occur. If the the outcome is negative depression can surreptiously enter the picture. In either case the end result has a profound impact on the present and future state of the individual affected.

Little did two brothers who had not spoken with each other for twenty years, realize that today they would see each other in a different light prompting them to reach out to one another. Several attenders at a memorial service were unaware that when they came to the funeral home they were going to leave as changed individuals.

Circumstances can change in an instant. Life should be celebrated in the present with the expectation that current conditions could improve from bad to good, from good to spectacluar.

Disappointment

They say never pray for patience. The only way to get it is to endure hardship. So, why bring it on intentionally? Well, one good reason might be the disappointment that proceeds from checking your email several times a day waiting for that good news you've assumed was coming. Snail mail offers the same unrequited attention.

Frustration seems to be a constant companion when that for which you wait takes longer and longer to materialize. It's a sit down and wait scenario in a fast food world.

Rationality takes a backseat when obsession takes control. The longer the wait, the more irrationality works it's way into the thought process skewing a little more what sober thinking remains.

Finally, word arrives and that for which you had angst becomes reality only to be replaced with another situation that compels us to check email more often than necessary not to mention the snail mail. In all, we groan when things seem to go opposite of expectations.

It seems as though there is no solution to this pesky dilemma as wheels of wait keep our minds focused on that which is ahead while missing the activity of the present.

Disagreeing Agreeably

Tenaciously clinging to long held beliefs can be both admirable and foolish. It is admirable in that strength of conviction compels one to contend for the values one holds. It is foolish when that to which one holds does not measure up to truth.

All of us hold certain truths inviolable. We have a hard time convincing ourselves to deviate from policy or public perception. What do we do when truth stares us in the face yet expediency compels us to cleave to our long held beliefs? Many times we lash out in defense of beliefs we know in our hearts are not true but they have become so ingrained in our minds they might as well be true. Paranoia sets in as we somewhat believe we are right and everyone else is not right.

Whether we are right or not,the appropriate behavior is to courteously acknowledge the disagreement and learn to respect each other's wishes. Allowing yourself to be wrong can be cathartic. Allowing someone else to be right is humbling. Either way a win-win situation ensues without rancor and discord.

There are issues worth fighting for. The key is to know when to fight and when to agreeably disagree.

Poles Apart

Life seems easy when things go right;
Harder when things go wrong.
Smoother when sleep lasts through the night;
Rougher when nights are long.

Answers come quickly when all is okay;
Slower when thoughts are captive.
Positive attitude when come what may;
Negative thoughts when less active.

Energy abundant when life is in gear;
Lethargic when things are in neutral.
Hopeful when answers appear to be near;
Distant when thoughts are more doleful.

Extremes can confuse and cause consternation,
Deeply distorting the picture we see.
Forbear agitation of life's aggravation
By looking at life more optimistically.

Profundity

There must be an answer to every question. An answer that satisfies the curiosity of the questioner and the ego of the one giving the answer. The questioner wants to know the query is taken seriously while the one answering wants to know the response is respectfully accepted.

In a learning environment the questioner is generally the pupil and the one giving the answer is the teacher. Oftimes the teacher gives an answer the student doesn't understand. The question can be a legitimate attempt to learn, a tactic to stall the class time, or a means to embarrass the professor. The answer can be a genuine attempt at truth, a means of ridicule, or a red herring due to the inability of the respondent. If questions are legitimate, answers should be as well.

The fear of ridicule keeps questioners from being openly inquisitive. There are no "dumb questions" if the questioner doesn't know or understand the answer. In a group setting it is likely that more than one person has the same question but peer pressure keeps each of them from asking.


Answering questions seems to have its own problems. The person answering often feels compelled to give an answer even if they are unsure of the correctness of their response. For one who supposedly is in authority its humbling to admit you can't answer the query. It is a wise person who simply says "I don't know." If the questioner feels foolish asking a question because they think it a "dumb question", then to answer a "dumb question" with a "dumb answer" is more than foolish.


Ask questions when unsure. Answer questions when sure. Remembering

The quest for answers to the questions in life is not in the destination but in the journey that takes one there.

Sit back and wait

Waiting is probably the hardest thing a person can do. What we want, we want now. That is one reason the fast food industry has become such an enormous success. Taking the time to sit in a restaurant to be served means that some other feature of life is delayed. But if we can eat on the run the possibility of multi-tasking is enhanced.

People in other cultures don't seem to be quite as hasty as Americans. There are still siesta times in some cultures and times in some cultures that seem insignificant. How do we distinguish between being too aggressive and being lackadaisical?

Wanting an event to take place builds anxiety as the days leading up to the event get seemingly longer. Often anxiety leads to stress which causes one to act in a way out of the ordinary. Some stress is necessary in life but too much stress is harmful and potentially fatal. The cause of the overabundance of stress is placing an undue amount of value to a temporal event. The wisest man that ever lived, Solomon, wrote, "He [God] has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end." He put eternity in their hearts means that man was made for eternity. Everything surrounding man was made for time. Therefore, nothing in time will ever satisfy man. Eternal values are what we are to desire.

Given this truth, we wait patiently for the things of this world not allowing artificial values to cloud our otherwise eternal desires. The psalmist said, "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him...do not fret--it only causes harm" (Psalm 37:7, 8).

Patience is a matter of values. If our values are temporal, we fret. If our values are eternal, we sit back and wait.

Extremes

Life is a huge spectrum with opinions and beliefs framing issues pole to pole. My opinion is as valid as any other opinion expressed, except of course when it runs afoul with your opinion. Then my opinion might be labeled as harboring some not so politically correct ideology, i.e., homophobe, racist, anti-immigration kook, right wing zealot, etc. Seldom will any thought be given to what I say as minds are occupied by how best villify me personally in order to discredit my opinion.

On the other hand, my opinion might be considered outside the bounds of acceptable standards and labeled left wing, liberal, bleeding heart, unpatriotic, etc. Seldom will any slack be given to anyone identifying themselves with these categories.

Opinions line the road stretching from one pole to the other. Self discovery generally reveals the fading tolerance for conflicting thought.

Can we come to the point where we respectfully disagree without personally attacking another party. The answer is likely closer to the middle than nearer the ends.

Intentional Gratefulness

Blessings come from many places. Sometimes those small positives in our life can be so seemingly insignificant that we assume they will last forever. We go about life expecting good things to happen to us or for us.

But what about those huge blessings that come along occassionally that knock our socks off? Something so outstanding that it changes the way we perceive life. It changes the way we view our circumstance. We go from hopeless one minute to absolutely enthralled the next. Is the change permanent or do we fall back into our old habits after a time of adjustment?

The answer is both.

We appreciate the giant blessing and for awhile bask in the warmth of a loving God who sprinkles us with graciousness. But as is too often the case we fall back into that old lack of appreciation habit and need another booster shot to remind us of just how fortunate we are. Aren't we blessed to have a God Who continually blesses us despite our lack of appreciation and our penchant for lapsing backward?

I think I'll make a resolution to be truly thankful for the small and large blessings in life so that I don't miss anything that God has in store for me. How about you?

What Choice Do I Have

The rain falls to the ground and moistens the earth. Portions of the terrain produce lovely flowers and vegetation, while other areas having received the same rain produces briers and thistles. How come?

The same twenty-four hours are afforded each person. A portion of the population stretches and grows becoming productive citizens, while others plot and scheme to gain for themselves something that's not theirs. How come?

Some might conclude fatalism, while others might attribute the influence of a misdirected childhood. Some might blame everyone else for personal circumstance, while others accept the responsibility for their action.

"The devil made me do it." "That's how I was raised." It's not my fault." "You can't blame me for that."

"It was my mistake." I'm sorry I failed you." "What can I do to make it up to you." "There is no excuse for my behavior."

The same sun shines, the same rain falls, the same twenty-four hours dawns daily. It's time for the soil to produce results rather than briers that produce excuse.

Power Packed Praying

Today, a valuable lesson was learned. A disappointment was turned into a positive. An opportunity which seemed to be denied one minute was approved the next with greater benefits than one could reasonably expect.

The common response to greater than expected benefits is, "I can't believe that just happened." In fact, the question should be "Why not?" Why shouldn't it happen? Why shouldn't we expect positive results from our efforts?

Prayer is a powerful tool. When used properly it opens doors seemingly sealed shut. It softens hearts purportedly hardened to reponse. It soothes nerves frazzled by untimely miscues. Most importantly it bridges the gap between self absorption and self denial.

When genuine prayer is employed as part of everyday activities, the unexpected becomes the norm and not the exception. Then the surprise of a positive outcome is not unbelievable but highly anticipated. Not that God is in a box and once the magic words are spoken he is bound to answer in a certain manner, but that such an intimate realtionship exists the outcome is a moot point. The only real meaning is enmeshed in the intimacy of the relationship. The outcome is superflous, the fellowship ideal.

The Pursuit of Victory

What do you do when you try as hard as you can to complete a task and still are not successful? The first reaction is to say "I've given all I have. There's no more to give." But later emotions kick in and a second effort is begun. Maybe even a third or fourth effort is undertaken. Still no success.

The task remains idle for a time period. Once more the never-say-die attitude invades the psyche and more effort is put toward accomplishing the goal. Frustration, anger, hopelessness attack the will to succeed. The words of Winston Churchill's speech during World War, "Never give up! Never give up! Never give up! Never give up!" play over and over in the mind. Fighting against that sentiment is the temptation to say "Who cares if I quit," all the while knowing that you care immensely. There is no denying the innate desire for victory no matter if you are the only one who cares.

More effort, more pain, more frustration until the smallest breakthrough occurs. The microscopic gain rejuvenates the mind and propels the body to vigorously continue the pursuit of victory. One small step leads to another and before you know it victory has been secured. Problem solved! Mission accomplished!

But at what cost is the victory. Sometimes it doesn't matter. Other times it does. Don't allow the pursuit of victory to end in defeat.

Expectations

Looking forward to an event is both exciting and perilous. We spend much of our time in the expectation of some future occurrence which may or may not happen. Even if it does happen will it turn out to be a positive or a negative impact.

Expectations are exciting when the outlook appears positive. Children can't wait until Christmas or a birthday, knowing boxes wrapped in colorful paper are filled with new toys. Even if the number one toy of the year isn't part of the array of gifts, there are still many others from which to choose. Adolescents look forward to the day they are no longer considered children and more and more privileges are granted to them. Adults look forward to significant events like a new job, a reward for diligent labor, or gaining the respect of peers.

There is another side of the coin of expectation. It is a little darker. Its the peril of not living up to societies norms. Whether its failure to satisfy parents or peers, the expectations placed upon an individual have been known to effect many people adversely.

There is a solution to the dilemma. Live in the present. Appreciate each day for what it is. There is nothing you can do to change the past and nothing you can do to hasten the future. While living in expectation, we miss the present. Looking forward to significant events is not wrong, but missing the present is.

Look back on previous mistakes to remember not to take that same path again. But don't allow those setbacks to negatively control your thought process. No one sits down and decides to make a bad decision. Decisions are made because they seem to be right at the time. Some just go bad later. Don't allow mistakes made in the past to define the present. Start over as many times as it takes to put yourself in the present. The past is past; it's not the now.

Looking forward to an important event is okay as long as you don't live in the future always wanting to achieve something you don't currently have. Enjoy what you do have now. Don't miss the present for the future.

And now abide past, present, future these three; but the greatest of these is present. Live in it with confident assurance.

Taking God for Granted

Have you ever taken someone for granted? The term means not appreciating the value one has in your life. If you are married your spouse has surely accused you of such an attitude, or maybe you have accused your spouse of the same. It's so easy to do and commonplace in society.

Whereas it's bad to take your spouse for granted, it is far worse to take God for granted. We do that in at least three ways.

We take God for granted when we fail to give Him credit for the our very existence. At any moment, God could require our soul. He sustains our very existence and without Him there would be no existence at all.

We take God for granted when we presume that we know more about what's better for our life than He does. Not guilty you say. How many times have you acted on your own initiatiive and failed to ask God for direction? In so doing you are minimizing the creator of the universe who is all knowing and could order your footsteps in the right direction.

We take God for granted when we erect a false god. No way you say. The god of our imagination is just as false as the handmade gods spoken of as idolatry in th Old Testament. God doesn't fit nicely into the box our mind has conceived. He is far greater than anything we can imagine.

Taking God for granted is part of our daily life. We might not want to admit it but it's true. For your best interest agree with God that your guilty and let Him show you a better way.

Pride of Life

Pride can be a very dangerous thing. After all it is one of the seven deadly sins (Pro. 6:16-19). It was the cause of Satan' fall (1 Tim 3:6). So at the very least one should be very careful in dealing with such a potentially destructive topic.

But first babies make me proud. Retirements make me proud. Graduations make me proud. Celebrations all. Achievements all. None of these are about me, but they are of me and I could not be any more proud than I am.

There is no pride of accomplishment or thinking I have achieved something due to skill or intellect. Now that would be a dangerous door to open. No, this pride is in someone else's accomplishments. This pride is the moistened glint of joy that accompanies the right of passage from the completion of one great moment to the intiation of another.

To be fortunate enough to experience one of these events is wonderful. To experience all three in short order is spectacular. There is no arrogance or haughty spirit; just the basking in the glow of sunlight reflecting from the faces of the pride.

If no free will...Then no problem!

Recently a young female college student opined that free will was an allusion. People react according to predetermined influences and are not free at all. Now it is true that mankind does not possess total free will. No one chooses to be born, or the culture in which one is born, or the genetics one inherits. But to suggest that mankind has no choice at all is strickly fatalism. Be it ever so limited, mankind has choices and is expected to function in life responsible for the choices made.

The potential for choice exists. There are outcomes from choices made that can bode well or ill for the decision maker and the immediate environs. Some issues dealing with free will or no free will might be contained in some of the following If...Then propositions.

If there is no free will...Then, One cannot be held accountable for the consequences of his/her actions.

If no free will...Then God is the cause of sin.

If no free will...Then everything would be morally neutral.

As a society we hold people accountable for their actions. Everything is not morally neutral. Evil does exist and the origin of such evil is not God.

Opinions like the one from the young college student are a product of mindset which desperately searches for ways to excuse behavior and escape the reality of truth. The familiar saying "What's true for you is not true for me" is the attempt to make truth relative and therefore non-binding. Try as one might, there is no escape from Truth and mankind will be held accountable for it.

Language of the Fool

Recent news reports indicate an upsurge in the use of profanity in social settings and the workplace. It appears as though such language is not only acceptable but appropriate to express one's views. Top political and business officials have been heard using the F bomb. Unsavory language is apparently so pervasive that studies have been done suggesting the use of these once aberrant linguistic expressions are beneficial to social development and interpersonal relationships.

This is such an interesting topic for in the same article it suggests that such language would not be appropriate for use around children. A question immediately comes to mind. "If the language being used by adults is acceptable, why should it be inappropriate for use around children?" The answer is obvious and the very same people supporting the use of such language know the answer.

Conscience, that immaterial gatekeeper of man, is still alive and well. It is true a certain searing has taken place hardening the conscience. Despite the hardening, deep inside the heart of man the truth is known. One might try to deny it, repress it, or forget it but in the quietness of the heart the conscience speaks and mankind realizes the undeniable truth. There are standards expected of the human race and when those standards are compromised the conscience reacts, feelings of guilt surface. Often the phrase "Pardon my French" or some other expression of apology accompanies profanity used in the company of someone the speaker knows does not appreciate the language. If such language is acceptable, why offer the apology?

Reflecting on this issue, two quotes come to mind. The first is by the wisest man to ever live. He states, "The words of a wise man are gracious, but the lips of a fool will swallow him up." The second is from a great Greek philosopher, "In the brain of the wisest of men always resides the corner of the fool."

Foolish people use foolish language to convey their foolish thoughts.

Forlorn But Not Forsaken

I thought I knew what I wanted to do

And embarked on a path to do it.

Along the way I heard people say

"There is no way, he'll never see a day

When success isn't flitting away."

Before too long I believed their song

And replayed the tune in my head.

My feelings were wrong; I didn't belong.

Doomed to average instead,

Flitting away in my head.

Just what to do I did not know

Nor were there answers in sight.

The lack of light put my hopes to flight

Twas dark as night; life was a fright

As plan after plan ebbed in might.

In endless repeat the circle complete

The hope that I held would lapse.

And wouldn't you know the trouble would grow

Worst at the first and ne'er any better

Disaster! Defeat! Collapse!

In an instant it happened as quick as that

An eruption of grace spewed forth.

Fueled by the notion of theistic motion

A refreshing potion of merciful lotion

Flowed from the bountiful source.

Ah! Hope is not lost, it's still on its feet

Resolutely marching ahead

To offer its power in life's darkest hour

From quagmire to fire

Intent on victory instead.

How do I love thee...

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways." The words of the sonnet by Elizabeth Barrett Browning are familiar and sometime perplexing. Especially when we compare the love we share with each other to the love God expresses to us on a daily basis. It's easy to get caught up trying to make human analogies for God's love. But whatever expression of love we can imagine is miniscule next to the reality of God's love as seen in the pages of Scripture.

John writes that God is love. His character is saturated in love. His will is predicated on love. His grace is rooted in love. His mercy is tempered in love. His peace is contingent on love. Is it any wonder why we are incapable of fathoming how great is His love?

Paul wrote to Titus informing him that God cannot lie. If He says He love us, then it must be true. And He does tell us he loves us over and over again. Because we can't understand why or how God loves us does not take away from the fact that He does.

The next time you are feeling unloved by the world, Remember that God loves you with a love so powerful that it is beyond your imagination to believe. Hold on to that thought and never let it go.

Count it all joy?

Can you remember the last time you were truly grateful for the trials that dart in and out of your life. Not many people would answer that question in the affirmative. Yet that is exactly what James suggested in the epistle attributed to his name. "Count it all joy when you fall into various trials," he writes in 1:2.

What's to be happy about when at best aggravation or at worst serious dilemmas rear their ugly heads in your life? The circumstance du jour is brought about by the hostile environment shared by humans, animals, and nature. It is evil in the world fostered by created beings whose sole purpose is to defeat the work of God on earth. To accomplish that goal these beings will stop at nothing to destroy anyone or anything obstructing their path. What they intend for evil, God turns to good.

The apostle Paul suggested the trials suffered on earth were but light afflictions endured for but a moment (2 Cor. 4:17). Such suffering can't compare with the glory which God will reveal in the believer in heaven (Rom. 8:18). Enduring trials is a condition granted to believers on behalf of Christ that they might suffer for His sake (Phil. 1:29). "In the world," Jesus said, "you will have tribulation. " If left there optimism might be difficult to imagine. However, Jesus finished the statement by saying, "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John: 16:33).

The trials we experience form our character. In that sense we are to rejoice. It is generally after the fact that we can objectively exam the guerilla attacks to see the positive aspect of the growth process.

Tough Times Don't Last but Tough People Do! Perhaps you've heard of this saying and book title. This exhortation to grinding out the difficult circumstances in life appeals to the American spirit of never giving up. However, real life doesn't always work that way, especially in an economy that is demanding more than many people can give.

Well intentioned people borrowed money to purchase houses under the premise they could continue to draw a salary from their employer or continue to operate their businees at a level whereby they could maintain their monthly obligations. Unfortunately their employer experienced a business downturn and was forced to reduce payroll by eliminating the very job relied upon to meet monthly expenses. The business owner and the worker want to maintain their integrity by faithfully remitting the funds necessary to make agreed upon payments to all creditors. Due to circumstances beyond their control, they are simply unable to accomplish their desired goal of repaying the debt to which they had commited. The result is anguish that oftentimes leads to depression.

There is no easy answer to this scenario except to realize that all decisions are good when they are made. Some decisions just turn bad later. There is nothing you can do about a decision in the past. The time is gone and you can't go back and correct that mistake. The only remedy is to not make that same mistake again.

If you find yourself in a financial quaigmire, you are not alone. Millions of other Americans have joined you, maybe for the first time in their life. Continue to work hard and try to emerge from the burden of debt that has encompassed many Americans. But all the while thanking God for what you do have and ministering to the needs of others. When your focus is on the person and path of one seeking their own selfish ambition, you are in for a long arduous time. While we travel the same sod, let us encourage, exhort, and empathize with one another.

Remember, we all have problems. Some problems are just more socially acceptable than others.