From the vantage point of a person (ok, me) who has lived as a servant of the Most HIGH GOD this seems an evasion of both societal and spiritual participation; choosing, instead, to place the desires of the moment and a penchant for personal fulfillment above any need to be included or concerned in the lives of the people of this planet. It is not arrogant self-centeredness:  it is irresponsible self-absorption. It flies in the face of all the sacrifices and efforts made to forestall a global Armageddon. Government isn’t all bad: but at least it’s trying. Religious people don’t always agree: but at least they are endeavouring to make a difference.

The non-religious, non-caring, so-whats!?! of our culture are wrong. Inherent within us all, cognizant of it or not, lies a deep sense of purpose and meaning for life. Their arrogance asserting a belief in self as the ultimate determiner of meaning is unfathomable. None of us would be here today had not some of us dedicated our lives to making a difference. Then again, a world without God is as devoid of meaning as it gets; created or imputed meaning leaves much to be desired. The world and the universe do not revolve around us. It is not about So what!?!  It is about what if, I can, I’m sorry, together, & making a difference.  So be it!

Have a nice week,

Gary

In a sense, the faster humans go, the more our sense of time distorts. We try to pack so much into a day, a week, month or year, until we confuse the value of the time we have. We begin to live in separate “universes,” crossing between them as needed, to keep pace with ourselves and the impossible schedules we attempt to keep. The result is that we lose the ability to properly perceive ourselves in the real universe: we also lose our ability to perceive the real universe accurately as well. Our vision becomes skewed proportionately with the velocity of our lives. More simply— run ahead of reality, miss the small stuff. Critical details are not so designated capriciously. They are important to grasp in the grand scheme of things.

Our personal, temporal velocity will distort our grasp of real reality.

Time is measured out to each of us to use with delicate touch. None of us know how much of it we have in this life-span. So, in an effort to prevent a distortion of it, I offer these challenges to you—

In broad strokes, chart the next year; vacations, holidays, work commitments, family times. Do the same in more detail for the next month, for this upcoming week. Then ask these questions of yourself—

1. What is important to you? What % of time does that get?
2. What is the balance of time between work and family? Remember, it’s quality and quantity time.
3. How long does it take you to STOP? [You do stop, don’t you?] Relaxing cradles refreshment within.
4. How much time do you spend staring at the ceiling when you go to bed at night? Get help. OR, just STOP your day one hour earlier. One hour earlier. “Sleep…, don’t leave home without it.”

Do not be deceived. Temporal Distortion does lead to warped comprehension in adjacent areas of life. Given enough time distortion evolves into perversion; and perversion lapses into blindness to the truth of any reality other than the one solely inhabited by you. God set up this universe to run smoothly according to His principles of time & space, of relationships within reality. Don’t mess with it. Adjust your life to run in time with the Universal Clock; and I don’t mean the one in Greenwich.

Have a nice week,

Gary

Holy. The word is sprinkled throughout our vocabulary. In different forms it is found in most of the world’s languages. It appeared first in ancient Semitic form as Q-D-Š  (–), to designate something set aside for sacred use. The Hebrew qudosh (קֹדֶשׁ) was used in reference to holiness. In modern English we have a remnant of the original QDŠ through the Greek in the form of kudos. Yes, kudos, from an ancient Semitic root.

But what does holy mean? What does it look like? Looking within ourselves we can see that which is not holy, not good, not right. Yea, verily, many of us are certainly good; but holy? Not likely. Examining human history grants us further illustrations of that which is not holy. Ask any parent and they will inform you about their two year old from hell. Ask any parent of a teenager about half-truths, deception, secrecy, and “attitude.” Or sit in on a session of Congress, or a corporate “merger,” or international negotiation to avert a crisis. Holy would not be the first descriptor that would come to mind. On a deeper level, humanity seems rife with a characteristic we all understand and perceive to be definitively e-v-i-l. And evil needs no definition (the Plague, Vlad the Impaler, the Holocaust, Hiroshima/Nagasaki, Mao Zedong, Idi Amin, transAfrican genocide & starvation; whether we believe it to be of human or spiritual origin, there is little doubt in the human history, and within the human psyche, these individuals and events were (are) truly evil. The opposite of all that would be considered holy, in both nature and effect.

So how do we comprehend the holy? How do we even begin to define it? It is not evil: it is untainted, pure, safe, and complete unto itself. Through our world’s religions we can look at various definitions and interpretations of holiness, but can we ever really examine something that appears to be completely outside our realm of experience? Whatever it is, it is something totally other than what is normally familiar to us.

Or is it?

Is there, imbedded deep within our innate human consciousness, a sense, a knowledge, of that which we call holy? How is it that we possess a sense of reverence for holy things, holy places across the globe? Why do we consider certain practices or rituals holy? At one time or another we have all known fleeting glimpses of a holiness beyond ourselves which we intrinsically recognize within our souls. How can this be?

Allow me to suggest that there is within us all a holy presence who is intimately familiar with us, who seeks us, and desires that we seek him as well. Do not shy away from this quiet voice within. It just may be He who offers you a way beyond the rest of the evil we bear, and which we encounter each and every day of our lives. Maybe it is time we thought of holiness as more of a foundation, offered us as a basis for our lives than as an eventual reward for being good.

Have a nice week,

Gary

So when you find yourself jealous of someone else who has something new, and you don’t…, give it up. Whatever they have that is new, that you do not have, is good for them; it may not necessarily be good for you. Instead rejoice with them! Celebrate the new baby, the new job, the new car, whatever it is!  [I know that surreptitiously, underneath the celebration, you secretly still wish it was you possessing the new_____.  But…, really, are you that covetous, that greedy, that envious, that you cannot let it go; that you cannot genuinely join in their merriment, their elation!?!]  It is part of life’s enjoyment to rejoice with other people in their joys. Joy, joy, joy, joy!

Even the Lord God of the Creator has said “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” (John 15:11, Bible). If the Lord of the Universe wants to give us His joy so that our joy may be made full, shouldn’t we be able to join in the joy of someone else’s new ______?

And just for you new car buffs—  (It’s a BMW…, I think.)

O yeah, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Have a nice week,

Gary

Self-protection and self-gratification are not, mind you, the definers of all of us; certainly not of those in the opening inventory. There are still some who put others before themselves. Why do they do this? They possess qualities that others deem weaknesses, or foolish. Qualities like, graciousness, forgiveness, humility, and courage. These qualities are not often rewarded in the civic arena. In fact, they go mostly unnoticed. Acts of kindness & courage are most often done in secret; actions which come to light only at a later date (if at all).

Amidst the stresses swirling about in our postModern/postChristian society it takes courage for many of us just to get out of bed to face another day. Things are not as simple as they once were. The smorgasbord of choices and decisions we must make every day— what to do with our time & priorities, our commitments, our financial restrictions, our emotional highs & lows, our energies & exhaustion, notwithstanding the ethical & moral dilemmas we encounter, are overwhelming.

Unless we each hold some guiding principles, some basic beliefs about life, faith, and trust in something (Someone) beyond ourselves, we will be quite confounded as to how to grapple with it all. You see, courage rests on a foundation of belief, which rests on a certain realties beyond individual mere self-preservation. Call it faith in God, belief in a “higher-power,” or even a “…if it is God’s will.” Courage rarely issues forth from a basis of superiority; rather, it arises from a sense of one’s own humility in the grand scheme of things, in believing that there are powerful forces at work in our world, that there is a greater plan in place, than my own puny little existence.

In the ancient Greek Temple of Apollo at Delphi, inscribed above the forecourt was the Socratic maxim— γνῶθι σεαυτόν. “Know thyself.” We would all do well to take a measure of ourselves within, before our fellow man (and women), and before the God who made us. For it is only from a true knowledge of who we truly are that true courage can take root and be called upon when the time is at hand.

Have a nice week,

Gary

In our era we dain to punish anyone for wrong-doing. (Excepting hardened criminals.) The very definition of “wrong-doing” is constantly in flux, as is any final word on right or wrong. Outside governmental, territorial, and local law there is little prescription to determine right from wrong, or good from evil. Those definers have given way to societal acceptability, majority rule, and the prevalent wave of moral opinion. How dare anyone judge my personal preferences in business practices, moral absolutes (or not), ethical decisions, or sexual/sexuality definitions!?! What’s true for me may not be true for you; but that doesn’t make it any less-true—for me.

Thus, in our homes, our schools, and in our courts, punishment comes in second to last, just short of the death penalty. This position stems from the belief that people are basically good. Given the choice between doing what it right for the good of the many, versus doing what is best for themselves, they will do what is best for society. Read any book on World History and you will come to a somewhat different conclusion. Punishment is just when it is rightfully deserved. The determiners of justice, in our society, are “a jury of our peers.” They are also our parents, our classmates, and those with whom share work responsibilities. Not measuring up is one thing; crossing the lines of trust and propriety are quite another.

When, throughout your life, have you deserved punishment for wrong-doing and did not receive it. If this happens enough you will come to believe that you can get away with anything. You cannot. Justice and Punishment always catch up. Believe it.

So why is it that a Holy God puts up with us!?! If any species on this planet has defied Him consistently, it is us. Why has the axe not fallen on our necks every day? What is He waiting for!?!

Enter forgiveness.

Not, mind you, without genuine remorse for deeds done— or left undone. Neither without a change of life, or at the least, the desire to live differently, more honorably, before God and men, with a sense of humbleness for our forgiveness.

So if you do not want to have your guts eating away at you day after day, or being gnawed on by a really large bird, maybe it’s time you owned up to the punishment you rightly deserve—and pray for the forgiveness you surely do not deserve. You might be surprised how ready other people, and God, are to set things right. You just have to do your part too.

Have a nice week,

Gary

But there remain some adults who yet leave a keyhole open for furbles to unlock their hearts and scuttle inside. These large people understand the critical importance of furble-refurbishing. Small folk often surround their rooms with stuffed animals, fanciful furble fill-ins. Large folk just go buy something…, a new pair of shoes or a Wii, to feel good about themselves. Sadly, their substitute satisfies only momentarily at best. What they really need to do is to unlock their keyhole again. But that is too difficult for so many. Eventually, they lose any inner sensation of warmth, cuddly joy, or even the giggly tickly chuckle. They are adults, after-all.

My furbles are still around. I even have my first-ever teddy bear—Bongo. He may be tattered and worn; but my furbles can still find their way inside to comfort me when I’m sad, make me feel safe when I’m afraid, and tickle my heart when I need to laugh a little more at myself.

How do some of us larger people make it without little critters to comfort and console? How do we get through a day without taking a deep breath? Without refurbishing our souls? Without laughing at ourselves a little? What drove us to take life so seriously that we’ve lost our ability to day-dream, to play within our spirits, to chuckle at things that are so weighty that they could use a little giggle. I wonder if it is because we have lost our perspective on our place in the cosmos? We are not the Creator. We are not Master of all that is in our world. We are not as in control as we believe ourselves to be.

There is a wonder and a mystery in this great expanse of time and space that challenges us to accept a less-secure posture—second. And that just might require a trust in the unknown. Scary, huh!?! We each need our own furble who can creep into our souls and quell the fears of a very uncertain world.

Remember that keyhole? Find your key. Open it. Furbles aren’t the only ones who might want to find their way into your soul to bring comfort, warmth, relief, and that funny little tickly feeling. Refurbishing one’s soul is a cooperative effort.

Have a nice week,

Gary

_________________

Recently a friend of mine described some of the people in his life as vampires. “All they want to do is suck you dry of your life’s blood, of everything you have.” We all have these kinds of people in our lives; be they certain relatives, workmates, or people that simply leech onto us and never let go. They suck us dry of strength, time, and energy until we have had enough; then follows a period of being polite…, but terse. These are not easy relationships to maintain; and it may come to a point when the tie must be severed.

Dealing with vampires is a complex matter. One can be gruff, and directly inform them you have no time for such a draining person. Another approach is to rebuff them with the silent treatment; no returned tweets, messages, or voice mails. (This, of course, may result by them sending you an “I’m sorry.” card, further complicating the relationship.) Being polite can only take you so far before it wears out; some people just do not get the hint. More directly, graciously telling them that they are draining your time and strength will undoubtedly hurt them. This action might also draw you into more responsibility to address their demanding nature. Offering a vampire more blood will not satiate them.

The actions required are twofold. First, each of us needs to plug-in afresh to our own resource for strength. Do not look askance the symbiotic relationship established when God created us. He never meant for us to live outside of a strengthening relationship with Him. Draw on His strength: He is the source for all strength. Second, direct your vampire to other resources of strength— groups of people with similar blood types (vampire clubs?), physical exercise (sweat blood), anti-depressants (use caution here), and, of course, direct them to establishing a relationship with the God who created them. If strong people need God in their strength, how much more do the weak need Him in their weaknesses.

None of us have it completely together. We will all be weak at one time or another in our lives. We will also each rise-to-the-occasion and surprise even ourselves. Some of us will indeed remain in our vampire state until challenged to get out of our self-absorption, to serve, to care about something or someone other than ourselves. And to those who are stronger, remember to be gracious, kind; but do not lose sight of the reality that you cannot save everyone. That task belongs to Someone else. It’s OK to say NO.

And, oh yes, vampires do suck…, really.

Have a nice week,

Gary

But alongside those thoughts are the beginnings of greatness, seedlings that just need the right ingredients of opportunity, danger, and determination to flourish. Courage is one such planting. It lies dormant until it is needed. Then it manifests its demonstration in the oddest of people and in the most unlikely manners. But what lies beneath— courage!?!

Sometimes it is a deep conviction that I have seen something that no one else has seen and I have a responsibility to show it to the world. For others, it is a loyalty unto death that their cause is worth dying for. And thus they do. Not unexpectedly, the absolute, sustaining foundation for courage is LOVE. If you have love for someone, or something, you defend them with your life. Whether it be your comrades in arms on a battlefield, or your family in the safety of your home, or your little sister being attacked by bullies, you will rise to the occasion of defense because of courage…, based in your love for your buddies, your wife, husband, children, or siblings.

One who does not rise to defend that which he loves has no courage. And truly, truly, does not love properly. Genuine love does not express itself to gain something in return: courage might cost you your life, and it will be an act well offered. Actually, if you are a lover of men and a lover of God, courage is a natural expression that flows from within, deep within. So train your soul to love, and whatever courageous deed you are called upon to do will flow naturally from what lies beneath, deep, inside the core of your soul.

Have a nice week,

Gary

What is it about a dog and his bone!?! Some dogs will give a warning snarl and growl if you get to close to them when they are gnawing away on their skeletal delight; others will tease you to try to take it away. Its veterinary declination is known as CSOD—CANINE SKELETAL OBSESSION DISORDER. Most humans are immune to such species-specific diseases, but there are some corollaries.

Similar to their mongrel counterparts, humans will often gnaw away at ancient animosities, past hurts or grievances, or unresolved issues. They will not seek resolution or forgiveness. Their only response is one of persistent loathing or neurotic retribution. They chose to do one thing—gnaw on their bone. In the end, like the dog, they will wind up with a knot in their stomach and even sharper teeth to bite any future wrongdoers who cross their path. Endearment and reconciliation are not words in their vocabulary. To this observer, only broken relationships, seething internal anger, and spiteful conduct will result.

IF, any of the above even vaguely describes you, you need serious help. Bad things happen to good people. Most of us have been wounded, hurt, betrayed, or whatever by someone or some organization in our life. [This is particularly true within some religious institutions.]  It is never a pleasant experience. But it happens. The pain we feel is real, searing, and deep, cutting soul and flesh to the bone. But we do not have to respond to it with bitter enmity and retaliation. It is not necessary that we allow this pain to produce in us a simmering, smoldering, ferment of vicious revenge. We can also react like the dog that plays with the bone, allowing others to pull it out of its teeth. Instead of gnawing silently and snarling at people who care about you, let them rip it from you and throw it away. Of course, you’ll fetch it, like a good dog, but bring it back to them—don’t retrieve it and slither off, cowering, with your bone once again clutched in your teeth. Gnaw, gnaw.

OR, you could just get a cat! You know…, something else to play with, chase, and tease. Or, maybe even become close cuddly buddies. At the very least, cats are curious, unpredictable distractions. Playful companions have a funny way of interrupting that persistent gnawing.

So let go of that bone you are gnawing— and go chase a cat! Leave the past in the past.

Have a nice week,

Gary