Author: needinc

After Thoughts – Where do you feel safe?

For most of my adult life I have maintained that everyone needs a safe place, a safe activity, and a safe person as a basis for their lives. But there exceptions. Prison changes people; so does war.

       When we were children it was much simpler. We had our parents, or at least one of them, grandma, or our “Teddy.” For the most part our world was a safe place to live, learn, and be loved.

       As we grew into our teenage years it wasn’t quite the same. “Love” sometimes meant being hurt, disappointed, or betrayed. Decisions were more complicated. We didn’t have the experience to make them all that well. We made mistakes. We learned. Hopefully.

       In later years we learned we shouldn’t trust all people as naïvely or innocently as when we were younger. If there were any proof for evil in this world this is it— the loss of innocence.

       For Christians, this comes as a shock. Too often, those we looked up to, those we trusted, those we admired, turned out to be not quite as “safe” as we once thought. Betrayal in the Christian world seems far more venomous than in our secular relationships.

       It should not be this way.

       I know I’ve addressed this issue before but given the increasing violence in our culture it is time to take another look. So allow me to wrap back to our beginning.

·       Where is your safe place?

·       What is your safe activity?

·       Who is your safe person?

For a long time, my safe places have been the Galbraith lakehouse and these Colorado mountains. Both have provided a real solace for my soul. My safe activities have been working on my Volvos, and now, getting high into these beautiful mountains. I love living here. Other than my wife, Starr, I am not sure I have a safe person at the moment. Well, no. For 20 years now it would have to be my assistant Melanie. As I’ve often commented, my biggest fear in life is when Starr & Mel get together to discuss “me.”

       Jesus once said 28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” [Matthew 11:28-29, NASB]

       Can any of us find anymore safety than can be found in Him? ©

Gary

NEXT— The Shower— Who am I supposed to be at this phase in my life?

After Thoughts — How do you decide what’s right & wrong?

You have to make a decision. But you can’t decide what would be a good decision and what would be a bad decision. What do you do?

       First you weigh the pros & cons of each side. What’s good for you: what’s not. What’s good for other people— that delivers the greatest good. But what if they’re even? I’d eliminate some of the lesser consequential pros or cons for a start.

       Then there are those decisions that don’t have a right or wrong. They involve the heart. You don’t want to make them. But they must be made somewhat soon. Here’s where your intuition factor comes into play. You don’t have enough data to make an adequately informed decision; yet it must be made.

       So now we move into the areas of personal track-record, of intuitive intuition, the hunch, the second-guess. Some of us have more of this, some of us, less. Ask a trusted friend to help.

       About 10-15 years ago many of the teens in our neighborhood were wearing rubber bracelets that read WWJD. What would Jesus do? Of course, our society quickly transmuted that to We want Jack Daniels. So what else is new? The point was that some people were consulting Jesus, maybe the Bible, to get some help making decisions.

       However, there is advice to be found in Proverbs 16:1-3—

To man belong the plans of the heart,

But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,

But the Lord weighs the motives.

Commit your works to the Lord,

And your plans will be established.

This poem conveys an overarching context for making decisions. First establish yourself within the perimeters of wisdom of our God. Then make your decisions.

       There is something to be said for founding your life and heart in following the precepts of our Lord that provides a framework for everything else. Not that all decisions will be easy, or have a context for consideration. But if your life is in alignment with our Creator’s precepts for living, then making a decision has walls of protection within which decisions will be undergirded with a history of other wise decisions.

Loving God; loving people… and bringing the two together! ©

Gary

NEXT— The Shower—Where do you feel safe?

After Thoughts — I Mostly Listen to Music

       In asking around what some of my friends think about in the shower I often receive I usually just listen to music & sing along. Hummm. Hadn’t quite thought of that one. Probably should consider it. John Denver? Karen Carpenter? Taylor Swift? If anything, I play Classical. Soothing as I think.

       Still, my singing does sound better in the shower. I think everybody’s does. Oh…, you’ve never tried it?

       For most of us “the shower” is a place of escape. A time to separate from our world of work; or a place to prepare for it, to organize our thoughts and approach to the day: to clear our minds of extraneous clutter. And so we smell better. I prefer to start my day with a mind clearing shower, one where I can lay the gridwork for things accomplished. My wife, on the other hand, likes to end her day with a soothing shower, drawing a close to the work of the day.

       Neither of us are right or wrong. It’s just a life pattern we have developed over the years.

       Whether you begin your day with an invigorating shower or end it with a soothing one, you need to establish a pattern that works for you. Consistency is the point. Eliminate one more thing you have to think about so you can get the important stuff done.

       When I was an undergrad I remember a chapel speaker saying There is enough time in each day for you to accomplish all of God’s will. He challenged us to examine our days to see how we were doing with that.

       The idea had never occurred to me that I had been called to participate in something much greater, much more majestic than my own picayunish plans for my day. Let alone for my life. I had to change the ways I viewed myself, my plans, and those around me.

       It wasn’t all about me.

       I still need to be reminded of that. Each day. Every day. Some days I fail miserably to make a difference. I fritter my time away with superfluous stuff.

       But there’s always tomorrow. And tonight’s shower. Or tomorrow mornings. So sing!

       And plan on!

Loving God; loving people… and bringing the two together! ©

Gary

NEXT— The Shower— How do you decide what is important?

After thoughts – What makes you…, You?

       WHAT MAKES YOU…, YOU? Let’s start with the obvious descriptors— heredity and environment. HEREDITY is what you are; conceived by your birth parents, with their genes, their propensities and personalities and proclivities. You are some of who they are, but not all.

       ENVIRONMENT, on the other hand, is what makes you you, the person are today. More specifically, it is your reactions to the experiences you have with your environment and to the people who surround you. No one is an island. Seriously.

       Some of us just accept what is happening to us with little question. Others challenge these occurrences with questions or confrontation. We do not accept the way things are. We look for better ways to accomplish the same task or overcome the same challenge. We are not intimidated by life; we attack it.

       Of course, there are many other factors that form who we are. Our economic heritage, our own financial situation. Our cultural history: that is, how much our ethnic history and socioeconomic station in life affects us. Where we attended school, prep or otherwise. Our predisposition for introversion or extroversion. When you were growing up did you prefer to read or write? Were you more into sports? Always ready to compete or challenge a goal?  

       Some of us (not me) were ready for both! I was more of an introvert.

       Then there is, what I call, “the God factor.” I believe that God has designed each of us to fulfill our role on this blue marble, third planet from our star. We are designed to make a difference, to contribute something to the successful functioning of the various people groups across the globe.

       Too many of the people on our planet live for themselves, with little-to-no interest in making a difference in our world. “Go for all the gusto you can grab!” and they do.

       For years I have endeavored to instill a sense of urgency and responsibility in those I know and have taught. I wonder how successful I have been.

       How about you? Have you made a difference?

       One day we will all stand before our Creator. Are you ready for what He will ask you? “What did you do with what I gave you?”

Loving God; loving people… and bringing the two together! ©

Gary

NEXT— The Shower— How do you decide what is right or wrong?

Afterthoughts- My Best Ideas Come to me in the Shower

       All of the books I write end with a chapter titled— My best ideas come to me in the shower. Obviously, this is not completely true. I get them driving across the beautiful Colorado Rockies, falling asleep at night (I have a pen and pad of paper on my nightstand), and in conversation with other people.

       The point is that these seemingly random thoughts eventually begin to weave a tapestry of life-reflections.

       Hewlett-Packard ran a TV ad series that imaged people driving, or sitting in a conference room, with the musing — What if…?

       My best ideas come to me in the shower will be a compilation of the various What ifs? I’ve experienced throughout my life. From the earliest years of gusto & immaturity through more seasoned times of reflection, following great successes and atrocious failures.

       Let’s start with a basic one. When do you think about YOU? Where you are in the process of becoming who you are today? Unless you’re 14 you are already on the journey that counts your contributions to life. Or, you’re not one given to personal philanthropy; more often that not, it’s what you can get out of life that is most important to you. And that’s not de facto wrong. But if it’s exclusively your goal in life…, well, you might want to consider that.

       In my cozy widdle shower, I’ve often wondered if my life has made a difference. In giving to others I have received so much back. God has truly honored me so many times. Monetarily? Not so much. But we’ve always had food on the table (great food), gas in our car, and a bed to lay our head on.

       Back to our basic question, What makes you, you?

       To answer this question you might best think through the different phases of your life and the characteristics of each. This will create the essential brushstrokes that describe you in the various changes you experience in your journey.

       I’ve gone through so many phases that I have imagined a maxim —

God is full of surprises! Don’t trust Him.

Of course, that is said tongue-in-cheek. The point being that in investigating who you ARE, God will surprise you with who He is.

       So take a risk! Start to explore YOU. Great amazements await.

Loving God; loving people… and bringing the two together! ©

Gary

Easter 2023— of chocolate Easter bunnies and Jesus

Having just read an online article about all the carcinogens in Chocolate Easter Bunnies I am somewhat loathe to dash all your myths about Easter and its surrounding festivities. The good news is that there are some chocolates that are actually good for you; Ghiardelli Chocolate, M&Ms, and Dove to name a few. But the majority of chocolate Easter Bunnies, well, er, not so much. Still, you would have to eat A LOT of chocolate/

     The Western world has been moving away from admitting the true meaning of Easter for quite some time. But to learn that the stuff in Easter Bunnies can kill you…, that’s just over the edge. It’s like learning the Tooth Fairy didn’t really leave you that quarter under your pillow in the morning.

     For the most part, our Easter candy gathering is actually killing us. What’s next? Valentine’s Day hearts?! The death of Trick-or-Treating!? What is this world coming to?

     Our whole Easter celebrations, the arrival of Spring, the last remnants of winter, has led us to this— poison rabbits. It’s just wrong.

     Then again, so is what we’ve done with Jesus at Easter. I don’t think my own grandkids know what Jesus did for us at Easter. The true meaning of Easter has been lost to commercialism and triviality.

     As if the sacrifice of Jesus’ life wasn’t enough, conquering death is simply unbelievable! How could the magnitude of His work on the cross be supplanted with this trivial bunny stuff. Kids love it, to be sure. But shouldn’t we explain more to them than just the bunnies? [and the jelly beans, and Cadbury eggs, and marshmallow Peeps?!?]

     This past Easter celebration struck me as unusually essential. Our society has moved so far away from its roots in the Christian religion that, we, as followers of Christ, own very little of our former value to be a major stabilizing force within.

     How can we reverse that? Well, we can’t. But we can regain ground through entering into our world’s celebrations. As Christians, let’s build our right to be heard!

1.   Throw an Easter egg hunt where you live.

2.   Hold an Easter barbeque in your home or apartment.

3.   Serve good wine, not two-buck chuck.

4.   Plan activities for the kids that teams them up with their parents.

5.   Plan the Next holiday party with your neighbors. [Juneteenth?]

We need to win the right to be heard in our clueless culture.

     Hope your Easter was as wild and deep as ours!

Loving God; loving people… and bringing the two together! ©

Gary

NEXT—  

Web: www.cluelessChristianity.org

The Whiskey Chronicles 26 – I’m OK…, you’re out of your mind

   In my conversations with the normal people of this world [the Christian faith is no longer the norm] I find that many of them simply respond to the assertions about my faith, I’m OK— you’re out of your mind. They truly believe that all this mumbo-jumbo about faith in Jesus is just plane NUTS.

    Christ’s claims about who He was and what He came to do for this world were just the ravings of a madman who was disconnected from reality. And that makes His followers equally disillusioned.

    They are not going to question their own sanity. They’re just fine. We’re the nut-jobs.

     And that should draw us to question some presumptions about our own faith. Are we crazy to blindly accept the principles and precepts of our own faith with little investigation or examination? Christian faith is NOT just a assemblage of declarations about what we think is true and accurate. It comes down to two enquiries — 1. Can history be verified? and, 2. Is faith a viable surety?

     Before you dismiss these questions as extraneous to our faith, consider that it is worth reexamining the foundations of our faith. Considering the proposition that history cannot be verified [Did George Washington, Lenin, or Julius Caeser ever exist?] then we must question all OR, in faith, believe the reports about them are true. Considering the validity of faith on an individual level, there is a history of people who believe in things which postModern, postChristian people believe that they can be only scientifically verified.

     Then, really, are historical/faith questions all that matter?

     What about intuition? What about ESP? What about that special sense that lodges itself just below your consciousness?

     There are more ways than scientific confidence to give veracity to a belief. History itself is a matter of faith— Well supported faith, but faith, nonetheless.

     When believing followers of Christ are challenged that we are out of our mind, we must remember that our beliefs have a great deal of certitude surrounding them. We are not an ignorant people.

     Too many assertions in the Bible have later been proven accurate. And far too often have the lives of true Christians saved the civilizations of this world.

     So, when our world accuses us of being out of our mind our response should be twofold.

1.   Look at the corroboration of history. There’s just too much to support our faith.

2.   Simply love those who accuse.

Loving God; loving people… and bringing the two together! ©

Gary

NEXT— Afterthoughts…, my best ideas come to me in the shower

The Whiskey Chronicles 25 – Happy the Way I Am

“Don’t worry…, be happy.” Yada, yada, yada.

    In this year, 2023, I actually know people who see being happy as their ONLY life goal. To be happy! I don’t know if it’s because they’re young (thirtysomething) or I’m old (no comment), but this seems like a totally self-absorbed objective.

      My life, all/most of it, at least, has been about making a difference in our world. The tagline for my life has been, for a long time, honor God, honor people…, make a difference. So, it somewhat bugs me when some other people just want to be happy.

       Really?!?

       For me, happiness is a byproduct of making a difference. I have a lot of friends who live to make a difference— every day. They are NOT happy the way they are. They are NOT happy the way you are. Our world is full of too much pain, too much conflict, and too much anger, and way too much desire for retaliation for us to be concerned only with our own happiness.

       If you are happy with the way you are, you had better be making a major difference in improving the state of our fellow man/women. If you are only able to give money, can you give more? If you serve as a volunteer in a homeless shelter, have you fallen in love with their guests? If you serve overseas in a medical clinic, are you interested in further training in some medical field?

       On the other hand, if you are happy the with the way you are and you are doing little to nothing to make a difference in our world…, how can you be happy?!?

       God forgive you…, if you believe in a god, that is. If not, may the people of this world forgive you.

Loving God; loving people… and bringing the two together! ©
Gary


NEXT— I’m OK— you’re out of your mind

The Whiskey Chronicles 24 – Salvation from… What?

As I peruse the intellectual, practical functions of Western Culture I find little understanding of Christian faith. So when we tell people of their need of salvation their general response is— from what?

       On one hand the church in the West has lost its ability to express its beliefs in a language that people can grasp. But it’s worse than that. People truly do not know that there is anything wrong with them.

       When Thomas Harris (M.D.) released his classic I’m OK: You’re OK in 1967, he could not have had an idea of its subsequent far-reaching effects. The title says it all. None of us really have a problem. There’s no right, no wrong, no anything. Everything is simply a matter of perspective.

       If people do sense any need for salvation they will work it out for themselves. There was no need for Christ to die for our sins. There is no sin. We’re all OK.

       Do we really believe this?

       My wife and I have many friends who don’t come close to being Christians. We are a novelty for them, but they still like us. There is something to be said for loving and not condemning. Something to be said for accepting them for where they are in life…, and in the process teaching them about God. The key ingredient in our relationships with them is prayer. We rarely say anything; but we pray. PRAYER is always the underlying foundation for our relationships with people— Christian and Normal.

       In many ways I’ve grown used to their complete ignorance about our faith and about our Lord. Explaining their need for Christ and his salvation is like drawing a white rabbit in a snow field. Blank. Still, we are called to love these people in their ignorance.

       They cannot save themselves. They do not know this. Nor are they aware of the glory and blessing that awaits them in the safe arms of Jesus. Rather, He is seen as a threat to their individuality and freedom. Have we done that to them with a hundred years of hellfire and brimstone preaching? I don’t know that either. But I am sure that our constant calling them to account for their sins hasn’t shown much mercy and grace. One more reason to find the Christian message baffling.

       I pray that, one day, people will see their need of Christ and His salvation. It is still freely offered. And it will be offered through the likes of us.

Loving God; loving people… and bringing the two together! ©

Gary

NEXT— I am happy the way I am.

The Whiskey Chronicles 23 – No need for religion, Let alone Jesus Christ

 As I wander through the lives of my friends it no longer surprises me that they have no need of religion, let alone Jesus Christ. Their lives are engulfed in work, families, extra-curricular activities, sports, etc. They have no time to consider that there might be a God in the heavens who wants to give them everything He has. All they have to say, “Huh!”

     Ah! But there are “hoops”  to jump through! Membership in the Christian Club costs, right. They’ve come to believe that our faith is all about bondage, rules, and limitations on their lives. And they want none of it.

  All people see is subservience to a holy God who wants to subjugate them even more to His laws and limits.

     This comes after years of viewing the Church as a symbol of authority rather than a gateway to freedom from everything that binds people. If it is true that the Gospel points out sin, then it is equally true that Jesus Christ sets us free from our bondage to sin. Stating the obvious? Yes. But we rarely live as if we are free.

     So also do normal people look at our message and see, not freedom & forgiveness, but “Christian” rules and regulations to bind them. How then does that draw them to our gospel of life? Have you ever been hurt? Who hasn’t. How about doubts about whether this whole Christian thing is true? An accurate interpretation of reality? Many of us have.

     What about being betrayed of judged by another Christian? Yeah. Right. People who do not follow Christ’s way of life see it all. And they are skeptical about our claims of the “abundant life,” of the unity of our faith, and the freedom we know in Christ.

     How did we get here? Short of a lesson in church history, we have forgotten our first love. We have traded Christian love and community for positions of power and authority. One-upmanship.

     If ever our world is to see the love and salvation we share in our faith, then we have got to stop dividing against one another. We need to come together on critical issues of faith and practice. It is our hearts of compassion and forgiveness that our secular friends want…, & need.

“By this will everyone know that you are my disciples; that you love one-another.” [John 13:35]

     Years ago, a young college girl from Nigeria asked Starr and me how she could become a Christian. I replied “Why do you want to become a Christian?” Her response took us by surprise. “Because of the way I see you two love each other.” That hasn’t changed.

Loving God; loving people… and bringing the two together! ©
Gary