THIS LIFE IS UNFAIR!

I am just going to wing this with a goal of helping myself and, hopefully, some others struggling through this thing called life.

I have been working for months on a revised Bible study through Ecclesiastes. I am not sure it will ever see the light of day. Here is a summary of my thoughts.

This life is UNFAIR! And this is NOT a joke!

I screamed my protest last week. I spent the last three weeks counseling and consoling others who are lamenting or venting about the unfairness of their situation.

Do you ever feel as if life is unfair? Have you ever wondered what if things were different in your life?

Sure, you have. It might have resulted from the loss of a loved one, a health diagnosis, financial setbacks, emotional stress, being overlooked for advancement when you were better qualified, a messed-up relationship.

Unfair– marked by injustice, partiality, favoritism, deception, inequality.

“That is not fair!” All of us have thought and said this. Children and adults cry “unfair” when we do not get what we think we deserve … or get what we do not deserve. We blame others or simply feel sorry for ourselves, sulking into disappointment, anger, and bitterness.

Is there a better way to live in an unfair world? The #1 Textbook has an answer.

Look at the answer from the Preacher in Ecclesiastes followed by my REXplanation thoughts.

  1. The Preacher’s Thesis: Life is vanity (literally, a God-given breath), even Vanity of vanities (the Lifegiver’s Breath of breaths).

Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity (1:2).

REXplanation: Every ‘breath’ of this earthly life is (i) God-given and (ii) Brief.

The traditional interpretations often define vanity as “meaningless, fleeting, empty, worthless.” I do not think that communicates the author’s intent.

The original Hebrew word literally refers to ‘breath,’ using the name for Abel, the son of Adam and Eve. Every ‘breath’ is brief and God-given just like Abel’s life.

Abel honored God with his brief earthly life which was abruptly and cruelly ended when he was murdered by his brother Cain who did not live to honor God or love his brother first and foremost.  

Cain’s name meant “to gain or own something of earthly substance for yourself” (selfishness).

Abel is “empty” of everything except what God gives him. Cain gained everything this world had to offer. Was that UNFAIR?

  • The Preacher’s Study:

Is there any benefit (gain) in how one lives this brief, God-given life? What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? (1:3).

REXplanation: Is there any benefit (gain) in how one lives this brief, God-given life if life is unfair? Is all of this earthly life about Cain’s self-centeredness? Or Abel’s God-centeredness?

Big Question: Who won in the end? Cain or Abel? Who had the best earthly life? Which life was more eternally significant? Which life had the greatest benefit?

What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and lose his soul? (Mark 8:36).

Ecclesiastes explored, studied, and concluded the difference in life is not one’s chosen profession or earthly pursuits (Chapter 2). The difference is not measured by what someone acquires or loses in life? The distinguishing mark is enjoyment of a God-given life that honored God and loved others.

Was the Preacher correct? Yes. Abel trusted God and is listed as the first in the heroes of faith (Hebrews 11:4) who followed Jesus, the giver and finisher of faith (Hebrews 12:1-2). Do not go the way of self-reliant Cain (Jude v. 11).

In the end, it does not matter how much you accumulate, how big your accomplishments, or how great the applause. You will exit this life with nothing.

All that lasts is love for God and love for others as you stand before God with faith that the sacrifice of a lamb pleases God.

All of life is the way of Abel. Nothing else matters except faith in God.

  • The Preacher’s Observations:

(1) Every life is connected (vs. 4-11).

  • By God-given breath, by Time (days, seasons, generations) and by Nature (wind, rain, human experiences).

REXplanation: There is a repetitious similarity to all life experiences.

(2) Wisdom is needed for life in this world (v. 12-14).

  • Life is lived in a Man-centered mess of unhappiness, unfairness, brokenness, chasing the wind and running in circles searching for something missing (vs, 15-18).

REXplanation: Wisdom is the God-given ability to see, understand, and live life from God’s perspective according to God’s playbook (#1 Textbook).

I think the wisdom given throughout God’s Word and specifically addressed in depth in Ecclesiastes points us past the actual events and changing circumstances of this earthly life. Wisdom reminds us that social media success can be deceiving.

We do not and cannot control circumstances and other people. This earthly life is transient, temporary, brief, a fleeting vapor. It is unfair and cannot be fixed. We need God’s wisdom to navigate uncontrolled circumstances and interact with imperfect people.

(3) Life is enjoyed in God-centered trust (love, joy, peace).

I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life…To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God (5:18-19).

REXplanation: The Life Jesus gives is forever and unaffected by the brevity of earthly unfairness.

Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

  • The Preacher’s Conclusion:

(1) Trust God, love others, enjoy your God-given life.

The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will make all things right (12:13-14).

There is nothing wrong with time spent in pursuit of art, agriculture, architecture, athletics, amusement, or any activity from A-to-Z. However, none of that matters most or will last forever… Not even the greatest, highest, best, or most achievements or acclaim (Ecclesiastes 2).

What matters most and lasts forever is what is learned from Abel, the ‘breath’ and Jesus, the Life-giver ‘Breath of breaths.

Love God and love others. Everything else in life depends on that (Mark 12:30).

(2) Trust God to make everything right.

Love, Peace, and Joy are everlasting and ever-increasing.

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REXplanation Counsel:

  • Life is unfair. Get over it and enjoy your brief, God-given life.

No one chooses birth, family, privileges, opportunities, or hardships. No one chooses or prevents unwanted circumstances or their timing.

  • People will mess up. Get over it and enjoy your brief, God-given life.

Do not expect this world or its people to be what they can never be … perfect.

  • Some people will do you bad. Get over it and enjoy your brief, God-given life. Life is unfair, but our response to that unfairness is ours to choose. We can respond to unfairness with love and compassion which treats others the way we wish to be treated … fairly.
  • Disappointments are part of life. So are failures. Get over it and enjoy your brief, God-given life. In every unfair situation, God is with you and for you. Live with more gratitude than complaints.
  • Success, struggles, sorrow, setbacks, sickness, and suffering have expiration dates. Get over it and enjoy your brief, God-given life. Do not question God’s goodness because of your circumstances. Everything God does is wise, right, and good.
  • Keep reminding yourself there is a Forever Agenda to this earthly life. Eternity is longer beyond our imagination. Earthly life is shorter than anticipated. Get over the unfairness and enjoy your brief, God-given life.
  • God is teaching and developing Christlike character in your life. Study the life of Joseph, Job, and Jesus. Look at Ruth, Esther, and the Samaritan woman. Consider Abel.

SPOILER ALERT: Their lives end up as a masterpiece lesson of God’s inherent and limitless goodness. What others unfairly intended for bad, God designed for good.

All these things about their earthly lives were recorded to give us INSTRUCTION FOR ENDURANCE and ENCOURAGEMENT TO HOPE IN GOD’S GOODNESS (Romans 15:4).

HOPE is the confident expectation of experiencing all the good God has promised … Somehow … Someway … Sometime.

  • We all need Jesus…every breath.

All of the #1 Textbook is literally God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16). Breathe it into your life.

The Creator God breathed life into the first man and every person since (Genesis 2:7). Every single breath is an ongoing gift sustained by God.

In the new creation, Jesus breathes on His followers and gives them His Holy Spirit for spiritual empowerment to fulfill their purpose in this unfair world (John 20:22).

Jesus declared, “I am the Resurrection and the Life. Even if a man dies, but believes in me, he will still live” (John 11: 25-26).  

Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord (Psalm 150:6).

In everything you do, it is essential to breathe. Exercise, relaxation, work, play, anxiety, excitement, running, resting. Breathing becomes more awkward with anxiety. It is more difficult when treated unfairly or exposed to words of toxic people.

How do you learn to breathe while dealing with unfairness? The Wisdom of Faith.

  • God has a better view of your life and future.

I do not know all you have to wrestle with or worry about or how you have been wronged. I am unaware of how much you have been hurt or how deeply you might be plunged into despair. Life is never easy; it might even feel unfair.

Be careful when you drown in thoughts about the unfairness of life. That is the danger zone. Your present circumstances might not be easy. They may be very difficult, and appear to be very, very unfair. Do not entertain the lie that somehow you would be better off if things were different.

  • God has not shortchanged you when it comes to goodness. Unfairness has not robbed you.

There is not one good thing that God ever withholds from us” (Psalm 84:11). No good thing has been kept away from you.

You were chosen by God for a planned life of abundant and unending goodness…before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4).

You have been God-designed and God-planned to be God’s child, the recipient of immeasurable and limitless goodness. It will take all the coming endless ages of time for God to show you the greatness of His goodness to you (Ephesians 2:7).

Change your perspective. Do not lower God down to your explanations about life or complaints about its unfairness. Raise your view of God.

The greatness of God’s goodness is far higher than you have yet to imagine. Look to the heavens from where your help comes. Listen to God‘s Word. It will change your attitude regarding this earthly life. It will give you HOPE.

  • BE THANKFUL FOR HOPE, EVEN WHEN LIFE FEELS UNFAIR.

The unfairness of this brief, God-given earthly life does not take away any of God’s planned and promised goodness to you.

“Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are his wisdom and knowledge and riches! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods! For who among us can know the mind of the Lord or know enough to be his counselor and guide? Everything comes from God alone. Everything lives by his power, and everything is for his glory. To him be glory evermore” (Romans 11: 33-36).

Follow Jesus, love others, and enjoy your time here in preparation for perfect forever. Leave the unfairness with your God and trust Him to do what is wise, right, and good.

For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unfair and unjust treatment … For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ sufferedfor you. JESUS IS YOUR EXAMPLE; FOLLOW IN HIS STEPS.

JESUS LEFT EVERYTHING IN THE HANDS OF GOD AND TRUSTED THE ONE WHO ALWAYS JUDGES FAIRLY (1 Peter 2:19-24).

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Life is unfair. You either face that unfairness God-centered or self-centered.

Let’s be real and honest. We are still shocked and upset when treated unfairly. We complain, get angry, and become depressed. We plan ways to expose and avenge the unfairness. We are ready to fight.

Do you refocus on God-centered breaths? Do you move on in life with faith, hope, love, joy, and peace? You can. How? Take another breath and thank God.

Unfairness did not stop Jesus from fulfillment of his divine purpose. Unfairness marked Joseph and Job and Ruth, but it did not define their lives or hinder their purpose or diminish their blessings.

WHEN LIFE IS UNFAIR. TAKE A BREATH AND HOLD IT IN HOPE.

Take another breath and another until your life gets back in rhythm. Yes, you will have to go back through that Breath of Hope cycle many times until the bitterness about that unfairness is uprooted and your life story moves on to a new chapter.

This world is UNFAIR. Unfairness never wins. It just runs in circles chasing the wind, generation after generation. Every brief, God-given breath of Hope overcomes this self-centered world.

All is vanity, the vanity of vanities. This is a brief, God-given life. You either live it self-centered like Cain, grabbing as much of it as you can only to lose it all at the end OR you live God-centered like Abel even when life is unfair.

THE LIFE JESUS GIVES IS FOREVER AND UNAFFECTED BY THE BREVITY OF EARTHLY UNFAIRNESS.

WITH EVERY BREATH, OUR LIFEGIVER PROVIDES STRENGTH FOR THE MOMENT AND HOPE FOR THE NEXT.

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ONE SMALL BACKYARD: The Home of Legends

I hope this nostalgic trip to my childhood backyard might ignite gratitude and fond memories of your favorite places and times.

I grew up in a house with a small backyard, the ordinary kind found behind a home on a city lot. Looking back now, I realize it was anything but ordinary. It was one of those simple places where God quietly tucked away some of His sweetest blessings.

Somehow, that modest patch of ground became a full athletic complex for three boys, a crowd of cousins, and more laughter than any scoreboard could ever measure. We did not know it then, but those ordinary afternoons were gifts of grace.

In the beginning, I was the only player. I threw baseballs against the house and caught tennis balls as they bounced off the roof.

Saturday afternoons became imaginary football games in which I was quarterback, receiver, defender, referee, and, when necessary, the TV sports announcer.

I even tackled myself until fourth down. Then came the game-winning drive where I dodged imaginary defenders, sprinted into the end zone, and celebrated like a stadium full of people had just witnessed greatness.

As the home team added two brothers and more cousins, the games grew with it. Cousin Jimmy was the oldest, so he designed the teams, the rules, and the boundaries. The cousins tackled harder than my imaginary defenders.

The backyard field became more congested. You practically had to step out of bounds to change your mind.

My brother Bill played “lonesome end,” mostly because there was nowhere else for him to line up. Dad said we had to let him play, which was probably the first official commissioner ruling in our family sports league. There was never an agreement about whether Bill lined up in or out of bounds. He was just not allowed in the huddle. That probably contributed to why he is so comfortable on the sidelines now as a coach.

One Christmas morning, a basketball goal replaced the small swing set, and life in the backyard changed forever. Hours of Hoops, almost every day through my prep years. I thought I had received a basketball goal, but in truth, I was given a gathering place for dreams … and brothers.

That small backyard hosted contests in football, basketball, baseball, and occasionally even track, especially when my best friend Mike ran circles to escape my little brother chasing him with a plastic baseball bat.

Through survival skills and Bulldog tenacity, Mike became our other brother. Mom finally got the doctor she hoped for.

Cousin John’s speedy race came to an abrupt finish when he was literally clotheslined in our neighbor’s yard. It was dangerous but memorably funny to everyone. Even throat-slashed John grinned as he declared, “I didn’t see that coming!”

Football was played on every surface the yard offered—rain-soaked grass, blankets of snow, brown winter grass, or sunbaked dirt. Every square foot of turf was important, every obstacle became part of the game, and every contest felt epic.

The victors jumped, the defeated slumped, and all of us went inside carrying grass stains and life lessons like medals. It is better to compete and lose than just live life as a spectator. Effort and encouragement are more inspirational than the unwillingness to face the fear of adversity.

“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly… at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.” — Theodore Roosevelt

Our dust, sweat, and blood were not the only casualties of the backyard contests. Baseball brought changes after several home windows were broken. One neighbor’s window also became collateral damage. Another neighbor’s garden, located across the alley behind left field, suffered from our constant retrieval of homerun balls that left our yard.

At some point, baseball shifted to the plastic version, another commissioner mandate. The change saved the windows but not the garden. Nor did it lessen the noise.

One constant nuisance slowed those plastic baseball games: the overhanging telephone wire. Bill had the perfect arm angle to pitch into it, and Joe could hit it just as easily when he batted. If Bill’s throw missed the wire, Joe’s crushing hit found it. The youngsters grinned, the older players groaned, and somehow, we never thought to move the location of home plate.

Strategic thinking was not our strongest attribute.

The dog pen and basketball goal guarded the left field hedge. Center and right field were protected by the neighbors’ towering trees. Still, plenty of home run balls left the backyard, and nothing could quiet the laughter, cheers, shouts, and occasional sarcastic taunts. It was not a perfect place, but God never required perfection to fill a place with love.

The annual backyard fireworks show grew from sparklers and Roman candles to cherry bombs and small rockets fired through a PVC pipe. We blew up toy soldiers, model planes, and T-shirts, and occasionally startled a passing motorist. The next generation was wisely sent to larger, safer spaces. Naturally, they burned the school track.

The backyard also had quieter evenings, when croquet became the older boys’ game of choice. A few times, the contest was played under the stars. Bill earned lasting backyard fame after surviving a heavy croquet ball launched into his chest. I thought that thud might be the last sound he ever heard.

I had no idea how we would explain it to Dad. Mike did ask Bill if he could see in the dark. Crack! Thud! Down goes Frazier! That was the evening when we found out Bill needed glasses.

Even now, I smile at the mercy hidden in that moment: a bruise, a laugh, and a family story that somehow became part of our inheritance.

As the years passed and the cousin count grew, the older players took to playing football on their knees. The plays got more creative, the competition stayed fierce, and the laughter only grew louder. We were aging, technically, but not surrendering.

Basketball moved from the dirt court to the concrete driveway, where a ball always seemed to be bouncing. Anyone driving for a winning layup could expect a rim-protecting shove into the nearby hedge, which gave the bush a long and distinguished defensive career.

A smaller Tyke-sized basketball goal was added to serve as a secondary court for the younger set. After-dark croquet was eventually banned by the commissioner.

In time, the backyard welcomed the grandkids. The games changed as we reluctantly, but happily, handed the playing field to our children and retreated inside to their video games, where our opponents were just as unskilled as we were.

It was comforting to know our athletic limitations had simply gone digital. It was even more comforting to see that joy can pass from one generation to the next when backyard love has been planted deeply.

Later, Dad built a large rock patio behind the house. Mike and I helped haul the heavy stones from Tahona Creek, behind my mother’s childhood homeplace. It was a back-breaking labor of love.

Stone by stone, Dad built more than a patio. He built another place for family to gather, and God blessed it with voices, stories, and sweetness.

That patio hosted Floyd family reunions on rocks where mom’s siblings had walked decades earlier. It was also the landing spot for our family’s near-weekly summer nights of homemade ice cream, where the laughter rose with the heat and the memories settled in forever.

Eventually, the backyard commissioner moved the dog pen to right-center field, and his small garden claimed left field. Strawberries and tomatoes replaced bats and balls, which was probably better for the neighbors’ windows. The American pastime was limited to T-ball for the newest team members.

This backyard has hosted celebrations, heartbreaks, and burnt hamburgers. It has served as a playground, a sanctuary, and a place for reflective thoughts. Despite its smallness of size, this backyard enshrined every version of me … carefree, lonely, happy, hopeful, victorious, defeated, and, most importantly, the dreamer.

Backyard playgrounds become gardens, noise becomes memory, and God keeps teaching us that growth often comes in small, almost unnoticeable steps. One small step for a boy, one giant leap to become a man.

One sad day, as the host team prepared to permanently relocate, Dad led his three grown sons to the small shed now standing in deep center field. The backyard had changed, but somehow every baseline, basketball goal, and boundary marker still seemed to be there.

Memory has a way of keeping sacred ground marked long after the lines have faded.

One by one, Dad pulled out dusty, faded treasures from those early years: gloves, balls, caps, helmets, shoulder pads, jerseys, and memory after memory from a time that had passed far too quickly.

Each item looked smaller in size but larger than life in memory.

I understood then that keepsakes are not really about things. They are reminders of people, seasons, and blessings we were too young to fully recognize at the time.

My favorite football stadium is not the largest Ivy League ones or those of the Sooners, Cowboys, Golden Hurricane, and Fighting Irish. It is not the home of the Buckeyes, Wolverines, Trojans, Nittany Lions, or Bayou Tigers.

That backyard was not overshadowed by the ballparks highlighting the Cardinals, Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, Rangers, or Astros. It had as much nostalgic glory as the basketball courts housed in the Forum, Madison Square Garden, Boston Garden, or Hoosier Gym.

One little backyard hosted the legends of my past and the glory of my best memories. It was a small place, but grace has never needed much room to do something lasting.

I can still see that little backyard. I still see the kids. I still hear the laughter. I still feel the love.

One small but glorious backyard, filled with wonderful memories and the love of God.

“Those were the days, my friend; we thought they’d never end.”

MY FIRST IRONMAN TRIATHLON

I can still hardly believe it. After months—and, truthfully, years—of mental preparation, casual stretching, and many sincere thoughts about getting in shape, I finally completed my first triathlon. Like many of life’s milestones, it reminded me that finishing well often begins long before the starting line.

For anyone unfamiliar with the sport, a triathlon is a demanding endurance event that combines swimming, cycling, and running in sequence—for people who apparently tried one exhausting activity and thought, “Why stop there?” It also offers a useful picture of the Christian life: one stage at a time, one step of faith after another.

Races range from Sprint and Olympic distances to Half-Ironman and Full-Ironman events. Even the transitions—from the water to the road to the final stretch—can make or break the day. In the same way, life’s transitions often test our patience, faith, and ability to keep moving when the path changes.

On race day, I slept well, stretched thoroughly, and prepared myself for the challenge ahead. I even took a deep breath, which I believe counts as cardio when done with enough conviction—and perhaps as prayer when done with enough gratitude.

This was not merely a race against the clock. It would require strategy, stamina, courage, and sound decision-making. Like all great triathlons—and many walks of faith—it began with the water portion.

THE SWIM. I started with twenty intense minutes in the jacuzzi, where the jets roared like a determined washing machine. The pressure pounded my arms and legs as the currents pushed against me. I stayed mostly upright, though a few near-slips required the recovery skills of a seasoned aquatic professional and the quiet mercy of God.

This is where many competitors lose focus. One moment they are athletes; the next, they are relaxed procrastinators leaning into the bubbles and questioning whether goals are really necessary. Comfort is a subtle opponent, and it rarely announces itself as a threat.

But I refused to let comfort win. Warm water, therapeutic bubbles, and the temptation to declare it “recovery day” would not defeat me. My eyes were fixed on a greater prize.

This day demanded more than relaxation. It called for discipline, focus, and the determination usually reserved for opening a stubborn pickle jar. The Lord often uses ordinary moments to remind us that perseverance matters.

THE BIKE. With the water portion complete, I sprang from the tub, grabbed a towel, preserved the dignity expected of an elite competitor, and hurried to my ride. I chose the four-wheel version for the grueling three-mile journey to Braum’s.

To preserve precious time, I used the drive-thru, a tactical decision that separated me from the amateurs. I ordered a double-dip hot fudge sundae with pecans and displayed remarkable discipline to save time by skipping the extra whipped cream. Self-control, after all, is a fruit of the Spirit.

Then came one of the most difficult portions of the race: carefully balancing the plastic dish during the final lap home without losing a single pecan. This required faith, focus, and both hands firmly committed to the mission.

This is where lesser competitors give in to temptation. Some would park, sit, and refuel right there in the Braum’s lot. Others might panic and request a spoon immediately. But I would not take the easy way out. It was Ironman or Rust—and I was determined to press on toward the goal.

THE RUN. The final leg was a brutal race against the summer heat. I moved swiftly from the car to the house, carrying the sundae like an Olympic torch made of hot fudge, fragile hope, and the kind of urgency that makes a person pray without ceasing.

I reached my chair before disaster struck, settled into position, and completed the Ironman portion with a spoon, a smile, and the quiet confidence of a champion who knows every good and perfect gift comes from above.

With deep satisfaction, I quoted the Author and Finisher of the most important race in life: “It is finished!” In my case, this applied both spiritually and to the sundae, though only one of those victories was eternal.

Official time: 2:08 PM.

TRAINING MAY BE OVERRATED.

Fulfillment, however, is what keeps me motivated.

True fulfillment is never found merely in crossing a finish line or finishing dessert, but in walking faithfully with the One who gives strength for every mile of the lifelong race.

I do not mean to sound boastful. Not everyone has the inner strength, refined athletic instincts, or coordination skills required to complete a triathlon of this magnitude.

Still, I feel compelled to share a few lessons to encourage you in your own race of faith.

Keep your eyes on the prize. Always do your best. Never quit. Run with endurance the race set before you, even when the course is not what you expected.

And if your earthly prize happens to come with hot fudge and pecans, receive it with thanksgiving—but remember that the greatest reward is found in Christ.

Begin slowly. You might start with a warm bath, a short shower, or perhaps simply standing near a lake and thinking athletic thoughts. Braum’s even offers one-dip cones that can be safely enjoyed in the car by beginners.

The important thing is to start where you are and trust God with the next faithful step.

Do not worry about the clock at first; the goal is to finish with joy, gratitude, and, if possible, without dripping ice cream on your shirt.

Faithfulness is measured less by speed than by obedience.

Whatever you do, enjoy the journey, laugh along the way, keep your eyes on Jesus, and give all the glory to God.

THE ROCKETS’ RED GLARE

This summer marks America’s 250th Birthday celebration as the United States of America. Ironically, our nation stands divided over which rival organization, America250 or Freedom250, headlines ‘The Rockets’ Red Glare’ concert party.

Let the fireworks begin!

July 4, 1776, is Independence Day. The words which became our National Anthem were penned on the misty dawn of September 14, 1814, as the War of 1812 raged with the outcome still in the balance.

Francis Scott Key was a prisoner on a truce ship in Baltimore Harbor. He stood on the deck with his eyes strained toward the battered silhouette of Fort McHenry. The night before, British cannons had unleashed a relentless barrage, thunder echoing across the water, flames illuminating the sky.

Imprisoned by circumstance, Key was powerless to aid his countrymen, his heart heavy with dread for the fate of the fort and the nation. Yet as the morning sun crept over the horizon, the smoke cleared, revealing a miracle: the grand, tattered American flag still flying above Fort McHenry.

The sight struck Key with a surge of profound relief, hope, and pride. In that moment, the fortitude of the defenders, the resilience of the flag, and the promise of the young republic ignited his soul.

Fueled by the emotion of that hope on the horizon, Key seized a scrap of paper and began to write. Words poured from his pen—a question, a celebration, a testament to hope: “O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light…”

“And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;

Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

With each verse, he captured the awe of survival, the gratitude for freedom, and the enduring spirit of hope for a nation under siege but unbroken.

Yes, the stirring anthem known as The Star-Spangled Banner was born in a heart-experience of a night of darkness and a dawn of glory.

Let our hearts be truly thankful for our God-given freedom, but do not rest there.

Let every picture and sound of this American birthday celebration remind us of where we stand spiritually with the eyes of our faith fixed, not on our nation’s freedom but on the flag of our everlasting Hope.

We are standing as prisoners on this world’s ship anchored in a hostile harbor. The battle sounds are terrifying. The rockets’ red glare highlights the bombs bursting in air.

This world is destroying itself as kingdoms rage against kingdoms, people against people. Hate and Hurt fly their flags over every household. The darkness is suffocating; the clouds on the horizon appear fearfully dreadful.

How can anyone survive this coming catastrophe? Do we surrender to the chains of this ungodly culture? Do we sign a worldly compromise sealed with silent lips and closed eyes?

The truly victorious Kingdom is established. The flag is flying. It will never fall; but it is opposed. Our part is to stand true with a sure hope until the dawn.

What is it about Jesus that stabilizes our hearts during the darkest circumstances of life?

Jesus pointed to his cross as our flag and said, “Father, glorify your Name.” Then the heavens roared with affirmation of the victory. The onlooking crowd thought they heard the heavens thunder. Then Jesus made a promise of victory to all His followers, “When I am lifted up, I will draw all men to myself” (John 12:27-32).

Jesus spoke words of exhortation to all His followers engaged in their cultural wars. “Look at the dawn’s early light…Trust in that light” (John 12:35-36).

Jesus won the War for our Souls with his UNDYING LOVE.

In the dawn’s morning light, the Coming King will stand as the banner of Hope for our salvation…He will raise a flag for His people among all the nations, and His place of rest will be glorious (literally, glory) (Isaiah 11:10).

Is that the power of hope that keeps your heart alive? Here is the place to lay down all your fears, all your anxieties, all your pessimism. Here is the place to pick up your banner of hope and courage.

His kingdom wins. If you do not feel that hope, keep looking. The cross of undying love is still there. It will wave forever; it marks the future home of the free and the brave.

It surpasses the heart-moving scenes of America’s flag at Fort McKinley or on the hill of Iwo Jima or any gold medal ceremony of the Olympic Games.

The flag of our Hope stands on full display throughout the four gospels about Jesus. Every word in the #1 Textbook calls attention to that flag of undying love. The victory banner flies for the eyes of every trusting soul. Jesus forever lives as the King of Glory.

Keep your eyes on Jesus. He is the source of our faith. He endured the cross because of the future joy for Him and for you…Think of this so you will not get tired and give up (Hebrews 12:2-3).

EYES UP!

Oh, say can you see the undying love of Jesus on the cross?

The earthly skies are darkened by his death, the dawn’s morning light shines with the hope of his resurrection. Every morning since that day, God has raised the flag of hope with the morning sun.

The war is not over, but the victory has been won.

Undying love has won the war. Our flag is still there. Hope is alive.

Trust God. You can never trust him too often or too much. You can never celebrate his victory too often or too much. In fact, the best time to stand and sing the anthem of hope is now.

Our celebration will outlast America’s 250th freedom celebration by endless ages upon endless ages.

[If you are able to stand, please rise as the flag is raised and the anthem played. If you are unable to physically stand where you are now, then please rise in your heart and join in with your voice.]



Awake, my soul and sing
Of Him Who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless King
Through all eternity.

Crown Him the Lord of life!
Who triumphed o’er the grave,
Who rose victorious in the strife
For those He came to save.

His glories now we sing,
Who died, and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring,
And lives that death may die.

Crown Him with many crowns,
The Lamb upon His throne;
Hark! How the heav’nly anthem drowns
All music but its own!

Awake, my soul and sing
Of Him Who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless King
Through all eternity.

(Crown Him with Many Crowns—Matthew Bridges)

PAINFULLY PURPOSEFUL

I FEEL YOUR PAIN

Surely you have seen a cartoon of some man unexpectedly stepping on the edge of a rake which catapulted the handle into a direct and painful impact with his face. Funny.

What an idiot! Well, it happened to me this week.

I was the idiot trying to finish some yardwork before an approaching storm. My wife let the dog out of the house for the same reason. Finish your business before the rain keeps you inside for the night.

Jada trotted over with wagging tail, big eyes pleading for attention. Carrying a tennis ball in her mouth, she signaled it was time for a spirited game of fetch.

Unable to resist her charm, I paused my dirt work for some playtime. I leaned the shovel and the rake against the fence. Let the game begin!

I threw the ball. Jada quickly retrieved it. We would wrestle over the ball before the next fetch attempt. In one of the wilder moments, the dog knocked over the gardening tools.

I picked up the shovel and leaned it back against the fence as Jada returned for another round of how to agitate your owner.

I took a confident step to grab the ball. Unfortunately, as I turned around, I did not notice the rake lying in wait, perfectly camouflaged with the grass.

As if by divine design, my foot landed squarely on the teeth of the rake. In a split second, the handle rocketed upwards as if powered by a hydraulic jackhammer, smacking me right in the face with a “whack!”

Startled and dazed, I staggered backwards, seeing stars. I bumped into the shovel leaning precariously against the fence. Like a slapstick symphony, I grabbed the shovel to gain my balance. As I fell helplessly to the ground, the shovel swung down and gave me a second, perfectly timed bonk on the other side of my face.

Somewhere, a neighbor has already submitted the security images of this entire incident to America’s Funniest Videos TV show. Rubbing my sore cheeks and blinking in confusion, I looked up to see my dog standing over me with the ball in her mouth. She was mocking my pain.

The dog knew I could not blame her. My wife has given her what every husband longs for–absolute immunity!

There have been quite a few times in life that I did not see the pain coming right before the storm broke over my head.

It might not be stepping on a rake or falling off a ladder, but we all experience unexpected and seemingly unfair blows which leave us feeling hurt, confused, and even mocked.

PAIN COMES TO US ALL. Physical. Emotional. Social. Spiritual. It usually surprises us.

How do you deal with the pain? And the person responsible for your pain?

How do you handle the pain when it introduces stormy conditions which trouble and darken the soul?

I encourage you to live with your EYES UP!

This is where I find my help, my healing, and my hope. This is where I see the blessings in the storm and wait for the purpose of the pain.

Here are some priceless painful lessons from the #1 Textbook.

  1. GOD IS ALWAYS IN CONTROL … OF EVERYTHING.

Whatever God sends or allows, it has passed through His hands. Nothing touches me without that assurance from my Heavenly Father. When the pain happens, God approved it. When the storm comes, God will use it.

I will probably be like Job who never understood why all these things happened to him, but God did (Job 2:3-6). Hopefully, I will have the faith of Job to realize that our God created and controls this universe (Job 1: 21 and 2:10).

My pain is no accident to God who orders the steps of my life, even the foolish step onto a rake!

The rake in the face is symbolic of much that happens in this life. Life is messed up. It is full of shocks and surprises. We get slapped in the face. We get poked in the eye. We get tripped up over trivial things. We get hurt over seemingly avoidable situations.

However, this truth holds firm. Before any trial ever reaches me, it must first pass through God. Everything I endure must go through the hands of my God who is always wise, right, and good in all He does. Everything…. EVERYTHING!

I do not walk and stumble through this life alone. Neither do you. Never alone. Never forgotten. Never without divine power and purpose.

That leads to the second confident reason to expect help, healing, and hope in my moments of pain and stormy darkness of circumstances.

2. EVERYTHING HAS A DIVINE PURPOSE … EVERYTHING!

There is a purposeful plan to any and all pain, no matter how little or how large.

God is preparing me to live and love like Jesus so I can love others first and most in their moments of pain and stress.

My struggle is not meaningless. Note how God used my stupid rake collision to be the genesis of my note of prayer and encouragement to you. I do not know all your suffering, but God does. I do know that many of you are struggling with unbelievable pain at this time. Many are experiencing emotional pain far greater than physical.

YOUR CURRENT STRUGGLE IS NOT MEANINGLESS. IT IS PURPOSEFUL PAIN.

No, it is not preferable pain, but that was not left to your choice. God planned it with a purpose.

Most pain comes unannounced. Its presence is unwelcomed. It hurts. The pain can be long-lasting or reoccurring. Its severity can range from mild to unbearable. It can leave scars. We did not ask for the pain.

We can fear pain, but we cannot prevent it. We can hate it, but we cannot hide from it. We can cry about it, but we cannot stop it. You can live with pain, but you cannot live without it.

Every relationship suffers pain. It might come from spoken or unspoken words. It might be experienced through disappointment of your expectations or loss of their presence.

No one is exempt from PAIN or its PURPOSE.

How do we learn to love without being around someone who is difficult to love? How do we learn to care without being with someone who needs care? How do we learn to heal without having been hurt? How do we learn to forgive without having been mistreated?

We have a Heavenly Father who understands the value of painful experiences.

God comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is so we can comfort others. (2 Corinthians 1:3-7)

Every pain has been purposed for greater good to you and to others.

How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in him should ponder them. Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty. His righteousness never fails. He causes us to remember his wonderful works. How gracious and merciful is our Lord! (Psalm 111:2-4)

I close with the exhortation I quote so often: EYES UP!

Ye fearful saints fresh courage take

The clouds you so much dread

Are big with mercy and soon shall break

In blessings on your head

God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform

He plants His Footsteps in the sea

And rides upon the storm

Deep in unsearchable mines

Of never failing skill

He treasures up His bright Design

And works His sovereign Will


Judge not the Lord by feeble sense

But trust Him for His Grace

Behind a frowning providence

He hides a smiling face

His purposes will ripen fast

Unfolding every hour

The bud may have a bitter taste

But sweet will be the flower

Oh fearful saints fresh courage take

The clouds you so much dread

Are big with mercy and soon shall break

In blessings on your head — (William Cowper)

I pray God’s blessings fall on you soon and abundantly! EYES UP!

MY BIGGEST LETDOWN

(A FATHER’S DAY TRIBUTE)

Dr. Seuss wrote, “When something bad happens, you have three choices. You can either let it define you, let it destroy you, or you can let it strengthen you.”

This week is a special time to honor my father whose memory brought a smile as I reminisced of how he handled one of the biggest letdowns in my life.

Webster’s dictionary describes letdown as “disappointment, discouragement, unmet expectations.”

Dr. Seuss also wrote, “Don’t cry because it’s over. SMILE because it happened.”

Every kid knows that the author of such classic books as Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham must be right.

We have all experienced the soul-crushing pain of that last letdown or that worst letdown.

Letdown days can be dreadful. Others can be hopeful. Most lie somewhere in between. A few experiences can be brutal. Some can leave a bitter taste in your mouth as if you started the day sucking lemons.

Today I find myself reflecting on a vivid sad memory. It was the day I let my dad down. Of course, I rightfully blame it on my brother, the weakest link in the story. The incident defined Bill and destroyed me. Somehow, it strengthened our dad. The memory does make us all SMILE.

My dad is my hero. I am sure there were many times I let my dad down, but he never showed it.

This one day was very different.

I let my dad down, literally. It was unfortunate and unforgettable.

Let me set this up.

I am one of three brothers. Our mom often stated, “Your dad thinks you boys are perfect, but I know better. I birthed you.”

Then the next minutes would be filled with Mom’s critique and instructions for better choices or better grammar in life’s daily grind.

Dad certainly did not think we were perfect. He just acted as if we were. Dad was our coach in life. At some point, he discreetly and imperceptibly changed into our cheerleader. I imagine the heavy load caused Dad’s heart to weaken.

Dad’s perspective of his heart-health and his sons’ perfection was put to the test one day. The memory helps me moan with the worst of the crowd of critics.

I am not sure where I picked up this trait. My mother was not a moaner. She was a coal-miner’s daughter and proud of it. Things could always be worse. So, you do not complain. You just find a way to make things better.

Dad grew up with three brothers under the care and direction of a single, uneducated mom. They were all abandoned by their alcoholic father.

I do not remember Dad moaning…except at the ineptitude of a football official or a basketball referee. I still believe Dad was surprised to find some of them in heaven.

Dad was not a complainer. He most definitely was not a quitter. Whether it was sports, math, or life, Dad studied the situation and found a solution.

I am not sure when I became a Moaner. I always liked to sleep late. I was not born until two minutes past noon. That DNA stayed with me. My prime time is late, late night.

I think my moaning began when my brothers joined the family. Until then, I was king of the court. The family revolved around me.

Sharing can be overrated.

But I share some of this blame with my brother, Bill.

When Dad was diagnosed with heart failure, he was assigned home hospice. That soon became unsatisfactory to Dad. He finally relented to allowing his sons to help him get up each morning and get into bed for the night.

Helen would fix his requested breakfast: Gravy. That’s right…gravy. Every meal. She would ask him if he wanted some biscuits. “No. just gravy.” Maybe some eggs? “No, just gravy.”

Occasionally, Dad would enjoy a chocolate milkshake, smuggled in by one of the brothers.

Dad’s health (increased weight, increased energy, great attitude) during this severe medical prognosis amazed and confounded his cardiologist. Dad survived and thrived on that diet for almost two years.

Apparently new research is needed regarding the healthy-heart benefit of gravy and milkshakes! I have been advocating that for years!

Dad’s weakened condition made it very difficult for him to walk. One of Dad’s former players sent his coach a top-of-the-line wheelchair. It greatly helped Dad maneuver around the house.

There came a day when Dad needed to be transported to the cardiologist. Bill and I helped Dad to the car. We rolled him out onto the porch in his wheelchair. Now came the challenge to navigate the steps.

Bill and I lifted the wheelchair to carry Dad down the stairs of the porch. I picked up the front of the wheelchair while Bill raised it off the porch by the rear handles.

Something went wrong. Terribly wrong. The wheelchair went limp and began to fold up.

We did not know that the modern wheelchairs fold up when lifted. When you lift the wheelchair, it folds into a slender, easy-to-carry item. This allows for quick and easy storage in the back of the transport vehicle. Very clever invention.

However, in this situation, Dad was still in the wheelchair. We lifted. The chair folded.

Dad was squeezed like a bubble about to explode. There was a brief moment of fear that flashed across Dad’s face. He was falling and squeezed at the same time.

The brothers panicked because we were unaware of why the wheelchair was collapsing. We frantically searched for a reset button.

We did our best to protect Dad from falling out onto the steps. We made it to the front yard. We stood there in disbelief with the wheelchair suspended in air.

Dad looked as if he were folded and sealed inside an envelope. At that point, it would have been easier to mail him to the cardiologist office.

When we set our beloved occupant in the folded wheelchair on the ground, the wheelchair remained limp. We could not get it to reset into a steady chair.

We tried to let Dad down gently. His legs and arms were squeezed together across his body.

As the wheelchair sides caved in to swallow Dad, we slowly lowered it to the ground. There he was, sitting on the yard squeezed inside a folded wheelchair. As we turned loose of the wheelchair, Dad tipped over on his side . . .a wheelchair sandwich with one immoveable arm pressed to his side and the other arm helplessly extended above his head.

I never heard my dad curse, but this had to be his biggest temptation for bad language. His ‘perfect’ sons let him down, literally.

Bill apologized. I apologized for Bill.

Dad gave that faint smile and told us thanks for the ride.

Dad NEVER used a wheelchair again. NEVER!!!

We gave away the ultra-deluxe wheelchair to our rehab missionary working in Ukraine.

Dad slowly shuffled to the car, then into the doctor’s office. When the physician asked how he was feeling, Dad said he thought his heart must be doing better. He had just survived one of the most terrifying moments in his life.

The Dr. Seuss cardiologist responded with, “Well, at least you can still smile about it.”

It has taken years before Bill and I could smile about the big letdown. Angie’s eyewitness account can be summarized by our Uncle Derwin’s infamous phrase, “I was aghast!”

Circumstances did not define or defeat our dad. If anything, the challenge strengthened his resolve.

PERHAPS SOMEONE LET YOU DOWN PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY, OR RELATIONALLY.

Circumstances do not have to be perfect for you to get through today or this week or any crushing letdowns. You have choices.

Attitude is a choice. A bad attitude is not the result of bad people or bad events. It comes from a bad choice in how you react to those bad people or bad circumstances.

NOTHING CAN HINDER OR STOP YOU FROM CHOOSING TO COUNT YOIUR BLESSINGS RATHER THAN YOUR BITTERNESS.

NOTHING CAN SQUEEZE HAPPINESS OUT OF YOUR LIFE.

TOUGH CIRCUMSTANCES CAN DEFINE YOU, DESTROY YOU, OR STRENGTHEN YOU.

IT IS YOUR CHOICE.

We all face big letdowns in life. Others let us down. We let down others. Here is a go-to verse from God’s Word, Isaiah 41:10:

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be worried, for I am your God. I WILL STRENGTHEN YOU. I WILL HELP YOU, AND I WILL NOT DROP YOU.

1 Peter 5:10 reminds us that after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace will pick you up, set you firmly on your feet, and make you stronger than ever.

Dad reminded us of this truth. “People will let you down, but the Lord will never let you down.“

I am thankful we did get to share a few more milkshakes with Dad. I don’t cry over the wheelchair letdown anymore. I just SMILE and give God thanks.

I did my best, it wasn’t much
I couldn’t feel, so I tried to touch
I’ve told the truth, I didn’t come to fool you
And even though it all went wrong
I’ll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah —Hallelujah, Leonard Cohen

Don’t Be Stupid

“Stupid is as stupid does.”

Sorry. My brain is on vacation this week, Unfortunately, it could not afford to take my body with it; so, I am stuck here in Stupidville with Forest Gump.

I have moments where I do not think about anything. That is a little frightening!

There are times that the chains on my mood swing just snap. My mind plunges into greater depths of stupidity.

Thoughtless. Mindless. Scatter-brained. Moronic.

There are moments when my stupidity ventures to boldly go where no stupidity has gone before.

My childhood dream was to become an astronaut. Unfortunately, it was not in the stars. The only areas where I surpassed NASA standards were weight and stupidity. One was fixable through a better diet. The other cannot be fixed. Not even by the greatest minds in the known universe.

STUPIDITY. If you need me to provide a definition, then just consider yourself far above the minimal standard for ‘idiot.’

Stupidity is universal. We each exhibit some degree of it at various times in life. It does seem to come more naturally to some. I know a few people whose endless and effortless stupidity is actually admirable.

To help all mankind, I wish to offer these suggestions to avoid doing stupid things.

  1. Do not stand over a toilet with your eyeglasses on top of your head.
  2. Do not place your cell phone on top of your car.
  3. Do not place your billfold on top of your car.
  4. Do not place your mail on top of your car.
  5. Do not place your wife on top of your car.
  6. Do not close the car door before your foot is fully inside the vehicle.
  7. Do not try to walk on ice.
  8. Do not fall on ice without access to a cell phone to call for help.
  9. Do not come home with three Happy Meals when there are four grandchildren at the house.
  10. Do not use stupid phrases as computer passwords, such as Dumb and Dumber, or Dummy and Dummy2. I suggest using my favorite password, 2Dumb4U.
  11. Do not drive away from the gas station before returning the gas pump to its stored position.
  12. Do not stomp on the brakes when your Raising Cane’s sauce is open.
  13. Do not stomp on the brakes when your beverage cup is unsecured.
  14. Do not stomp on the brakes when your hot pizza box is in the front seat. (Seatbelt laws should be enforced.)
  15. Do not stomp on your brakes when your ride-along dog is standing in the back seat. (It is amazing how quickly a pet can become a windshield ornament.)
  16. Do not forget…anything (anniversary, birthdays, doctor appointments).
  17. Do not correct your boss.
  18. Do not correct your wife. (Sorry, that was stupidly redundant.)
  19. Do not leave the water running in your sink…in your shower…in your lawn sprinkler.
  20. Do not drop your cell phone into the Bermuda Triangle darkness between your car seat and console.
  21. Do not make impulsive internet purchases without checking the three figure return shipping costs to China.
  22. Do not get into the wrong car just because it looked similar to yours.
  23. Do not think that money in your checking account never needs to be replaced.
  24. Do not think that anything on the internet is ‘free.’ (You just signed up for a ten-year monthly supply with no customer service connection.)
  25. Do not use ‘old’ stupid phrases with your grandchildren.
  26. Do not call someone “Buddy” or “Bro” or “Idiot” just because you cannot remember their name.
  27. Do not reply to a “bless you” for your sneeze with “you too.”
  28. Do not scream at the traffic red lights more than three times in a row.
  29. Do not use hand signals to communicate with other drivers.
  30. Do not carry five sacks of groceries at one time so you can make fewer trips from the car.
  31. Do not place a water-filled ice chest on the hotel clothes cart.
  32. Do not leave your room key and ID in your locked hotel room.
  33. Do not be intimidated or stopped or made to feel guilty while enjoying a ‘family size’ bag of chips or cookies all by yourself.
  34. Do not type an angry text or email that you never intend to send. (Ooops! Did I just hit the ‘send’ button?)
  35. Do not binge on The Good! The Bad! And The Ugly while naming people you know who could play those characters.
  36. Do not give your honest opinion about someone’s recipe, clothing, haircut, or parenting technique…NEVER! NO MATTER WHAT!
  37. Do not show any signs of life when your friend asks for help to move a few rocks.
  38. Do not move your spouse’s keys to a better place to keep them.
  39. Do not open a pill box over the sink.
  40. Do not rinse silverware while the garbage disposal is engaged.
  41. Do not tell a caller you are not home before checking to see if their car is in your driveway.
  42. Do not leave your dinner meal unattended on the table stand next to your chair while you go to the garage refrigerator for something to drink. (Some dogs see that as a grand opportunity provided by their ‘stupid’ owner.)
  43. Do not make private comments on a group text.
  44. Do not set the table for the family dinner before you realize the dishwasher was never turned on. (At that point, it might be ‘stupid’ to even mention the slight discrepancy between people’s varying definitions of clean and dirty.)
  45. “Do not ever argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience” (Mark Twain).
  46. Do not ask a stupid question without expecting a truckload of sarcastic remarks from my family.
  47. Do not pause the washing machine so you can throw in your red shirts with your wife’s laundry.
  48. Do not continue driving to the next town while your car’s dashboard flashes ‘No Fuel.’
  49. Do not give a smart phone to a stupid person. (That is stupid!)
  50. Do not waste your time trying to teach a stupid person how to use their smart phone. (That is stupider than more stupid!)
  51. Do not try to convince a stupid person that what they are saying or doing is stupid. (That is the stupidest waste of time!)
  52. Do not honk your horn louder for stupid people. (They will not notice and, if they do, they will think you are celebrating with them!)
  53. Do not continue your obsession to look up pictures of your house on Google Earth maps or the internet. Just step outside and remind yourself what your house looks like.
  54. Do not drive slowly in the left lane...ever.
  55. Do not try to teach an older person how to use new technology.

The old wise Albert Einstein spoke about his Theory of Relativity in real life terms. “There are two things that are infinite: The universe and human stupidity, and I am not sure about the universe…The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has limits.”

Maybe there is an APP for stupid people. Surely, there is a market for it.

I do predict that Artificial Intelligence will be defeated by Natural Stupidity.

I am going to go along with Shakespeare on this one. “A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.”

DO NOT FORGET THERE IS BEAUTY IN STUPIDITY.

Others will have to put up with my stupidity because YOU CANNOT FIX STUPID.

I am proof that stupid people do not gain wisdom as they age; they just become old stupid people.

“Life is hard. It is even harder if you are stupid.” (John Wayne).

Doing stupid things is hard. I think doing stupid things gets easier as you get older.

“Every man is stupid and without knowledge” (Jeremiah 10:14). There you have it. Every woman will testify to that truth.

To conclude with a hopeful thought, it is worth noting that jellyfish have existed for thousands of years without possessing brains.

So, remember that the one who laughs last is usually the one who thinks the slowest.

EYES UP! LOVE YOU!….even when the chains on my mood swing snap.

Non-discrimination: A Lesson from Mice

Mice are non-discriminatory. What about you?

Mice show no favoritism. They do not care if you are rich or poor, young or old, single or married, educated or dropout, farmer or metropolitan. Mice treat all nationalities and all ethnic groups the same.

Almost everyone seems to have dealt with mice. Like the common cold, a mouse problem quickly brings a flood of suggested cures. The moment you mention it, people start sharing rodent remedies—proof they have been through it too.

Broom. Mousetrap with cheese or peanut butter. Glue Trap. Cat. Poison. Steel wool. Caulk. Peppermint. Cayenne pepper. Vinegar-soaked cotton balls. Pest control MouseX. No trespassing signs. Exterminator Hitman. Fire. Relocation.

“The best laid schemes of mice and men, often go awry.” (John Steinbeck)

Years ago, we experienced an influx of mice caused by the clearing of fields behind our house during wintertime. They found warmth and dog food in our garage. It became a seasonal vacation spot for their family and friends.

Last week, we started to see signs of extraterrestrial visitors. Aliens, inside our home, left behind evidence of their reality. A hole in the bottom of the flour. Crumbs of bread. Tiny dribblings in the pantry. Scratching sounds late at night. Finally, we saw a tiny, whiskered creature scurrying out from under the stove into the pantry.

The rodent revenge tour had begun. We could only hope this was not the precursor to a D-Day type invasion. An unwelcome pest in the house creates panic as sane people lose their minds. Why is this small creature as feared as a wild uncaged lion loose in the kitchen? Even the calm, cool responders eventually give way to the unhinged screamers demanding immediate action.

Where did it go? What is it doing? What are you going to do about it?

Does the woman of the house notice the similarities of mice to her resident pest?

They love all kinds of cheese. They sneak into the kitchen and nibble on late-night snacks. They leave trails of crumbs around the house. They hide things in strange places.

Mouse or husband?

They scurry away and vanish during times of housework. They are frightened of a vacuum cleaner or mop. They retreat to the unseen corners of the garage or sleep to the sights and sounds of the television.

Is that a description of a mouse in your house or the man of your house?

They sneak up to shock you or squeak to annoy you. They are a nuisance, yet susceptible to enticing traps. Mouse or husband?

When a mouse shows up, it is every man for himself. Like mice, men scurry away to avoid confrontation, both driven by fear and a desire for safety. Each hopes the other one gives up and leaves the house.

It is time to reveal the identity of the troublemaker. Man Up? Or Mice Up?

Take note that the hero of Disney World is Mickey Mouse, not Mickey Man. His adorable, polka-dotted dressed Minnie Mouse has charmed her way into tens of thousands of homes.

And long ago, it was Mighty Mouse who was on his way to save the day.

Speedy Gonzales was the fastest mouse in Mexico who saved his friends by use of his quick-thinking, lightning speed, and loveable accent.

Jerry the mouse could turn any household item into a means of comedic escape from his constant pursuer and longtime rival, Tom the Cat.

Cinderella’s mice, Gus and Jaq, were loveable sidekicks and dressmakers who fearlessly protected her. Adopted into a New York human family, the big-hearted Stuart Little mouse served as a lighthouse of hope and resilience for decades of joyful inspiration.

The American Tale brought Fievel into a harsh new world seeking to be reunited with his loved ones as he displayed the spirit of family, the importance of perseverance, and the power of hope.

And let us not forget the legendary 3 Blind Mice whose song taught multitudes of children about overcoming life’s adversities.

Whether husbands or mice, you just learn to live with the little critters—especially if you want your cheese to last the week.

We can learn something worthwhile from mice. They are nondiscriminatory. They show no favoritism.

What about you?

Do you have people you avoid? Hate to see? Do some individuals cause you to hide? Cringe? Fear?

We may not endorse the practice of discrimination, but we cannot deny its presence. The prevalence of favoritism is a cultural, spiritual, and personal problem.

When it comes to love, do you discriminate? Do you show partiality, prejudice, or favoritism? Do you treat others based on status, appearance,  ethnicity, or man-made distinctions?

How can you know when you discriminate and what you should do about it?

Do not show favoritism (James 2:1). That is more than just a suggestion from the #1 Textbook.

That is straightforward and not difficult to understand even though it is often overlooked or excused in practice.

Notice the context of the Lord’s command to treat all people the same, whether rich or poor, young or old, single or married, educated or dropout, farmer or metropolitan, different nationalities or ethnic groups.  

The scenario in this passage of the #1 Textbook describes a wealthy, well-dressed man walking into a church gathering where he is immediately escorted to a comfortable seat. At the same time, a poor person in dirty clothes enters the church and told to stand in the back or sit on the floor, where any mouse could go.

That is favoritism–judging and treating others based on superficial, worldly values rather than with the love from God’s heart placed inside you.

Then comes the lesson. Loving your neighbor is the Lord’s royal law (v. 9).

Do not show favoritism based on wealth, status, influence, or preference.

This is at the heart of what it means to follow Jesus.

Do not show partiality, which refers to looking two ways at once. The eyes of our heart should be turned in one direction only, toward Jesus. There is no in-between space or hiding spots for mice.

How we see and treat others reveals what we genuinely believe about the gospel of Jesus Christ who came to love the poor in spirit, the helpless, the outcast, the undeserving.

The royal law reflects God’s character.

You do not have to agree with everyone to show them love. You do not have to forfeit your convictions to express love to those with counterpoint issues.

Love your neighbor as yourself (James 2:8) …Treat others the way you want to be treated (Matthew 7:12).

This is the royal law spoken by the Lord of Glory(James 2:1) Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength and then love your neighbor as yourself. Everything else in life hangs on that (Luke 10:25-37).

The rich young ruler asked, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied with the story of the Good Samaritan who lovingly helped the type of man he was culturally taught to hate.

“Who is my neighbor?” That question is a search to excuse oneself. We seek to limit the people in our circle. We ban people outside our circle. Jesus enlarges the circle far beyond our comfort zone.

The Heavenly King declared this is the most important thing in life. The royal law gives the principle of loving everyone in or outside your circle. That is the right way to live.

If you love others the way Jesus does (James 2:8), you do not show favoritism or discrimination (v. 9). You speak and act like Jesus (v.12) because mercy triumphs over judgment (v.13).

Mercy triumphs over judgment. That is how God treats you. It is an act of the will that expresses the heart of the Giver.

Love is not just feeling, but caring. We learn to treat others the way the Lord treats us. Forbearance. Forgiveness. Longsuffering.

Love first. Love most. That is the right thing to do…with anyone and everyone.

We have all faced challenges to love someone who is different.

When we have a mice problem, people are quick to offer solutions to how that situation improved. Why are there not multiple responses of other believers who experienced the problem of discrimination?

“Here is how I removed prejudice from my life.”

We got rid of the rat. How? The Royal Law. It works every time.

Faith. Obedience. Longsuffering. Kind words and actions. Love first and love most.

Mice are non-discriminatory.

Mickey Mouse welcomes everyone into his clubhouse circle of friends.

Mighty Mouse is always on the way to save the day for the disenfranchised, discouraged, and defeated.

What about you? Are you a Mouse? Or a Man or Woman overflowing with the love of God to others?

Treat others the way the Lord treats you.

Down and Out

I was face-down flat on the floor crying my eyes out. I had not fallen or tripped. I collapsed from the weight of my tears.

Life was over. Hope for happiness was gone. Faith was AWOL. Love was a missing link.

This was not how I envisioned my life. This was not what I thought happened to the ones who try to do things right. I begged God with a heavy heart.

I was hurt. Blindsided. Overwhelmed. Distraught. Empty.

My body shook. My breaths were swift and shallow, then deep and labored.

I did not ask God to fix things, just mercifully end it all.

I am not being overly dramatic. There is no funny story or poignant punchline. This was a distant memory awakened by the current struggles of several dear friends.

I hurt for them. I have been there and survived to see better days. I understand how down and out and over it all feels right now.

Circumstances swirl far beyond any expectation. Challenges surpass any preparation to confront. Confusion causes the lights to dim and the heart to grow cold.

I felt the way many of you feel—not just Down and Out, but just Not Good Enough.

Others carry burdens of similar magnitude. Family or personal struggles crush your spirit. You feel as if you failed. You shoulder the blame.

Unable to calm the storm. Inadequate for the challenge. Caught in the deadly crosshairs of the crisis.

Your questions have no answers. Where did I go wrong? Where is my God? How could I ever go on? This is the worst thing imaginable with no path ahead.

I was there. Similar place. Same feelings. The worst of times.

The agony of the soul. The fog in the mind. The pain in the heart. The absence of strength.

Maybe I experienced that darkest moment so I can relate to yours.

NEVER QUIT. NEVER, NEVER QUIT!

I realize that sounds stupid and unreasonable and maybe, even unrealistic.

You need HOPE.

Hope is the confident expectation that you will still see all the goodness God has promised you…Somehow. Someway. Sometime.

When do you need HOPE? Now, in the darkness of hopelessness when all in life has shattered and plunged to its lowest depths.

I see you. I hear you. I feel the agony of your soul, smoldering in the ashes of hope. The air is thick with the weight of despair, each breath a labor against the crushing silence of emptiness.

Every joy once cherished is now a distant echo, and the heart aches with an unrelenting hollowness—a cavern where dreams once resided, now humming with the mournful refrain of loss.

The spirit, battered and raw, drifts through bleak corridors of memory, searching for solace in shadows. In this desolate abyss, agony is not a mere feeling but an all-consuming presence, coloring every thought and moment, until even the light of tomorrow seems extinguished by the overwhelming darkness of now.

Everyone expects you to solve their conflicts. Your words get turned against you. Your pleas for peace seem to explode before they leave your mouth.

I see your sorrow. I hear your cries. I feel your anxiety.

The heavy stillness settles over your heart, pressing down with an unbearable weight. The world around is drained of color and sound, leaving only the echo of your sorrow reverberating through the emptiness.

Each breath is a struggle; each heartbeat is a reminder of pain that refuses to fade. Thoughts spiral, as memories of happier days flicker and die like candles in a storm. The sadness is suffocating.

You want to be freed from the hurt and sorrow. You cry out for an escape. It is not death you seek as much as relief—not to feel the weight of this burden any longer. In reality, you are ready to simply not feel anything anymore.

The critical danger is not the risk of a heart attack, but rather the failure of a heart worn thin by grief. You do not long for death itself; you long for peace, for an end to the relentless heartache.

God sees you. God hears you. God cares for you.

Suffering is real, but it does not last forever. It lasts only a brief moment in the everlasting timeline. It comes with a divine purpose to make you less self-centered and more like Jesus.

NEVER QUIT. NEVER, NEVER QUIT!

Hope is on the horizon. Joy comes in the morning. Peace will usher in new nights of sweet dreams. Faith will grow stronger and contagious.

My friend, hold on to God and when your grip fails, know that God holds on to you. Nothing and no one will pluck you from His hand. Nothing will separate you from his love.

No matter what challenges you face, mistakes you make, or doubts you carry, God’s love for you remains constant and unbreakable.

God says you do not have to be perfect to be loved. God loves and accepts you just as you are. He assures you that nothing can ever separate you from His love. God prefers you running into His arms of love, not plodding along on some performance treadmill.

Does that sound strange to you? Unbelievable? Unconditional love and acceptance might go against the way your family operated. That concept certainly counters our cultural expectations.              

BUT GOD leaps to the limits of language to express His unlimited love for you even when you fall and fail. Here is the good news.

ON THE CROSS, GOD PLACED ALL YOUR PERFORMANCE TREADMILL SHORTCOMINGS AND FAILURES ON JESUS. They are now buried in the depths of the sea, never to return.

GOD PLACED THE PERFECT AND EVERLASTING PERFORMANCE OF JESUS INTO YOUR ACCOUNT. No one in heaven will ever condemn. For any other opinions (including your own), send them to the cross for an explanation.

You may not see that right now. You might not feel that way or think that or hear that from others; but it is true. You need to listen to the right voice, the only one whose opinion matters.

Since God is for you, who can be against you? Who condemns you? Certainly not God. What can separate you from the love of Christ? Absolutely nothing (Romans 8:33-39).

Perfection or comparison to others has never been the right standard. Just be the best version of yourself, even if that is a lifelong process.

You were never supposed to be like everyone else. You are not a puppet on a string performing for the culture and times you live in. God made you unique. God designed you specifically to fit into your family and into the lives of those linked by the circumstances.

What pleases God? Faith (Hebrews 11:6). When you do not feel good enough, trust God’s love to be good enough for you.

When others walk away, love stays. When others quit, love goes on. When others complain, love accepts. When others come to the end of their giving, love has just begun. Love does what it does not have to do.

God’s #1 Textbook encourages us to comprehend the incomprehensible concept of LIMITLESS LOVE.

“The Lord’s steadfast (stick-to) love endures forever…so we do not fear..and we do not quit.”

It is imperative we get a grasp on God’s love for us to live out true love with others. These “infinite and forever” dimensions are descriptive of the immensity and vastness and eternality of the love which strengthen us to never quit.

Nothing can ever separate us from the grasp of God’s love.

Not health or wealth or the lack thereof. Not critics or complainers or conflicts. Not despair, distress, or difficulties. Not our flaws, falls, and failures. Not even our wrong decisions and actions. No separation, the two have become one.

God’s love has no limits in time past, present, future, or eternal.

There are no love limits in space, whether inner or outer or far away or extraterrestrial. Not any galaxy or gravitational wave or black hole or anything seen or unseen rippling through the fabric of space-time can limit love. Not any bad person or bad thing or bad circumstance can separate the one loved from the One loving.

THERE IS NO DOWN AND OUT SITUATION WHERE GOD”S LOVE DOES NOT MOVE UP AND ALL-IN.

God’s love is immeasurable and invincible. It extends far beyond any height or any depth or any circumference. It puts up with a lot…forever.

God gives you that same desire and power to love others.

When the skies of your life darken and the mood ring dims, it is vital to remember the truth of God’s steadfast love. Take refuge under the shelter of its wings. You will find no performance treadmill anywhere around.

There are no measurements to match or tests to pass or comparisons to supersede. United to Jesus Christ, you are fully and forever accepted. Period. Done. Never to be changed. You will never need to ask, “How much is enough?” God’s love for you will always be good enough.

Do not marginalize the perfection and sufficiency of God’s love for you. You are fully and unconditionally loved and accepted because of one magnificent reason.

GOD’S LOVE IS ALWAYS MORE THAN GOOD ENOUGH!

Spend time in the arms of the One who loves you first and most. God will keep on loving you without judging your performance.

NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU STUMBLE ON THE PERFORMANCE TREADMILL, GOD WILL NEVER LOVE YOU LESS!

Preach that to yourself and share it with someone you love who is still struggling.

NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU STUMBLE ON THE PERFORMANCE TREADMILL, GOD WILL NEVER LOVE YOU LESS!

The Lord delights in those who place their hope in His unfailing love (Psalm 147:11).

NEVER QUIT. NEVER, NEVER QUIT!

Even in your darkest moments, God’s love surrounds you—stronger than any fear or failure. I pray that you rest in the assurance that God’s love endures through every circumstance—even this crisis, and nothing in this world or beyond can take it away from you.

I have been there.

EYES UP! LOVE YOU!

DOWN and OUT is the best place to start UP and all-IN.

Mistaken Identity

It was Mother’s Day, and the church was packed with smiling families, bouquets of flowers, and an air of anticipation. As per tradition, the church leaders not only honored all mothers but planned a special presentation to honor the newest mother, the past year’s first-time mothers, the mother with the most children, and the one with the worst children (not really, only because there was a logjam at the bottom of that pile).  

The highlight: recognizing the oldest mother in the congregation—a moment always met with applause and smiles.

The traditional moment called for the pastor to honor the various mothers with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. However, I was the new pastor still getting acquainted with the families and their names.

I love to honor mothers, but this was not in my comfort zone. I tried to get others in church leadership more familiar with the people to emcee the festivities. They insisted the former pastor always did it this way.

I can assure you he never did what I was about to do…shock the world with a scandalous announcement that would leave the raucous Jerry Springer TV crowd in silence.

A lady handed me a bouquet of long stemmed red roses as the usher handed me a note with the name of the oldest mother… Mrs. Foster.

I gripped the microphone in one hand and the bouquet in the other as I declared the honored recipient. “The award for oldest mother goes to… Mrs. Foster!”

The congregation erupted in thunderous applause.

I noticed Mrs. Annie Foster sitting in her usual spot near the back. She was in her eighties. The announcement did not phase her. I thought she might be hard-of-hearing. She sat there motionless except for soft applause with her feeble hands.

I announced her name again as I pleaded with her to stand up. The humble and polite octogenarian famous for her pecan pie remained unfazed. Apparently, she felt the same awkwardness as I did.

I raised the stakes as the eyes of the people searched the room. “Miss Annie Foster, come on down!”

One might have mistaken this moment for the TV gameshow, The Price is Right, when the famous announcer, Johnny Olsen shouted his iconic catchphrase, “Come on Down!” Upon hearing their name, the contestant would jump to her feet, hug people in the same row, and then leap and dance with the excitement of a kid in a candy store as she made her way to Contestants’ Row and the welcome greeting from the smiling host, Bob Barker.

Annie Foster did not stand up. She did not dance. She did not even smile.

The woman I announced as the oldest and most respected mother sat there with the glazed eyes of a deer caught in the headlights. A kind man near her went to help her out of the pew and walk her down the aisle to receive her flowers.

The applause began to die down as the people began to sense the awkwardness. Miss Annie was not only embarrassed, but she also appeared to be in shock as her blush covered cheeks turned pale.

I did not know that Miss Annie never had children. Never. Did the new pastor leak some dark hidden secret? Did an orphaned child now an older woman come forth to divulge her mysterious mother?

The front-row deacons sat in stunned silence, and even the organist stopped mid-hymn. Whispers fluttered through the sanctuary like startled birds. Eventually, a hush fell over the church.

I greeted Miss Annie with a hug and then the flowers. She was as nervous as I was, just more stunned and speechless. As she stumbled back to her pew to the sound of polite applause, the usher slipped me another note.

“Cleolice Foster is the oldest mother. Annie Foster has no children.”

I never considered the name on the note might be Mrs. Foster, working in the nursery as she did for most of her eighty-plus years.

I announced the correction. “Excuse me. I made a mistake. Mrs. Cleolice Foster is our oldest mother. She is working in the nursery.”

I determined this would be my last year as the ceremonial moderator. Sweet Miss Annie wanted to give back the flowers. The usher suggested they could be used for my funeral.

As for Miss Annie, she would have to face the music and answer those inquiring minds.

“Lucy, you have some ‘splainin to do.”

Mistaken Identity.

As a college student in Boston, I was handcuffed due to mistaken identity. I have been wrongfully added to a Zoom call, stopped for questioning in a TSA inquisition at airport security, and accosted by a perceived old school friend who was certain I was Bob. When I replied that I was not Bob, the aggravated person responded, “That sounds exactly like something Bob would say.”

Mistaken Identity.

Mostly I get mistaken for someone who has his life together with no problems.

I drag myself out of bed as if I have no rhyme or reason for this moment in the heavenly spotlight. “Why me?”

God sees me stumbling down the aisle of life as if I have no clue of His greatness. Or ten thousand reasons to celebrate each day.

God hands me a note from the #1 Textbook. “This is not who you are; you are My light in this world.”

You are not who you were.

You are not what you feel.

You are not what you have achieved.

You are in Christ.

And that changes everything.

I remember my mother saying many times as I was leaving the house, “Do not forget who you are.”

The Lord constantly reminds us of that strong encouragement every time we engage with this culture. “Do not forget who you are.” (#1 Textbook)

You are IN CHRIST. You are a new creation. You are not your own. It is no longer you who lives in your body, but Christ LIVES inside you to LEAD you to others He intends to LOVE through you.

What about you? Does your attitude, actions, or outlook on the current state of your life give cause for someone to question your faith in God?

Live in such a way that your devotion to Jesus cannot be mistaken as anything less than genuine and wholehearted.

Whenever I get messed up or mistaken about my true identity, it reflects a greater problem … a mistaken identity of God as I face challenging circumstances.

Who is my God? Who is your God?

Do not live with a mistaken identity of your God. Get to know Him better.

Join me as we take our weary minds and weak bodies to Isaiah 40 and focus on the last verse.

Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
    They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
    They will walk and not faint.

  • Our God is the Great CREATOR.

Who else has held the oceans in his hand?
    Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers?
Who else knows the weight of the earth
    or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale? (v. 12)

Are you deaf to the words of God—
the words he gave before the world began? (v. 21)

Look up into the heavens.
    Who created all the stars?
He brings them out like an army, one after another,
    calling each by its name.
Because of his great power and incomparable strength,
    not a single one is missing.
How can you say the Lord does not see your troubles?
    How can you say God ignores your rights?
Have you never heard?
    Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of all the earth. (vs. 26-28)

  • Our God is the Great CONQUEROR.

Shout, and do not be afraid.
Tell the towns of Judah,
    “Your God is coming!”
Yes, the Sovereign Lord is coming in power.
    He will rule with a powerful arm.
    See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd.
    He will carry the lambs in his arms,
holding them close to his heart.
    He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young. (vs. 9-11)

All the nations of the world
    are but a drop in the bucket.
They are nothing more
    than dust on the scales.
He picks up the whole earth
    as though it were a grain of sand. (v. 15)

He never grows weak or weary. (v. 28)

  • Our God is the great COUNSELOR.

The word of our God stands forever. (v. 8)

Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord?
    Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him?
Has the Lord ever needed anyone’s advice?
    Does he need instruction about what is good?
Did someone teach him what is right
    or show him the path of justice? (vs.13-14)

    No one can measure the depths of his understanding. (v. 28)

  • Our God is the great CHOREOGRAPHER.

Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting,
“Clear the way through the wilderness
    for the Lord!
Make a straight highway through the wasteland
    for our God!
Fill in the valleys,
    and level the mountains and hills.
Straighten the curves,
    and smooth out the rough places.
Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
    and all people will see it together.” (vs. 3-5)

Did someone teach him what is right
    or show him the path of justice? (v. 14)

  • Our God is the great COMFORTER.

“Comfort, comfort my people,”
    says your God.
Speak tenderly to them. (vs.1-2)

How can you say the Lord does not see your troubles?
 How can you say God ignores your rights? (v. 21)

He gives power to the weak
    and strength to the powerless. (v. 29)

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
    They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
    They will walk and not faint. (v. 31)

  • Our God is INCOMPARABLE in GREATNESS.

To whom can you compare God? (v. 18)

“To whom will you compare me?
    Who is my equal?” asks the Holy One. (v. 25)

Look at your life. Look at this culture and this world. Listen to the news. It is enough to make you sick and scared. Its biggest danger is to cause us to lose sight of our God’s incomparable greatness.

Because of our God, we wait, not worry. We are victors, not victims. We overcome, not live overwhelmed. We grow, not grumble… We soar, not sink.

Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
    They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
    They will walk and not faint.