A SOAP OPERA LIFE

Do you ever feel as if your life has become a soap opera drama?

I lived in the midst of soap opera drama this past week. Can you relate?

The TV soap operas tell melodramatic stories about the daily lives of interconnected characters tangled in unresolved emotionally complicated relationships. Each episode ends with a cliffhanger meant to keep the audience engaged with their favorite or disliked characters in risky situations.

Everyone in our family knew that you did not interrupt my grandmother As the World Turns.

Soap operas are not about soap or operas. The term supposedly came from radio dramas funded by soap companies’ ads.

Soap and operas have endings, but soap operas just tend to go endlessly on and on.

Years ago, I wrote a script titled, The Soap Opera to End All Soap Operas. This is the plot.

As the World Turns…All My Children… including The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful, and the Blue Bloods of our Modern Family gather in our Full House where we discover This is Us has One Life to Live.

The Real Housewives, the fake Kardashians, and Grandmother Madea’s Family Reunion along with cousins, Betty…Roseanne...Seinfeld…and Eddie, who is Not Smarter than a Fifth Grader, are All in the Family.

This is Us spends the Days of our Lives in a Family Feud at The Office of Parks and Recreation, on a Search for Tomorrow. They are listening for The Voice of that Masked Singer, while looking for the next American Idol.

Along the way to Nashville, Big Brother from Beverly Hills 90210 quits his job as Top Chef to play the Game of Thrones. He gets an Extreme Makeover as The Bachelor in The Real World…for 24 hours.

While Dancing with the Stars and their Friends at Melrose Place in Dallas, he stumbles along The Edge of Night without a Guiding Light. He falls with a Big Bang and gets Knots Landing on The Crown of his head. The accident broke The Weakest Link of his Grey’s Anatomy, which left him looking like Two-and-a-Half Men.

Hindsight would have been 20/20 According to Jim, but we had only 60 Minutes for CSI: Miami to rush to the scene with NCIS to meet Chicago Fire, P.D., and Med. 

Boston Legal took the case before Judge Judy at Night Court seeking Law and Order in Twenty-five Words or Less. The ruling was Deal or No Deal. One Jeopardy question remained: What Would You Do?  Call 9-1-1.

That sets off an Amazing Race to the ER at General Hospital where The Resident and The Good Doctor are no longer at New Amsterdam or in Private Practice. They have been fired by The Apprentice.

The Intern and Nurses diagnosed This is Us has been infected with a strange, rare disease called March Madness…a terminal Date Line…a Cold Case.

The Netflix binge series finale reveals the Wheel of Fortune prognosis of no Survivor.

Everyone is sent to The Twilight Zone, St. Elsewhere, or…Another World.

There will be no Trading Places…The End. 

Do you ever feel as if your life has become a soap opera drama?

Have you ever felt so lost in life that you think no one could love you again? You feel exhausted mentally and emotionally.

Sometimes we see others’ troubled lives and believe they cannot be helped or loved. Do you know someone who has crossed that thin line between hope and hopelessness?

Many people live dramatic lives like Erica Kane, but without her fancy clothes and makeup. No one can find satisfaction in their soap opera world apart from God. God made life that way.

The #1 Textbook describes life as crooked, broken, and missing something. We cannot fix it or figure it out.

Every soap opera life needs God for true happiness.

GOD’S LOVE HAS POWER TO TRANSFORM PEOPLE.

History records the stories of people whose lives were filled with melodrama of biblical proportions. Characters like Legion, the Samaritan woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery, and the Old Testament Joseph were soap opera stars changed by God’s love.

Legion’s life was stranger than fiction. In the soap opera world, he was a mega star. He was well acquainted with the drama and conflict of a messed-up life.

The stories about Legion were a bigtime ratings-grabber. He was a mean, mad man, like a scary monster in the movies, only the tales were real.

Legion lost everything that mattered in life. He destroyed his family, shipwrecked his career, and blew up his friendships. His slippery slope story became a nightmare. He was a physical monster, an emotional wreck, and a social outcast.

The plot development was saturated with drama inside and outside. Frightened people practiced social distancing from his personal pandemic. He was Sleepless in Graveyards and Hopeless in Seattle or any other place on the planet.

Everyone saw Legion as beyond all hope.

Jesus brought His disciples to love this scary man who was no longer loved or loving. That encounter transformed Legion’s heart, soul, and mind.

Many lonely people go through life like Legion, dwelling in the graveyards of greed, gripes, and grumbling. They are among the Walking Dead who fight with family members, wrestle with addictions, and star in social struggles.

They feel desperately alone, alienated, afraid, and ashamed. They hurt and they hate. Self-destructive bitterness and self-inflicted misery know them well.

Legion was the poster child of a soap opera world without God, without help, and without hope. He was driven by the unrest that was in his soul, running in never-ending circles of nothing but misery. Socially alienated, spiritually unfit, culturally unacceptable.

It was humanly impossible to love him. He was the most hated soap opera victim/villain of all time. 

Jesus searched him out and that was the teaching point for the first disciples and anyone else following Jesus.

THERE IS NO ONE BEYOND THE HELP AND HOPE OF GOD’S LOVE.

Legion is an example of a hopeless cause that was revived through someone’s act of love.

Transformed by love, Legion returned home with the most important thing in life: loving God and others.

In another example, a woman of ill-repute showed up at the Samaritan well in Search of more than just Tomorrow. Her soap opera role lasted many years, featuring five husbands and her present scandalous relationship.

This soap opera diva’s shameful past and social status were prime news for tabloid gossip. She was the Whore of Sychar.

Her daily trips to the well showed she wanted more than just water or stability. She longed for true love and lasting happiness.

Jesus showed her love which transcended physical and emotional bonds. The living water of His love gave her life value, joy, and purpose.

When the changed lady discovered love for God and others, she positively influenced her city.

The third character in the soap opera highlights was the victim of the self-righteous hypocrites on social media who shamed and terrorized an adulterous woman.

Instead of being the scarlet letter star of this drama, she was about to be stoned. Not with a little marijuana, but with huge rocks.

This soap opera diva was trapped, humiliated, mocked, bullied, and judged guilty. The shaming mob surrounded her with threats of condemnation and punishment.

Jesus stepped inside the circle of the self-righteous crowd and openly declared to the woman at the center of their hatred, “I do not condemn you.”

Jesus welcomed the woman into a loving and forgiving community. Love changed her life.

“Lovingkindness leads to character change” (#1 Textbook).

How do we love first and most in a soap opera world? Jesus showed us the way.

TRANSFORMING LOVE ALWAYS STARTS THE RELATIONSHIP WITH NO CONDEMNATION.

Any Biblical list of favorite soap opera stars would rank Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat near the top. His story had a long run in several countries.

Perhaps, we can continue next time with the rerun of this highly dysfunctional family Soap Opera drama.

These Biblical soap opera stories convey an important lesson…THE GREAT VALUE OF LOVING ONE HOPELESS PERSON.

Each story’s spin-off showed how changed characters influenced their families and communities. What a way to end a soap opera!

Are you living in a soap opera? Are you the star? The villain? Or just a family member caught up in all the drama?

As the World Turns, do you feel as if you are the most messed-up hopeless person? Or do you live near General Hospital around someone who acts hopeless?

In any situation and relationship, a clear choice to change future goals comes from three available options:

  1. You can give up and quit because things are hard or look hopeless.
  2. You can keep things the same and ride out the season of life, just going through the motions while dying on the inside.
  3. You can change the relationship for the better.

Give up. Stay the same. Change for the better. What will you do?

LIMITLESS LOVE IS ALWAYS AN OPTION.

End the soap opera. Be a difference maker. Stretch your side-by-side love wider, longer, higher, and deeper.

God lives inside of you to lead you to other hopeless persons He intends to love first and love most through you.

Live in your hopes, not your fears. No one is hopeless. Our failures do not define us. Our problems do not disqualify us. Our drama does not frighten away the restorative love of God.

WHEN YOU GIVE LOVE, YOU GIVE HOPE!

WE ARE ALL ROUGH DRAFTS OF THE FINISHED STORY.                       

THANKFULLY, GOD ALWAYS WRITES THE LAST CHAPTER.

EYES UP! LOVE YOU!

SPIRITUALLY DISORIENTED…UNTIL I SAW THAT SPARROW

I thought my prayers had been answered. Unexpectantly, the clouds of change left me spiritually disoriented. Joy and thanksgiving became confusion and disappointment. Just as we cheered our family ship sailing safely into the harbor from its treacherous journey, the boat capsized. We were suddenly swept back out into stormy seas on a life raft.

Heartbroken? That would be an understatement. I was Spiritually Disoriented.

Spiritual Disorientation occurs when one’s perception of the circumstances is disconnected from trustworthy Bible verses.

My faith was shaken. My dream project was taken from me, and I was pushed aside after all my sacrifices. My close colleagues doubted me, while newer ones ignored my contributions. I felt erased, as if I no longer existed. They just did not call it cancel culture.

I felt empty and confused. Their unfair words hurt me deeply. My family was suffering, and my future looked bleak. Relationships were falling apart. I was blamed for having a wrong attitude!

My thinking was called irrational. My motives were deemed to be materialistic. Even my integrity was questioned.

We all have blind spots we do not see, and I have them too. Well, I did not see this coming.

What do you do when you feel disappointed, depressed, or defeated? How do you trust God when everything seems wrong, plans fail, circumstances are tough, bad things happen, or well-intentioned dreams get crushed?

The God I trusted seemed distant. I believed God should know my situation and how to help me. This felt more like a disaster than happiness.

I cried more than at any time in my life. I complained more than at any time in my life. I criticized others more than at any time in my life. In retrospect, I was on the verge of crashing emotionally and spiritually.

Any thoughts of love were buried in the fog of self-pity. Any sense of right direction was lost. I was spiritually disoriented. Have you felt like that?

SPIRITUAL DISORIENTATION OCCURS WHEN PERCEPTION IS DIFFERENT FROM REALITY.

Spatial Disorientation refers to the difficulty in determining one’s location relative to a known reference point, similar to a term used in aviation.

Pilots can feel directionally confused while flying through clouds or bad weather that obscure the horizon or ground. Without clear reference points, their perception cannot be trusted.

The pilot’s sight and feelings do not align. The eyes and inner ears send mixed signals, causing blurry vision and balance issues.

The pilot loses perspective of attitude, altitude, and airspeed. He can no longer be certain of the plane’s flight path. He might think he in flying straight while actually turning or be plummeting in a deep dive while perceiving he is soaring to a higher altitude. The consequences can be fatal.

The best way to avoid the risks of spatial disorientation is to rely on the instrument panel. Flight instructors advise student pilots to trust their cockpit instruments over their instincts, especially in stressful situations where perception can differ from reality.

SPIRITUAL DISORIENTATION AFFECTS OUR SPIRITUAL SENSES. OUR PERCEPTION DOES NOT MATCH REALITY.

We lose our way in a relationship, make incorrect adjustments, and fail to realize we are in a graveyard spiral. Unaware of the danger to our soul, we hide our spiritual struggles from others who could help. Instead, we make life-changing corrections based on our blinded perception of right or wrong.

In hurtful situations, our feelings can lead to anger and blame. We may want to retaliate or withdraw, but those reactions can cause more harm, like a disaster waiting to happen.

I have faced spiritual confusion several times, but this time was the worst. The changing circumstances felt as if I were surrounded by a thick fog, clouding my spiritual perception. The darkness in my soul concealed spiritual truth.

Sometimes in life and death circumstances, we cannot see God anywhere.

Some dear friends received the worst possible news this week. My situation is not comparable to theirs. The only similarity is the emotional and spiritual disorientation.

The darkness of the soul obscures spiritual truth. They will find hope and guidance from Jesus in their tragedy, but that does not minimize their hurt.

In moments of spiritual struggle, we often wonder if God is in control or if God exists. When faced with tragedy, we can lose sight of what truly matters.

Bitter pills, broken hearts, and crushed dreams create feelings of hopelessness and despair. The loss of a loved one or a bad medical diagnosis can make the living reflect on life.

How should we live? How do we get ready for death? What truly matters?

WHAT WILL BE OUR INSTRUMENT PANEL OF TRUTH WHEN EVERYTHING ELSE FAILS?

Spiritual guidance needs a reliable source.

What caused me to refocus on my trustworthy spiritual instrument panel?

GOD DELIVERED MY MESSAGE REMINDER THROUGH A TINY SPARROW CHIRPING ON MY FENCE AS IF IT HAD NO WORRIES IN THE WORLD.

I looked out my window and remembered the #1 Textbook instrument panel.

“A sparrow never worries. God never forgets even one of them. There is no reason for you to fear; you are far more valuable to God. He will take care of you.”

Amid spiritual disorientation, I failed to do what I was trained to do, trust the reliability of life’s instrument panel found in the #1 Textbook. Reality was different than my perception.

God is always with me and always for me.

Thank you to all the sparrows who help us remember what is truly important.

Faith is not about knowing everything or having all the answers. Faith is trusting that God has perfect plans and controls all circumstances.

God does not always explain things. Instead, He is there to support us through our struggles and suffering. This gives us help and hope.

When faced with spiritual disorientation, the psalmist declared, I will lift my eyes to the hills. My help comes from the LORD (#1 Textbook).

God is still working all things for our good. All things. Even now. In every season of life. In the face of loss and changing circumstances. Even in the valley of the shadow of death.

I realized my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside…I was senseless…Even so, I am in your presence. You grasp my right hand and guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. You alone are for me on earth and in the heavens. Who else is there to trust? (#1 Textbook).

That’s true. Who else can we trust but the One who is always faithful?

The true horizon will always guide me to safety where love and trust are constant companions.

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord (#1 Textbook).

Hope is not some wish or dream. It is not some brain-washed platitude or spiritual crutch. We have a spiritual guide for our souls. The skies will clear. The storm will fade. We will see hope ahead. God will bring us home safely.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take 

The clouds you so much dread                                                                                                   

Are big with mercy and soon shall break                                                                                     

with blessings on your head. (Wm. Cowper)

Thanks to God, I feel spiritually grounded. Throughout everything, God’s love for me has remained unchanged. God never loved me less. What a blessing!

Celine Dion sings, “It’s all coming back to me now.”

My concern is for you who might be experiencing spiritual disorientation. I sympathetically understand the confusion and fears.

Are you trusting Jesus to be your Spiritual Pilot? Are you focused on the #1 Textbook instrument panel?

I have attached the basic truths for review in times of spiritual disorientation.

  • GOD ALWAYS WATCHES OVER THE SPARROW AND GOD WILL ALWAYS TAKE CARE OF YOU.
  • HOPE IN GOD ALWAYS LANDS THE DISORIENTED HEART IN A SAFE PLACE. ALWAYS.
  • I WILL LIFT MY EYES TO THE HILLS. MY HELP COMES FROM THE LORD.
  • EYES UP! LOVE YOU!

When Life goes Downward (Lessons from a Coal Miner who Dreamed of becoming an Astronaut)

I wanted to be an astronaut. I ended up being a coal miner.

I dreamed of soaring into space with John Glenn or leaping around the moon’s surface with Neil Armstrong. “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

Instead, I went deep into the earth. There were no stunning views of our blue planet, just high piles of dirt in a dark dungeon.

Outer space was far away. My coal mining day was spent deeper underground than the Empire State Building is tall.

I was fully qualified to be an astronaut. I had all the Right Stuff except for my poor vision, even poorer vertigo, the poorest grades in physics, and my inability to fly a plane.

Apparently, I had all the Right Stuff to be a coal miner. I had a body, and I was expendable.

I had coal mining in my family history before I ever felt my face covered in black soot. My mom was a Coal Miner’s Daughter, and I was the grandson of a coal mine foreman from Kentucky and later Tahona, Oklahoma.

I wanted to be an athlete and then an astronaut. I ended up as a coal miner.

One summer in college, I worked as a coal miner in a shaft mine. We took an elevator down, and then the tunnels extended horizontally underground.

This was the one dark place where literally I could not see my hand in front of my face without the assistance of the headlamp. My dreams had plummeted from the infinite heights of outer space to the hidden depths of total darkness.

The summer benefit was vanity. After cleaning my blackened face, I was left with dark eyebrows and eyelashes that could make Elvis Presley jealous. Girls who spent hours with mascara and fake eyelashes envied my look. It felt as if a Hollywood stylist had prepared me for a photo shoot.

The long-term benefit was qualifying for Black Lung support. Apparently, breathing coal dust is unhealthy for the lungs.

I remember this experience around three topics. Darkness. Danger. Dirt.

Coal Mine Lesson #1 DARKNESS:
I arrived for my engineering apprenticeship, which was mostly about studying, not working hard. The chief engineer said the timber crew needed an extra person, and they offered three dollars more an hour. I needed the money, so it was an easy choice.

An elevator brought us to the bottom of the shaft, which resembled a lit-up parking lot. There were large machines, bright floodlights, and a lot of noise. The horizontal tunnels were very dark.

The crew took a lunch break at noon. When a co-worker asked about my lunch, I said it was in my locker. He laughed and told me we do not go back above ground for lunch; we eat against the shaft wall.

Man does not live by bread alone, but by the word of God.

The only light in the horizontal tunnel we traveled through was the small light on our coal miner’s hardhat.

After lunch, my headlamp started to dim. The foreman told me to return to the main center for a new light and to follow the conveyor belt to the main shaft.

As I walked, my lamp gradually dimmed and then went out. It was completely dark, and I could not see my hand. There was nothing around me, just the sound of the conveyor belt.

Darkness can be frightening and cause confusion about direction.

What should I do? Should I ask for help? I was too proud and scared to shout. I thought there was time, so I continued walking close to the sound on my left.

When I reached the bright lights of the center complex, I noticed my foreman had come with me. This was a trust test and a lesson on keeping the headlamp fully charged.

I learned both.

Spiritual Lesson about Darkness. Life has both light and dark moments. We experience sunny days, but sometimes our despair feels so heavy that we do not feel there is any hope of better days.

God uses darkness to teach us to trust Him and the importance of keeping our own light bright for life’s journey.

God’s Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Never leave home without its guidance. Trust it and preach to yourself in the darkness. Read it often to remind yourself God is always with you and for you.

Every dark day serves a good purpose. Darkness makes faith, hope, and love shine brighter, helping those whose light is fading into fear and confusion.

Coal Mining Lesson #2 DANGER:

My time in coal mining was filled with danger, not extra money for summer fun. When my retired grandfather, who used to be a coal miner, learned I joined the timber crew, he felt fear instead of pride. He had seen too much. The year before he became foreman, an explosion killed his foreman and nineteen other miners.

Coal mining is dangerous. A roof collapse can cause heavy rocks to fall. Dust and methane gas can ignite and cause explosions. Coal dust harms the respiratory system.

The timber crew faced increased danger. As the big machines carved out new tunnel shafts in the rock, the timber crew followed closely to support the ceiling.

The roof was quickly supported by hydraulic jacks. The crew then replaced the jacks with large oak timbers. We measured and cut the timbers with a two-man saw. After lifting and adjusting them into place, our foreman slowly lowered the hydraulic jack until the ceiling’s weight rested fully on the timbers.

Some experiences helped me understand my grandfather’s fears.

I stood by my experienced foreman as he prepared to move the heavy rock ceiling from the hydraulic jack to the new wooden supports. In complete silence, he listened as he slowly released the jack, little by little.

He would stop, listen, and rely on a sense learned only through experience. This timber insertion was unique. He warned me, “Son, be ready to run when I say. Just let go of the jack and run for your life.”

The next breath was, “Run!”

I stood up as a large rock dropped two inches onto my helmet. I felt a small bump. If I had still been on my knees, I might never have played sports again or seen daylight.

As we ran to a safe spot, the rock ceiling fell. Large rocks crashed around us as dust swirled in the air.

Spiritual Lesson for Danger: Stay close to the Lord. Listen to His voice. Follow His warnings. Be aware of His cautions. Avoid dangers to your soul and spiritual health.

There is never a good time to stop and ignore the warnings in the #1 Textbook.

Blessed is the one who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,

nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

but his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

Coal Mining Lesson #3 DIRT:

Coal dust poses a significant risk of fire explosions. As new mine shafts are developed, large quantities of coal are placed on the conveyor belt that leads to the main shaft for extraction.

One week, the safety engineer threatened to close the mine due to excessive dust under the conveyor belt. Two of us were assigned to shovel the dust onto the belt—three hundred yards of dirt, four feet on each side. We had to shovel until we reached rock bottom.

After eight hours and a lunch break, we only uncovered twenty feet of dirt. That was less than seven yards of a three-hundred yard project.

Why so little progress? The depth of the dirt.

I began the morning on my knees level with the conveyer belt. I moved shovel loads of coal dust, dropping it down on the belt. At the end of the day, I was standing below eye-level of the conveyor belt, lifting shovel loads above my head.

A lot of dirt built up over the years, dust particle by dust particle.

I woke up the next morning, calling for my dad. My hands felt stiff, curled up as if holding a shovel. I thought I was paralyzed. Despite my feelings, I went back to work at the coal mine.

The next day, the mine supervisor assigned our ten-man crew to the project. We dug another thirty yards. A lot of dirt had built up over time. Eventually, we were told to just remove two feet of dirt from the top.

Many of us manage our spiritual lives with just a quick, surface-level approach. Superficial spirituality.

Spiritual Life Lesson about DIRT:

Even a small amount of daily dirt will eventually lead to a hardened heart. Simply trying to be better never solves the problem. We need Christ’s forgiveness each day to have a pure heart for a fresh start.

Clean me up, Lord, and I will be whiter than snow.

Do you need help today? Learn from a summertime coal miner and a wanna-be astronaut.

In times of Darkness, Danger, or Dirt, turn to the Lord.

Oh soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior; and life more abundant and free!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face

And the things of this world will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.

EYES UP! LOVE YOU!

CREAMED CORN CATASTROPHE

On the day that you were born the angels got together and decided to create a dream come true.

So they sprinkled creamed corn in your hair of gold and starlight in your eyes of blue.

Just like me, they long to be Close to You. (Close to You–The Carpenters)

Catastrophe–a disastrous event causing great and sudden damage or suffering.

HAVE YOU EVER HELPLESSLY WATCHED AS YOUR WIFE WAS ENGULFED BY A TSUNAMI OF FLYING CREAMED CORN? Probably not.

The explosive disaster got everyone’s attention. The creamed corn looked as if it had been shot out of a cannon. It splattered everywhere…at least, everywhere it was not supposed to end up.

This was a catastrophe.

My wife and I took our grandkids to Rudy’s, one of their favorite barbeque restaurants. You wait in line to order and then eat family style at one of the long wooden picnic tables. Everyone was having an enjoyable time. The food was delicious. The youngest granddaughter declared this to be where she would like to eat every day.

Our oldest granddaughter asked if she could have some more creamed corn. Our entire family loves Rudy’s creamed corn. It’s the perfect accent dish to the BBQ sandwiches. I passed her the creamed corn. That was the plan!

The creamed corn is served in a large Styrofoam cup, about the size of a Quik Trip Big Slurpee cup. I picked up the big serving and stood up.

As I was handing the large cup to my wife, it slipped out of my hand.

The full container of creamed corn fell about a distance of three feet, from the height of my shoulder to the hard tabletop. It erupted like a volcano. It spewed into the air like a windblown dust storm.

The science of Physics has confirmed Newton’s three laws of motion. My Dummies version goes like this.

First Law: An object stays motionless until an external force is applied. The cup of creamed corn will stay where it is in my hand until I drop it, thus, setting it in motion.

Second Law: Force is created that is directly proportional to the weight of the object multiplied by its acceleration. The weight of the creamed corn cup times its acceleration due to gravity creates force. In this case, the force is about three times the impact of the full cup as it hits the table.

Newton’s Third Law of Motion: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The cup goes downward and the triple force of the creamed corn’s impact has a reverse reaction in the direction from which it came. Any Dummy will be able to see that. The creamed corn went down and now it goes up at roughly three times the speed. One second of drop time and nanoseconds of flying creamed corn time.

Here is the kicker. The cup has only a slight bounce on the tabletop. Its contents have a reverse reaction, but no cup to hold it in place. The creamed corn boldly explores new frontiers of space. It was like the Star Trek starship Enterprise boldly going where no one has gone before.

The creamed corn ended up mostly on my wife. In her hair. On her face. On her clothes. On her arm. In her lap. I said it was an excessively big cup of creamed corn.

It was funny. Very funny if it happened in a movie. It would have been a classic comedy skit. But this was not I Love Lucy; this was real life.

Our grandkids laughed. People around us laughed. I chuckled, but only for less than a nanosecond.

The hilarity did not land on my wife with the same force as the creamed corn.

My wife could not see the humor. At the moment her creamed corn eyes could not see anything.

She finally looked at me. That was after she used a napkin to wipe creamed corn out of her eyes.

I thought her beautiful blue eyes matched well with the yellow corn. And it was creamy, so it probably did not hurt much.

I wondered if this is how World War III might start. I guess I should be thankful that Colorado has a No Gun restriction for eating establishments.

My wife was dismayed. She made a funny face at the grandkids, but I considered crying. Begging for mercy would have been more appropriate. I thought that we needed some creamed corn replacement. However, I imagine there was a good chance that would have been poured over my head.

This was not one of my finest moments in marriage. My wife brought up a good thought. Why didn’t I just pass the cup across the table instead of standing up and doing a fly by over our heads?

Well, I never thought of that, dear. I also never expected the creamed corn to go kamikaze on us.

I still love Rudy’s creamed corn. I rarely get to order it anymore. The cost is too high. The memory carries too much baggage.

The whole ordeal made quite an impression on our grandkids. They bring it up at the oddest times. At a recent family meal, a grandchild asked for someone to please pass the creamed corn. It was not even on the menu that day. Apparently, dry humor runs in our family.

The indelible image of my wife covered in creamed corn is seared into my memory bank. Honestly, I had no idea creamed corn could fly. The circumstances defy physics.

Circumstances: Webster’s Dictionary describes them as a fact or condition connected with or relevant to an event or action.

Neither my wife nor I had prepared for the condition connected to this random action which set off some very unforeseen circumstances.

Circumstances never make us what we are. They should never define us. They might reveal what is inside us.

A face and hair covered in creamed corn could be described as an unexpected circumstance. It did not happen because of a choice made by my wife. That is assuming we eliminate her choice of me as her husband which is the real source of most of her problems.

Babe is not to blame for this fiasco. Things like this just happen to her when I am involved.

Each one of us is caught somewhere in the mid-story of messy circumstances we did not choose. We are left wondering how this situation in life might turn out. Where is the good God promised us? We do not see it. Why? The good on the horizon is buried somewhere under the creamed corn of our circumstances.

When our circumstances are plummeting from bad to worse, we are often haunted by feelings that we should have been able to avoid or stop this from happening. Or our minds are bombarded by questions of why God did not stop this.

We wrestle with thoughts that we failed God or, worse, that God has failed us.

We cannot fix every problem. Sometimes, we can only clean up the mess and learn from the experience.

What happens when some parts of your life do not turn out as you hoped? What happens when someone blows up your plans with a circumstantial creamed corn catastrophe?

Life can be interrupted by some mishap or mayhem. Hurt or heartache can blow in with some storm. Disappointment can make a sudden appearance to interrupt one of your carefree moments.

I like how K.J. Ramsay wrote her thoughts in her book on suffering, This Too Shall Last.

“I imagine we have all bought into the lie at some point that we could avoid suffering. Just be healthier or wealthier. Work harder. Live smarter. Control your diet, your exercise, your environment, your relationships. Guard your heart and save your planet…We march to the cadence of the culture…

You are part of a story much bigger than just yourself. You are an important part of that story. The purpose of faith was never about sustaining yourself. It is dependence on Another who is wiser, stronger, and better than you.”

God really does have everything under control. Even every drop of creamed corn lands precisely as He choregraphed it. God will clean up all your messy circumstances. He always writes the last chapter. The story will be beautiful.

Your true identity is defined by your character, not your circumstances. Those who walk in love imitate their Heavenly Father (#1 Textbook). Lowliness, kindness, longsuffering, enduring in love, and striving to do whatever it takes to preserve unity are traits of Christlike character.

Love First becomes our attitude. Circumstances might slow the process, but they are also used by God to refine our progress.

Love Most translates into actions. God-orchestrated circumstances provide the greater opportunity to display character.

Legendary Basketball Coach and cancer victim, Jim Valvano declared, “If you laugh, and you think, and you cry, then you’ve had a really good day. If you can do that seven times a week, then you have something very special.”

Spilling creamed corn on your beautiful wife can make one laugh, think, and cry. What a day! I am praying your days will be filled with laughter, thoughts, and tears of love.

My wife eventually had a good day as well. She cried…with creamed corn in her eyes of blue. She thought…about killing me. She eventually laughed.

I think I won her over when I put my arm around her creamed corn shoulder and moved closer to her creamed corn cheek as I sang my improvised version of Karen Carpenter’s Close to You, minus her sweet voice.

On the day that you were born the angels got together and decided to create a dream come true.

So they sprinkled creamed corn in your hair of gold and starlight in your eyes of blue.

Just like me, they long to be Close to You.

Donuts and Patience

Donuts or Patience? Which one has the shortest shelf life at your house?

Patience is waiting with a smile. At least that is the version I teach my grandkids.

I have committed myself to pursue the most important goal of loving God and loving others first and most. God’s #1 Textbook begins that description with “love is patient…”

Patience! Do you ever forget to smile?

I was recently tested...again. I saw the humor but not sure I smiled.

Learning patience is a process which is more about direction than perfection.

But, what the jeepers? Why does it seem that everyone signed up to be God’s instruments of teaching me patience?

This session is about Donut Decisions and Patience. Why do they both seem to run out when most needed?

This will sound as if it is an exaggerated story. This really did happen the morning God knew I needed patience more than the donuts.

I recently stopped at Krispy Kreme to pick up some donuts for my grandkids. The decision was not too complicated. One dozen glazed, and one dozen chocolate covered glazed.

I arrived with the “Hot” sign flashing in the window. For donut beginners, the “Hot” sign means more than just fresh donuts. If you go inside, you will receive one free hot donut. If you remain in the drive-thru lane, you are required to add two extra hot donuts to your order for immediate personal enjoyment.

Only one car was ahead of me in the drive-thru lane. This would be a quick pick-up, resulting in an extremely popular surprise back home.

Somehow this convenient stop at the donut place with the “Hot” flashing sign turned into a glaze of frustration.

The lady in the only car ahead of me was obviously not in a hurry for donuts or any decision. I listened as the sound came from the speaker indicating the Krispy Kreme employee was waiting for her order.

When there was no reply by the customer, they told her to just order when ready. Long silence. Repeat, “Ready when you are.” Longer silence. “Please order when ready.“

Finally, the lady started an order; then canceled it. She restarted. Paused for what felt like twenty minutes. Added two specialty donuts. Subtracted two regular items. Then she abruptly canceled the entire order…again.

The lady began to ask questions about the menu. She deliberated and then placed a call on her cellphone for suggestions. I decided to back out and go inside for my order. However, that was no longer an option. By this time, I was blocked in the drive-through line. No way out and no way through! I was stuck!

I am not sure whom she called. It might have been her grandkids. Maybe it was her daughter or husband. Perhaps it was the fire station or her church class.

Maybe she called her priest to confess her insensitivity to holding up the other customers. Was she requesting an indulgence for her insatiable desire to order more donuts than could be eaten by the multitude of five thousand? Most of the church people I know just stuff their faces with donuts and ask for forgiveness in the next life.

I understand the desire to please. She wanted to get the order correct and to someone’s satisfaction.

Of course, I was patient. Love first. Love most. This was just a test. Donuts can wait.

Then the store turned off the “Hot” sign. Wait a minute!

I would wait more than another minute. The lady began to read the entire menu to the person on the other end of the call. The phone recipient asked her to read the entire menu…twice. A few items were added to her order. Another was withdrawn. One icing flavored was changed.

Is that all? “Yes. No! No! Wait.” She just spotted the picture with special patriotic donuts. She wanted some of them. She inquired as to what kinds were available. The picture had patriotic “sprinkles” or choice of colored glaze (“red, white, or blue”). Thankfully, our national flag has only three colors. The special offers also came in regular or chocolate, which added complications to each decision.

How long does it take to say, “One dozen glazed, and one dozen chocolate glazed, please”??? Apparently, much longer than I assumed.

I tried to imagine that the lady could have been my grandmother. I would definitely want others to show her patience and kindness. Then it dawned on me that I am now the age of my grandmother. Heavens to Betsy!

The dear lady canceled her order and started over. I texted the home team about the delay. We were more likely to have donuts for lunch rather than brunch.

I mentioned something about the “witch of the west” ordering for all her munchkins. Well, sorry. At least I did not call her the “Wicked Witch of the West.“

Oh, the agony of her dilemma. Back to the phone. She repeated the patriotic options as she pointed to each picture, as if the person on the other end of the cell call could see the multi-colored choices. Yes, she changed the order.

The driver behind me honked his horn and yelled at her, “Hey lady, there are other people waiting to get donuts!”

She leaned out her window and screamed at ME. “Be patient!“

I tried to smile.

Things took a turn for the worse when she arrived at the checkout window. I will spare the details. I asked for a second order of Patience.

Patience is an admired and respected virtue, until it needs to be practiced in our own lives. The gift card balance on my Patience often runs low and even out.

However, there is a separate gift card that came from heaven which has no limits. Yes, patience is a gift card from God. Whenever I choose to use it, patience waits with a smile.

No matter how long. No matter how many times.

I need to remember not to leave home without it.

There is one item that does not appear on any donut sign or restaurant menu. PATIENCE.

Does anyone else wish for a drive-thru where you could pick up one or two dozen minutes of patience? That would be very beneficial when your temperament sign is flashing “Hot.”

Or maybe a PATIENCE Gift Card whose balance could be renewed daily.

??????????

Love is patient. Patience means much more than just passively waiting. In fact, the #1 Textbook describes it as an aggressive activity of inner strength, often associated with running the race of life (Colossians 1:11; Hebrews 12:1).

Patience is also linked to the active words of perseverance and hope.

Perseverance is made up of two words, “Severe” refers to hard times. The “per” signifies “through” the severe times. Steadfastness under pressure. Endurance in trials and tests.

Hope is not wishful thinking, but rather a confident expectation of seeing all the goodness God has promised…somehow…someway…sometime.

God has promised to gift-card us with unlimited patience, perseverance, and hope (Romans 15:5). Why?

Patience, perseverance, and hope all deal with character development. God has promised to make me and you more like Jesus. He always loves first and loves most.

So, here is where the rubber hits the road, not with Goodyear tires, but in our lives.

Every stop light on the road of life is for character building in my life.

Every slow or misguided person on the road or stuck in the Krispy Kreme drive-thru has been placed there by God for character building in my life.

Every incompetent or inconvenient customer service representative was sent into my life for character building.

I fail to see it that way too often as the balance on my Patience gift card quickly evaporates.

Here is the lesson from the #1 Textbook (Romans 5:1-5). The tests will surely follow.

Because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us…we confidently and joyfully look forward to actually becoming all that God has had in mind for us to be.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to be patient. 

And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady. 

Then, when that happens, we are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens and know that all is well, for we know how dearly God loves us, and we feel His love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

JESUS LIVES IN US TO LEAD US TO OTHERS HE INTENDS TO LOVE WITH PATIENCE, PERSEVERANCE, AND HOPE THROUGH US.

Get ready for today’s test. Remind yourself, it is all about character building.

Rejoice at the red lights and ridiculous people in the drive-thru lanes who slow you down long enough to see the good God is doing in your life.

PATIENCE: It’s a no-brainer Love Test. Love is patient…all the time…every time.

Love First and Love Most. That is a decision. It is your choice, no matter what is on the other person’s menu. I wish I had learned that sooner in life.

POST NOTE: I offer one other option for donut selection. Self-Service. Just do what my granddaughter did when she was three. As I placed my order with the attendant, I realized Channing had disappeared. She suddenly reappeared from behind the donut display case carrying a pink sprinkled donut.

Self-Service.

Now if someone would just invent a Self-Service window for Patience…with no waiting... (and a sarcasm font).

I have to go now. The “Hot” sign is back on at Krispy Kreme. Gotta hurry…with a smile, of course!

EYES UP! LOVE YOU!

The Kentucky Derby…Again

This weekend is the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby.

[Introductory Comment: Should you be interested in placing a bet on this year’s race for recreational purposes or nondisclosure gaming interests, I have enclosed my Sure-Lock Tip on this year’s winning horse…That Guaranteed Winner Tip will be shared at the end of this session.]

Do you realize you are in a race that will define your life? Are you running to win? Are you aware of the only opponent who can stop you?

A BIG HEART CAN DO GREAT THINGS.

I use the true story of Secretariat, the greatest racehorse of all time, as an example of that truth.

The Kentucky Derby was my mother’s favorite sporting event because of her childhood memories watching this annual race with her dad. I watch the Derby every year with memories of my mom. She would tear up with the singing of My Old Kentucky Home.

The Run for the Roses is declared to be “the most exciting two minutes in sports.”

I recently visited the famous Kentucky Horse Park with my daughter and oldest grandson. It includes the International Museum of the Horse. I introduced Cooper to the greatest racehorse of all time…Secretariat.

The Triple Crown racehorse story is beautifully told in one of my favorite movies, Secretariat.

My recollection of Secretariat’s championships and movie spurs more than just visions of athletic grace and greatness. It has encouraged me to be better at what God purposed for my life, loving first and loving most. I hope this reminder will encourage you in your life’s race.

A BIG HEART CAN DO GREAT THINGS.

Athletically, heart size is referred to as the X Factor in desire to win. Secretariat was a horse with a big heart, literally and competitively. His heart was more than twice the size of a normal horse which aided his strength, stamina, and speed.

Secretariat was the first horse in twenty-five years to win the Triple Crown (Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont), all in speed record times which still stand over fifty years later.

SECRETARIAT TRIPLE CROWN WINNER

The legend began at the Kentucky Derby. Wearing blue and white colors, Secretariat took on the challengers. Coming around the first turn, he began passing horses in front of him as he moved from eighth position to right behind the favorite Sham.

As the horses raced into the home stretch heading for the finish line, Secretariat sprinted past the leader and won by 2.5 lengths (one length is the approximate length of a horse which is 8 to 10 feet) in a new record time which still stands today, 1:59.25.

Fascinating observation: The champion thoroughbred ran every quarter of the race faster than the preceding one.

The second race of the Triple Crown at the Preakness was even more brilliant. Secretariat came out of the gate last, but immediately engaged in a full sprint, ignoring the safety warnings associated with the tight turns. His win in record time catapulted him into a cultural phenomenon.

Praised as a super-horse, Secretariat gained celebrity status among the fans, even featured on a Sports Illustrated cover.

The third race at Belmont was the most challenging, a graveyard for speed horses. This longer race favored the bigger and stronger Sham. The opponent’s strategy was to force Secretariat to start fast but falter due to lack of stamina.

Secretariat sprinted right out of the gate; he never stopped. The race was as legendary as it was dramatic. Secretariat and Sham took the lead, leaving the other horses far behind. His trainer feared that Secretariat had started too fast.

Something amazing began to unfold. The movie captured the race announcer’s voice calling Secretariat’s lead at six lengths, growing to eleven.

The broadcaster shouted Secretariat was moving like a “tremendous machine” leading by 17 lengths as he came around the turn. Onlookers were not watching a machine. This was the showcase manifestation of a big heart.

Strength. Stamina. Speed.

The spectators were on their feet, their voices thundered, the stadium began to shake. The movie captured the moment in SILENCE as the camera looked back from the finish line to the final turn awaiting the appearance of the horses.

The off-screen narration reflected on life in the context of athletic contests.

This is about life being ahead of you and you run at it! Because you never know how far you can run unless you run.

Time seemed frozen as everyone waited in anticipation for the climactic end of the race. Could Secretariat finish as strong and as swiftly as he began? How big is his heart?

The theatre speakers began to vibrate with the thunderous sounds of galloping legs pounding the turf as Secretariat appeared on the screen, coming around the final turn, headed for home and victory. The horse with the big heart appeared…all alone…fluid and fast…mighty and majestic.

Everything on the screen changed into classic movie slow motion as a voiceover narrated words from the #1 Textbook.

The horse rejoices in his strength and charges into battle. He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing. He does not shy away from the sword…In frenzied excitement he eats up the ground. He cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.                                                                          

My favorite part of the movie comes next as the music heightens as a choir’s beautiful voices stir the soul.

O Happy Day! O Happy Day! When Jesus washed my sins away. O Happy Day!

As the song continued, the race announcer’s voice filled the background. “Secretariat sprints toward the finish line…20 lengths in front, having run the first mile and a quarter faster than his Derby time. His lead increases to 25 . . .28 lengths.”

He taught me how to walk, fight and pray, and live rejoicing–everyday. O Happy Day!

Secretariat crossed the finish line in record time: 2 minutes and 24 seconds.  Winning margin: 31 Lengths (the distance of a hundred-yard football field)!

As the famous sportswriter, William Nack, penned, “As rhythmic as a rocking horse, Secretariat never missed a beat, a stunning portrait of grace and wonder. No fading. No faltering. No failure.”

This life we live is not about horses, but it is about heart.

There is a race aspect to our lives. It is not a rat race or horse race. It is not even a competitive race with others to climb the ladder or be king of the mountain.

THE ETERNAL GOAL IS TO ACCOMPLISH OUR GOD-CENTERED PURPOSE TO LOVE.

OUR LIFE VERSUS DEATH RACE IS DOWN TO TWO COMPETITORS. ONE IS A LIFE OF GOD-CENTERED LOVE FOR OTHERS. THE ONLY OPPOSITION THREATENING THE CHAMPION’S CROWN IS THE SHAM OF OUR SELF-CENTEREDNESS.

Self-centeredness is an untiring fierce competitor. The internal opponent will never quit. It must be defeated by a heart overflowing with God’s love. The bigger our heart, the greater we distance ourselves from this great adversary.

We learn to win that colossal race in life’s smaller things.

The X Factor reveals itself in times of testing. We discover limitless love for a spouse amidst changes from honeymoon bliss to vacation stress, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death and then beyond.

Our heart grows to love others more in moments of spiritual disorientation, soap opera drama, or relational tension.

Make no mistake about this. The struggle to love is not caused by the other person’s selfishness, stubbornness, or stupidity. The greatest and only barrier to loving any other person is our self-centeredness.

Use your God-given big heart to love wholeheartedly. Shortcuts never help. Mediocre or half-hearted efforts will fail. Insincere actions will always lose. Good actions from an insincere heart miss the mark. Love First. Love Most. Feel the Beat.

GOD LIVES INSIDE OF US TO LEAD US TO OTHERS HE INTENDS TO LOVE THROUGH US.

God gave you a big heart, bigger than you have yet to realize. A big heart can do great things.

SINCE GOD’S LOVE IS INFINITE, WE CAN ALWAYS STRETCH OUR LOVE FOR GOD AND FOR OTHERS TO WIDER, LONGER, HIGHER, DEEPER LEVELS.

This is a wonderful time to showcase a big heart in your relationships. Give more. Forgive more. Be more faithful. Never give up. Finish Strong. Love first. Love most.

Then, with God’s help, love even more.

Small victories of love are extremely important. The goal is to win bigger. Leave the Sham of Self-centeredness behind in the dust. Break away. Run as hard as you can and then, with God’s help, run even harder. Put some ever-widening distance between love for others and your selfish futility.

And get some blinders so you do not keep checking on others around you. That will only cause you to lose focus of the goal and falter in your steps. Life is not about “Jockeying for Position.” Just do your best and ask God to help you do better.

I finally realized I could do more than just “Eat Like a Horse.” I needed to “Get Off My High Horse.” It was time to “Stop Beating a Dead Horse” while staring at a “Gift Horse in the Mouth.”

I heard that advice “Straight from the Horse’s Mouth. Do Not Put the Cart Before the Horse.”

You were “Born to be a Champion…Chomping at the Bit.”

This is the “Homestretch.”

Let your heart race faster and farther than ever before. Let the beat of your heart be seen, heard, and shared by others.

Listen and love to the beat of your big heart. Hear the roar of the angelic crowd urging you toward the earthly finish line as a stunning portrayal of grace, love, and wonder.

O Happy Day! O Happy Day! When Jesus washed my sins away. O Happy Day!

Love First and Love Most. Love Faster! Love Farther! No limits! No exceptions!

Finish Strong! No fading. No faltering. No failure.

Now for the Bonus Sure Lock Winner Tip for the 151st Kentucky Derby:

PICK THE FASTEST HORSE!

DO NOT PICK THE SLOWER HORSES!

ROAD RAGE…AGAIN

It happened again. Road Rage.

I was neither the victim nor the enraged. This time I was responsible for the situation.

I previously shared my thoughts on Road Rage. I trust that your driving skills have significantly improved, particularly in applying the “Love First, Love Most” techniques. I still struggle.

My recent traffic incident did not make me angry or enraged. My feelings were minimal, but the individual in the other vehicle reacted strongly. Restraint was not a word in his dictionary. He went ballistic!

Anger gets the best of us. It brings out the worst in us.

This was the most recent of my bad driving incidents.

I was awaiting the reduction of heavy traffic to execute a right turn onto the congested street. I intended to safely move into the left turn lane before the next intersection.

Ahead, a driver in the left lane halted to permit an approaching vehicle to make a turn into the shopping center. A nice, thoughtful, and considerate individual. The truck remained stationary for several seconds, which created space for several cars to move into the left turn lane.

I assumed this driver was still pursuing CarWorld’s Mr. Congeniality.

I seized the opportunity. There was no danger of a collision. No near miss. I moved into the left turn lane into tenth place.

It appears that securing the eleventh position altered the driver’s demeanor, prompting him to maneuver his vehicle up against my rear bumper.

I ruined this nice guy’s day. Honestly, I mistakenly thought he was making room for me to get into the left lane.

You have seen these super large pickup trucks. Maybe you own one. Extra wide truck bed. Extended side mirrors. Shiny metallic wheels. Gigantic tires oversized in height and width.

A therapist wrote an article on Yahoo suggesting that big truck owners might be overcompensating for perceived inadequacies. I never considered this until the topic went viral on social media and I do not believe there is any truth to the theory.

My only comment is that the only element absent from this pickup was a huge marque sign stating, “Please notice me.”

Well, I noticed. It sounded as if a flock of geese were doing a flyover. Honk! Honk! Honk!

The big truck horn was blaring!  Not once. Not twice. Not thrice. Not force.

I take that back. There was some force being applied to the horn. It sounded more like the city’s tornado warning siren.

The truck lights were flashing! Quickly changing from bright to dim and back to bright. Many times. Countless times. Near infinity.

There were numerous hand signals. However, they never differed. Just the same one waving at me over and over!

Road rage was in full bloom.

What would you do if you were in the pickup or in my car?

This might surprise you, but I was at peace through all this. My blood pressure did not boil with anger. My lips did not explode with comments. I felt no need to respond or even acknowledge his anger.

I just patiently waited for the road rage to lessen. It did not help that both vehicles stayed in the same spot for two minutes at the red light.

Not acknowledging his anger only made the wait worse.

When the left turn arrow showed green, I followed the nine cars through the intersection. I hoped Mr. Big Truck would also make the turn. He did. His pickup looked as if it were still attached to my bumper.

I hoped Mr. Inferior Complex would calm down. He had made his turn and his point, yet he continued to show his displeasure. He reacted as if his shortcomings had been exposed.

The lights kept flashing. The horn continued blaring. The hand signals could still be seen in every brief glance through my rear-view mirror.

I quickly moved into the right lane so he could pass. He did. Fast and Furious was not just a movie title.

He honked, waved, and shouted repeatedly. He was sure I was blind, deaf, and dumb.

Of course, all the traffic stopped at the red light at the next intersection. We were beside each other, but not in the way my Side-by-Side ministry encourages.

I smiled as I stared straight ahead. My peripheral vision is excellent. The angry man in the super-sized truck was not looking anywhere else except down at me.

He drove into the sunset, still angry. I regretted ruining his day and likely his night too.

I was not being as spiritual as this sounds. I realized my lack of response just made the other driver angrier. He wanted me to acknowledge his road rage.

Hey, sticks and stones can hurt me, but honking and flashing lights do not. Only sometimes do flying birds ruin my day.

My mind raced through things I could do or say.

I am not as deliberate as Siri, and I rarely follow her instructions. In 600 feet, honk your horn. In 200 feet, raise your right middle finger out the open sky roof. Turn left immediately.

It has never been my style to flip someone off. I am more likely to raise my arms and hands in a questioning gesture.

Using profanity has never been part of my anger expressions. I avoid saying “What the H-E-double hockey sticks?” despite my friend Jeff’s insistence that God knows it is what I am thinking.

“Are you an idiot?” is more my style or “You are a dangerous driving moron!

(My young son once asked if someone had to be a moron to play for the BYU football team. “No, son; they are called Mormons. The morons manage the Dallas Cowboys and the Dallas Mavericks.”)

Sadly, my mind can generate many classic put-downs, far from a Love First, Love Most response.

I repeat for emphasis. Anger gets the best of us. It brings out the worst in us.

Anger at a clueless person is probably the most wasted anger of all. They will not get it. It will not ruin their day as much as the encounter will continue to ruin yours or mine.

None of us are strangers to this kind of driving scenario.

Some people are just bad drivers. Many are distracted by texting. Some drivers are clueless that any other car is on the road.

There are speeders dreaming they are NASCAR drivers. There are senior drivers puttering at a snail’s pace.

Impatient tailgating and irresponsible erratic lane-changing are aggravating. All symptoms of the bigger problem…SELFISHNESS.

Each driver believes the importance of his purpose supersedes that of everyone else.

Screenshot

We all feel that way.

Do not get in MY way. Do not force me to change MY speed or MY direction or MY timing. Everyone plus the stoplights need to accommodate ME.

The reason that does not work is because most everyone else is thinking those exact thoughts…except my grandmother.

In my earlier years, my mom would reprimand my attitude to bad drivers, especially slow drivers. She would say, “Always think; that could be your grandmother.”

My grandmother never learned to drive until she was fifty-five. I can assure you her speedometer never reached fifty-five. NEVER!

That’s right. Share some understanding. The slow erratic driver might be lost or nearly blind. Have some heart!

It would be better to give other drivers the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they are rushing to the hospital or responding to a loved one’s adversity. Probably not, but maybe it is just my grandmother. Please treat her with respect and kindness, the way you would your own grandmother.

And, yes, I know some of your grandmothers. My kids’ grandmother drives like The Little Old Lady from Pasadena. Go, Granny, go!

The degree of anger, like anxiety, shows up in our different temperaments.

We need to be wise.

The difference between anger and danger is the letter “d.” Inappropriate anger can destroy lives and relationships as well as automobiles.

Anger can cause bad decisions. Just a little too much anger becomes dangerous on the roadway and in the home.

The #1 Textbook encourages us to “get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger and replace it with kindness, compassion, and forgiveness.”

Forgive yourself for getting angry and forgive the other person, preferably BEFORE you express your anger to them.

We will need the Lord’s help to do that.

Jesus never had “road rage.” He did ride a donkey through some crowded streets. We know he walked through this world amidst the self-absorbed, hot-headed, rude, and crazy people.

Can you imagine crazy Legion driving in a frenzy on the freeway? Or Peter taking out his sword on another driver’s ear?

Or Siri’s instructions causing the doubting directional delusions of Thomas regarding the right way to go? “Lord, we do not know the way.”

No matter who was on the road, Jesus was always concerned about the welfare of others. He always loved first and loved most.

What Winsday Wisdom can we glean from my latest cause of road rage?

Do all things in love…Be patient and kind…Be slow to anger…Treat others the way you would want them to treat you (#1 Textbook).

Treat other drivers the way you would want them to treat your grandmother. It really does not matter if they do not reciprocate in kind. In truth, that is the challenge.

I do not always know what “love first and most” driving should look like. It definitely involves learning to drive “forgiving first and most!“

“STOP. LOOK. LISTEN.” That is not just a good warning for crossing train tracks. It is great advice for “road rage anger.”

STOP before you say or do something to express your anger to the other person.

LOOK to see if it might be my grandmother…OR ME.

LISTEN to God speak to your heart, “Love First and Love Most.”

Remember. Life is about the journey, not the stop lights.

Praying for Safe Driving and Less Stress!

EYES UP! LOVE YOU!

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WINSDAY HOPE FOR SUNDAY

Where do you find hope to go on in life when circumstances are bad?

The doors were locked; but suddenly the resurrected Jesus was standing among the disciples and hugging them. Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger into my hands. Put your hand into my side. Do not doubt any longer. Just Believe!”

Thomas said, “My Lord and my God!”

Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. But blessed are those who have not seen me and believe anyway.” (John 20:26-29).

I know My Redeemer lives. He lives inside me.

THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST MEANS HOPE FOR YOU AND ME TODAY regardless of how dark, difficult, or despairing the present circumstances.

The resurrection of the crucified Jesus is an historical fact based on eyewitness testimony. The event is full of spiritual realities and practical implications for our lives.

Jesus Christ the Son of God, stepped out of the shadows onto center stage in human history not to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many. 

The gospels record four specific times (while implying numerous times) that Jesus told His disciples in no uncertain terms that it was a necessity of God’s will for Him to be arrested in Jerusalem, beaten, murdered by crucifixion, and then resurrected in three days.

But even His closest disciples did not understand what Jesus meant when they heard Jesus say, “I will rise again three days later.” They not only did not understand it, they also did not believe it; they could not even remember it. So, when it actually happened that Jesus was betrayed, arrested, and then murdered on a cross, their hearts and minds went into fear, shock, and grief.      

Here are the facts:

  1. Jesus died on the cross and his body was buried in a sealed tomb and guarded by Roman soldiers.

His death was confirmed by the Roman centurion in charge of the execution, as well as numerous eyewitnesses, both friendly and foe.

2. ABSOLUTELY NO ONE EXPECTED TO SEE OR HEAR THAT JESUS WAS ALIVE. No one.

3. THERE WERE HUMAN AND HEAVENLY EYEWITNESSES that the tomb was empty, and the body of Jesus was gone.

An angel was present to announce that Jesus’ body was not there because He had risen from the dead just as He had said.

The women saw Him.  The disciples saw Him. Luke interviewed multiple eyewitnesses with credible testimony who saw the resurrected Jesus.

First Corinthians tells us that, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.  He was buried.  He was raised.  And on the third day, according to the Scripture, He appeared to Peter and then to the Twelve, and after that, He appeared to more than five hundred at one time, most of whom are still alive…He appeared to James, Jesus’ earthly brother. He appeared to all the apostles. And last of all, He appeared to me, Paul.”

4. The resurrection of Jesus affirms JESUS is who He claimed to be; He is the Son of God. He did what He came to do. He came to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. He died as our Substitute Savior. He rose from the dead as our Living Lord.

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he who believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. (John 11:25)

5. The resurrection means there is STILL HOPE for you.

That makes a difference in your life and in your death.

Maybe you are paralyzed or confined by fear, anxiety, depression. By physical limitations or uncontrollable circumstances. Maybe your days are filled with suffering and sorrow or sickness and separation. Maybe your nights are dark, and the mornings are darker. Maybe you are seeking to hide from your problems behind locked doors in your house and in your heart. The resurrection means there is STILL HOPE.

Darkness and Death cannot stop Jesus from being with you and for you.

Death is not some distant reality. It could be near to any of us. But death is not to be feared. It marks freedom from everything bad and worthless. It marks the gain of every good God promised.

Your Living Lord has conquered sin and death. That gives us hope in the struggle against sin and the difficulties in life. Following Jesus is not about perfection but direction. 

6. The resurrection power of Jesus is at work in your life to make you like Christ:

  • limitless love
  • inexhaustible joy
  • undying hope.

You are now united with Jesus.

What does Jesus want us to do?  Love one another first and most the way He loves us just as He said.

The Lord always empowers His instructions. Grace is the life of God living inside of you giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases God (Phil. 2:13).  

Where does faith come from?  Faith comes from hearing the words of Christ. Saturate your mind with Scripture and practice preaching to yourself the promises of God.

The Lord of limitless love is alive. He has promised to give us help and hope.

YOU CAN FACE THE WORST THINGS, THE HARDEST THINGS, THE MOST DIFFICULT THINGS IN THE WORLD, AND YOU CAN FACE THEM WITH HOPE AND WITH TRUST BECAUSE OUR GOD IS ALIVE. OUR GOD IS WITH US, OUR GOD IS FOR US, OUR GOD IS LIVING IN US, OUR GOD IS LOVING THROUGH US.

Our Lord is alive. He is unchangeable, He is unshakeable, He is unstoppable. Death can never hold him. Enemies can never limit Him. Circumstances never control Him. The culture can never silence Him.

The Word of God reminds us that things turn around. The darkest days and the most difficult nights will change some morning.

Everything has changed.

The crucified one is now the Living Lord of all. Death, hell, sin and the grave are defeated.

On the Day of the Lord—when God makes everything right, you will find that the worst things that ever happened to you will in the end only increase your goodness and enhance your joy.       

7. CHRIST LIVES INSIDE OF YOU TO LEAD YOU TO OTHERS HE INTENDS TO LOVE THROUGH YOU.

Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength; love others as you would love yourself.

It is fairly simple but sometimes difficult to grasp.  Just do as He said.

The resurrection power of Jesus is at work in our lives to make us like Christ. Spiritual deadness is changed into life. 

  • Hate is turned into kindness.
  • Intolerance is turned into compassion.
  • Anger is turned into forgiveness.
  • Selfishness is turned into generosity.
  • Self-centeredness is turned into sacrificial love.
  • Fear is turned into hope.
  • Sorrow is turned into inexhaustible joy. 

The resurrection of Jesus is both the source and the object of our JOY and HOPE.

PERHAPS THE GREATEST HUMAN DESIRE IS THE NEED TO BE LOVED. YOU ARE LOVED WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE.

THE RESURRECTION POWER OF JESUS IN YOU TRANSFORMS YOUR NEED INTO YOUR DESIRE TO LOVE SOMEONE ELSE FIRST AND MOST.

JESUS IS ALIVE. LIVE LIKE IT.

EYES UP! LOVE YOU!

DREAMS (and a Big Biscuit)

These are the ramblings of a sleepy man.

“I had the weirdest dream last night.”

How many times have you said that?

Sometimes it is the “wildest” or “strangest” or “scariest” or “worst” dream ever. Occasionally, it might be your “best” or “recurring” dream.

Do not worry. I am not going to recall all the dream details to you. But there is something connected to our dreams that has perplexed me.

Why do we feel the necessity and urgency to tell all the “weirdest dream” details to someone else?

We want to share our latest dream. Why?

The other person doesn’t understand how much your dream means to you. They are not interested and often do not care about your dream.

Why do we insist on sharing the names of the people who made a surprising cameo in our dreams? Why the nitty-gritty details? Why the strange scenarios?

Think about that. Are you ever interested or intrigued about the dream details of someone else? I listen to my wife as she describes her dream. I fake interest just as she does when I relate my repetitive dream to her. Even when her dream fascinates me, my mind cannot rise to her level of interest.

So, what is my point? I do not think I have one. I had a really “strange dream” last night with people from my distant past. There were surprising guests in a surreal nighttime drama.

I awakened with a compulsion to tell someone…anyone. Then it hit me like a dream-filled sack of rocks. Nobody wants to listen to the details of my dream. Nobody.

So, I found myself faced with two choices. Write all the dream notes into this Winsday session to waste every reader’s time and trust. Or ask the rhetorical question on each reader’s mind.

Why do we feel the necessity and the urgency to tell someone else all the details of our latest “weirdest dream ever?”

You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.

I know you want to tell me about your latest dream. I can sense it. The excitement is building up inside of you. You are a Dream-Topper.

Hey! Go ahead. I do not care.

Have you ever awakened from a dream hoping it was reality? That feeling can be thrilling…or horrible?

We cannot control our dreams. I have fallen asleep to California Dreamin’ and awakened to Nightmare on Elm Street.

I have good dreams and bad dreams. Happy dreams and sad dreams. “Wake myself up screaming” dreams and “Please do not wake up from this thrilling” dream.

My dreams have visited La La Land, Fantasy World, and House of Horrors. I love the nights I revisit the basketball gym. Oh, the sweet sound of swish!

Our dreams are expressions of emotions and experiences. They are expressions of our loves, losses, and longings…. our fears, failures, and fantasies. They even awaken our imaginations of a better life.

Some of my greatest thoughts of life and eternity have been lost in the subconscious cyberspace of my dreams.

All dreams are not just about sleep. Some dreams fuel our hope and motivation to be better or do better.

Sage advice exhorts us to:

  • “Keep on dreaming.”
  • “Chase your dream.”
  • “Pursue your dreams and Never give up.”
  • “May all your dreams come true.”

Our #1 Textbook records some dreamers.

Jacob’s strange dream involved seeing angels going up and down a ladder to heaven. From the top of the stairway to heaven, the Lord promised Jacob’s homeward-bound journey would be safe and successful.

Jacob’s sons hated listening to their brother Joseph’s haystack dreams. When he told them about his intergalactic dream, they sold him into slavery.

Joseph was the only one willing to listen to Pharoah’s weird dream about fat and skinny cows. That led to Joseph saving the whole world from the nightmare of starvation.

After hearing King Neb describe his crazy dream of a gigantic, beautiful tree being cut down to a stump, Daniel just told the king he was going crazy.

It may be advisable to keep your crazy dreams private.

Daniel wrote down his own wild and weird dream about the future. He thought we might be interested in how this lion, bear, leopard, and strange beast with ten horns would rise and fall as empires in order to introduce God’s Son as the one and only true King of kings with an everlasting dominion.

Solomon desired to tell us all about his dream where God offered him a blank check. In his sleep, Solomon chose “wisdom.” Upon awakening, he discovered God blessed him with everything good anyone could desire.

When the eternal king Jesus entered this world as a baby born in a manger, an angel showed up in his earthly father’s dream to warn Joseph to save his family by getting out of Dodge before a showdown with Herod’s soldiers.

I think my favorite #1 Textbook dream story highlights my hypothesis that we all have this innate desire to share the details of our strange dreams with someone else.

In the Book of Judges, God selects timid Gideon for a monumental task of taking on the mighty Midianite army. On the evening before God used Gideon to free his people from seven years of daily beat downs, Gideon sneaks close to the enemy’s camp to survey the situation.

Gideon overhears a Midianite soldier telling his wild and crazy dream to his buddy.

“I had this funny dream last night about this giant biscuit on top of a mountain. This bizarre biscuit starts rolling downhill picking up momentum until it crashes into our camp and smashes our tent.”

That is a strange dream. Like us, the guy felt he had to tell someone about it.

His buddy could not escape the dream weaver or the big biscuit. Here is where the weird dream story gets weirder and even rises to the level of the weirdest off-the-wall dream response ever.

The other soldier surprisingly states he understands the dream about the big rolling biscuit. Then he unravels his explanation.

“That is not a Pioneer Woman campfire breakfast story. It is more like a Stephen King horror novel. There is this guy named Gideon. His God has given him a gigantic sword. He is going to roll into our camp tomorrow and smash our tents like a big biscuit on a soft egg. Then he is going to take us in his hands, place us all in his mouth, and devour us for dinner. Poof. We are gone…finished.”

Gideon gets excited and courageous about this Top Chef saga. He boldly blows a trumpet and adds some gravy to his breakfast biscuit. The rest is history.

We can understand HOPE without dreaming. We have the #1 Textbook that promises we can live with the confident expectation of seeing all the good God has promised us…Somehow…Someway…Sometime.

On tough days, get a big biscuit and remember Gideon’s story for hope.

Now as to that dream you had last night, I ask again.

What motivates you to share the details of your unusual dreams with others who are more concerned about sharing their weird dreams with you?

Listen to one more detail about my dreams.

Daydreaming is my specialty! Come join me anytime.

EYES UP!  LOVE YOU!

TARIFFS and TREASURES

The word for the week is Tariffs. President Trump’s Tariffs have dominated this news cycle.

A tariff is a tax levied by the government on imported goods.

Treasure refers to someone or something of great worth or value.

We all have treasures of some value. We all are affected by tariffs at some level.

My Winsday Wisdom thought is IF YOUR TREASURE IS AFFECTED BY THESE TARIFFS, YOU HAVE THE WRONG TREASURE.

NOTE: The information in this Winsday Wisdom should not be considered personalized financial advice. Consult with a qualified financial professional before making investment decisions. Watch FOX NEWS or CNN for your favorite political opinions. I personally recommend God’s #1 Textbook for both.

Tariffs can help domestic industries and generate government revenue, but they can also create conflicts with other countries which respond with retaliatory tariffs, trade wars, and global market disruptions.

Wall Street’s reaction has been mostly Shock and Awe. This impacts individual investors, family businesses, and global companies, and could lead to higher prices for consumers.

My goal is not to explain, debate, or provide political commentary on the subject. Most of you have an opinion and many of you are experiencing financial consequences, some good, some devastating.

Markets and portfolio values have plummeted while fears have risen. Some people have had their retirement funds rattled. Others of you might possess the economic savvy and nerves of steel to sell high and buy low to increase your portfolios.

I will just summarily describe the financial emotions in this unstable world as nervous.

One benefit of these difficult times is the chance to redirect our focus from temporary things to treasures which last forever.

IF YOUR TREASURE IS AFFECTED BY THESE TARIFFS, YOU HAVE THE WRONG TREASURE.

Every human heart worships something. Every one of us clings to some treasure when times get shaky. We do not want to risk or lose what we value most.

Jesus warned us to anchor our hearts to what lasts forever.

“Do not store up treasures on earth that will fade, erode, or be stolen. Store your treasures in heaven where they are safe and will never lose their value” (Matthew 6:19-20).

REAL TREASURE DOES NOT CRASH OR LOSE VALUE. TARIFFS CANNOT TOUCH IT OR AFFECT ITS VALUE.

Every heart longs to link itself to everlasting treasure.

Tim Keller wrote what others have preached. “If you love anything more than God, even though you may think you are in control of your life, that thing will eventually control you.”

Are increasing tariffs or depreciating treasures controlling your life these days?

Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).

Where is your treasure today?

“Anything you love more than Jesus will either break your heart or become your master” (Jackie Hill Perry).

Please read that again and think about your life.

“Put Jesus first in your heart, and everything else will fall into its proper place. So do not be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time” (Matthew 6:33-34).

Don’t stress about losses or missing opportunities. Instead, focus on God’s generosity—both to you and through you. Your needs will be met, and you’ll have plenty to share.

“When we treasure Christ, we become better stewards of everything else” (Scott Sauls).

Please read that again and make plans to better your stewardship of all your blessings, including your financial responsibilities.

Side note:

  1. Isn’t it wonderful that God’s blessings come without tariffs?
  2. Isn’t it incredible that God gives away His treasure to us for free?

JESUS IS THE ONE TRUE TREASURE THAT WILL NEVER FADE AND NEVER FAIL.

Listen to God’s #1 Textbook:

EVEN THOUGH the fig trees are all destroyed, and there are no blossoms left, nor any fruit remains; EVEN THOUGH the olive crops all fail, and the fields lie barren; EVEN IF the flocks die in the fields and the cattle barns are empty, YET I WILL BE HAPPY IN THE GOD OF MY SALVATION.

The Lord God is my strength; He will get me through this time safely and securely (Habakkuk 3:17-19).

Then the #1 Textbook encourages you to sing those treasure song lyrics with a backup choir and full orchestration. Even though…Even though…Even if…I will be happy because my treasure is safe and secure.

IF YOUR TREASURE IS AFFECTED BY THESE TARIFFS, YOU HAVE THE WRONG TREASURE.

IS IT TIME TO REFOCUS?

EYES UP! LOVE YOU!