TROUT FISHING…AGAIN

Oh, the thrill of trout fishing! This session is for all of you. Those who know and love the thrill of Field and Stream and those of you who fail to see the point, much less the fun of the hunt or cast. I can identify with both parties, mainly the latter.

My wife comes from a family of expert sportsmen in the world of hunting and fishing. They are extraordinary in their exploits. I admire them. My wife grew up riding, hiking, and fishing the Colorado territory. I grew up playing basketball in an Oklahoma gym.

My greatest love about fishing is the enjoyment of the flavorful fish fry by friends like Tommy and Charlie. They know what they are doing both in the catching and cooking of the fish. Mark and Big John can fill their boat to overflowing like Peter and the gang in the Bible. Mike and Tarre take fly fishing to another level of success, unless she trips on the rocks. If only there were a doctor somewhere around!

My dad taught me how to fish. We started at his uncle’s pond. The long hike through weeds and the pond’s prevalence of water moccasins probably diminished some of my enjoyment. Dad loved fishing. I loved going with him when the sand bass were running at Kerr or Tenkiller Lake. (I was a novice, but I was pretty sure the sand bass were swimming, not running.)

On those trips, you just put your line in the water and pulled up a fish, as many and as fast as you wanted. It was all action. I loved it. However, I lacked the patience and endurance of the big bass anglers. I spent most of the time unraveling my fishing line from the tree branches, weeds, or fellow fisherman. I would sit there thinking about how many free throws in a row I could have made during this time.

I am definitely not belittling those who love these things. I bemoan that I am just not particularly good at them and, thus, lack the same enjoyment. I only share these examples of my Fishing World shortcomings to set up the thrill of my trout fishing experience.

When our family vacationed along the Rio Grande in Creede, Colorado, it was no surprise that my attempts at fly fishing were futile. I tried for two days without any success. I looked the part. I had the hat and the waders and the fly rod. I became skilled at whipping that line through the air and sending the fly across the flowing waters. My style exhibited the rhythmic grace and beauty of the fly fisherman’s cast. Poetry in motion. I just never caught anything. Not even a bite.

As I made my way back to the cabin in the late evening, I stopped to look at the river from a crossing bridge. I saw a fairly large trout swimming in an area near the bank. Apparently, some larger trout will stay in a pooled spot that provides plenty of food. Their size allows them to withstand the flow of the river stream.

I went down near the sighting and began to toss my line into the water. Several times. I was not fly fishing; I was just dropping my fly and hook into the water and reeling them back in. The sun set and the skies began to darken.

Suddenly, the line moved, and the rod bent. The fish was hooked. I wrestled him to the shoreline. It was a large rainbow trout. Beautiful and big. I was thrilled. Mostly in shock. I looked around for someone or anyone. Every fisherman needs an audience for moments like this.

This trout was much bigger than all the brown trout I had witnessed others catch. It was the largest fish I had ever seen…of course. Isn’t that what a real fisherman always says?

Then I remembered seeing a posted sign warning about some kind of fish that had to be catch and release only. Was it this one? I was clueless. I knew my relatives and the game warden would frown on me breaking the law. I was too far from the cabin to carry the fish home to ask my wife. The rainbow trout would not survive. I needed a picture of the fish, but there was no camera.

Was this a keeper or a throwback? I panicked. I waited. I looked for someone to ask. The fish was in jeopardy. I reluctantly threw the large rainbow trout back into the water.

Catch and Release. Real fishermen go for the thrill, not the food. Someone told me that.

I returned to the area the next evening after going hitless for another day of fly fishing. I could not see the fun in this sport. A thunderstorm broke overhead, and I was getting drenched. I started the long trek to the cabin. A voice called out to me to get shelter under his roof. It was Wallace Johnson, the father of my wife’s best friend in school.

Mr. Johnson welcomed me into his cabin to dry out by the fire as I waited for the storm to pass. He said he had seen me out by the bridge. He told me there was a big rainbow trout swimming around in one of the side areas. People had been trying to land it for two months. It would look great mounted on his cabin wall. What??? Do I dare tell him???

What I learned in those next thirty minutes changed my life. Well, my fly-fishing life. When I confessed my ineptitude at catching trout, the expert kindly taught me the basics.

You whip the line through the air to keep the fly dry. The rhythmic beauty of a skilled fly-fisherman’s cast was not about the length of the throw but the dryness of the bait so it could float on top of the water. Then you wait for the silver streak. What? I had no idea what he was talking about.

My guru told me to watch for the silver streak, a flash of silver in the water. The silver flash signals the trout is moving toward the surface, going for the fly. That is when you set the hook. I could hardly wait for daylight.

I was out in the water along the edge of the river. Suddenly, I saw the silver streak. I set the hook and pulled. I missed it. But now I was hooked. I knew what I was doing. The next sighting of the silver flash landed my first brown trout. By noon, I had a bag full. Fresh trout was on the dinner menu.

Trout fishing was thrilling. I had become…an Angler, the future cover of Outdoors magazine. I made lasting memories fishing with my daughter and sons along the Rio Grande. I understand why this can be so enjoyable, almost addictive.

Learning to love first and love most is also enjoyable and addictive. It also has to be learned because it does not come naturally. Have you ever experienced that thrill? Yes, it is a thrill when done correctly with an unbiased and unharnessed enthusiasm.

I understand the frustrations and the fears. And the failures. I’ve been there.

I just did not know about the “silver flash” in loving others first and most. Loving others is not about going through the proper motions or using the right techniques. It is not about needing to be fully equipped or sufficiently trained.

For me, the “silver flash” is associated with the eyes of the other person. Do I really see them? Do I notice their needs? Or do I just try to “love” because they are in the vicinity? Maybe I can just do the long cast and keep them at a distance. Too many of us just go through the motions.

I have watched the Master teach his disciples and us as He took us to that outcast Legion, alone and ostracized in a scary world. We saw He loved that loveless and hopeless man. We listened in as he talked to the woman at the well, the whore of Sychar. We watched him welcome Zacchaeus, the corrupt and hated government official.

We observed how he took note of the importance of children and how he gave hope to the suffering. We watched him walk through life as the friend of sinners. We viewed him as a breakfast cook for the working men, thrilled with their latest fish story. He did not just talk a good game; He lived it.

He looked into the eyes of Jairus, the distraught dad of a dying daughter and into the weeping eyes of two sisters mourning the loss of their brother. He noticed the blind beggar and the sick elderly woman. He calmed the storm raging fear in the eyes of the men in the boat. He paid attention to the misguided pride of friends arguing about levels of importance. He saw the little boy with his sack lunch. The multitudes were countless. He saw the “silver flash” in each of them.

Jesus lives in you and me to lead us to others He intends to love through us. He will love them first and love them most. Where are they? Look into their eyes! Their eyes show signs of suffering, sickness, sorrow, stress.

“The eyes are an entrance to the heart” (#1 Textbook).

Jesus told the first disciples what He says to us today. “Come, follow Me. I will make you fishers of men. Love them the way I have loved you” (#1 Textbook).

Imitate God’s love. Your home is the practice field. Get better. Take your love out into this world. Every person you see is fighting some hard, and often hidden, battle.

Look for the “silver flash” in their eyes. Be kind. Be caring. Love them first and love them most. Little by little, love them a lot.

I repeat my description of the thrill of loving another person first and most.

The heart pounds. The clouds rumble. The skies flash. The wind roars. The trees sway. The mountains shake. The stars dance. The angels set all heaven ablaze with shouts of praise…when one set of eyes has been loved first and most.

Oh the thrill when you notice that “silver flash” in their eyes!

EYES UP! LOVE YOU!

GUARDIANS of the GRANDKIDS…AGAIN

My son was recently honored by the basketball Final Four as a Guardians of the Game for Leadership. One would think ‘leadership’ would be a noble aspiration for any grandparent.

Reality is more like, “Which way did they go?”

Some of our grandkids are into Marvel movies like Guardians of the Galaxy. The premise for the movie features an adventurer who must unite four misfits against a cosmic threat to destroy this whole galaxy.

That could describe the misfit grandkids of someone I know. I am not pointing fingers or naming names. I plead the fifth.

The Marvel movie Guardians found a higher purpose for their lives and saved the galaxy.

The sequels describe these superheroes as “without a plan, but they get the job done.”

That would perfectly describe my role as a grandparent. No set in stone plan. Always near ice cream.

Grandkids are the best. I will not use this format to make you gag over my prideful exuberance. Just substitute your kids and grandkids into this fable.

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We recently had the joy of having our grandkids around for a while. That does not happen enough. It is fun, entertaining, enjoyable, and tiring. This old gray mare??? (I did not think I should use the more appropriate ‘Old gray stud’) just ain’t what it used to be.

I would not trade the precious and memorable moments for anything.

Unlike Babe, I usually do not have a plan; but I am very good at improvisation that somehow saves the day and keeps the time fun.

Our living area serves as a game room, performance arts stage, gymnasium, wrestling mat, track meet, sports complex, construction site, grandkids’ clothing drop-off center, movie theatre, a gathering place for coloring or reading, and command center for the snack bar to stay open.

It has occasionally served as a medical staging area to stop the bleeding before the trip to Urgent Care for stitches.

Somehow, Babe keeps everything neat, operational, and loving. Since the front of the fireplace serves as the main stage for performers and winners, it has been essential that I clear the area of Babe’s decorative pottery displays before the incoming storm.

This protects the kids and the pottery and the blame Bubba for not being a good Guardian. Before the young company arrives, I move the decorative pieces to a safer area in the corner of the piano room. That space is sometimes used as a doll house or staging area for the next air raid.

The décor is usually protected unless one of our wild rock and rolling Jerry Lee Lewis imitators gets on the piano. Imagine Great Balls of Fire with a Whole Lot of Shakin’ Going On.

Chantilly Lace and a pretty face
And a ponytail hangin’ down
A wiggle in her walk and a giggle in her talk
Make the world go ’round

Ain’t nothing in the world like big-eyed grandkids

To make me act so funny, make me spend my money…

Last week, I forgot to move the large red plate and its stand located just left of the fireplace. I noticed a granddaughter leaning up against it as she looked at the family pictures on the shelf behind. At the same time, a bouncing ball and two diving bodies landed near it.

Calling 911 Rescue. I leaped to my feet and quickly salvaged the plate from imminent destruction. It was placed in the safety of the far corner in the adjacent room. It survived the visit just as it had for the previous ten years as each grandchild had his/her opportunities to take it down.

The Guardians of the Galaxy could not have accomplished a better rescue operation. I do feel like a Superhero at times.

After the families were gone and the tears were brushed away, we rested. At least I did until I realized Vicki was cleaning the house. It was time for the Guardian of the Grandmother to step into action.

I pulled out the vacuum cleaner and plugged it in. Vicki said not to do that now. It can wait.

I wanted to help and get everything done so we could both rest and reflect on the good pictures from the time with the grandkids. This was my chance to show how to love first and most. It is not just flowers and candy. Sometimes, it looks like pushing a vacuum cleaner. I did a good job.

As I was putting the vacuum cleaner away, I noticed the large pottery plate. It had survived another Invasion of the Body-Snatchers. This was a good time to get it back to its proper place.

We have a “family truism” that has been passed on to our kids and grandkids:

WHEN WE DISOBEY, ACCIDENTS HAPPEN OR SOMEONE GETS HURT.

There is a reason this saying has survived for subsequent generations. The list is long.

This day, another accident was added to the list.

As I carried the large pottery plate and its stand back to the living area, I bumped a bookcase in the entry way. The impetus started a chain reaction.

Impetus. What a strange word. A powerful force which sets something in motion.

I was hoping this might be a flying saucer. This plate did not fly. It plummeted to the floor like a dive bomber on a kamikaze mission.

In unstoppable slow motion, the plate fell forward and crashed onto the hardwood floor.

Not even a superhero could stop the cosmic damage that exploded my galaxy.

I watched the unstoppable crackup of ceramic pottery bouncing off the wood floor. It went down in one piece and returned upward in several fragments.

The loud crash echoed through the house.

In a nanosecond, I did what my grandkids failed to do in ten years.

Breaking something creates a plethora of thoughts and emotions. Did I do that?

I wished I could fly away. It took every ounce of my manhood not to run for the hills.

When we disobey, accidents happen.

I must disobey a lot. My home was not insured for “Mayhem like this.”

There was no hiding this disaster. There was no way it could be blamed on the grandkids. Trust me. I tried to think of some ways. The grandkids have a bigger storehouse of grace than I do.

The other three matching set pieces stood in motionless mourning for their fallen leader. They were playing Taylor Swift’s song, We are Never Ever Getting Back Together. Never, ever, ever, ever.

My mind was more into the Beatles. Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away. Now I need a place to hide away…

I wish I knew Kintsugi, the Japanese art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold. It carries the idea that in embracing flaws and imperfections, you can create an even stronger, more beautiful piece of art. I could only hope that someone close to me would continue to embrace my flaws and imperfections.

I Googled kintsugi. The search suggested I try hari-kari.

I scrambled for a broom and dustpan…and a remote hiding place. Maybe the dog could take the fall for this mishap. She stood there watching with pitiful eyes and wagging her tail. She offered her doghouse for an asylum.

I did not break the law or break the internet. I did not even break the rules. But I felt worse than if I had.

Babe was gracious. Above Bed, Bath, and Beyond gracious. I lived to tell this tale.

SHE ASKED IF I CARRIED THE PLATE AND ITS STAND WITH TWO HANDS.

I can honestly say I never thought about using two hands. Sometimes I struggle to hear.

I recently read the quote:

NO AMOUNT OF REGRET CAN CHANGE THE PAST. NO AMOUNT OF ANXIETY CHANGES THE FUTURE. BUT ANY AMOUNT OF GRATITUDE CHANGES THE PRESENT. (Mark and Angel Chernoff)

I wish it were as easy to drop one’s worries, stress, disappointments, and regrets as it was to drop that pottery plate. The longer you hold them, the heavier they get.

I am grateful for Babe’s grace. She showed me the love first and love most of forgiveness. “It is just a thing.” People are more important than things.

I have too many flaws to be perfect, but far too many blessings to be ungrateful. Every day, I become more and more a Guardian of Gratitude. There are many times I feel as if I am falling apart into little pieces.

Broken. Useless. Trash bound.

God’s grace covers my past regrets and future anxieties. Most importantly, God has a plan to rescue and bless me today. Somehow, God always gets the job done.

“God uses broken clouds to produce rain, broken ground to produce crops, broken grain to produce bread, and broken bread to produce strength” (Vance Havner).

“God does not break things so He can fix them; He fixes broken things so He can use them” to bless other people (Bob Goff).

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:7-9).

You have a Guardian of your soul.

Your life does not have to end up in shattered pieces. God turns those broken pieces into masterpieces. God heals broken hearts, broken dreams, and broken lives. You do not have a broken future.

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).

God’s grace overflows in your life. I hope you see and sense it. Undeserved forgiveness and unearned goodness. Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. I hope you express your gratitude for it.

Our Guardian of Grace gives both Pardon and Power.

Pardon from all our selfish “disobedient accidents.”

Power to Love First and Love Most in every relationship.

Wake up misfit. You are a Guardian of God’s Love. You do not have to become a super-hero.

You have been given a higher purpose in life and infused with an overflow of love. Let it flow!

I love being a Guardian of the Grandkids. I also imagine myself as superhero Guardian of their Grandmother Babe. I am just not very great at it…yet. But I never quit trying!

My tombstone will carry the inscription, “Here lies the Guardian of the Grandkids and their Babe…Bless his heart…He meant well.”

EYES UP! LOVE YOU!

STORMS…AGAIN

LOVE NEVER CRACKS UNDER PRESSURE.

Storms will come in life. The question is not IF, but WHEN.

I want to restate my main point before you finish reading or listening.

LOVE NEVER CRACKS UNDER PRESSURE.

This past week’s news focused on storms. There were strong tornadoes and damaging wind-driven fires.

The word “storm” refers to various kinds of weather disturbances. No matter where you live, you have experienced significant storms.

• Winter Storms
• Thunderstorms
• Tornadic Storms
• Firestorms
• Snow Storms
• Hail Storms
• Ice Storms
• High Wind Storms
• Dust Storms
• Storms…Again…and Again.

Storms can be brief or long. They can be dangerous or damaging. We saw both last week.

The #1 Textbook shares the story about the disciples crossing the Sea of Galilee at night in a boat with Jesus. At least four of the disciples were experienced fishermen aware of the lake’s tendency for sudden raging storms.

When this life-threatening storm appeared, it scared them, making them worry for their lives. As the waves crashed into and over the boat, Jesus slept peacefully in the stern section while water began to fill the vessel.

The disciples had been eyewitnesses to the amazing miracles Jesus performed to help those in need. There were many other wonderful and remarkable things Jesus did. If all of them were written down, the world could not contain all the books that would be created (John 21:25).

However, like most of us, they became very forgetful WHEN this storm swept into their lives. This was a storm which awakened their fears and overwhelmed their faith.

At least, they did go to Jesus for help. Their test of faith in the midst of life’s storms was recorded in the #1 Textbook to encourage us to trust the Lord, not IF but WHEN we go through our storms in life. This specific incident teaches Life Lessons for your stormy situations.

  1. The Lord is always WITH YOU in your life storms.
  2. The Lord is always IN CONTROL of your life storms.
  3. The Lord’s love NEVER CRACKS UNDER PRESSURE from your life’s storms.

These lessons must also be applied when storms pop up in your life.

• Personal Storms
• Marriage Storms
• Parental Storms
• Work Storms
• Health Storms
• Financial Storms

Storms will come in life. The question is not IF storms come, but WHEN. Every relationship will experience storm turbulence.

Remember: Love never cracks under pressure.

In stormy times:  

  • Love is an Anchor.
  • Love is a Lifeline.
  • Love is a Shelter.
  • Love is a Strong Foundation.

When the relationship storms come:

• Love is Patient.
• Love is Kind.
• Love is Forbearing.
• Love is Forgiving.
• Love is Long-suffering.
• Love is Faithful.
• Love is Steadfast.
• Love Never Cracks.

Jesus illustrated this powerful truth when He compared a wise man who built his house on the solid foundation of a rock with a foolish man who built his house on shifting sand. (Matthew 7:24-27)

When the storms came in their lives, the house built on rock stood firm, while the house built on sand crumbled.

Your life will inevitably face storms. Disappointments. Difficulties. Dangers.

Apply the truths of love in your stormy relationships.

• Love never keeps a record of wrongs.
• Love never quits.
• Love always perseveres.
• Love always hopes.

Stormy seasons in life reveal that we are flawed and fearful, just like the first disciples. This does not mean we lack spirituality; it means we are human.

We cannot CONTROL when or how bad the storms will be, and we do not KNOW how to react when new storms hit us. This does not mean we are stuck in the storm; it is a reminder to GO to Jesus.

As Paul encouraged Timothy, “Remember Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:8).

Expect storms in life (John 16:33). They will never last forever.

See your storms in the light of the One who controls the storms.

This is just my opinion. The original disciples, who faithfully and courageously spread Jesus Christ’s teachings worldwide, were surprisingly SLOW LEARNERS. Jesus never gave up on them and His love never cracked under the pressure of their flaws and fears.

What an encouragement to me…to us!

Hey Friends! Let’s keep learning!

Here is this week’s Life forecast. There will be storms…again.

MY LAST BREATH…AGAIN

ALL OF LIFE IS A STEWARDSHIP FOR WHAT LIES BEYOND!

EVERY BREATH MIGHT BE THE LAST ONE. That is not cause for fear but for renewed purpose.

Death is certain. The percentages are perfect. It is one common experience we will all share. Death is not funny, but a little humor can ease some of the upcoming grief.

As a college student in Boston, I became fascinated with the old cemeteries along the Freedom Trail. The stone markers. The shorthand summaries. One could imagine life stories connected to the last sentiments.

  1. Ma loved Pa. Pa loved women. Ma caught Pa with another gal swimmin’. Here lies Pa.
  2. I told you I was sick. (Adjacent tombstone) And I was sick of hearing it.
  3. I would rather be reading this.
  4. Here lies my wife. Please let her lie. She’s now in peace and so am I.
  5. We will never know “Why” this chicken tried to cross the road.
  6. I made some bad deals, but I went in the hole with this one.
  7. My wife finally stopped talking so I feel like I am in heaven.
  8. Some thought she was sweet, some thought she was swell, but we all know she went straight to “H-E-Double hockey sticks.” (I think this was a cat.)
  9. Now I know something you don’t.
  10.  Here lies the remains of Jonathan Peas under the sod, but he ain’t here, only the pod. Peas shelled out and went home to God.

A very popular testimony reads as follows: As you are now, so once was I. As I am now, so you shall be. Prepare yourself to follow me. (Read that again.)

On one of those tombstones, another phrase was etched into the rock: To follow you is not my intent, until I find out which way you went.

Appropriate humor can ease the stress and anxiety of certain death. But do not let the jokes distract you from the value of examining how you live your life. In fact, the #1 Textbook plainly and emphatically states that it is better to go to a funeral than to a party (Ecclesiastes 7:2).

Why? Hopefully, it will cause you to think about how you intend to live the rest of your earthly life. All of life is a God-assigned stewardship.

Have you ever taken time to consider how your eternal existence can be eternal enjoyment?

God’s Word encourages us to contemplate our impending earthly demise and consider our days in order to make the most of our time. The #1 Textbook also points us to the endless eternity beyond so that we live now in faith, hope, and love.

The unknown part of death is one of the hardest concepts to grasp. We fear uncertainty.

Is death something to be feared? Something to hope? Will it be gain for you? Or will it be loss?

Is death a bitter loss or sweet gain? There is a thin line between sweetness and bitterness. In cooking, it could be the amount of sugar.

In spiritual things, the difference is hope. In a multitude of unanswered questions seasoned with blame and bitterness, you can still hope in God. When hope gets fully mixed into the recipe, you cannot see it; you just taste it.

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is sweet gain (Philippians 1:21).

Our hope is not wishful thinking or positive confession or some mystical religious concept. Our hope is a Person. His name is Jesus. Hope in Jesus shapes how we live and how we die.

While Hope offers future blessings, Grief and trials are temporary. They last only for a little while, if necessary. Even a lifetime of suffering is just “a little while” compared to God’s promised inheritance of the riches of all His goodness. That inheritance will never perish, become dirty, or lose its value.

Mark Twain was blunt. “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”

As one philosopher stated, it is not the date of birth or the date of death that matters most. It is what you do with the dash in between representative of your life’s stewardship. That dash has eternal implications.

ALL OF LIFE IS A STEWARDSHIP.

Enjoy life but live it for God. Rehearse dying. Yep, that is right.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon said this: “No man would find it difficult to die that died every day. He would have practiced it so often that he would only have to die but once more. Like the singer who has been through his rehearsals and is now perfect in His part and has but to pour forth the notes once for all and he is done.”

The “why” and the “dash” have everything to do with your stewardship and your legacy.

What will summarize your dash? What will be your tombstone testimony or memorial memory?

In life, we do not know exactly where the finish line is. We might get to a point where we know it could be in a few days, but most of the time it sneaks up on us.

All of us know we are going to die, but none of us expect it to come when it does. It usually comes too soon in our timetable of life expectancy. So the issue becomes how to finish strong with an ecstatic burst when you do not know the location or time of the finish line.

FINISHING STRONG IS NOT BY CHANCE OR ACCIDENT; IT COMES FROM HAVING A CLEAR PURPOSE.

What is your purpose for finishing strong? Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for Jesus’ appearing (2 Timothy 4:8). 

There is a crown of righteousness for all who are faithful to Christ and hope to see Him as their coming King.

What is that crown of righteousness? Theological scholars offer several ideas. For me, biblical righteousness is the “life and love of Christ” placed inside of me by the grace of God. My practice of that life and love of Christ is still flawed here on earth because of the remaining seeds of self-love which continue to dwell within me and war for the control of my soul. 

HOWEVER, THE VICTOR’S CROWN WILL BE THE “PERFECTION OF THE LIFE AND LOVE OF CHRIST IN ME” WHICH WILL BE FULLY DISPLAYED THROUGHOUT THE REST OF ETERNITY. 

What joy for me and what joy for others who will then be loved by me! I will love them without any selfish tendencies, without any selfish motives, without any selfish expectations. I will love God and love others perfectly, just as Jesus loves me! 

That is the championship reward for which we entrust ourselves to the God who causes all things to work together for our good. That is the joy for which we agonize and suffer now.

Fight THE Fight!  Finish THE Race!  Keep THE Faith!  Finish strong with an ecstatic burst into heaven!

John Donne wrote what should be the testimony of every Christian who is rehearsing the day of his death. Study this:

“Death, be not proud, though some have called thee mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so. For those whom thou thinkest thou dost overthrow, they die not. One short sleep passed, and we wake eternally and death shall be no more.”

No more death.

I love what was written about Enoch in the #1 Textbook. He walked with God.

My parents lived a very impactful life as a Hall of Fame coach and a highly accomplished educator wife. Both started from humble beginnings.

Dad was one of four brothers raised by a single, uneducated mom. They were abandoned by an alcoholic father. They fled his abuse in the middle of the night carrying all their belongings in pillow sacks. Their new home was in an abandoned chicken coup.

Mom grew up in humble surroundings as part of six siblings with uneducated parents. She was proud to be a coal miner’s daughter.

Both parents received many awards and professional acclaim. They positively impacted the lives of thousands of students and co-workers. Much could be written as their tombstone testimonies.

However, they chose their own epitaph. The tombstone plaque simply reads, “Gerald and Beatrice Blankenship, parents of Rex, Bill, Joe.”

That is their tombstone testimony. Their pride. Their joy. Their love. Their legacy.

What a blessing! What a humbling challenge!

To be loved unconditionally and endlessly is a tremendous blessing. It is also a stewardship responsibility to make sure that investment is not wasted.

You and I are loved by the God of Glory, Eternal Creator, Living Lord, Heavenly Father, Loving Savior, Supreme Majesty, and Sovereign King of kings.

We are loved first and foremost, loved most and forever. We are loved before and above everything else with a love that is independent, infinite, and immeasurable in its greatness.

We are loved with undeserved, unchanging, and unending goodness by the One who is Glorious in all he is, Perfect in all his ways, Faithful in all he does. Always wise, right, and good. Always with us and always for us.

And yet, He has no tombstone. He just writes his legacy in the heavens.

GOD of Rex, Bill, Joe, and YOU.

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil…I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:6).

Dear family and friends, please don’t worry about me when my time comes.

I will be cutting down the nets! A victorious, joyful celebration!

Then I will take another breath filled with the life and love of Jesus…never-ending breaths…each breath better than the one before.

Join me in taking a deep breath. What if it were your last breath?

Enjoy your next last breath…again and again.

A Knight in Shining Armor…Again

It was the night I became the Knight in Shining Armor.

I slew the dragon. I beat up the monster. I scared away all the ghosts. And I saved the lovely maiden.

I won her heart…again.

Our beautiful young daughter won my heart at our first meeting. As I pulled back the blanket to get a glimpse of this gift from heaven, she reached out and grabbed my little finger.

Love at first sight. Love always and forever.

For my little sweetheart’s first night home from the hospital, I sat in a beanbag chair and held her all night. I spent the night adoring her and worrying about taking care of her.

So, it was no surprise that in her early years, each night ended up with the little blonde princess in bed with her mother and me. As our family added a baby brother, it became more of an ordeal to encourage my little girl to stay in her own bed throughout the night.

Most nights she ended up back in our bed because she was afraid of the dark. This fear is common among children.

However, my little angel played us like a fear-tuned fiddle.

Her nightly fears seemed to escalate in repetition and extremity until that night it all came to a crossroads. My love and frustration collided.

For the thousandth time, my little girl quietly shuffled into our bedroom and declared she was scared. Even the nightlight was not sufficient for the darkness surrounding her.

I escorted her back to her bed…again. Prayed with her…again. Then gave her a kiss…again. That is what dads do.

She hugged me and whispered about her fears. “Daddy, there are monsters in my closet and ghosts under my bed.”

I finally understood the dilemma. This was not the time for words of assurance. This was the time for action.

It was time to save the damsel in distress.

I rushed out of the room and quickly returned. My head was covered with a silver pot, shoulders draped with large towels, and a broomstick in my hands.

As I galloped into her bedroom on my imaginary white horse, I raised my makeshift sword and shouted, “Do not fear. Your knight in shining armor is here!”

The battle was on! The actions were emphatic. The sounds were dramatic.

I knew if this war was lost tonight, it would be Sleepless in Seattle forever.

I threw open the closet door and quickly destroyed the fire-eating dragon inside. I shouted at the monsters lurking in the dark corners of the room. I beat them into submission, one by one.

This Braveheart screamed, “Freeeeedommm!”

But there were still ghosts lurking under the bed. There was no time to call Ghostbusters. I had a broom. I quickly swept them all out from under the bed. My shouts frightened the scary ghosts as I chased them with my sword from the room, down the hall, and out the back door…never to return.

I returned to hear my daughter declare there was one more monster hiding in the back of the closet. No problem! Clothes and toys went flying as I wrestled with the last monster standing.

I beat him up until the monster begged for mercy. Surrender was not an option. I gave the “thumbs down” motion. This war is over. I carried the last monster’s lifeless body out to the backyard and threw it over the fence.

There is a memorable quote in the Sandlot movie where the baseball star, Babe Ruth, advises young Benny in a dream about the courage needed to retrieve Small’s famously autographed baseball from the nearby yard ferociously guarded by the junkyard dog known as ‘The Beast.’

“Remember, kid, there’s heroes and there’s legends. Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.”

My lovely maiden was saved…again. But that night her hero became a legend.

I remain her Knight in Shining Armor. As the years have passed, King Rex has been joined at the Knights of the Round Table by my daughter’s husband and son.

Their innumerable acts of courage and kindness are the stuff of legends!

Girls of all ages dream of their knight in shining armor. Guys aspire to be that silver savior. Others just show up in boots and jeans with no clue what is going on in life.

Courage. Courtesy. Chivalry. Loyalty. Honor.

Fearless. Faithful. Doers of Good.

When was the last time you made a positive difference in someone’s life?

I had a dream last week that I was running for the office of governor. That sounds more like a nightmare. The campaign staff expressed concern because I did not approve their campaign slogans and advertising.

I kept insisting I just “need to do something good for someone today.” (Sadly, this was a dream.) Eventually, the saying and the daily deeds went viral on dreamland’s social media.

Followers began to spread the message and emulate the practice. In my dream, the “One Good Deed a Day” spiraled in multiplication and became a worldwide movement. What a dream!

Why is that not a deliberate reality in my life?

God’s Word instructs us to always do good to others.

Be wise: make the most of every opportunity you have for doing good (Ephesians 5:16).

Honor the Lord by always doing kind and good things for others (Colossians 1:10).

Why does that sound so foreign to our daily lives?

Following my do good dream, I was more attentive to the many acts of kindness by people around me. I watched a guy take someone else’s shopping cart back to the cart area. I witnessed a man carry a woman’s heavy box into the post office. I overheard a lady ask permission to buy another mother’s child candy.

Go good-deeders! Go!

I realize I am not the leader of this movement. I just want an invitation to join you and the other knights at the king’s round table.

Jesus even encouraged us to do good to our enemies.

Love your enemies, and do good, expecting nothing in return…Your reward will be great…You will be acting as sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and to those wicked ones who do not like Him (Luke 6:35).

That is a challenge to add to our plans for the day! We cannot dress in aluminum foil for that encounter. Put on the full armor of God!

Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you (Luke 6:27).

I have enough enemies to sustain my “do good to someone else” project for months.

Does it matter? It is the difference between War and Peace. How do we make a difference in this world as knights in shining armor?

Conquer evil by doing good (Romans 12:21).

Love First. Love Most. Every person. Everywhere. Every time.

Conquer horrible things done by bad enemies by doing good to them.

If each of us practiced that daily assignment, this world would tilt on its axis.

Every day is an adventure to conquer our enemies within and without. Slay the dragon of selfishness. Beat up the monsters of what might have been. Chase away the ghosts of regrets and unforgiveness. Raise up your sword of love and do one good deed for someone else.

One night long ago, one good deed by this knight in shining armor started a new routine of our daughter sleeping safely and soundly in her own bed. She knows there is a “Legend” nearby.

OK, the next Knight in Shining Armor task is to find a way to help our anxious dog feel safe at night outside my bedroom.

THE DOG DOES NOT NEED TO SLEEP IN OUR BED!

MONSTERS, DRAGONS, AND GHOSTS, BEWARE!

Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.

DARK IS THE NIGHT…AGAIN

It happened again. This was the worst.

The darkness began to press in. Press down. Press all around.

It was not the darkness of night. It was that darkness of the soul which battles and baffles us all. Some more than others.

My soul cried. I prayed for the darkness to disperse or, at least, diminish. When that did not happen, I whimpered, “Oh, no” and I whispered, “How long this time?”

Surely you have been there. Perhaps you live with someone who frequently visits that darkened cave. This darkness of the soul is more prevalent for some personalities than others. For some, it is a constant struggle.

I do not suffer as often or as long or as deeply as most. That does not make me a spiritually better or stronger person. That is just the way God wired me in my mother’s womb. I would need to be strong for others or at least put on a good front.

God has been faithful to give me the strength needed to encourage, protect, and hope for those not seeing any light on their horizon.

Last week, I lost all that confidence. It happened in a nanosecond. I was trying to clean something in the kitchen that did not have to be done at that moment. As I approached the trash can, I dropped several plastic water bottles. Two of them still had water in them but no bottle cap.

Water spilled out over the clean floor. Water. Small amounts of water probably rank as one of the easiest cleanup projects.

It was nothing, right? There are no mind readers for experiences such as this. It was the straw that broke this camel’s back.

My life was going through some stressful situations, but things were not abnormal or worse than ususal. However, in that moment, all the weight of that stress seemed to suddenly shift from God’s care to my ineptitude.

Even when I try to help, I mess things up worse. That conclusion on life was an endless echo in my mind.

My life went dark. Really dark.

I began to cry, to sob uncontrollably. I felt as if I were having a nervous breakdown. Thankfully, no one was there to witness the event or my emotional response. Even if there were, they could not have seen into my soul’s darkness.

If you have ever had the lights turned off in your heart, then you know what it feels like.

Difficulty. Disappointment. Danger. Discouragement. Desperation. Depression.

Darkness. Deep Darkness. Depths of Despair.

It feels as if all the weight of the world has been placed on your shoulders and the light of the world has been permanently extinguished.

Frustration: “How long is this going to last?” Fear: “This will never end.”

I open my heart because I know there are others who fight the same battle and wrestle with the same spiritual issue.

Most likely, you have heard or struggled with this thought: “Christians should never be depressed. Where is your faith?”

Have you read your Bible?

What about the cries of David in the darkness? I am so low; all I do is cry all day (Psalm 38). Why is my soul so downcast? Why am I so discouraged? (Psalm 42). How long will you forget me, Lord? Forever? How long will you look the other way when I am in need? How long must I be hiding this daily anguish in my heart? O Lord my God, I do not want to die in this darkness (Psalm 13).

Can we even speak of the darkness Job endured the night the lights were turned out in the land of Uz? (James 5:11). I hate my life. My soul is so bitter (Job 10:1).

Following a great spiritual victory, Elijah sat in the darkness overwhelmed and alone. The great prophet was so emotionally exhausted that he prayed to die. I have had enough, Lord; let me die (1 Kings 19:4).

Paul recounted the dark nights chained in prison, floating on ship wreckage in the ocean, and the many times he was beaten and dropped off at death’s doorstep (2 Corinthians 11:23-28). We were so burdened we despaired of life itself (2 Corinthians 1:8).

What about Moses sitting in the darkness of banishment, grief, and rebellious challenges to his leadership? Hated. Misunderstood. Alone. (Acts 7:25-29). Nights full of weariness, weaknesses, and worries.

Joseph battled distress, rejection, and false accusations for most of his life (Genesis 42:21). Do you think he ever struggled with despair while in the pit or prison or alone in those dark nights of captivity?

Hannah prayed in the darkness for years and years without seeing the light of hope. Her heart was deep in anguish as she wept bitterly night after night under a rival’s ridicule over her childless life (1 Samuel 1:10).

Naomi’s loss of husband and sons left her with no way out of the darkness. I have no hope. I am bitter about life. The Lord’s hand is against me (Ruth 1:12-13).

Jonah saw the prospect of death as far better than what life offered (Jonah 4:3).

What about Jeremiah’s laments of loneliness and insecurity? Will I ever see the light again? (Jeremiah 20:18).

And what about the spiritual darkness and emotional anguish Jesus experienced in the Gethsemane Garden? Jesus was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death (Matthew 26:38).

Have you read your Bible?

In this world you will have trouble and tribulation with many trials and sorrows (John 16:33).

This earthly life is chasing the wind. What is wrong cannot be made right; it is water over the dam; and there is no use thinking of what might have been (Ecclesiastes 1:12-15).

This world is broken. Life has been messed up.

Death is the big reminder of that reality. Sorrow is never far away. The tracks of our tears are everywhere.

Accidents. Addictions. Abuse. Aging.

Failed marriages. Wayward kids.

Cancer. Conflicts. Wars.

Suffering. Sickness. Self-centeredness. (Dare I say it?) Sin.

[Note: I see sin as the attitude and actions of loving yourself more than loving God or others.]

Almost nothing is as it was created to be. We were created to long for good and pursue happiness. However, we do not control the amount or timing of hurts, hardships, and burdens.

At some points in life, the unwelcome circumstances turn out the lights.

What can you do when dark is the night…again?

Have you read your Bible?


Ask the Lord to turn the light back on just as David did in his darkness. O Lord my God; give me light in my darkness (Psalm 13:3).

“GOD IS STILL GOD WITH THE LIGHTS ON OR THE LIGHTS OFF.” (Alistair Begg)

God is the Creator of light (Genesis 1) and the Father of lights (James 1:17.)

The stories of these Biblical examples were recorded to encourage our faith and hope in God.

They all lived in the cave of their heart’s darkness. Some for moments. Some for years. Some in repetitive cycles.

God did not chastise or express disappointment over their soul’s despondency. God turned on the lights. He sent angels. He renewed strength. He encouraged hearts. God gave help and hope, food and friends, compassion and children.

Sometimes, God spoke in a still small voice and sometimes God roared from the heavens. God was always there, even in the dark night.

Have you read your Bible?

All these encouragement examples learned to trust, smile, and hope…again. They had a change of attitude while still in the shadows of darkness.

Attitude is largely shaped by perception of life’s hardships and burdens.  

The light of God’s Word helps shape and sharpen one’s perception with the reality of truth.

When, Where, and How does that happen?

Have you read your Bible?

Note: This is important:

THEY LEARNED TO REJOICE BEFORE THE LIGHTS WERE TURNED BACK ON IN THEIR HEARTS.

I will always trust in you and in your mercy and shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord because he has blessed me so richly (Psalm 13).

Hannah’s face was no longer sad, and she worshiped God…In due time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son (1 Samuel 1:18-20).

So, with the saints of the past, we trust and hope (and even sing) while we are still in the darkness. We might need to cry some as we wait for the Lord’s timing to do us the greatest good.

You are never alone. The night will be followed by light.

There is always a ray of hope. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is God’s faithfulness (Lamentations 3:21-23).

Compassion always comes after hurt. Hope always replaces despair. Joy always overshadows sorrow. Light always overcomes darkness. Always.

Why so downcast, O my soul? Put your hope in God. I would have despaired except I believed I would still see the goodness of the Lord in this earthly life. Be strong and courageous in my heart as I wait on the Lord. God will help me (Psalm 27:12-14).

GOD IS STILL GOD WITH THE LIGHTS ON OR THE LIGHTS OFF.

My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;

WHEN DARKNESS VEILS HIS LOVELY FACE,
I REST ON HIS UNCHANGING GRACE;
in every high and stormy gale,
MY ANCHOR HOLDS within the veil.

On Christ, the solid rock I stand,
all other ground is sinking sand. (My Hope Is Built/The Solid Rock—Edward Mote)

FALLING on the ICE…AGAIN

It happened again. This was the worst.

About this time last year, I fell on the ice and cracked my hip. It was very painful, but I survived. So did my stupidity.

This season, I had a foolproof plan to carefully scrape the ice off my car windows. Everything was going fine…until I stepped to the north side of the vehicle.

Suddenly, both feet lost contact with the driveway as I slipped on the ice from the northerner that came in the night before. I fell to the pavement faster than when Ali knocked down his fighting opponent. Howard Cosell did not even have time to shout, “Down goes Frazier!”

I landed on my side and hip. Fortunately, it was not the dumbbell side of my head. In one fell swoop, I body-skated to the end of my driveway. My arms clung to our curb while my feet rested in the road.

My first thought was I hope none of the neighbors saw this. My second thought never made it into my mind because of the horrific pain.

The hurt increased as I assessed the damage. I could not get up. I needed help.

Any slight movement only increased the pain. If a medical attendant had asked me to describe the pain level from one to ten, I would have responded, “Higher.” It was at least triple digits.

I grimaced and moaned as I grappled to get the cell phone from my winter jacket. My loving and adorable and kind and caring wife was inside on the couch in front of the fireplace. I called for help. There was no answer. Maybe she was on the phone talking to someone else. I tried two more times with no response.

By now, I wished a neighbor had witnessed my slippery demise. I cried out for help. All in vain as the strong wind whistled into my ear, “You stupid man!”

That is right; I might be stupid, but I am a ‘man.’ I can manage this. I tried to rise to crawl. Both knees refused to participate.

I decided to slide up the slope. Wrong direction for sliding. Not going to happen.

I remembered my dad teaching his sons to trust their instincts in tough times.

So, I slowly slithered up the slippery slope like the sinuous snake I am, inch by inch.

This was no quick recovery. There was enough time to build Hoover Dam.

Eventually, I pulled my aching body into the edge of the garage where I rolled onto my back. That way, I could feel the pain better.

I tried another unanswered phone call, even a text for “Help!”

I called my daughter in Colorado. I thought she might be able to get to my aid before my wife wondered about my disappearance for several days. There was no answer. I realized they were talking to each other.

I began to yell. I called out for Vicki. I screamed for help! All to no avail.

Finally, after what felt like hours of pain intolerance, the door to the house opened. Vicki was on the phone. She told our daughter, “I think your dad is hurt. I will call you back.”

Wow! What clue helped Miss Marple crack the case of the slithering snake crying in the garage?

Was it that I was flat on my back? Or the moans of discomfort? Or the whimper of incredible pain? I imagine it was the faint whispers begging for help.

Yes, injured people need help. And for the record, stupid people need to be shown sympathy and patience.

I recovered but now I have a greater fear of ice.

I am sure you have fallen at times. It might have resulted in a severe injury. I vividly remember some of my worst falls.

I fell off a ladder near the top of my house while trimming limbs off a tree. As I stepped onto the top of the ladder, my foot slipped. In a nanosecond, I had to make a reactionary decision: Either let my head hit on the brick wall or allow my body to crash through the window of the house. 

In that nanosecond, I chose another option. I went into the “imaginary world of not” and thought it better to just jump backwards and use my athleticism and nimble, cat-like reflexes to land on my feet somewhere in the driveway. It worked…badly. 

Somehow, my head avoided being splattered across the cement driveway. However, my pride had taken a big pounding. I fell twelve feet onto the concrete and landed on my back, not my feet. I looked up to see the ladder falling on my face and chest.

Yep! It was a scene right out of the Roadrunner cartoons where Wiley Coyote falls and then something falls on him.

This cat gave up four of his nine lives in that stupid endeavor.

There was nothing left to do but slowly roll my way into the garage…again. Lying in the unbearable pain of stupidity, I yelled for my wife…again. The only response was the startup sounds of the vacuum cleaner. This was going to take a while.

I recovered but now I have a greater fear of heights.

Not long ago, I was run over by a speeding truck. It was a football player running full force into my chest. I was bulldozed on the gridiron sidelines.

As the game was grinding to its conclusion, I began to mingle with the players along the midfield sidelines. Suddenly, the running back was pushed from behind which accelerated his momentum. It also hastened my demise.

The players on the sideline parted like the Red Sea. They acted like matadors waving their arms as the charging bull aimed its horns at my red cape shirt.

The runaway train was full steam ahead. I had nowhere to go. I was hemmed in. It was time to face the music.

One word described the impending impact. Unavoidable.

One word described the post smash-up. Painful.

The collision was straight on. His helmet and shoulder pads crashed into my chest. My ageing years and added weight prevented me from getting completely airborne. Instead, I just got plowed over.

It was like watching a trainwreck in slow motion! My body was violently knocked backwards. My cap went flying.

My silence shouted, “This is bad.”

My mind radioed the distress signal: “Mayday! Mayday! Houston, we have a problem!”

I had time to think this might be a career ending injury. At some point, my head bounced off the hard ground. I never lost consciousness …except for that period my spirit was floating somewhere above the stadium.

The young players showed great compassion as they quickly reacted to my prone position. I asked them just to let me lie there for a moment.

I needed more time for my mind to do an emergency inventory evaluation of which body parts planned to get up with me. Surely, some appendages had separated or permanently retired from active duty.

Sometimes, it feels as if life has thrown you under the bus. This felt more like the bug splattered on the bus window. SPLAT!!!

Well-wishers surrounded me. A few players volunteered to speak at the memorial service. It is comforting to know that some people will love and miss you when that time comes.

I recovered but now I have a greater fear of collisions.

I recently stumbled at the supermarket and faceplanted on a watermelon right in front of the main entrance.

I recovered but now I have a greater fear of watermelons.

You might conclude from this that I am a clumsy, unathletic, worthless nothing. Not true. I am just directionally insensitive.

Obviously, I have fallen many times. I seem to specialize in falls which accentuate my stupidity! Even then, God was with me. God was with me on the ice, the ladder, the sidelines, and the fruit stand.

God was with me in between the fall and the impact. God was with me in those nanoseconds, saying, “You idiot.” The actual scriptural phrase from the #1 Textbook is, “You foolish man and frail creature of dust.”  

I am certain you have experienced some physical pains this past year. It may have been a fall, disease, surgery, or something minor. All of us have experienced a little more physical pain than a year ago. The greater hurt comes from the emotional pain like grief, loneliness, anxiety, or stress.

In every moment of pain and grief, we all have reason to fall into greater gratitude to God.

My physical injuries could have been worse. The emotional pain you have been through this year could have been worse. We may be a little worse off, but we are still here.

It is especially important that we live out what we are learning about God’s presence and care. God knows when we are painfully falling physically and God knows when our life is emotionally falling apart.

Psalm 139 begins, “God knows what I do and wherever I go. He knows when I sit and when I rise, when I go out and when I lie down. He is familiar with all my ways. He knows all my thoughts. Before there is a word on my tongue, he knows even the secrets of my heart…God holds my right hand.” 

Somehow, through all the stumbles and falls, our lifelong journey falls into place.

That raises the important question for everyone who falls and falls…again?

Are we falling into gratitude? 

You do not have to be flat on your back to count your blessings. But it might help you get a better perspective on life. Every moment matters. Every person matters. Every additional morning is precious.

Falling hurts. If you need to cry, then cry. That is not a lack of faith. But focus on God through your tears.

Falling hurts. When others have been knocked down in life, they need a caring heart and a helping hand. They do not need criticism or condemnation. They need hope.

What can you learn from falling?

You are never, never—no matter whatever is going on in your life, never out of the sight and care of your Heavenly Father. He is holding your hand, even when you are falling.

“Even when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, You are with me…You hold my right hand.  You hold me tight” (#1 Textbook).

“I am the Lord Almighty God who is with you and for you. Do not be afraid” (#1 Textbook).    

When the Biblical patriarch Jacob kept falling again and again, he moaned that “all these things are against me.” He later came to realize that all these things were used by God for his good.

Surely, you have those moments when you feel as if all these things are against you. God is orchestrating them for your good.

As Jacob’s lost son, Joseph, later declared about all the sad and bad things done to him by bad people, “They meant it for evil, but God intended it for good.” 

And God will use all the sad and bad things done to you to bring you greater good.

Jacob and Joseph fell into gratitude. So can we. Even in great grief there is greater gratitude.

I am praying for you and me to be awakened into a greater awareness of God’s presence in every area of our lives, especially in our falls.

Give thanks to God in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

I am praying that we fall into greater gratitude…again and again.

Stay safe!

I HOPE YOU DANCE…AGAIN

I Hope You Dance.

The song with that title sung by Lee Ann Womack stirs my heart with love and prayers for my children and grandchildren. It expresses my sentiments and hopes for them to cherish every moment in life, face challenges with courage not fear, and chase their dreams relentlessly.

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat, but always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid your love ever leave you empty-handed

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one door opens
Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance...I hope you dance

Life is full of opportunities for happiness. However, hope and courage are necessary to navigate the road filled with obstacles, challenges, pressures, and fears.

God is the source of Hope; but is it okay to dance?

I was raised in church where the common phrase was overheard many times, “Baptists do not dance; they do not smoke or chew or go with girls who do.”

I never smoked and did not chew. So, I guess two out of four is not bad.

I was never very good at dancing unless one considered a choreographed imitation of Steve Martin’s wild and crazy non-rhythmic toe-tapping finger pointing happy movements as cute and humorous.

God is the reason to dance through life. He is the only source of Hope and Help.

I pray that your heart might dance as it faces the challenges of life. I hope you feel loved, forgiven, blessed.

As I pray for you and my family, I realize there are too many kids having to grow up without encouragement to dance in hope. Much needed ministries strive to help them.

I want to share one life story where despair turned to dancing.

This youngster grew up in a dysfunctional family. It was a big family, lots of brothers and sisters. He was one of the youngest. His mother died when he was a little boy. His father was immoral, a thief, and an habitual liar who deceived and cheated his way through life.

Somehow, this young boy never lost his sense of wonder.

Besides his untrustworthy father, the boy was mistreated by his siblings. He was abused, bullied, resented, and unwanted. He grew up around crime. His sister was sexually assaulted. His brothers lied to hide their wrongdoings including murder.

The Wikipedia description of his developmental years would read more like the crimes of a mob family than a dancing troupe.

He often felt small and was left empty-handed; but he kept on dreaming.

Eventually, he was ostracized from all his family and became homeless. As a young man, he was in and out of prison. His early life was filled with manual labor and low-level jobs. He even cleaned toilets and mopped floors just to get by. There were bad bosses and undesirable circumstances.

The young man gave faith a fighting chance. When he had many reasons to sit it out, he chose to dance.

He was hated, lied to, and lied about. He was cheated and mistreated. He had no chance to make it in life, just left without help and hope—except for God’s plan.

When one door closed, another door opened. It was all part of God’s plan.

In the midst of all the turmoil and trauma, he gave his life and circumstances to God. God molded him through the adversity and used him as a great vessel to help others all over the world.

Eventually he forgave and reconciled with his family and provided for their needs. He became rich and famous, but most of all he became a godly family man who lived and loved like Jesus.

He refused to let some hell-bent hearts leave him bitter. Whenever he was close to sellin’ out, he reconsidered his place in God’s plan.

His life was characterized by humility, holiness, happiness, and hope. He showed love and forgiveness to those responsible for his traumatic experiences.

Through it all, he never took one single breath for granted. God was with him, in him, over him, and under him.

HIS NAME WAS JOSEPH, A TRAUMA VICTOR…A HOPE POSTER. HIS LOVE CHANGED GENERATIONS FOR THE BETTER. HE LEFT THIS LASTING LESSON FOR ALL OF US AS HE SPOKE TO THOSE WHO HAD MISTREATED HIM.

 “You meant evil against me, BUT GOD MEANT IT FOR GOOD, to bring about good for many people.” (#1 Textbook)

But God meant it for good.

That is dancing music!

That describes your life no matter wherever you are on the trauma-hope spectrum.

Hope is not an outcome…it is the ever-growing confident expectation of experiencing all the goodness God has promised…somehow…some way…some time.

I say again to all of us, “That is heavenly music. I hope you dance.”

The young men and women will dance for joy…AND SO WILL THE OLD (Jeremiah 31:13).

There is my personal note from God, “I Hope You Dance…Again.”

Joseph discovered the answers to his questions were found in the person and character of God. When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You (Psalm 56:3).

Hope in God is grounded in the promises of God which are grounded in the person of God revealed in the Word of God.

Do not worry or envy those who cause so much trauma in your life.
They will fade away like winter grass.
Trust in the Lord and do good.
Be kind to others.
Trust God to help you.

Be patient.
Do not give in to anger, fear, or worry.
The Lord directs every step and always holds your hand.
Blessings are coming.

God designed it all for your greatest good.
Our hope is in God.
There is a wonderful future ahead for you. What a different story!
There is a happy ending. (Psalm 37).

What should you do in those moments of desperation where God is your only hope? Preach to your trauma-troubled soul…change your thoughts…change the source for your thoughts.

AND DANCE!

Whenever you focus on your problems, it always spirals into fear, worry, anger, anxiety, depression. You must replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts. Change the source of your thoughts.

God changed my sorrow into dancing (Psalm 30:11).

Learn to preach to your troubled soul from God’s Word. Remind yourself, “God is my one and only hope…my only rock…my only salvation…my only real hope. God is the solid rock under my feet, breathing room for my soul. Everything I need comes from Him. I will trust and hope in God” (Psalm 62:5).

What are the lessons passed on that taught Joseph, Job, Miriam, David, and Solomon to dance...again?

There is a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance (Ecclesiastes 3:4).

God is always faithful. Always! God is always with you and for you in every trial and trauma and trouble.

Choose to LIVE. Choose to LOVE.

Joseph experienced a plethora of traumatic challenges. Hatred. Deception. Betrayal, Abuse. Abandonment. Persecution. Slavery. False accusations. Injustice. Imprisonment.

When Joseph faced the challenges of life, he chose to LIVE and LOVE. He came through those traumatic life experiences with forgiveness and without resentment. How? He eventually understood “but God meant it all for good.”

Don’t let some hellbent heart leave you bitter
When you come close to sellin’ out, reconsider
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance

Joseph eventually saw the bigger picture of his life. It was God-designed to be a benefit to so many more people than himself.

Take heart, my friend. You have not yet read the last chapters of your God-written story! Faith and Hope are always future-oriented. Like Joseph, we often see the Lord’s goodness only through a rear-view mirror.

Oh Lord, please give us a bigger perspective than a focus on our past or present troubles. Change our thoughts. Give us wisdom. Renew our faith. Strengthen our hope in the unchanging, unending faithfulness of our God!

Make us Dance…Again!

GOD SHOWED UP…AGAIN!

(Subtitle: The Rock Where God Changed My Life)

It was a big rock sheltered by tall pine trees gently swaying beneath a summer midnight sky brightened by a full moon.

God set me on a rock…and God showed up again.

In the stillness of that moment, my life was changed…forever…again.

I was nineteen.

Although many years have passed and many miles have been travelled, I can close my eyes and return to the reality of that moment…again and again.

This week, I sat on that rock feeling alone. God showed up…again.

[Note: As I was working this past week on this Winsday Wisdom session, I heard an excellent sermon by Grant Rose, Pastor of Shreveport Springs of Grace. He used this title as he preached on one of Jacob’s divine encounters, this one recorded in Genesis 35:9, “God appeared (showed up) again.” I have included some notes and thoughts generated by his message.]

HOW GOD SEES YOU IS TRUER THAN HOW YOU SEE YOURSELF.

HOW GOD SEES OTHERS IS TRUER THAN HOW YOU SEE OTHERS.

The first time this specific rock became so special to my life was the summer following my first year in college. I was happy to be back home. My high school years in our small town were fun, very comfortable with good friends and good experiences.

I went to college sixteen hundred miles away from home. It was not as much fun as I anticipated. I met interesting people, found some future friends, saw historic landmarks, and became the starting quarterback for the Crimson football team. However, I really had little desire to return for another year.

The “opportunity of a lifetime” did not give cause for me to return for subsequent years. Desire for fame and fortune did not resonate in my heart and soul.

This large rock was my place of solitude and peace. I was in the Kiamichi Mountains at the church camp I attended for one summer week ever since I was ten.

The previous summer, my best friend, Mike, and I supervised the guys. We have lived many years in fear of Bobbie returning to our doorstep demanding retribution for the egregious number of push-ups assigned to him for his incessant talking during quiet hours.

This particular summer, my pastor recruited me to return as camp counselor.

Preacher Ewing was wonderful at this summer camp stuff. Fun activities, spiritual talks around the campfire, and the VERY BEST cinnamon rolls. Preacher could cook. While other church campers fed on cereal and sandwiches, we ate fried chicken, steaks, and homemade desserts.

The Preacher did not foretell me I would be the primary and only counselor of seventy-seven youth under the age of seventeen. He did not mention that he and his wife would spend the nights at a hotel in the nearby town so he could be back to start breakfast by 5 AM.

There were two cabins, one for the boys and one for the girls. Mischief and hanky-panky were separated by ten feet. There was also a kitchen cabin of goodies available for late night raids. I was the only one responsible for the oversight of their safety and well-being.

This situation looked as if it were a recipe for disaster.

I began the late-night watchman vigils on the rock. It was the best place to keep an eye on all the cabins as well as any possible nightcrawlers.

I did feel like Jacob on those nights he laid his head down on a rock, sometimes feeling lonely, sometimes feeling treated unfairly. He had nights filled with feelings of shame, failure, and grief.

Then God showed up…again. Each time it changed Jacob into how God saw him and others and the future.

The same can be said of Joseph’s life. The feelings were the same. Instead of the rock location, God showed up in a pit and a prison and a foreign land.

Outwardly, one would think I had an easy life. This night I was fearful of the future. The immediate future. The intermediate future. The distant future.

While my thoughts raced from suspected shadows nearby to places far away, I looked up. I stared at the moon and the stars. I listened to the treetops whistling in the breeze. I was watching over the seventy-seven, but I was alone.

That is when God showed up…again.

I grew up in a home where Mom and Dad loved Jesus. They read God’s Word. I never missed church. I found a personal relationship with Jesus at the age of eight. I renewed that devotion during some special moments at this camp throughout my youth years.

God’s Word taught me how to live for what is right, how to stand alone when necessary. At college, I did not neglect my love for Jesus. I was not perfect and definitely not preachy. I was just trying to get a passing grade in my classes and be better as a quarterback.

I participated in university activities with some guys and gals who were very rich. Some were very smart. A few were both.

One night in late spring, a pebble hit my dorm window. A teammate motioned for me to come down. (We did not have cell phones then, so rock throwing was one of our caveman ways of communication.)

I sat with Bill on the front steps of my dorm overlooking the campus Yard. He wanted to ask me a question, “What is different about you?”

I did not know if that was intended as a compliment or a criticism. He explained that he and others saw an inner strength and motivation that appeared different to how they lived. I did not preach that night. I just know God showed up…again.

This night sitting on a Kiamichi rock was not like any of the other times. I was unsure about who I was, where I was headed, what I should do, or why. I did not have the spiritual navigational skills to explore the horizons or plummet the depths of such questions.

But God showed up…again.

God knew who I was and where I was, as well as what was ahead.

I listened closely that night to the voice speaking to my heart. It was a mountaintop experience. That night, I committed everything to Jesus as Lord of all for all time…again.

God changed me…again. It was a lifechanging moment. It changed how I view God, life, and myself.

As David said from his lowest point, “God lifted me out of the pit of despair…set my feet on a rock, made my future footsteps firm, and placed a new song in my heart” (Psalm 40:1-3).

HOW GOD SEES YOU IS TRUER THAN HOW YOU SEE YOURSELF.

It is truer than how you are thinking or feeling at the time.

I say it over and over. “Everyone needs to find their rock.”

I have been back to my rock several times physically and countless times spiritually.

You have a place where God showed up; go back there. If not, find one. It does not have to be a rock. It can be a chair or your bed. It might be an open field or a small garden. It might be on a mountain or beside a lake. Or the beach!

God shows up in all those places in the Scriptures and in our lives…again and again.

Go there. Take your loneliness and unfair treatment. Take your bitterness and resentment. Take your shame and failure. Take your loss and grief and go there!

When God shows up, it changes you. It changes how you think, feel, and see yourself. It changes how you see others.

You are not running this life race by yourself. You are “in Christ.”

Fully forgiven. Fully loved. Fully heaven bound. Fully graced with the desire and power to love others first and most.

God’s perfect life and love dwell inside you. That is truer than your perception of present circumstances or prospective future. You have been changed by God. See your life and the life of others through that lens.

I went back to the rock this past week. God knew I needed it more than I realized.

I came away singing, “Love lifted me. Love lifted me. When nothing else could help, God’s love lifted me…Again!”

I think I even heard the heavenly roar of the angels!

MY BIRTHDAY BUCKET LIST

One of my recent birthday greetings came with a question: “What type of plans does one make when he gets to your advanced age?”

I immediately texted a reply. “Throw away the old Bucket List and start a new one.”

Bucket List—things a person hopes to do or achieve during their lifetime.

Where do you start? First, find a bucket. Then make a list of things you desire to do before you “kick the bucket.” As time goes by, try to remember where you placed the bucket.

Hopes, dreams, and anticipated adventures brighten life. The clouds of reality necessitate revisions. Some items are checked off as completed. Some evolve because of limitations or need updated by new opportunities.

There is also danger the anticipated list of future activities can become forgotten or lost in the thoughts of present circumstances.

Therefore, a new calendar year or another birthday milestone becomes a good time for reflection on one’s Bucket List.

For example:

(1) See “The Seven Wonders of the World” might be replaced with “See one non-horrifying Wonder in the Mirror.”

(2)”Skydiving” might be updated to “Staying inside the house until all the ice melts.”

(3)“Win an Olympic gold medal in basketball for the United States” can be revised to “Block the basketball shot of my four-year-old grandson in the playroom and do a celebratory dance as if I were John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever.“

(4) “Walk along the Great Wall of China” might need to take a backseat to “Skinny Dipping in Iceland.“

OK, let’s get real.

Here are some of my Bucket List items that have been canceled as well as a list of their replacement dreams and aspirations. I hope this will encourage you as you do your Bucket List Spring cleaning and reassessment of future goals.

Here is a quick rundown of my New Bucket List Top Twenty.

1. (Expired) See Elvis perform live in concert. That is not going to happen. Elvis has left the building!

*(Update) Watch my grandkids perform in song, dance, and athletic endeavors.

2. (Expired) Become an astronaut and go to the Moon.

*(Update) Get surgery on my eyes so I can gaze at the stars.

3. (Expired) Invest in Apple stock startup. *(Update) Be grateful I can still eat an Apple.

4. (Expired) Find my baseball card collection that Mom claimed she threw away.


*(Update) Look at pictures of the valuable vintage baseball cards on the internet as I announce to my family for the thousandth time that I owned that card and we would be rich, but my mom threw it away.

5. (Expired) Apologize personally to Olivia Newton-John for the embarrassment, humiliation, and broken heart I caused her by my rejection of the many times she publicly stared into my eyes and declared for the whole world to hear, “I Honestly Love You.” [Note: Olivia recently passed away. The physician lamented that the chronic suffering from her broken heart weakened her “Let’s Get Physical” body. Too much “Grease” to bear.]

*(Update) Stay married by trashing all my Olivia album covers.

6. (Expired) Climb Cavanal Hill in Poteau, the highest hill in the world.

*(Update) Do whatever it takes to get into the refrigerator without help or dietary restrictions.

7. (Expired) Become a back-up singer for the “My Girl” Four Tops Motown group.

*(Update) Sound in tune one time while singing with the church congregation.

8. (Expired) Market the highly competitive and addictive family table game I invented with my brothers, The Inspector Clouseau Space Age Breakfast Game with the Special Ovaltine Overtime Option.

*(Update) Invent a quieter game with a shorter name.

9. (Expired) Own an ocean-view condo at Crescent Beach, Florida, before hell freezes over.

*(Update) See the beautiful sand beaches covered in ice and snow. CHECK-Done.

10. (Expired) Help find the Cure for Cancer.

*(Update) Humble myself to ask for help finding the TV remote.

11. (Expired) Become Governor of Oklahoma by age fifty.

*(Update) Spend ten weeks of my brief remaining lifespan sitting, talking, calling, emailing, and waiting in long lines at government offices just to obtain a copy of my Social Security card, which I have not needed for fifty years. Check (Done)

12. (Expired) Stand in Madison Square Garden in the same place as Billy Graham and preach to thousands of people.

*(Update) Exchange sleeping places with our dog.

13. (Expired) Enjoy playing new card and board games.

*(Update) Live long enough for my wife and sister-in-law to read all the rules and directions of the new game without saying, “Let’s just play.”

14. (Expired) Dunk a basketball like Michael Jordon or Doctor J.

*(Update) Learn how NOT to double-dribble while slurping soup at the restaurant.

15. (Expired) Memorize the New Testament.

*(Update) Try to remember the names of the four gospels.

16. (Expired) Be crowned the winner of Jeopardy‘s Tournament of Champions.

*(Update) Return from the store one time and hear my wife say, “Well done, thou good and faithful stupid servant.”

17. (Expired) Publish the brilliant short instructional and illustrated book I wrote for Angie, my sister-in-law, appropriately titled, Games that are Impossible to Lose.

*(Update) Tell the loser the truth. Barnes & Noble want to place the book in the Fiction section.

18. (Expired) Teach my grandchildren NOT to be afraid of crawdads.

*(Update) Pray my grandchildren NEVER see me using Armor All car cleaning wipes as a napkin for my face.

19. (Expired) WORLD PEACE.

*(Update) Keep everyone in the world away from my last piece of cheesecake.

20. (Expired) Grow up to be like the Lone Ranger. I did develop his private Personna, but not his courage.

*(Update) Just be remembered…like Michelangelo or the statue of David.

[Note: Another sister-in-law’s question: “How long did David stand like that for Michelangelo?” Right. Think about that for a second.]

I hope your Bucket List comes true.

For me and for all those I love, I place this prayer on my permanent Bucket List.

  1. LIVE NEARER TO GOD THIS YEAR THAN I DID THE LAST.
  2. LOVE FIRST…LOVE MOST….EVERYONE…EVERYWHERE…EVERYTIME...