FAKE NEWS The John Harvard Statue

HARVARD UNIVERSITY STATUE

HAS BEEN REDESIGNED TO CELEBRATE ITS LEAST DISTINGUISHED GRADUATE!

That is not the first use of “Fake News” at Harvard.

The John Harvard Statue’s inscription states: John Harvard, Founder, 1638.

That Harvard Yard icon is the most photographed place of the historic university I attended many years ago. It is also a Fake News landmark.

FAKE NEWS!

“Fake News” is false information or stories broadcast or published as news in social media for fraudulent purposes. It can be misinformation intended to influence one’s perception of the truth on social media or used as journalistic clichés and angry political rants.

The centerpiece of Harvard Yard is inscribed with “Fake News” inaccuracies. The Harvard University motto is “Veritas,” which is Latin for “TRUTH.” Ironically, the iconic John Harvard Statue has come to be known as the “Statue of Three Lies.”

  1. The statue is NOT an image of John Harvard, even though his name is written in stone at the statue’s base. The artist used a student model.

There were no “likenesses” of the real John Harvard. Several portraits were destroyed in a fire. The artist used a descendant’s nephew of one of the school’s presidents, Leonard Hoar, as a stand-in model for John Harvard.

[Note: It was a Harvard tradition to name its Houses (upper classmen dorms) after former university presidents (i.e. Eliot House, Lowell House, Adams House). For obvious reasons, there was a reluctance to name a House after President Hoar.

You might need a moment to consider why the University debated the charitable value of Hoar House.]

2. John Harvard was NOT the Founder of the school.

The engraving of John Harvard as “Founder” is also not true. The college was started by a declaration of a Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Harvard was the first generous benefactor to the college. He endowed the school with a large monetary gift and a donation of over 400 books for the college library.

3. Harvard was NOT founded in 1638.

The College began two years earlier in 1636, which established it as the oldest institute of higher learning in the United States. John Harvard’s large donation was given in 1638. The New College was renamed the following year after its renowned benefactor.

Fake News! The statue representation of Harvard TRUTH is NOT an image of John Harvard. He was NOT the founder of the school, and the college did NOT begin in 1638.

FAKE NEWS is not New News.

Some “Fake News” just works its way into our cultural vernacular through substitution or omission.

The original adopted shield and motto for Harvard College was “Veritas Christo et Ecclesiae,” meaning ‘Truth for Christ and the Church.’ The original shield symbolized the vital importance of God’s revealed wisdom from the #1 Textbook. Subsequent leadership of Harvard College considered God’s Word as necessary for the proper understanding and application of educational reasoning.

Sadly, Harvard dropped the Christ reference from its University shield and motto. The relevance of Jesus Christ was diminished many years before that. Some Harvard people got so smart that they no longer needed wisdom. The FAKE NEWS has continued. The school’s research has become very short-sighted in its scope and thesis.

I am most likely the least educationally distinguished and least worldly successful graduate of Harvard…ever. I was blessed by the opportunity and fortunate to survive the challenge. I cherish the friendships.

The favorite part of my give-back to the university occurs when I receive the annual fundraising solicitation from a current student. I ask the volunteer if he is aware of the reason Harvard was founded as an institute of higher learning. Following his response, I always have the opportunity to quote the university’s original purpose:

“Let every student be plainly instructed and consider well the main end of his life and studies is to know God and Jesus, which is eternal life. And therefore, to lay Christ at the bottom of the only foundation for all sound learning and knowledge, seeing that only the Lord gives wisdom.”

That is NOT Fake News.

There is no Veritas without Christ. That is the Truth since before the beginning of time. It mattered in the time of Adam’s pursuit of knowledge. It mattered in Solomon’s educational explorations for true purpose and happiness in life. It mattered to the original founders and instructors of Harvard University. Any other foundation for learning and knowledge will NOT be “sound.”

One either builds his/her house of learning on the rock or on sinking sand. When the storms of life come, the Truth is revealed.

Truth or Fake Truth? What is your personal house of learning built upon? Have you ever had your foundation inspected?

Fake news is not a sure foundation for life.

Where did this “fake news” start?

Fake news started in the Garden of Eden when Eve chose to listen to a lie that misrepresented reality. “Did God really say you would die? Maybe God does not want your life to improve to where you do not need to depend on Him.”

The Israelite patriarchs shared fake news of their brother Joseph’s death. The Old Testament hero, Abraham, lied to save his hide. King David used deception to outmaneuver his enemies and then to cover his illicit behavior. False prophets, led by Hananiah, challenged Jeremiah’s lament by swaying public opinion with “fake news” about coming peace in Israel (Jeremiah 28:15-17).

Fake News is not New News.

The Roman Empire was filled with “fake news” for political, military, and economic gain. Octavian Augustus took over as first Emperor by spreading fake news of military hero Antony’s leadership potential as being compromised by his relationship with Cleopatra.

The creation of the printing press was soon used as a source to disseminate “fake news” about the discovery of life on the moon. Centuries later, newspapers circulated theories that the moon landing was a hoax.

Deliberate misinformation, intentional lies, deceitful stories, false propaganda, and political spin are not new to our world. Military warfare, advertising campaigns, and football alignments flourish in the midst of propaganda misinformation, half-truths, and deception.

It never takes long for satire, hoaxes, errors, and conspiracy theories to muddle truth and falsehood into a mixture of confused reality defended by conflicting experts. People choose sides and hatefully criticize those with a different perspective.

These “made-up” stories generate traffic for social media websites which profit from the resulting advertising revenue. The result creates a world-view perception where we do not know what to believe or whom to trust.

“FAKE NEWS” IS NOW USED AS A REFERENCE TO ANYTHING WE DO NOT LIKE OR AGREE.

The truth of God’s Word matters today in an enlightened culture of humanistic education. No wonder minds are darkened, and understanding is lost in a world where people are lovers of self and lovers of money (things) rather than lovers of God.

The time will come when people will accumulate (fake truth) teachers who tell them only what they want to hear (2 Timothy 4:3).

“Fake News” is not new news. Take note of this quote which sounds as if it might be current cultural commentary.

“Nothing can now be believed which is seen in a newspaper. Truth itself becomes suspicious by being put into that polluted vehicle…The man who never looks into a newspaper is better informed than he who reads them; inasmuch as he who knows nothing is nearer to truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors.” (That sounds as if it came from this week’s commentators from the competing news networks. That observation was actually made by Thomas Jefferson in 1807).

Time has not improved our news’ sources.

There is only one reliable source of Truth…God’s Word.

In response to today’s culture, be a student of Truth. Saturate your mind with God’s Word. Evaluate everything through the lens of Scripture.

Think for yourself as you listen to various viewpoints. Demonstrate humility as you share your opinions. There is no need for and no advantage to shouting louder or with more anger.

Remember you always have the Good News. Consider everything through its filter.

What is truth? It depends on whom you ask. Our culture reshapes truth to fit its latest whims. Historical truth is rewritten by social agendas. Scientific truth fluctuates with new discoveries. Philosophical truth varies with each new viral TikTok sage.

Legal truth is changed to accommodate current morality trends. Love twists truth to fit personal convenience. Political truth is redefined according to one’s “Fake News” adherence to CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, or ESPN. To quote my son-in-law’s book, they are all Beyond Bias.

We live in our own man-centered world of “relative truth” and “situational ethics.” University professors and students scoff at the concept of truth. Truth is now clothed in preferences and opinions and lifestyle choices. Our normality has become filled with fake news, edited selfies, and padded resumes.

Does it matter? Yes! Our self-made versions of reality are flawed from inception.

The skeptical Roman ruler, Pilate, responded with the rhetorical question, “What is truth?”

Jesus Christ claimed, “I am Truth.”

Each of us stakes our earthly and eternal life on what we believe. Each of us lays a bottom for the foundation of sound learning and knowledge, hoping it will produce wisdom. You do NOT need to go to Harvard to find the TRUTH. Just be sure NOT to lose it there.

My Harvard professor for a class on the New Testament refused to accept my paper on the subject, A Personal Relationship with Jesus. He argued that had nothing to do with the New Testament material. I wondered if he had ever read the New Testament. Ironically, my highest university grade was earned in a history class for my “fake” Civil War Diary.

This session is not my argument or debate with anyone. I do not condemn those who share a different opinion. I am just stating my college thesis.

The question is whether this #1 Textbook affirmed by the early Harvard leadership is the sole foundation for wisdom. Or is it to be rejected as irrelevant and unnecessary to learning as subsequent university educators propose? I believe it is what it claims to be.

God’s #1 Textbook declares itself to be the sole, supreme, and sufficient source of Truth. “The sum of God’s Word is Truth.” It reveals the Creator as the “God of Truth.” Jesus proclaimed that he came into this world as the “revelation of Truth” in human expression.

Truth means nothing apart from God. That is an unchanging reality whether one comes from Adam or from Harvard. When any person refuses to honor or thank God, his/her thoughts become futile; his/her foolish heart remains darkened. Professing to be wise, they reveal themselves to be fools (#1 Textbook).

One cannot disassociate truth from the knowledge of God revealed in His #1 Textbook. Life does not work that way, no matter how many people lecture, vote, or protest.

Well, for all the Pilates out there past, present, and future, I do not claim to be the expert. But there is One who is proven qualified. No search or soliloquy regarding truth will be successful apart from Him.

Truth is not subjective. There has to be a starting point. Any other starting point than the Creator God revealed in His self-revelatory #1 Textbook will be a person-based philosophy full of hidden flaws and ultimate futility.

Good and evil, right and wrong, honor or dishonor, love or self-centeredness, beautiful or ugly do not exist in the eye of the beholder. They are not subject to personal feelings and cultural winds. They cannot be redefined by social media editorials, political arguments, or mass protests. They come from the unchanging truth of the wise God who has our best interests at stake.

The most important thing in life remains true: Love God and love others. Love first and love most. That is not only what makes this beautiful world go ‘round; it’s also the only way to make sense out of it.

You cannot know who you are or why you are here on this earth apart from God. There is no Veritas without Christo.

Do not let your earthly existence be remembered by “Fake news or Three lies.”  Do your diligent research.

Grab the #1 Textbook today and be plainly instructed and consider well the main end of your life and studies is to know God and Jesus, which is eternal life.

Lay Christ at the bottom of the only foundation for all sound learning and knowledge, seeing that only the Lord gives wisdom.

Love First. Love Most.

GRUMBLING & GRATITUDE

Grumbling and Gratitude. I wrote an article about that last year. This week I read a post on that subject by Scott Sauls. My immediate reaction was to GRUMBLE because his writing was much better. I share this with you out of GRATITUDE to God who knew I needed the reminder. I think it will be a blessing to you as well.

GRUMBLING & GRATITUDE (by Scott Sauls)

Grumbling feels harmless enough. It usually starts small—a passing complaint about the weather, a sigh over a crowded schedule, quiet frustration with how something turned out. But C.S. Lewis, in his piercing way, suggests that this mood isn’t as innocent or harmless as it seems. Left unchecked, it can quietly grow into something far more damaging.

Grumbling, over time, hardens the heart.

It’s not that life doesn’t give us legitimate reasons to feel frustrated or discouraged. Life is full of disappointments, losses, and unmet expectations. But when we nurse those frustrations, when we let them take up real estate in our hearts and minds, they begin to shape how we see the world—and how we see God.

The slow drift happens quietly. What begins as a bad mood can settle into a habit of negativity. Discontent takes root, and before long, bitterness begins to bloom. Joy fades. Hope feels distant. Our hearts become closed off—less tender, less trusting, less alive.
C.S. Lewis warns of this slow but dangerous progression in The Great Divorce:

“Hell begins with a grumbling mood, always complaining, always blaming others. But you are still distinct from it. You may even criticize it in yourself and wish you could stop it. But there may come a day when you can no longer. Then there will be no you left to criticize the mood or even to enjoy it, but just the grumble itself going on forever like a machine. It’s not a question of God ‘sending’ us to hell. In each of us, there is something growing, which will BE hell unless it is nipped in the bud.”

Lewis is warning us of how easily a complaining spirit can overtake us. What begins as a passing mood can slowly become a permanent state—a habit of heart that grows and isolates us, cutting us off from joy, from others, and from God. Eventually, the grumbling becomes so ingrained that it feels impossible to turn back.

But God, in His kindness, pursues us with a better way.

Gratitude isn’t about pretending life is perfect. It’s not putting a happy face over pain or denying that hard things are hard. Rather, gratitude is an intentional turning of the heart toward God’s goodness, even in the midst of life’s messiness. It’s a posture of trust, a quiet acknowledgment that God is still present, still working, and still holding us—even when circumstances give us little reason to feel thankful.

Gratitude isn’t just a positive mindset—it’s a spiritual response to God’s constant goodness and grace.

When we choose to give thanks, even for small and ordinary things, it does something profound to our hearts. Gratitude softens us. It steadies us. It pulls us back from bitterness and resets our perspective. It opens our eyes to see God’s presence not only in the mountaintop moments but also in the valleys, the quiet spaces, and even the seasons of waiting and loss.

This is why Paul could write about the peace of God that “transcends all understanding” while sitting in a prison cell (Philippians 4:6-7). His situation was bleak, but his heart was anchored in gratitude. He knew firsthand that thanksgiving is not tied to comfort or ease—it’s rooted in the unshakable character of God.

The Smallest Thanks Can Change Everything.

One of the most meaningful, accessible things about gratitude is that it doesn’t have to be grand or elaborate. It can be as simple as thanking God for breath in your lungs, a quiet sunrise, the kindness of a friend, or the spouse sleeping next to you.

Even the smallest expressions of thanks can turn our hearts back to God.

I’ve found that on the hardest days and seasons, when gratitude feels like the last thing I want to reach for, it’s also the thing I need the most. Not because it changes my circumstances, but because it changes me. It reminds me that God is near.

God’s goodness is not dependent on how my day, week, month—or life—is going. That even when life feels uncertain, unstable, or unfair, God’s love is steady and sure.

Gratitude grounds us in that truth. It draws us out of ourselves and back to the One who holds all things together.

The practice of gratitude doesn’t come naturally to most of us. We’re hardwired to notice and name what’s lacking, what’s hard, what’s frustrating. But what if we began to train our eyes to see God’s hand in every part of our lives?

What if we noticed His grace not only in the blessings we expect but also in the interruptions, the delays, the seasons of waiting? What if we thanked God for His goodness not only after we’ve secured a win, but also after we’ve suffered a loss? What if our response to life on life’s sometimes harsh terms was “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Hm, who have been called according to His purpose” and that nothing in all creation “will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:28, 39).

This is not about minimizing pain but about recognizing that God is often doing His deepest work in places we want most to avoid. Gratitude doesn’t erase suffering, but it can keep our hearts soft in the midst of it.

May we become people who notice God’s sovereign, loving hand in every season. People who allow gratitude to shape our hearts and keep them tender, humble, alive to His grace, and expectant of His goodness.

Gratitude is not a one-time decision—it’s a daily practice. Like any habit worth forming, it requires intentionality.

Maybe it’s pausing each morning to name three things you’re thankful for.
Maybe it’s ending the day by writing down where you sensed God’s presence.
Maybe it’s whispering a quiet “thank you” in the middle of a hard moment.

Small habits like these can begin to shift the posture of our hearts. Over time, they can loosen the grip of negativity and open us up to joy—even in the midst of difficulty.

Gratitude is not about ignoring the hard parts of life; it’s about refusing to let them harden us.

One of the most freeing truths we can hold onto is this: there is always something to thank God for.

Always.
Not because life is always good, but because God is.

Paul didn’t write the Philippians about peace and gratitude from an ivory tower; he wrote those words from a prison cell. His circumstances were grim, yet his heart was anchored in something deeper. He knew that gratitude doesn’t rise and fall with our circumstances—it’s rooted in the steadfast love of God.

This is our invitation too.
To lean into God’s goodness.
To trust that He is near.
To let gratitude soften what grumbling would harden.

So, maybe today is one of those days when frustration feels louder than joy. Maybe your heart feels heavy, and gratitude seems out of reach.

But even now, there’s a way back.

Oh grumbling heart, be still.
You are not at the point of no return.
Repentance and rest await you.

May we become people who notice the good and name it.
May we be quick to thank God for the small and ordinary gifts we so often overlook.
May we let gratitude soften our hearts, steady our souls, and pull us back to the grace that holds us fast.

There is always something to thank Him for.
Even here.
Even now.

IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE

It finally happened. I stood in “the middle of nowhere” last week.

That is correct. I was in the middle of NOWHERE. There was nothing on the horizon in any direction.

Growing up, I often heard my mother utter the phrase, “This feels like we are in the middle of NOWHERE.” That observation usually took place while Dad was driving us somewhere.

I recall the fear of being forever lost when Mom spoke those words, “the middle of NOWHERE.” I admit I never felt whatever she was feeling. I just remember it never sounded like a compliment to Dad’s navigational skills.

The directional assistance of computer-generated Siri had not been invented yet. Our family had a dad who followed his instincts rather than stopping to ask someone for directions. We also had Mom and a map she could not read.

I do think this current generational Siri could possibly have been influenced by my mom’s spirit. Siri is never without an opinion, never wrong, and never silent. I rest my case.

I did not need Mom to tell me this place felt like the middle of NOWHERE. Even Siri did not KNOW WHERE we were.

To circumvent winter storm travel problems, I chose an unfamiliar route. I tell this with a sigh somewhere ages and ages hence. I came to where two roads diverged. I took the one less traveled. Yes, Robert Frost, it made all the difference.

I was somewhere beyond the Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado observational posts. The location did not show up on any Google map.

“NOWHERE” supposedly represents a place that does not exist or is not readily identifiable.

The middle of NOWHERE” is an idiom description of a completely isolated location, far away from any people, towns, or structures. This place fulfilled all those measurements. It definitely existed and would never be identifiable as anywhere else than NOWHERE.

I can assure you that NOWHERE is not in the proximity of Somewhere and cannot be seen from Anywhere. Neither is NOWHERE considered part of Everywhere. In fact, that would be a contradiction. NOWHERE and Everywhere cannot coexist.

All that uncertainty contributes to the dilemma of how one can KNOW WHERE NOWHERE begins or ends. I did not have Mom’s feeling of Nowhereville; but I could not see anywhere else.

It was NOWHERE to the North and East. The South offered no escape from NOWHERE. The West had all the signs that I was definitely in the middle of NOWHERE.

Suddenly, a tumbleweed appeared out of NOWHERE as it rolled through the wind. Just as quickly, the tumbleweed was gone, NOWHERE to be seen.

This remote wasteland had no human habitation and no infrastructure. Every direction was flat. There were no animals or vegetation other than dead weeds. This was just a vast open space… a wilderness. 

There was one exception. 

Nothing was in sight except a distant small bush. I moved close enough to confirm it was not a burning bush. So, I did not take off my shoes.

Have you ever had a thought come out of NOWHERE? I found the place it came from. I was finally there.

I thought this area certainly did not look like Paradise, but I have never been there either. Suddenly the music from Joni Mitchell came out of NOWHERE.

Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got
Till it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

I did not see a paved parking lot. However, I did wonder if that small green growth in the middle of NOWHERE might be the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Everything about it signaled, “Do not touch.”

No thank you, Eve. I will just look and not eat…even though that might be the only way to get kicked out of this NOWHERE land.

There were no signs designating this location as the middle of NOWHERE and I cannot tell you how I got to NOWHERE.

However, there was no doubt I was there. If you ever end up in the middle of NOWHERE, I am certain you will KNOW WHERE you are.

I remember the time I questioned one of my teenagers where he was going. As the door closed, his answer was short and simple, “Probably Nowhere.”

When he returned home, I asked where he had been. He shrugged and mumbled, “Nowhere really.”

I asked if he had a good time to which he responded, “Yeah, it was ok.”

I said, “Well that is good because you are going NOWHERE for the next week. That way I will KNOW WHERE you are and that you are having fun.”

Things ended far worse for Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, when he falsely claimed he “had been NOWHERE.” His resulting leprosy lasted more than a week (2 Kings 5:25-27).

NOWHERE is a difficult place to describe. It is almost impossible to give directions to the middle of NOWHERE or offer suggestions for an escape.

Just the experience caused the words from the classic song by the Beatles to roll into my mind like a tumbleweed out of NOWHERE.

He’s a real NOWHERE man
Sitting in his NOWHERE land
Making all his NOWHERE plans for nobody
Doesn’t have a point of view
Knows not where he’s going to
Isn’t he a lot like you and me?

I have a couple of questions for anyone still with me. (My mind will not let this go.)

How do you give someone directions to or out of NOWHERE? 

Is NOWHERE the farthest place from Somewhere? 

Do you have to go to NOWHERE before you have been Everywhere?

This strange location in the middle of NOWHERE was somewhere far beyond the boonies and past the outback. I could see the horizon in every direction with no sight of anyone or any human infrastructure.

How could I call for help when there was no cell service?

I remain quite baffled about my recent experience. NOWHERE is a place that does not exist. So, how did I get to NOWHERE when I was going Somewhere?

I can testify that sadness can come out of NOWHERE. I was happy going somewhere. Now I wondered if I would ever see happiness again.

That sounds like our spiritual journeys. Sometimes that journey feels as if it is going NOWHERE.

Many people do not like where they are physically or spiritually. The sense of some other place or another moment being better can be very strong as they try to get to a better somewhere. They lose their happiness and fear they will never see it again.

Sometimes, our minds feel as if life is stuck in the middle of NOWHERE; but uncertainty or dislike of circumstances are not characteristics of NOWHERE.

Take courage, o my soul. You are never NOWHERE spiritually. That place does not exist.

There is NOWHERE I can be where God is not with me. God is the air I breathe everywhere, anywhere, and even in the middle of NOWHERE.

In spiritual concerns, NOWHERE should be NOW HERE. GOD IS ALWAYS NOW HERE even in the middle of NOWHERE.

Learning to love first and most is part of your spiritual journey with Jesus. Loving is part of being, not doing. Therefore, the journey never ends up NOWHERE.

Whenever you find yourself in the middle of NOWHERE, it is an invitation to get closer to God. 

  • Remember that Enoch walked with God until he was NOWHERE to be found (Genesis 5:24).
  • Moses had NOWHERE that was safe until God opened a way to blessings (Exodus 14:21-22).
  • The Israelites learned there was NOWHERE to go but follow God (Joshua 14:9).
  • Isaiah discovered there was NOWHERE to rest but with God (Isaiah 32:18).
  • Jonah had NOWHERE to run but to God (Jonah 1:1-3).
  • David had NOWHERE to stand until God set him on a rock (Psalm 40:1-3).
  • When the rich man had NOWHERE to store his crops, he trusted in building bigger barns rather than trusting his life to God (Luke 12:17).
  • When Thomas felt stuck in the middle of NOWHERE, Jesus told him and us, “I am the Way…Follow me” (John 14:4-5-6).

I repeat for emphasis. WHENEVER YOU FIND YOURSELF IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, IT IS AN INVITATION TO GET CLOSER TO GOD. 

I consider this a great quest for us this year.

My prayer for you and me is taken from Native Americans missionary David Brainard’s New Year’s prayer in 1746.

“O THAT I MIGHT LIVE NEARER TO GOD THIS YEAR THAN I DID THE LAST!”

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CHRISTMAS WAR & PEACE

I am sharing some thoughts about the concept, conflict, and cause of the private war being waged in our minds. Christmas time is no exception. Sometimes the war escalates. If you are willing, I want to take you on a sleigh ride through this seasonal struggle.

War and Peace, written by Leo Tolstoy, is considered one of the world’s greatest novels. I was forced to read it in high school and later in college. With apologies to my mom, all my English teachers, and book loving friends, I did not understand War and Peace or appreciate its magnificence.

The names just sounded like Russian gibberish to me. It would have been easier to follow the plot twists if their names were Fred and Wilma, Barney and Betty, Pebbles and Dino.

The novel’s backdrop is war and peace and then war again between the French Napoleon and the Russian Czar. The story follows family conflicts played out in the minds of individuals experiencing plot twists of happiness and hopelessness, trust and betrayal, as well as multiple trips to the lost and found love store.

War is a frightening and destructive thing. Hostile conflict produces terror and tragedy both in nations and individuals. Even the Peace of Christmas time is often marked by interpersonal conflicts.

I am more familiar with the historical events written in God’s novel about real individuals facing similar outward and inward War and Peace struggles. I read in awe about the traumatic suffering of Job, the soap-opera darkness of Legion, the journey to the bottom of the barrel by the prodigal son, the painful grief of lost love from Ruth, and the undesirable circumstances that made up the nightmare dreams of Joseph.

These historical accounts were divinely written for our encouragement and hope in the midst of our Private War in search for Inner Peace.

Tragically, too many of us are familiar with that personal warfare. We war against ourselves. The internal strife is worsened as we spiral into despair over unpleasant circumstances or overwhelming anxieties.

We fight ourselves and no one wins. Sadly, there is no peace and, often, no hope. This private war finds a battleground in our mind and traces its source back to our heart. The battle just continues day in and night out.

GOD’S CHRISTMAS GIFT TO US IS THE SOLUTION TO OUR PRIVATE WAR.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and his name shall be called Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). God so loved the world that He gave His only Son as the gift of everlasting life (John 3:16). Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace! (Luke 2:14). Do not be troubled or afraid (John 14:27).

Jesus is the Christmas gift—Though an army camps all around me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident (Psalm 27:3).

Life. Love. Peace. Hope–Christ in us.

THEN, WHY DOES THIS WAR CONTINUE TO RAGE INSIDE US?

It is a fight with our own selfish desires. All conflict, inward and outward, finds its roots in unmet or unrealistic expectations (James 4:1).

Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. The wars come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourself. You blame others and take your hostility out on them.

You end up waging war against your own soul. (1 Peter 2:11).

Where do you start the Christmas version of War and Peace?

HAPPINESS AND PEACE COME FROM GOD’S WORD IN YOUR HEART…NOT FROM YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES.

God’s Word is your sword and shield. It is peace for your heart (John 16:33). God will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord! (Isaiah 26: 3).

YOUR MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING ARE NOT SHAPED BY YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT RATHER BY HOW YOU VIEW THEM.

The War for Peace begins in the heart for control of your mind in how you think and feel about life.

How do you see your life? Does it feel more like a curse than a blessing? Do you think your circumstances are more hell-bent than heaven-sent?

One of the War and Peace novel’s main characters offered his friend in despair a pathway to peace of mind. “Think less and appreciate more.”

EMBRACE LIFE MORE AS A BLESSING THAN A BURDEN.

God taught us that one’s view of life comes from how he thinks in his heart.

You do have a choice. You can think yourself into despair over the endless worries of what happened or might happen. That is a well-marked road which leads over-thinkers to dead-end anger, anxiety, or apathy toward God or others.

God did not answer Job’s cry of “Why?” Instead, God pointed to His greatness and goodness beyond Job’s comprehension.

Will your restless soul learn to view life without the self-tormenting questions of “Why?” Like Job, you have a choice to raise the white flag of surrender to trust God’s greatness and goodness on your behalf.

War and Peace could find a truce this Christmas. The New Year could embrace a new view of life.

Tolstoy wrote of Pierre’s heart and body in captivity now freed by the philosophical influence of his poor friend, Platon. (I might have the characters wrongly identified, so replace them with our name.)

“Now he (you) had learnt to see the great, the eternal and the infinite in everything… and now took pleasure in observing the ever-changing, infinitely great and unfathomable life that surrounded him.”

That same pathetic, yet heroic, War and Peace sufferer also expressed his unshakeable faith in God in the midst of great hardship with this simple formula for contentment in life:

“The great thing is to get on with other people.“

There it is. Tolstoy offers the novel idea that was spoken into existence through endless ages. Every page of the #1 Textbook reminds us:

“Treat others the way you wish to be treated...Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another just as God has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32).

LOVE IS WHAT MAKES LIFE WORTH LIVING.

Happiness is not a matter of freedom over captivity, or fun over suffering, or health over sickness. It is not dependent on the size of the pile or the depth of the pit. Happiness is connected to a love more influential than any unwanted or unpleasant circumstance.

LOVE IS WHAT MAKES LIFE WORTH LIVING.

In God’s Word I read about those who became more than conquerors in their Private Wars for Peace and Happiness when they found a love that made life worth living.

Job chose to live in love despite the tragic circumstances. “The Lord gave me everything I have, and they were His to take away. Blessed be the name of the Lord…Though God slays me, I will still trust and place my hope in Him.”

Legion regained control of his mind and went everywhere talking about the greatness of God’s love. The broken, disillusioned prodigal son came to his senses and found love in his father’s embrace.

Faced with heart crushing pain and poverty, Ruth told her grief-sickened mother-in-law, “I will go where you go, live where you live, and your God will be my God.” Ruth chose to live in faith and love shaped by the providence of her God.

Hated, abandoned, enslaved, betrayed, and imprisoned Joseph said it best about how one views his/her life. His heart and mind were shaped by God’s love instead of circumstances he never dreamed about. “God turned into good what others meant for my evil.”

There is a war for control of your mind. We battle GUILT, worry, anxiety, fear, stress, insecurity, resentment, bitterness, and unforgiveness.

We need to learn how to guard, strengthen, and renew our mind as well as our heart.

How?

*DO NOT BE LED ASTRAY FROM THE SIMPLICITY OF LOVING JESUS FIRST AND MOST.

How?

*Sit down with God’s Word and some soothing music.

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.

Take your thoughts captive and bring them back to God with your heart’s desire to live and love like Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

How?

*DO NOT BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU THINK. (That is wisdom from God’s heavenly letters as well as Tolstoy’s earthly War and Peace.)

Just because you think and feel something does not make it true. We all get confused and delusional because our self-centeredness distorts reality. Your heart and mind are more deceitful than anyone or anything else (Jeremiah 17:9).

Do not trust your thinking or your feelings. Trust God’s Word. It is ALWAYS and FOREVER relevant and reliable, trustworthy and true.

Listen and consider this practical advice from God, the caretaker of your soul:

Give your anxious thoughts to God…Pray (talk to God) about everything…and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Think about good things (Philippians 4:6-8).

The Christmas War has been won. God is with us. God is for us. God loves you and God likes you. Yes, God likes you, so smile a little. Feel the peace in your mind and heart.

How?

*Preach to yourself. Pray truth into your soul, mind, and heart.

Here is one of my multi-daily prayers. This is how I fight my thoughts and feelings with the truth all year long!

Thank you, Lord for loving me FIRST and MOST.

Thank you for loving me ALWAYS and FOREVER.

Thank you for your love that WILL NEVER BE ANYTHING LESS than

IMMEASURABLY LIMITLESS and INFINITELY ENDLESS.

Help me to love You and others with that SAME KIND OF LOVE!

I am praying for great blessings on you and yours this season and into next year.

May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you (Jude 1:2).

Christmas 2024

Christmas Love fills the mind with wonder yet surpasses my understanding. Its width, length, height. and depth exceed immeasurable, incomprehensible, and infinite.

Christmas Peace offers forgiveness which leaves no blemish and no trace of my flaws, falls, and fails.

Christmas Hope suffers long, endures much, and eagerly looks for the good in others.

Christmas Prayers ask for you and I to realize how blessed we are.
Prayers we live in love, peace, and hope even in the toughest moments.

Prayers that our souls  awaken to love first and love most…every day…every one…every time.

Merry Christmas!
EYES UP!
Love you.

JUST A CONTAINER

CHRISTMAS THOUGHTS 2024

Singing O Holy Night

When I thought of that manger cradle
Just one of many trees planted by God
Cut down and shaped by others
Just a container for food and water 
Just a dirty vessel
With no idea of any usefulness 

Just a container
Placed by circumstances 
Surrounded by a loving couple 
UNTIL
The Christ was placed inside 
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head 

But now…a container of Glory
A vessel of the greatest Love 
The spotlight of the Christmas Star 
The echo chamber of the angels
Filling heaven with joy
The Glory of God inside a manger cradle

Singing O Holy Night

Then I thought about a little boy
Just one of many little ones planted by God
Shaped and molded by others
Just a container for food and water 
Just a dirty vessel 
With no idea of any usefulness 

Just a container
Placed by circumstances  
Surrounded by a loving couple 
UNTIL
The Christ was placed inside
The Lord Jesus made that little heart his home

But now…a container of Glory
A vessel of the greatest love
The spotlight of the Christmas Star 
The echo chamber of the angels
Filling heaven with joy
The Glory of God inside a little boy

Singing O Holy Night

Fall on your knees 
Hear the angels’ voices
Christ in me
The Hope of glory
O night divine
When I was born again in Christ 

Truly Jesus taught us to love one another 
Indwelt by the wondrous mystery 
My soul has felt its worth 
A thrill of hope 
A weary world rejoices
Yonder breaks a new and glorious morn

Singing O Holy Night
 
Now just an aging body
A container of the greatest love
Bound for glory 
Forever-expanding Glory
Never-ending Glory
O sing my ageless soul. Sing!

Singing O Holy Night!

Let all that is within me 
Praise His glorious Name
His power and glory in me
His power and glory in you 
Just containers
Of uncontainable Glory

Christ is the Lord!
Praise His Name this season and forever
Sweet hymns of joy 
In grateful chorus sing
Let all within us
Praise His holy name

Just containers…
Containers of uncontainable Glory
 
Singing O Holy Night!

YOUR FAMILY CHRISTMAS STORY

Do you have a family Christmas story? For some, the season is highlighted by family reunions. Others send a family Christmas letter or a social media snapshot which share the past year’s fun and facts. Those holiday letters filled with anecdotes or bragging can make you laugh or gag.

One consistent denominator is every family tries to shine the light on the good parts while working to bury their family skeletons. It is called ‘editing.’ Most reports present the family Christmas version as if it were a resume for Family of the Year. The reality version would qualify for Nightmare on Elm Street.

We recently received a holiday photo letter update where the background for the family portrait looked like the Botanical Gardens. Their home could be a cover for Southern Living. The mother’s award-winning recipes were shared as if she had won Top Chef. Their kids are successful, and their grandkids are both cute and brilliant.

While reading this glorious epistle, I looked around our house. The room is a mess. We are sick with the flu. We have a pile of laundry and a bigger pile of debt. Our grandchild just picked his nose and is faced with the momentous decision of whether to eat it or feed it to the dog.

The family I grew up in was not any different. No Christmas celebration mentioned that Grandfather Joel was an abusive alcoholic who abandoned his wife and four young sons.

We did not send out the Christmas story that my dad’s family fled like refugees. My five-year-old Dad carried the baby while the older brothers carried all the family belongings in pillow sacks. My uneducated grandmother relocated the family home in a chicken coup. Holiday Greetings! It was a chicken poop year.

Our Christmas memories never acknowledged that our great-great grandfather fought in the Civil War…for both sides! Captain Morrison’s military legacy included his time as a prisoner of war…also on both sides. Neither the Yankees nor the Rebels wanted him. He was gunned down by a renegade party apparently wearing different colored uniforms.

We were told not to mention our close kinship to ‘Pretty Boy’ Floyd, the infamous bank robber with Robin Hood popularity among the working class. My maternal grandfather considered any connection to “Pretty Boy” to be both shameful and embarrassing. No Christmas card mentioned the moonshiners or included pictures of snuff-sniffen’ Aunt Savannah.

We did not share the losses, the failures, and the emotional struggles.

I remember one of our family Christmas stories that circulated through the “I don’t care” recipients.

Gerald had another good football season. Bea made her famous fudge. Rex is still a perfect angel. Bill broke his arm when his brother pulled him off the bed. Little Joe branded his leg and rear end when he came running out of the bath and slipped onto the furnace. Cassius, the dog, got out of the pen again and made his annual holiday visit to his girl across town.

On a more positive note, our family line is connected to English royalty. We are also related to one of the most influential preachers of all time, Charles Spurgeon, and to the warrior American Indian chief, King Philip.

Christmas was always a high note for the family I grew up in. My parents never diminished the preeminent priority of Jesus as God’s priceless and precious gift of Christmas past, present, and future. Our family was not wealthy, but Christmas time was always special.

My mom was a poor coal miner’s daughter. She explained the reality of the ‘spirit of Santa’ in a manner that rivals the famous editorial, “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.”

My purpose is to consider Jesus’ family Christmas story as chronicled in Matthew 1, the gospel that serves as a swinging gate between the Old and New Testaments. Jesus is presented as the Christ, the Messiah, the King of Kings. Jesus is the center of history from the Genesis beginning to the endless future recorded in Revelation.

It is no accident that Matthew’s account begins with Jesus’ earthly family tree. Matthew had a Jewish heritage and a professional career as a tax collector for the Roman government. That made him very familiar with the Biblical prophecy and the Jewish family lineage connected to the promised Christ.

In the middle of Matthew’s gospel is the big question asked by Jesus of his followers. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter responded, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

The Christmas story can be summarized in that glorious declaration, “God is with us.” The Creator of the universe became a person to live among us, to die for us, to dwell in us, and to reign over us.

Take your Bible and look at how Matthew begins the family Christmas story with three primary characteristics of Jesus.

  • His Royalty (the son of David)
  • His Humanity (the seed of Abraham)
  • His Deity (from the Holy Spirit)

Interestingly, that is exactly how Paul introduces Jesus in the Book of Romans. We usually skip over this introductory section in Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus. Why? The list of names is long and boring. This genealogical version includes forty-seven names of forty-two generations. We do not know these people.

It is like sitting through a graduation ceremony where your main interest is one person. Your attention span is directly linked to where his/her name lines up in the alphabet. We treat this Scriptural section like the fast-forwarded credits at the end of a movie.

Matthew’s account goes back to Abraham. Luke’s records go back to Adam. John traces the family story back to the beginning with God.

The family tree could be labeled with the movie title, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

  1. Abraham-the father of our faith. His nickname might have been Pinocchio, because he always lied to save his hide. He was an habitual liar, but he believed God. He had a lot of skeletons in his closet that were not hidden from heaven’s view. The divinely edited version calls Abraham “the friend of God.”
  2. Isaac, the son of Abraham—He was used as a picture of the coming Son of God who would be sacrificed in our place in order to save us. As a dad, Isaac foolishly blessed the wrong son.
  3. Jacob, the con man—His name meant “trickster or pretender.” He was a perpetual liar and cheater, but this heavenly edited version reminds us God gave him a new name with a new blessing. He and his descendants would be called Israel, the Prince and People of God.

Note: There was an earlier time that no one wanted to be linked to that family tree of liars, fools, and con men. By Matthew’s time, one had to be from the lineage of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to have any “street cred.”

4. Judah and his brothers were the twelve patriarch tree limbs of the family tree. Now, these great family markers were men of jealousy, rage, and revenge. These guys sold their brother, Joseph, into slavey and then lied to their father that he had been murdered.

5. Perez and Zephah were sons of Judah. Their mother was Tamar.

6. Tamar-Here is the first woman named in the family tree. That in and of itself was considered shameful to the Jewish family tradition. Her scandalous story needed editing to hide her unwed pregnancy as the result of an incestuous relationship caused by her seduction by a drunken father. Nobody wanted to talk about Tamar.

Note: I imagine Tamar was cut from the early social media family photos.

7. Next comes a bunch of hard-to-pronounce names which we would all want to skip over for the sake of brevity and disinterest unless one of them was your grandfather who was a veteran. You would be angry with the speaker who failed to recognize his contribution.

8. Rahab was the wife of Salmon—This is an attention getter in the family storyline. Look her up on Wikipedia. Rahab was a former prostitute, a street hooker, a harlot. She was Julia Roberts’ Pretty Woman. She believed God. The Lord used her to help God’s people take down the mighty fortress of Jericho. She was rescued by a scarlet thread, not a prince in his convertible. I am certain she was a woman of interest. Now, which one is she in the picture?

9. Rahab gave birth to Boaz who would become a successful and kind businessman. Boaz married Ruth, the outsider of this family. She was a foreigner from the country the entire family hated. Ruth was also a poor, grieving widow. She did not start out as a media darling or a welcomed addition to the family. Ruth became the great-grandmother of David, the greatest Israelite king.

10. We skip two generations to David—the little shepherd boy, the giant killer, the songwriter, the warrior king. The poster child of the family also needed some editing to his story because of the one he is standing beside in the family photo keepsake.

11. Bathsheba—David had an adulterous affair with the married Bathsheba and then ordered her husband murdered. He led his family and friends and nation into some dark spiritual places in an attempt to hide the sordid tale.

However, David’s character is forever written in God’s Word as “a man after God’s own heart.”

Note: Do you see a pattern here in this family tree? All these people related to Jesus have their life stories edited to a good ending. Their parts in the family story are recorded to give the rest of us encouragement and hope.

BEING RELATED TO JESUS CHANGES YOUR STORY TO GOOD. The bad parts are erased, the suffering parts are useful, and the worst actions are covered in the family portrait by the blood of Jesus.

There were fourteen generations to David and then fourteen more to Jesus.

We will skip the rest because of time. Look them up. Learn their story. It will not feel like a bad thing to be related to “Pretty Boy” Floyd.

12. Solomon, the son of an adulterous affair, becomes the wisest and wealthiest king in all of history. His mystifying grandeur was accompanied by an exploration into the foolish world of vanity.

13. Others carried labels such as rebel, slave, exiled, evil, half-hearted, unfaithful, idol worshiper, good guy. Then, there is the pogo stick king, Jumping Jehosaphat.

History is what it is. It cannot be rewritten. You and I cannot change where we came from. We cannot change our family members, although some try to. We cannot change our family experiences, good or bad.

However, by God’s grace, we can stand in the family picture next to Jesus. His Person creates a lens filter through which others see us in a more favorable light.

Our names are written in the family story with descriptions like “child of God” or “heroine of the faith” or “follower of Jesus” or “redeemed from slavery to sin” or “dear to God’s Heart” or “beloved family member” or “saved believer” or “the one whom Jesus is not ashamed to be his/her brother.” Some of you are described as “a bride adorned in beauty” or “a good soldier” or “the righteous one.”

Look at you in God’s family photo. “The apple of his eye…His vessel of honor…the dearly beloved…the called and chosen…the child of promise…His crown of glory.”

What about all those bad moments in your life? The skeleton in the closet? The moment of unfaithfulness? The bad attitude and even worse actions? What about the mistakes you made and the messes you caused?

What about family conflicts? What about those moments where you fell and failed? What about when you were the last, the least, and the lowest?

None of that is in the family Christmas story!

There is your picture and your name right next to Jesus. You are called “God’s joy…a new creation…God’s light in this world…the perfection of beauty…the one blessed forever…God’s masterpiece!”

Step back and see the big picture. Jesus LIVES in you to LEAD you to others He intends to LOVE through you.

God carries on His perfect plan with imperfect people. Jesus brings about individual change and generational change. The mistakes lead to miracles. The big messes produce the majestic colors of God’s masterpiece.

Take this to heart:

WE ARE ALL MORE SINFUL THAN WE COULD EVER DARE TO IMAGINE and WE ARE ALL MORE LOVED AND ACCEPTED AND BLESSED THAN WE COULD EVER DARE TO HOPE.

THAT IS OUR FAMILY CHRISTMAS STORY!

Here is our Christmas message: LOVE ONE ANOTHER! LOVE FIRST! LOVE MOST!

Parenting Advice (Please, No!)

I was sitting in my car eating lunch and catching up on some texts in the McDonalds’ parking lot. My reading was interrupted by loud arguments from a family exiting the fast-food restaurant. The mother and father were screaming at their crying little four-year-old girl. I discreetly rolled down my window so I could hear better.

The precious little girl definitely did not enjoy her Ronald McDonald playtime. Both parents were using strong language to scold her recent actions and attitude. Threats were made about future discipline. I tried not to look as if I were eavesdropping; but by now, my head was leaning out the window.

Their family car was parked right next to mine. The mother opened the back door of the car and yelled for the little girl to never act like that again or she would never have another Happy Meal. Then the mom ordered the sobbing daughter to get into the car. Both parents slammed their car doors as they took their places in the front seats.

I felt so sorry for this little, sniffling, teary-eyed, beautiful girl. Her parents were so mean. How could any parent be so impatient or cruel? She needed someone to care about her and her plight. I thought she might have the worst parents in the world.

This girl needed some encouragement. The entire world was not against her. This was an opportunity to love first and most. So, I leaned out the window and smiled at her. “It’s going to be ok.”

She looked up, stomped her feet, stuck her tongue out at me, and began blowing her lips with the sound of a Bronx cheer. “NYAAH.”

Her defiant tone was not cute; she was rude. I was aghast! I might have even mimicked her disrespectful gesture. I was trying to be cute. It became a showdown. I lost!

I immediately thanked the Lord for the wise parents of this little brat.

Parenting is not an easy no-mistakes endeavor. It also is not free from advice. Some parenting advice is helpful. Most is unsolicited. You will get advice from parents, in-laws, grandparents, siblings, relatives, friends, church members, and complete strangers.

Child psychologists and talk shows cover the subject. Family conferences, parenting workshops, books, and magazines offer parenting insights. I am not sure any of that really matters.

It seems as if everyone else knows exactly what and how to raise your child. The advice ranges from encouragement to condescension. Applause to condemnation. Helpful to humiliating. Well-meaning to hidden meaning.

Most parental advice makes you feel like a sad and bad person. Really sad and really bad.

I acted as if I appreciated the lady who offered her unsolicited “candy” suggestion. for the birthday pinata. Why did she feel that was necessary? Did she really think I was going to fill the piñata with broccoli bites?

Almost every parent tries to do his/her best. Certainly, the ones who might read this article. We all want the best for our kids. We make mistakes in our methods and manners, but not mistakes of the heart.

We tend to be judgmental of other parents and very blind to what might be in store for us. We do not know what the other parents are dealing with. We need to toss our presuppositions and misunderstandings in the wastebasket. Let’s also ditch our unwelcomed advice. Too often, our tongue outruns our brain.

Before we were blessed with children, my wife and I went out to eat with a young couple and their young children. We were embarrassed for them as the toddler ran screaming around the restaurant. He ignored their commands and pleas. Even bribes did not corral the chaos.

We were shocked when the one-year-old started eating everything with her hands. Her mouth and face were covered in mashed potatoes and gravy. So was her hair.

The parents seemed oblivious. The highchair tray had food floating around before it was scattered on the floor. As we waded out of the restaurant, I handed the waitress an extra tip. She looked up, stomped her feet, and stuck her tongue out at me and blurted, “NYAAH.”

We left there vowing that our kids would never behave like that in public or private.

Sometimes, you get to eat your words. The egg on your face is just as messy. Eventually, it becomes funny when your grandkids do those things you frowned on. You even take pictures of the cute darlings and post them on Facebook.

Why do kids act like little saints in the church classroom and then change teams on the ride home? Or why do they play together at the house, but fight like bitter enemies as soon as company arrives? I have no idea. I have only heard of such things. (Where is that sarcasm font?)

Parents wanted: No experience. No training. You are not allowed to quit. Little lives are at stake.

Let’s face it. No parent really has any idea what they are about to get into. Not at birth or in the nursery days. Not in the terrible two’s or the frightening teens. I once foolishly thought that when your children grow up and leave the house that your worries would decrease. I was clueless and mistaken!

Words change meanings. “No” means ask again. “I am talking to you mother’ is the signal for an emergency. “Time for bed” sends off the alarm announcing, “I need to start my school project that is due tomorrow.” Only when on the phone with a friend do you hear the beloved term “Mom” repeated seventy-four times.

Every child is different. Every parent is naïve. You just keep hoping that you will do better on the next one. Until you find that the next ones were divinely designed to be more challenging. Oh, the immeasurable wisdom of God! He knows exactly what we need to learn how to really love.

You have a story. Some of it is still being written. God always writes the last chapter, and it will be wonderful.

Give yourself some grace. We are not perfect. We learn and grow. We would like to do some things over and better. That does not make you a terrible parent. It defines you as a real person.

There is no such thing as a non-dysfunctional family. Do not judge your parenting skills by someone else’s social posts and pictures or their annual Christmas letter. Do not condemn your efforts based on some current challenge in your son or daughter’s life.

Learn to love first and love most. Pray and work to get better at understanding how to do that. The #1 Textbook has it covered.

Love your kids (whatever their age) in the same way that Jesus loves you. When you mess up, you are forgiven. When you fall down, you are lifted up. When you feel discouraged, you are praised. When you fail, you are taught.

God gave you that child or children or the blessing of caring for someone else’s children. God knew exactly where you would be strong and where you would be weak. Where you would shine and where you would mess up. God knows exactly what you needed to step into a higher plane of love.

Do what you think is best. Your children grow up way too fast. You will have to learn how to install a car seat and erect a swing set. You will need a truck load of batteries and an even bigger supply of patience. You will watch Frozen or Marvel Movies or something like them for thirty-five days in a row. You will answer questions you have never heard before. You will shout instructions until your voice retires for the night.

About the time you learn how to change a diaper and burp an upset stomach, you are chasing a wild screaming toddler around the room. It will feel like a blender on full speed with the top off.

Let me save you a phone call. No, you are not insured “for Mayhem like this.“

They surprise you. They delight you. They drive you crazy.

There will be sleep deprivation. There will be times you are held hostage by their demands or your promises. There will be moments where the only way to get their attention is for you to sit down with a cup of coffee and get comfortable.

Before you can make a couple of laps through the cluttered house, you are carpooling to school and racking your brain through homework that you vowed never to do again. Once the routine sets in, it is disrupted by school activities which lead to more friends and longer texts and fewer talks.

You figure out a plan that works for the whole family, but there are not enough days on the calendar. Then the calendar keeps changing years every time you check it. Before you blink twice, the kids are headed off to college or work or a new family. Time moves too fast to analyze and improve your parenting skills.

You just adapt and get better. You do the best you can at the time. Wisdom comes later. Maybe, that is why so many insist on interjecting their opinions into your situation. They wish they had a do-over.

All of us wish for that. Not just to erase mistakes, but to cherish the moments of joy and love. You are left with memories and pictures and notes. Maybe a text. I suggest one technique I borrowed from the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond.

It’s called editing. Edit out the bad moments. Do not dwell on the mistakes. Focus on the good memories. I am pretty sure the idea comes from the #1 Textbook. “Love covers a multitude of mistakes.”

God loves you. The mistakes are covered. The messes have been forgiven. Cherish the good moments.

Yes, if I could do it again, I would do it all better. More importantly, I would do it all with more joy. However, the past is gone, and the present is fleeting by too fast. We need to make today count.  

Hug your kids, whatever their ages. Brag on them. If you are physically separated from them, encourage them with a text or call. Above all, pray for them. They need your prayers more than your parenting advice.

You invested in their lives. Trust God to produce good dividends. Hope that they will take your love to an even higher level with your grandkids. It’s the cycle of life.

I offer no advice and certainly share no criticism. I know you have done and are doing and will do the best you can. I applaud you and cheer you on.

Look to the One who loves you first and most. Imitate God, as beloved children. And walk in love just as Christ loved us” (#1 Textbook).

I love you. I love my wife who has done far better than she gives herself credit. I love my children and grandchildren. I’m still trying to do the best I can and with God’s help, I will do better.

I wish the same for you.

If you wish to correct me on something in this post or desire to enlighten me on a better way, then “NYAAH!”

THE STEWARDSHIP OF SUFFERING

ALL OF LIFE IS A STEWARDSHIP.

All of life is a gift from God to be lived in grateful honor to God and love to others.

That certainly includes your talents, things, and time.

It also includes your suffering, pain, and grief.

I think we all would like more of the former and less of the latter. Our prayers ask God for better talent with more things and time. We pray for no or at least less suffering, pain, and grief.

The only thing more painful than going through suffering is someone sharing another lesson about suffering. Sorry to add to your suffering.

I want to start our consideration of suffering and stewardship with the facts, not our feelings. What is the truth when we are buried in our sufferings? Is it worth it?

  • GOD’S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE IS REVEALED THROUGH GOD’S WORD.

God saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in God’s Word! (Psalm 139:16).

God’s word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105).

For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).

Since we are God’s children, we will share his treasures—for all God gives to his Son Jesus is now ours too. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering (Romans 8:17).

OK, we are not arguing with God about his plan and all the future goodness (glory) we will receive. But what about this part about present time suffering?

IS IT WORTH IT?

Let me insert my descriptions of present suffering and future glory into this discussion even though you know what suffering feels like and have some idea about heavenly glory.

Suffering is the loss of something you want, such as the loss of a loved one, the loss of good health, or the loss of security. Suffering is also the addition to your life of something you did not want, i.e., cancer, stress, problematic circumstances.

Our future glory is all the immeasurable and infinite goodness of God wrapped up in Jesus Christ now in us who wait for its full and final revelation.

So, I ask again, is it worth it for your stewardship of life to include suffering, pain, and grief? Let us ask God.

  • For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18).

Does your future ‘glory’ seem so small and of no account compared to your present ‘suffering’? Sure, it does today. ‘Suffering’ is real. Suffering can consume your thoughts and feelings. It can even take over your life.

Whenever your suffering is considered ‘out of context’, it will overcome everything else. Your thinking becomes impaired. You lose sight of the horizon. Your measurements of worth get messed up.

Here is a reminder from God’s Word to help you refocus on reality. God’s future goodness is far greater than your present suffering.

I am not downplaying the reality and the severity of your suffering. Suffering is real, hard, and painful, but there needs to be more to your suffering than it just being felt.

Your ‘present real-time suffering’ needs to be considered in the context of ‘the future glory to be revealed’ that is guaranteed by God’s absolute sovereignty, undeniable truthfulness, and proven faithfulness.  

The future glory is beyond all comparison. Really? How do we know?

The biblical word for glory in this passage is a description of ‘weight,’ something with substance, incalculable reality. In his Exodus revelation of his glory to Moses, God described it as His immeasurable goodness to the undeserving. In the New Testament, God’s glory is manifested in the life and love of Jesus, God’s gift to and in us who believe.

God encourages us to do what Paul, the writer of Romans, did. Consider this. Calculate the two. Do the math. Weigh them on the scales.

SUFFERING vanishes into the air when compared to Future GOODNESS. It is not even close. Suffering does not even register on the scales of worth and it does not subtract any time from eternal happiness.

Well, those are just words, not real-life experiences. Let me remind you who wrote those divinely inspired words. Listen to what he knew about suffering.

I worked harder than anyone. I was put in jail many, many times. I was whipped to the legal limit and beyond more times than one can count. I faced death again and again and again. Five different times the religious leaders oversaw me given their terrible thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once they threw rocks at me until they thought I was dead. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I was in the open sea all night and the whole next day. 

I traveled many weary miles and have often been in great danger from flooded rivers and from robbers and endangered in front of so-called friends and sworn enemies. I faced grave dangers (“You said grave danger.” “Is there any other kind?…shout out to the movie, A Few Good Men)…grave dangers from mobs in the cities and from death in the deserts. Grave dangers in the stormy seas and from fake friends.

I lived with weariness and pain and sleepless nights. I was often hungry and thirsty and without food. I shivered with cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

Besides all this, I had constant worry for loved ones and restless nights praying for brothers and sisters who could not have a good relationship with one another. I shared their sadness and bore their burdens. I helped some people spiritually and I was spiritually hurt by others.

Oh, by the way, I was also blind for a while, and I never got any time off from this ‘thorn in the flesh’ stuff that had me begging for relief.

Paul’s conclusion: All my suffering is not worth being compared to God’s promise of future goodness. NO COMPARISON.

Why did all that suffering happen to Paul? (1) To make him more Christlike in his life and love and (2) to encourage you to do the same.

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have HOPE (Romans 15:4).

HOPE: the confident expectation of experiencing all the future goodness God has promised…Somehow…Someway…Sometime.

We live in a world with many hopeless people. You suffer as well, maybe even more than most; however, you have HOPE.

We confidently and joyfully look forward to actually becoming all that God has had in mind for us (to live and love like Jesus). We also rejoice in our sufferings, problems, and troubles, because we know they are good for us and help us to learn Christlike character, hope, and love (Romans 5:2-5)

We rejoice in HOPE of the glory of God. Not only that, but we also rejoice in suffering …WHAT???

Back to God’s Word.

  • After you have suffered a little while, our God who is full of goodness in Christ, will personally pick you up and put you back together stronger than ever (1 Peter 5:10).

Suffering, pain, and grief all have expiration dates. None lasts forever, not even the chronic hurts. Even the longest earthly times are ‘just a little while’ compared to imperishable eternal glory.

We do not like suffering, and I am not suggesting you go looking for it. We would all prefer a lifetime of Disneyland happiness. However, I do wish to address our wrong thoughts about suffering.

This real world is broken, futile, and vanity. It is chasing the wind while running in circles trying to catch a moment of happiness.

Sometimes, we feel abandoned or ignored by God. We feel lost and lonely in our hurt. We even battle thoughts that it is some kind of punishment for some recent or distant past wrongdoing. We suffer in blame and shame. WRONG!

In this world, we will have trouble. Jesus warned us that we would face trouble in this world; but He also encouraged us to experience its hope and happiness.

What is the truth about why you suffer?

Jesus left you an example to suffer like He suffered. Jesus saw it as a God-given stewardship (1 Peter 2:21).

We have ‘peace’ with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). The word peace means two have come together to be one with nothing to irritate or divide. The verb is in the continuous present tense. You have it today, tomorrow, the next day, and all the future endless days.

You have everlasting standing in the divine favor of God who transformed you from within. That is the ‘glory’ of God’s grace, which enables you to ‘rejoice in suffering and tribulation.’

The verse describes ‘crushing pressure’ that cause one to ‘be burdened down with stress and trouble.’ What happens? The pressure squeezes out what is inside you.

What is inside you? The life and love and power of Jesus.

Everyone suffers. It is part of living in this grand but fallen world. You and I suffer with Christ. Look for the joy and the hope.

REALITY CHECK: Now, how are you feeling? I know. About the same or worse. Maybe you added some guilt to your pain and suffering. You read or listened to the words, but you feel the same. The suffering, pain, and grief are still here.

Go listen to God. The will of God is revealed in the Word of God.

GOD’S WORD REJOICES IN THE INFINITE GREATNESS AND IMMEASURABLE GOODNESS OF GOD.

How you think about God influences your emotional responses to suffering. I was taught that every person is either a little-godder or a Big-Godder. How you see your God predetermines how you respond to all the suffering, pain, and grief you experience in life.

Suffering is real and it hurts. But it has no worth in comparison to God’s future goodness stored up for your happiness.

I care about you. I hurt with you and pray for you that you will take all your suffering and place it on the scales of God’s Word.

It will not lessen the suffering, but it will lighten the load.

What a legacy to leave behind to your family, loved ones, and those who do not yet know the hope of Jesus Christ as they consider how you had such hope and love in the midst of all that suffering!

Share the not so secret but often forgotten reality about your suffering, which is limited in time, weight, and worth.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

DO YOU NEED HOPE?

Do you need some hope today?

Today marks a time of change and chaos. A different president will lead our country while almost half the people did not vote confidence in his/her leadership. In truth, much of the feelings will be marked by anger and angst. The state of our world feeds anxiety. Some see the political results as the end of our world while others rejoice in how the world turns.

Do you have hope today?

Romans 15:13 expresses a wonderful prayer that God wants every believer to experience: “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

We can easily get swallowed up in darkness and despair, not just in political circumstances, but also in personal life. We need some reality of hope on our horizon.

God gave us a PROMISE and a PRAYER for you to embrace and share with others.

  • HOPE is the confident expectation that I will see and experience all the future good God has promised me…Somehow…Someway…Sometime.

No earthly events can stop that from happening. Read that verse again: “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Now comes a question: “Does that verse even come close to describing you? Can you honestly say that your life is filled with all joy and peace? Do you abound in hope?”

How would you rate yourself on a Scale of 1-10? JOY…PEACE…HOPE?

How would your family or co-workers or those who differ with you about politics or cultural issues rate you on “being filled with all joy and peace in believing and abounding in hope?”

To varying degrees, we all fall short of experiencing that divine promise. You might have lots of hope, some hope, little hope, no hope, even hopeless.

However, I cannot imagine anyone expressing no interest in having joy, peace, and abounding hope. Would you choose to be depressed, down, gloomy, negative? Do you prefer worry, anguish, turmoil, stress, chaos? Do you like hopelessness and living in despair? I doubt it.

I cannot imagine that any of you would vote for no more joy, no more peace, and no more HOPE.

This Winsday Wisdom is for you and me and for those we know who are in need of hope.

HOPE IS THE CONFIDENT EXPECTATION OF EXPERIENCING ALL THE FUTURE GOOD GOD HAS PROMISED…SOMEHOW…SOMEWAY…SOMETIME.

God’s Hope is a certainty, not a wish or a possibility or a mind over matter thing, like “hoping” it will rain, or “hoping” you win the lottery, or “hoping” you can change your circumstances by positive thinking.

God’s Hope is a divinely and eternally guaranteed promise.

God does not tell us how He is going to do it. God does not explain to us the way or the timing. God’s hope is a confident expectation, a steadfast certainty, a dependable reality.

My go-to verse is found at the end of Psalm 27. “I would have DESPAIRED unless I believed that I would still see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” That is HOPE!

A common factor among those who are depressed is that they lack hope. Discouraged people and those who are apathetic about life lack hope.

Angry people lack hope. Anxious people lack hope.

This Promise is a practical verse for us all as we navigate life’s trials!

The God of hope wants you to be filled with all joy and peace so that you will abound in hope.

How does that prayer become a reality in you? Let’s consider a few truths which never change with the changes of political leadership.

  1. God identified Himself as the God of Hope.

The Almighty God is the sole source and giver of hope. In this verse, the is a definitive article in the original Greek calling attention to emphasis. It literally translates God THE hope.

Hope is a Person. Romans 16.20 points to God THE Peace. If you know the Person, you have Hope and Peace.

There is nothing you can do better or that is more important than getting to know the Person of God…through the Word of God. That is the intent of the written Word of God. Romans 15:4:  For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

No matter what is going on in your life and in this world, you have a reason and the resources to hope! If you lack hope, the first place you should look is to God, who is the GIVER of true hope.

God is our God of hope, not just for tomorrow, not just for the future. He is the God of hope for today, our hope in the present.

HOPE is not the stuff of wishful thinking or fantasy dreams. Hope is grounded in the truth revealed in God’s Word. It is real, relevant, and reliable. It is supremely sufficient for your suffering and circumstances.

Everything starts with God. In difficult, unpleasant, and unwanted circumstances, we tend to lose sight of our God. When you know the God of hope, you have a different outlook on the whole world.

You will see HOPE on the horizon and feel HOPE in your soul. This Biblical verse serves as your spiritual binoculars for the changing cloud formations in our culture. It is your lighthouse for the rough seas.

2. The goal of hope is to fill you with all joy and peace.

LOOK at some of the words in this prayer.

  • JOY is the deep-down sense of well-being and contentment in the heart. Your relationship with the Lord is independent of whether circumstances are favorable or unfavorable.
  • PEACE is the inward state of calm which is also independent of circumstances. It refers to a sound mind…literally. bound together…not coming to pieces because of your circumstances.

Big Q: Where would the world notice we have joy and peace and hope? Most likely, it would be in the midst of our most challenging circumstances…sickness, suffering, loss.

  • FILL means literally to fill “to the brim”. The Greek word means to make complete, to take possession of and ultimately control. This is the same verb used in Ephesians 5:18. “be filled with the Spirit.”

The idea is that what fills a person, exercises control over the person’s attitude and actions. 

My Dad loved his coffee hot, extremely hot. He also liked for his cup to be full, running over full. In the restaurant, he would always send his coffee back to be reheated. At home, he would take his piping hot, freshly brewed coffee and place it in the microwave on high for an additional minute.  

Why not ask God to fill you up to the brim and overflowing with Joy and Peace?

  • ALL joy and peace in every part of your life without exception. The prayer is not asking for a percentage, portion, or fraction, but for all the joy and hope that God has promised. Complete. Total.
  • BELIEVE. Our part in God’s purpose is to continuously and habitually believe that God has proven Himself truthful and trustworthy. Faith in God comes with the Power to hope.
  • SO THAT-Purpose clause/reason. The Purpose of God’s Hope in you is so that (purpose clause) you may abound to overflowing with hope.
  • ABOUND-to literally overflow. We become the containers of God’s super-abundant, overflowing hope.

The word “abound” is an interesting word in this text: it means that we have more hope than is necessary. We overflow. Our hope exceeds the container’s capacity measurements.

The same word is used when Jesus miraculously fed the five-thousand-plus multitude with the little boy’s food basket of five loaves of bread and two fish.

The disciple Philip declared it was impossible, much like what you are thinking about your life and its circumstance. When Jesus told the disciples “to gather” what is left-over—it was the same word as abound. You will have hope and enough left-over to share with others.

“Abounding” is the word used to describe the waves coming in on the beach. They crash in, continuously, relentlessly, one after another, unending, never ceasing. The waves continue to roll in whether you are awake or asleep, whether you are wallowing or wading. That is exactly the way God’s hope comes into your life.

You will have more than enough hope for your circumstances. Why more than enough? So, you will share with others.

  • APPLICATION: Learn to think in terms of God’s character and not your circumstances.

Abound in Hope. Abound in the confident expectation of experiencing all the future goodness God has promised …somehow…someway…sometime.

Place your hope in God’s goodness, not doctors’ reports or medical research or the stock market gurus or any political election.

Hope in God is absolutely essential to living. We need it as much as we need air to breathe. Without it, the soul suffocates. People who lose hope struggle to live; they lose energy to confront life’s challenges. They have great difficulty getting out of bed in the morning and even greater problems putting the anxious mind to rest at bedtime.

Hopelessness makes the heart grow empty, the mind darkens with despair, and the steps falter along the journey. Whatever problem is causing you to feel anxious, you can be certain your anxiety will not lessen the problem. It will only make you more miserable. 

All of us need hope or else we cave in, fall apart, and give up.

This is my prayer for you today, that you may ABOUND IN HOPE.

Embrace the promise in Lamentations 3:21-24. This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion; therefore I have hope in Him.

I would have despaired unless I believed that I will still see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

For the record, I have five loaves and two fish of Hope today …more than enough to share. Take some of the left-overs for you and for someone else who needs hope. Take as much as you need.

EYES UP! I LOVE YOU!