Spoiled Fruit

The men of Ephraim called out their forces, crossed over to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, "Why did you go to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you? We're going to burn down your house over your head."

Jephthah answered, "I and my people were engaged in a great struggle with the Ammonites, and although I called, you didn't save me out of their hands. When I saw that you wouldn't help, I took my life in my hands and crossed over to fight the Ammonites, and the LORD gave me the victory over them. Now why have you come up today to fight me?" Judges 12: 1-3

Wait just one minute! Jephthah has already gone to battle and saved the day and her comes the tribe of Ephraim “Johnny come lately” on the scene. Not only that, but they’re also ready to do battle?

Yeah right sonny.

Of course Jephthah proceeded to lay the smack down on them for a cool minute but it really didn’t have to be that way… After all they are all family.

That’s no bueno.

But sometimes the folks who seem like they are the closest to us are the ones planning on taking us down when we seem weak. Jephthah’s response was perfect though. He had a job to do, he asked for help, and when it wasn’t given he took matters into his own hands.

We cannot just sit around waiting for others to get in the game with us. Sure life is a team sport. But, if you are ready to move, move with the troops you have.

Because sometimes no matter how long you wait, reinforcements never come. Then you are left in a worse position. Time has past, opportunities have been lost, and perhaps dreams have dried up.

So seize your purpose while it is still ripe. If not, the fruit of your labor might spoil before you can get your hands on it.

That stinks.

Today’s Reading: Judges 11-12; Luke 6:1-26

Who is in the Driver's Seat?

The Israelites said to Gideon, "Rule over us—you, your son and your grandson—because you have saved us out of the hand of Midian."

But Gideon told them, "I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The LORD will rule over you." Judges 8: 22-23

This is a really interesting passage to me. It relates to today’s reading because after Gideon died, one of his sons decided that he should rule over Israel. What happened as a result was a mixture of murder, mayhem, chaos, and disaster.

What I am learning as I read Judges is that the judges made it a point to not rule over Israel. Rather they were people of purpose. Each judge rose out of a desperate need. Gideon for example broke Israel out of the bondage of the Midianites. He didn’t even want to do the job but in the end he fulfilled his purpose.

So you might be wondering… who cares and what does this have to do with me? Well the thing that I take from this is that we each have a responsibility to ourselves, to God and to our purpose. There is power in this notion. It means that we each can do something in our own way to change the world around us.

We are each the authors of our own destiny.

When we give too much power to another person bad things tend to happen. At a very basic level most of us think first in terms of our own self interest. So when you give up your power to another person, they aren’t naturally inclined to do what is best for you. This is when relationships get unhealthy.

I’m sure this is pretty familiar. Have you seen a friend or a loved one in a relationship like this? Perhaps you have experienced this yourself. It is one of those relationships where one person has surrendered control of their life to another person. Generally when this happens the person with power takes advantage of the person who had given up their power.

Even if the abuse of power isn’t tangibly visible, at the very least the person who has given up control of their life is literally lost. We all have a path to follow. But what happens when you start following someone else’s path? It’s pretty safe to say that following someone else isn’t the path to your purpose.

So when it comes to the decisions that you have to make, the paths you take and the moves you make… don’t let another man or woman sit in the driver’s seat.

It may seem like they know where they are going, but it’s probably not where you should be headed.

Today’s Reading: Judges 9-10; Luke 5:17-39

To My Hero Gideon

The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her. Judges 7:2

Hey Gideon,

You are one of my favorite people in the Bible. Why you ask? Well I’ll tell you. It’s because I have on many occasions been just like you.

I’ve heard many a pastor talk about you as if you are a coward. After all you were threshing wheat in a wine cellar. But I feel you man. The Midianites had plundered everything from the land. You were just trying to make sure you’d have some food to eat.

When the angel of God came to you and said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior” that must have been crazy. I too probably would have looked over my shoulder to see who he was talking to.

And when you were so unsure of yourself that you politely asked the angel of God to show you not one sign but TWO miraculous signs… whew… I was feeling that too. I’ve asked God to do the same for me way more than two times. And God has patiently shown me the signs.

I think that God always shows us the signs anyways. It’s just that sometimes it is hard for us to see them. Maybe we don’t see them because we aren’t looking for them. Often times I think we don’t see them because we are running from them.

And you kinda did that too for a second. But that doesn’t matter. In the end, you turned and faced it and became the mighty warrior that the angel said you were.

And that’s what really matters anyway right? It’s all about how we end up; not so much about how we got there. Yes the journey does teach us and help us become who we are. We may make a thousand bad decisions, go in a hundred wrong directions, or run away from our purpose like it were a plague. But when we say “yes” all of that goes out the window.

When we say yes, God says yes back.

And then all of the sudden we don’t need tens of thousands of troops to win our wars. We can go to battle with the few people that God has put at our sides and defeat any foes in our path.

Today’s Reading; Judges 7-8; Luke 5: 1-16

Two Super Women of God

Barak said to her, "If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go with me, I won't go."

"Very well," Deborah said, "I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman." So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh, where he summoned Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him. – Judges 4: 8-10

So now we are in the period of Israel’s history where the judges are running things. Joshua has died and when the people fall away from God, a judge rises up to help lead the people back to the right path. In this case it was a prophetess named Deborah.

She tells Barak to get some troops together and go out and wage war for Israel’s freedom. But there’s one problem with this strategy.

He’s scared.

He won’t go unless she comes. So, she obliges.

She leads the Israeli forces in battle and they slaughter the enemy. The last thing left to do is capture and kill the general of the other army, Sisera.

So Barak is hunting him down; but, who actually gets him? A woman named Jael.

Sisera sought refuge in her house because her husband was friendly with his king. Little did he know how gangsta she was…

"Stand in the doorway of the tent," he told her. "If someone comes by and asks you, 'Is anyone here?' say 'No.' "

But Jael, Heber's wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died. – Judges 4: 20-21

Goodnight Sisera.

How ruggedly down for the team was she? Hey, it was rough times in Israel. Many of the Israelites had turned away from God and the neighboring countries have invaded the Promised Land. And in a moment of desperation who comes through?

The women.

There’s that saying that behind every great man is a great woman. That may be true, but that does not mean that the woman must be behind.

We need strong female leadership now just like Israel did back then.

Plus, is there anything sexier than a strong woman of purpose?

Rhetorical question…

Today’s Reading: Judges 4-6; Luke 4:31-44

A Lesson from Fresh Prince of Bel Air

After Joshua had dismissed the Israelites, they went to take possession of the land, each to his own inheritance. The people served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the LORD had done for Israel…

After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. They forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. - Judges 2: 6-7, 10-12

This made me think of this great episode of Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Ashley Banks (the youngest daughter) decided that she wanted to go to public school. Of course Uncle Phil was against it. Why should she go to public school? He was rich. He could afford to put her in the best schools money could offer.

Plus he grew up in public schools and had to struggle through them to become the man that he grew up to be. The private school, in his opinion, would better prepare her for any kind of future she may want to have.

So what did Ashley do? She switched schools without her parents knowing (kinda far fetched but bear with me here).

Of course her parents found out and there was this big fight about it. Then Uncle Phil’s wife, Vivian, brought up a great point. They had worked so hard to provide their children with everything they couldn’t have, that they didn’t stop to think about how wonderful some of the things that they had actually were.

Many of us have come from troubled backgrounds. Perhaps you grew up poor, and never had the chance to receive a proper education. Maybe you were the first generation to immigrate to the place that you live. You had to learn a new language and struggle to adapt to a new reality. However, through the grace of God and hard work you still persevered and blazed your own trail in the world.

It seems logical to do all that you can to prevent your children from going through what you went through.

That may not be the case. We have to remember that we have a responsibility to the next generation. We have to teach them the best we can. We have to expose them to the best opportunities that we can afford. Some of these best opportunities don’t come from the fruits of our blessings, but rather, from the richness of faith, culture, and heritage that combined to make us who we are.

Some of the legacies that we seem to run from are the source of our blessings. Uncle Phil had to be reminded of all of the good that he experienced as a product of the public school systems before he could realize that he might be robbing Ashley of one of the most powerful treasures of his childhood.

So let’s teach the children about our various cultures. Let’s encourage them to speak our native languages. Let’s fill them in on the successes and mistakes that we, our families, and our communities have made.

This way they will be in the best possible position to avoid what happened to Israel. Hopefully they will make better choices and create better realities in the future for everyone.

Today’s Reading: Judges 1-3; Luke 4:1-30

Two Tunics

The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."

"What should we do then?" the crowd asked.

John answered, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same." – Luke 3: 9-11

This is John the Baptist talking to a crowd of folks who have come to the wilderness to be baptized by him. He is telling them how they need to live in insure their salvation. Of course this is directly in line with what Jesus will say soon regarding loving your neighbor as yourself.

Yesterday I talked about how at times, when we have our hearts and minds focused only on ourselves, we can hurt others. John is speaking to that here.

There are so many people around us who need help. And there are so many of us who have so much abundance in our lives.

Help doesn’t have to come out of our pockets in the form of cash. Sometimes the best help can be donating our clothing, or helping out at a soup kitchen, or volunteering at a home for the elderly.

The amazing thing about giving is that it always gives back. When we give we are exercising love. And each time we exercise that muscle we become more and more like God. Our capacity to give and love increases making room also for a greater capacity to receive.

So look around your house and apartment. Look at your weekly calendar. Maybe you have a tunic or two to give.

Today’s Reading: Joshua 22-24; Luke 3

The Circle of Love

So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD handed all their enemies over to them. Not one of all the LORD's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled. – Joshua 21: 43-45

The Israelites followed the rules and God followed through.

Interesting…

As a Christian, of course, this immediately makes me think of the two foundational rules that Jesus gave us.

Love God with all that you are, and love your neighbor as yourself.

And then I think of all of the good promises that God made in Deuteronomy 28: 1-14.

And magically it all forms together like Voltron. The key to a fulfilling life of abundance and joy is putting God first and loving your neighbor as yourself.

The putting God first part is obviously tricky for most, especially for those of us who are like “ummm God… I don’t believe in a God.” I can dig that, so here’s how I see this.

Let’s start with love your neighbor as yourself. That sounds all find and dandy right? We should treat others how we want to be treated. It seems very simple. But ya know… I have found it to be very hard. I can’t name how many times someone has made me want to treat them worse than I treat myself. Maybe they cut me off in traffic or took my parking space. Maybe they cheated me out of some money or disrespected someone I love.

And in an even more subtle sense I may violate this principle purely out of perspective. It is easy to get lost in the details of our daily lives to the point where we may please ourselves at the expense of others. We may not intend to hurt others when we do this but it can happen.

This is where God comes in for me. When I focus on loving God then I am really forced to step outside of myself. And since I am no longer the center my life, I am better able to look at my actions and motivations in the context of how they affect others. So loving God isn’t just about praising the man/woman upstairs. It also becomes a way for me to better interact with the world. It enables me to be better at loving others.

That love is powerful.

When others start to feel that love from us it helps them do the same in their lives. And as this love spreads fantastic things start to happen. Folks start opening doors that were shut, providing opportunities that they normally wouldn’t, reaching out to lend helping hands.

When we take that leap of faith and decide to open up and spread that love, it comes back. Some of those open doors, opportunities, and helping hands are extended to us as well. And if we can remember how it all started, that it all started by loving God and others as ourselves, we will keep repeating the cycle.

Love God, love others, that love spreads, love comes back to us, we receive the love, we thank God for this new love, and love others some more.

Rinse and repeat.

This is true magic at work.

Today’s Reading: Joshua 19-21: Luke 2:25-52

The First A Convo with God Interview!

Hey what's up folks!

I was recently interviewed by Mari Torres on "That's My Word" Blog Talk Radio. We talked about the blog, how I started it, religion vs spirituality, life and some other fun stuff.

Go here and look for the "Meet Clarence Mitchell" link on the blog talk radio player.

And for those of you who have never heard my voice, it's not quite Sexual Chocolate... but enjoy!

*drops mic*

A Letter to Step Daddy Joseph

He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2: 5-7

Hey Jo,

Man, when I read the words “and she gave birth to HER firstborn” I couldn’t help but to think about you; because when it comes down to it… Jesus is not your kin.

Honestly. I think you aren’t properly appreciated. There’s all this talk about Mary. And don’t get me wrong. Your boo was the illest… No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

But why aren’t you celebrated too? It’s kinda like the difference between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Mom gets flowers, breakfast in bed, all kinds of doting and attention. Pops gets a dusty tie.

Not cool.

But I’m here today to give you your props man. It must have been difficult to raise baby Jesus; and I can’t imagine adolescent Jesus. Jesus would go off, disappearing all willy nilly… good thing you knew to find him in the temple.

He always could give the priests a run for their money.

But you also taught him how to be a carpenter. You put food in his stomach, clothes on his back and sandals on his feet. You led the family to Egypt when Harod put out a hit on the boy. And most of all you had faith in your bride to be.

I don’t know many men who would believe that story. Your fiancé comes up to you and tells you that she’s preggers… And to add insult to injury she tells you that it’s God’s baby.

Say what!?

But God sent some help for you to understand and in the end you decided to trust her. And by trusting her you took on a daunting task. You accepted the responsibility of being Step Dad to the Son of God.

You should be celebrated. At least that’s my take on it. So I’m starting the celebration now.

Well done Step Daddy Joseph! You are an inspiration to us all.

Sincerely,

Clarence

Today’s Reading: Joshua 16-18; Luke 2: 1-24

The Mountain Top

When Joshua was old and well advanced in years, the LORD said to him, "You are very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over.” – Joshua 13: 1

When I read these words for the second time tonight several images flashed before my eyes.

The first image was of Moses. I imagined what it must have been like for Moses to go to that mountain top with God, take a good long look at it and achieve his eternal rest in the presence of God.

It must have been wonderful.

The second image was of Martin Luther King Jr. My parents are from Birmingham Alabama, and I grew up learning about him and other folks and events of the civil rights movement. Last year I went back with my Dad for a family reunion. As we drove to my Great Aunt’s house (the house my Great Grandfather built with this own hands) my Dad casually pointed out various homes of people in his childhood along the way.

“The first black mayor lived in that house. It was firebombed by the klan.”

“One of the girls who were killed in the church bombing lived there. I knew her.”

“Angela Davis grew up there. Her mom was a teacher in my school.”

Wow, wow, wow.

Then I thought of the last speech that King ever gave. He spoke of how he had been to the mountain top, he had seen the Promised Land, and even though he may not make it there with us, he knew we would make it. Here is what flashed in my mind.

I think about all of this now, over forty years later. I and many other folk have opportunities that we may not have had back then. We have a black president. We have a voice. Although there are still systemic issues to deal with, they can and are overcome every single day by millions of people of all races, genders, backgrounds and sexuality.

Much has been accomplished.

But like God said above to Joshua, and like King said to us over forty years ago there is still much work to be done.

I believe that when we pursue our God given dreams and walk the paths of purpose laid out for our lives we are doing this work. The battles we fight, the struggles we overcome, the wars that we win… they are not only for our own good. They are also for the good of others. They are for the good of those other folks watching our steps who desire to walk in them. They are for the good of our children who will be nourished by our dreams. They are for the good of the world as a whole.

The brighter we shine the more light we can spread through the world.

So when you are thinking of giving up just remember that you can do it. You can do it because other Moses' came before you and paved the way.

And one day hopefully we will all be like Joshua. God will look at us and say, “there is still much work left to be done, but you did good my son… you did good.”

Then, we will be able to rest easily knowing that we held strong as that next link in the chain of love, progress, prosperity, and freedom.

Let’s get it.

Dedicated in loving memory to a mother, daughter, friend and child of God.

Today’s Reading Joshua 13-15; Luke 1:57-80

What About Your Friends?

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!" Luke 1: 39-45

What a wonderful welcome!

Right after the angel Gabriel dropped that heavy news on Mary she rushed immediately to Zechariah’s home to see his wife Elizabeth. The first things out of Elizabeth’s mouth were words of congratulations and encouragement.

Being in good company is so very important.

We have already talked about protecting our dreams but can you remember the times where you have told your dreams to the right person? It’s such a wonderful thing!

Now as a point of clarification… the “right” person isn’t the one who will always agree with you. On the contrary, they are the people who will keep it real with you. But if your dream is in line with your purpose, and they have the faith to pursue their dreams as well, then these are the folks who will encourage you like no other.

Not everyone that you know and love will understand what you are doing. And that’s fine. Robert Kiyosaki talks about this in Rich Dad, Poor Dad. He had two “dads” that he looked up to. One had a rich mentality and a poor mentality. At the age of 9 he decided to listen to his rich dad when it came to money. It’s not that he didn’t respect his poor dad any less than his rich dad… he just made a conscious decision to go to his poor dad when he needed leadership in regards to his finances.

These are the kinds of decisions we have to make with the people in our lives. In the same way that we wouldn’t go to a mechanic to get our taxes done, we have to think critically about with whom we choose to share our dreams.

I first started learning this lesson from TLC. They made me think about my friends. Would they stand their ground? Would they let me down? Would they be around?

These are all very important questions to ask.

Now I know that, yes, I have friends that are willing to do this for me and I for them, but when it comes to our dreams… gotta make sure that we include the folks who will help blow wind in our sails, not poke holes in them.

We have to be able to distinguish our Elizabeths from our Zecharaiahs.

Perhaps that’s why Gabriel shut his mouth for nine months. God couldn’t have any naysayers around his women of purpose.

That would not be a good look.

Today’s Reading: Joshua 10-12: Luke 1:39-56

So Be It

“You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her." – Luke 1: 31-38

Yesterday we read the story of Zechariah and how he was informed about his new bundle of joy on the way. Unfortunately he doubted.

No bueno.

Now six months later the same angel Gabriel comes to Mary with some interesting news that is even harder to believe. She is supposed to have a baby that will be the “Son of the Most High”.

But umm… there’s a catch. Mary is a virgin…

What?

But Mary responds to this seemingly impossible bit of information in a very different way then Zechariah did. She does not doubt. But she does ask for more information. She asks how this will happen.

Every big dreamer has had a moment like this. When they first receive a message, instruction, or some kind of vision for what they are supposed to do in the future it seems daunting at first. It may even seem impossible. And that’s ok. It’s ok to look at the path ahead and wonder how in the world you can possibly navigate it. It’s also ok to ask how this will be done.

The answers will be revealed to us just like they were to Mary. The key is that we have to say yes. This is what “amen” means… so be it.

And when we say yes to the miraculous, the miracles do come. But when we doubt we change our “so be it” to “maybe?” or “huh?”, or worst of all, “naw…that ain’t gonna happen”.

It is amazing how much we are the authors of our own lives. Yes it is true that God orders our steps, but what can God do if we refuse to walk?

So get up, stand on your feet, and put one foot in front of the other.

Say yes and watch the miracles happen.

Today’s Reading: Joshua 7-9; Luke 1:21-38

Paid in Full

Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years."

The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time." – Luke 1: 18-20

Zechariah is in the temple of the Lord burning incense and an angel magically appears telling him that he’s going to have a son.

Zechariah is OLD. And so is his wife…so for understandable reasons Zechariah had a hard time believing this good news. But what happens as a result of him not believing?

ZAP! No talking for nine months…

I would say rough game… but as we have seen before it could have been a lot worse.

What’s interesting about this story is what it tells us about the price of doubt. The longer we doubt, the further we delay our dreams. Priceless time is lost. And this makes perfectly logical sense right?

Say for example you are going to start a business. You need a business plan, mentors, business partners and associates. You may need to create the physical product, marketing strategies and various other pieces to put the whole puzzle together. But what if you start on your business plan, see how tough it will be, and put it aside for a while. Each day that it collects dust in the recesses of your mind, and computer, is another day that you have delayed what could be rightfully yours.

And we aren’t able to see this because we have blinded ourselves to the true goal by focusing on fear. Blindness to purpose really sucks… just ask Zechariah.

There’s no time like the present and there is no room in the present for doubt. Don't pay the price of doubt. Time is too precious.

Plus... it's already paid in full.

Keep it moving.

Today’s Reading: Joshua 4-6: Luke 1: 1-20

Where There's a Will There's a Way

“Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.” –Joshua 3: 15-17

Now we meet Joshua, the successor of Moses. And as only a successor of Moses would, he gets off to a pretty gangsta start.

Israel must cross the river Jordan in order to enter the Promised Land and reach their first foe; Jericho. But of course, as has become the theme so far in the Old Testament, an impossible obstacle stands before them.

The river is high when they approached it and they have to get everybody across. So what does Joshua do? He has the Levites lead with the Arc of the Covenant. When the Arc reaches the water, the river stops flowing and the people are able to walk across the dry riverbed.

One of the scariest things about pursuing our dreams is that they tend to seem impossible at first. After all, that’s why it is a dream right? If it was easy to achieve you’d have already done it.

But when we go for dreams that are in line with our talents and purpose there is always a way to achieve them.

I’m sure you have heard about Ben Underwood. Ben was diagnosed with cancer in his eyes when he was three years old and had both of them surgically removed.

Tragic.

But he didn’t let that stop him from living as normal a life as possible. With theencouragement of his mother to use his other four senses to navigate the world, Ben created a form of echolocation to serve as his new eyes.

Echolocation is what dolphins use. It is also the logic behind SONAR. You make a sound. That sound bounces off of objects that it encounters and comes back to you. And based on how long it takes for that sound to come back you can determine the precise location of that object.

With this miraculous skill, Ben could not only tell where the things around him were, but he could also “see” cars, cups, fire hydrants, and trash cans.

No matter what your dream is, it can be done. When you get to that point where it seems impossible just remember that “impossible” is God’s specialty.

Just keep moving forward. Where there’s a will there is always a way.

Here is Ben's Story...

Today’s Reading: Joshua 1-3; Mark 16

I'm BAD!

“And Moses the servant of the LORD died there in Moab, as the LORD had said. He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone…

Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel. – Excerpt from Deuteronomy 34: 5-12

Moses was a BAD man.

Not bad meaning bad but bad meaning good.

Let’s think about this for a minute. He was the most humble man on earth while being one of a kind in the miracles that he did. And to top that off God presided over his funeral and buried him Himself!

That’s pretty ill.

But the key to everything that Moses did in these last four books of the Bible is the first thing that I mentioned.

His humility…

It was his humility that allowed him to follow God’s instructions so faithfully, it was his humility that allowed him to view his power as something to be used to serve others, it was his humility that gave him the patience to deal with Israel’s constant gripes and complaints.

Humility is what allowed him to be an instrument of God.

When you think about the people who have done great, positive change in the world they all have this most important characteristic. They are humble almost beyond reason.

Let’s see… here’s a quick list that comes to mind:

Gandhi…check

Martin Luther King Jr… check

Mother Theresa… check

The thing that these three great people had in common is that they lived to serve others, and in so doing they were able to wield great power for good.

Ok… so if you don’t like the whole vow of poverty idea remember that there are many different ways to serve. I have talked about Warren Buffett several times but he is a great example here. He and his wife agreed, before they got married, that the huge wealth they would amass would be given back to humanity. Bill and Melinda Gates too are doing this as well as many other fantastically rich folks.

The most important question of leadership is what is in your heart, not what is in your wallet.

Spiderman’s uncle told him that with great power comes great responsibility. Whether your power is in the form of money, talent, charisma, or vision, we should ask ourselves what our responsibility is. How can I use this power to help others? How can I be an instrument of good in the world?

It may seem sometimes like there is so much bad in the world that it is pointless to fight. But history has shown that the organized efforts of a few good people are more than a match for any evil that the world has to offer.

So let’s try to be like Moses… each and every day do the best that we can with what we have.

I’m willing to bet that you’ll still feel like the guy below by focusing on others before yourself.

Today’s Reading: Deuteronomy 32-34; Mark 15: 26-47