Christmas - A Day of Giving Love

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17

Christmas is a special time for many of us.

For Christians it is a time to remember and celebrate the birth of Jesus (cause ya know for us that I kind of a big deal). It is the celebration of the most special gift that was given when we did not deserve. We are celebrating what for us is the ultimate expression of grace and love.

But it is also a special time for many folks who aren’t Christian. It is a time to give and receive gifts. It is an opportunity to express love in ways that we do not normally express ourselves during the year. This too is an expression of grace.

Regardless of what brings you to this special day, it is a day of giving. It provides us with a chance to show love to those that we care about whether or not we feel that they may deserve that love. This is what I love about this day. We have an excuse to come together and reconcile past wounds. We are given a chance to collectively heal over some of the biggest meals that we will eat all year long! It is not just a celebration of a child born two thousands years ago but it is also a celebration of love.

As you sit at the dinner table with folks that you love, and some that might annoy you, remember that today can be a new day. If you want to you can open new doors of communication and begin the process of restoring old bonds. Or you can strengthen the wonderful bonds that you already have with those that you are sharing this season with.

Christmas is an important day of giving, and the greatest gift that we can give is our love. 

My Confession of Faith

Today’s Reading: Psalms 126-128; 1 Corinthians 10:19-33

I read Psalm 128 today and realized that it clearly articulates a lot of what I want for my life. This has become my confession of faith… the scripture I can use to speak my ideal future into existence.

Words are powerful. One of the most important parts of the creation story to me is that God spoke the universe into existence. He said “let there be light”, and there it was. In the book of John, Jesus is described as being the Word of God made flesh.

Most of us throw around our words carelessly but this is dangerous. The more that we speak with negativity the more negativity we will invite into our lives. Similarly, the more positively we speak the more positivity we will speak into our lives.

What do you want for your life? Who do you want to be? The first step toward being whom and where you want to be is to say it.

Choose your words wisely.

Psalm 128

1 Blessed are all who fear the LORD,
   who walk in obedience to him.
2 You will eat the fruit of your labor;
   blessings and prosperity will be yours.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
   within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
   around your table.
4 Yes, this will be the blessing
   for the man who fears the LORD.

5 May the LORD bless you from Zion;
   may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
   all the days of your life.
6 May you live to see your children’s children—
   peace be on Israel.

Redemption: A Letter to Peter

So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”
He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”
And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. 18 John 21: 15-19

Today’s Reading: Ezra 6-8: John 21

What up Pistol Pete?

Man… You must be blown away homie. Jesus told you that you were going to deny him three times and you did it.

You were crushed.

And now only days later Jesus not only forgives you, but tells you to be the first leader of his people when he goes away for good?

What are you thinking right now?

I bet you’re thinking… ummm.. I ain’t the one. Why me? I’m not worthy? Pick the other guy? There must be someone better. I started doubting you in a nanosecond and you make me the head of the fam? Why?

I think this is pretty amazing too but it kinda makes sense. One thing that I’ve noticed is that the folks who have come from the lowest lows are the ones who are most gangsta about riding for God to the highest highs.

Sometimes we gotta fall to learn how to stand tall. And you did that. You had all kinds of pride and then you fell way way low. But in that fall you learned to appreciate the value of trust, loyalty, honesty, responsibility, and love. You learned it because in those moments of doubt you let you fear block you from expressing every one of those virtues.

But in the end it’s all good. Jesus knew your heart. He knew your love, and it is based on that zealous love that you were chosen to lead.

That’s pretty fresh.

Thanks for the lesson and the hope that when I fall, I will have a chance to get up and rise higher than I ever dreamed that I would before the fall.

Thanks man.

C3

P.S. It was kinda cold-blooded that Jesus asked you if you loved him three times… obvious irony is a rough game sometimes isn’t it?

From One Doubting Thomas to Another

And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Excerpt from John 20: 24-29

Today’s Reading: Ezra 3-5; John 20

What up Thomas,

Ok... some jokers might look at this scripture and say the following:

“I can’t believe that he was so hard headed as to not believe what the others said. If the homies saw Jesus then why wouldn’t Thomas believe? He should step his faith game up.”

And to them I say shut your traps.

I’m gonna keep it really real in the field right now. I wouldn’t have believed either. Let one of the homies come to me telling me some hogwash like that. I’d laugh him out of my presence with the quickness. There is nothing about Jesus rising from the dead that makes any kind of sense at all.

I’m not saying that you were right for not believing… I’m just saying that I understand.

It took a lot for me to believe too… and in my own way I had to see to believe. I stubbornly went about life the way that I saw fit and things didn’t move like I wanted them too. It was only when I started to take some chances, and started to obey some of the things that I thought God was telling me to do that I actually started believing.

And I started believing because I saw God come through like a champ.

Ok fine, I didn’t “see” like you saw… but God did have to make things pretty crystal clear for me to get the picture.

So, I won’t let anybody talk bad about you man. I got your back.

I do know one thing for sure… it is pretty cool that if folks are hard headed like you and me, God will actually go through the effort of showing himself so that we can believe.

That’s quite nice of him.

Your brother from another mother,

C3

Pruning Hurts So Good

Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. John 15: 2-3

Today’s Reading: 2 Chronicles 23-24; John 15

This has been a tough one for me personally.

As a child and even into adulthood I used to hold onto friends a bit too much. I have always been a very loyal person and someone who tries to see the best in others that I deem trustworthy. But not all of those “friends” were really friends.

Have you ever depended on another person and had them let you down? It’s a really wack feeling. Each time I opened up to a new person I felt like I was let down. Sometimes it was just my perception, other times it was true… but with each encounter my heart grew colder. I got to a point where I just didn’t let anyone in at all.

Then I got to college and started to challenge this. I tried to open myself up again and had some great results. I met some great people who are still in my life to this day.

But even the best of friends aren’t perfect. Sometimes they let you down.

This happened to me several years ago. I thought to myself… damn… not again. This is what I get for opening myself up.

But then I had a second thought… wait a minute… I can’t keep on cutting people out of my life. What the heck is wrong here?

And that’s when I realized my problem. I put way to much faith in other people, and not enough in God.

Sometimes we have to experience some form of loss in order to reach our full potential. When we have folks in our lives that we love, but aren’t going in the similarly positive direction then they can pull us off track.

That’s where the pruning comes in.

As those dead branches are cut away we realize that our energy, our spirits, and our lives were not dependent on these branches anyway. But as long as those branches are still attached, we continue to pour energy into them, preventing our ability to bear good fruit in our lives.

So if you have noticed that things are being stripped away from you; just roll with it. Odds are it is just dead weight that is keeping you from flying.

It may be hard to see that now… but have a little faith… It will all work out in the end.

The Critique Ain't New, But it Still Rings True

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13: 34-35

Today’s Reading: 2 Chronicles 19-20; John 13:21-38

So the homie Yohance of Merc80.com sent me this link to the video below.

My first thought was damn… it’s a REALLY dope song. I love the message and I think that what Rhymefest is saying is on point. If one were to watch many of the ministers that you see on TV you get the sense that we can just pay for blessings. If we pray and ask God for what we want and pay the church their 10% then Boom! It’s all gravy baby!

This is not a new critique. This very real notion of selling blessings goes back to the selling of indulgences. Martin Luther did an even better job than Rhymefest on this issue back in 1517.

The critique is really really old.

But that makes me think about the passage above. Are folks who claim to be Christians really dedicated to loving those around them?

Ok true, the folks we see on TV are not a representation of all Christians but at the same time I’m sure you can dig what I’m talking about here. If love were at the forefront then there would be no room for these perceptions.

Personally, I’m getting tired of seeing songs and art and other forms of commentary like this. I’m not tired of it because it is offensive or wrong. I’m actually not offended at all.

I’m just tired that after hundreds of years of this same issue a talented artist like Rhymefest can make this point and it still rings true.

I guess that’s the thing with people. None of us are perfect. There will always be a select few who choose to pimp a good thing to their own benefit. It happens with every religion and system of thought really.

I’m just tired of it.

Dope song tho…

At a Loss for Words

So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. John 13: 12-17

Today’s Reading: 2 Chronicles 17-18; John 13: 1-20

So I did the reading for this one Monday night with the plans of getting a head start on Tuesday’s post. Now it is Tuesday and I’m still at a loss for words.

Jesus washes his disciples’ feet, one by one. One of which he knew would sell him for some scraps of silver. And another who would publicly deny him three times.

Wow…

All I can say here is read those words above. That is what a true leader looks like. Whether you are the leader of your family, an organization, a company, or a country; if you cannot lead from a place of loving service then your leadership won’t be leadership at all. It will be self serving.

The power in this message just astounds me.

Brand New

"The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. - John 12: 23-25

Today’s Reading: 2 Chronicles 13-14; John 12:1-26

There are many tricky metaphors that Jesus uses that have so many different applications. This metaphor of a seed is fascinating to me.

He talks about the seed dying to produce many seeds. I’ve never thought about seeds dying before. Seeds, to me, have always been objects that you put in the ground to make something grow. But the more I think about it, the more I see His point. The seed is a particular state of being. It is a first step in a process of actualization. But in order for that seed to reach its full potential it can not remain a seed.

This is true for us too. As we attempt to grow into who we always wanted to be we have to remember that much of who we are must be shed.

Self actualizing is a process that involves many deaths; but with each death comes a rebirth of a new, greater, more capable self.

We become brand new.

But in order to make that transformation we must first die to our old ways of being and thinking.

We cannot continue to crawl on the ground once we have sprouted wings.

P.S. Parental advisory suggested ;)

Jesus Wept

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. "Where have you laid him?" he asked.
"Come and see, Lord," they replied.

Jesus wept.

Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" John 11: 33-36

Today’s Reading: 2 Chronicles 10-12; John 11: 30-57

Man…

This is one of those passages that folks quote when they don’t know any other ones.

Jesus wept.

But the context is pretty interesting. Why did Jesus weep? He wept because he saw the pain that his timing had caused his loved ones.

This was a passage that never meant much to me until now. Jesus got news that Lazarus was sick, he waited four days to take the short journey to heal him, Lazarus dies in the process and now Jesus sees the emotional aftermath. He knew that he would raise Lazarus. He knew that his friend would see the light of day again.

But still, he wept.

I know that many folks who question Christianity do so for this very reason. Christians tend to humanize God to a degree that doesn’t seem to make much logical sense to the casual observer. Why does God care about little old you when there are billions of other people and countless other things to do?

I cannot answer the “why” but this passage shows me that in fact God DOES care. And since God is not a respecter of persons then I know that He feels the same way about me.

And you know what… this is comforting for me.

It comforts me to know that when I am sad or upset about my circumstances Jesus is there weeping with me. He feels my pain and is sad to see me go through it… even if that pain is what is best for me.

I really dig a God who is down for the team like that.

Where Have You Been?

On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." – John 11:17-23

Today’s Reading: 2 Chronicles 7-9; John 11: 1-29

So the story here is that Mary and Martha’s brother, Lazarus, was really sick. They sent some messengers to Jesus to let him know so that he would come and heal the man but he didn’t go immediately. He let Lazarus die. Jesus comes four days later and raises him from the dead.

This is remarkable because Jesus actually loved them in the sense that we can understand. These weren’t random folks on the street that Jesus loved just because he loved everyone. These were his friends.

I totally get why Mary didn’t jump up with Martha when word came that Jesus was on the way. Their brother had already been dead for four days. FOUR DAYS!! I’m sure that she thought something like this:

“Oh here you come now Mr. Johnny Come Lately. We BEEN and sent you messengers while he was still alive and here you are now four days after he died? Word!? I ain’t jumping up like I’m all excited that you are finally here. You’re gonna have to come to me.”

Yeah… something like that.

I know I’ve had those moments. I’ve prayed for certain circumstances to work in my favor and when I perceived that they did not I was like… seriously… that was the OPPOSITE of what I asked for.

But you know what’s interesting… it was these disappointments that I look back upon now and think to myself “thank you God for giving me what was best for me rather than what I wanted”.

Sometimes we go through certain trials and disappointments that don’t make sense and we may think to ourselves… where was God when I needed Him???

That really sucks.

But are there any moments where you can look back in hindsight and see that the trials you went through were actually a blessing? If we remember to look back at these moments through the 20/20 vision of hindsight we can remember to have faith and trust that all things will work out for the best.

Question of the Day: Have you been disappointed by someone or by circumstance only to realize in the future that this disappointment led to a wonderful blessing in your life? Share!

Crisis of Leadership

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. John 10: 11-13

Today’s Reading: 2 Chronicles 1-3; John 10:1-23

A friend of mine on Facebook posted this article from the Wall Street Journal yesterday. In it, the author suggests that there is going to be a huge economic crash in 2011 because Obama is not going to extend the Bush tax cuts. The rationale is that since the wealthy are aware that taxes will increase significantly next year they are taking all of their profits in 2010 to avoid it and will have a higher percentage of their assets in non-taxable entities come 2011 and beyond.

Based on this logic the author argues that 2010 economic numbers are deceivingly high and the 2011 numbers will be exceptionally low causing a double dip economic hit…

Eh…

Ok, there are are a host of other reasons why the economic could tailspin in the future but he has a point. However, there is something inherently problematic here. Aren’t these titans of business and Wall Street the same folks who led us into this recession in the first place?

You might counter me by saying that Joe the Plummer is going to do the same thing but let’s keep it real, the average investor is not savvy enough to make this move and their assets are not large enough to really move the needle here.

This is about the fat cats.

As I followed the news in 2008 and 2009 I couldn’t help but to see the tragic irony in all of this. The same people who got us into this mess were the folks we relied on to get us out of it.

For my not so economically literate friends out there let me make a comparison that illustrates the point.

So we’ve got this oil spill going in the gulf right? It’s not so fresh.

But who are we relying on to fix the problem? THE SAME PEOPLE WHO CAUSED IT!

This is what makes the problem so frustrating. We are angry for the screw up, we are infuriated by images of oil soaked wildlife, and to add insult to injury, it is all the more infuriating that the firm that caused the problem is best suited to solve the problem.

Long after the oil leak is plugged and the news cameras stop recording the wildlife and the communities in the gulf will remain mired in the muck caused by this catastrophe.

In both the oil spill and the economic meltdown the leaders who caused the problem knew that they were engaged in reckless behavior. And in the end, regular folks will have to fit the bill.

We need to really think about the folks that we put in places of leadership. Are they good shepherds who will work tirelessly to make sure that their organizations benefit society as well as their bottom line? Or are they bad shepherds, who are all about the cash until the wolves, of their own creation, send them running for the hills with their profits in tow.

The biggest problem that we as a people face today isn’t the economy or our rapidly deteriorating environment. Our biggest problem is our crisis of leadership.

QUESTION OF THE DAY!: What are the characteristics of a good leader? What are some examples of good leaders and why? They can be from history or your personal life. Let's figure this out y'all!

Truthaholics Anonymous

Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."

Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, "What? Are we blind too?"

Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains. – John 9:39-41

Today’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 28-29; John 9:24-41

I was once like the Pharisees.

I thought that I could see everything, understand all the mysteries of the universe, solve any problem. I was addicted to pursuing truth. I was a truthaholic.

It’s amazing to look back and see how arrogant I was.

I know I have said this in the past but there really is so much we can learn when we accept that we know nothing at all.

Have you ever had to make a brochure, presentation, or document that would be seen by many important people? I’m sure that after your initial design effort you reviewed it over and over again to check for any stupid spelling errors or mistakes.

But what happened when you showed it to someone else?

They were probably able to quickly identify an area of improvement… something that you could not see.

Many times we look at life through stale eyes. Our eyes are made stale by our experiences, hopes, dreams, disappointments and accomplishments. The more we live and rely on what we think we know the more our vision is skewed by the prism of our experience.

We become blinded by subjectivity.

When you think about it, this is where judgment comes from. We look at others through the lens of our own experience and apply our rules and regulations to their conduct.

But this lens has a blind spot. Just like how you couldn’t see the glaring error in the project you were working on, we have a hard time seeing the glaring flaws in the lives we are living.

As Jesus suggested, we point out the splinters in another person’s eye but cannot see the planks in our own.

This is how I understand the passage above. We have a tendency to fall into the trap of worshiping our own minds by thinking that our own perspective is truth.

I believe that truth, like God, is a concept too great to comprehend. I used to seek it out but not any more.

That’s above my pay grade.

My name is Clarence Mitchell and am a truthaholic. Finally, I see that I know nothing.

Adulterous Shenanigans

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

"No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin.” – John 8: 6-11

Today’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 19-21; John 8:1-27

This is the famous scene where some folks catch a woman in the act of adultery and they ask Jesus if they should stone her. Then Jesus starts to write on the ground with his finger and the events above transpire.

I’ve always had a few interesting thoughts about this scene… some more serious than others.

First thought

What in the world was Jesus writing on the ground? My new twitter friend @HomeEverAfter heard that some folks say he was writing the names of the accusers who also committed adultery.

That would be pretty funny, and effective, and I do think that Jesus does have that kind of sense of humor (funny of course with 2000 years of hindsight…). I used to think something along those lines as well. But what if it was something totally random? My current vote is that he was writing a miracle grocery list. His thought process was something like this:

Thought bubble above his head as he is writing: “Hmm… ok I gotta feed 5000 people this coming Friday. So I’m gonna need five loaves of bread, and I think two fish will do it. Hmm but what to drink? Will two barrels of water suffice? Should it be white wine this time? Naww… The Cabernet is always the best way to go. Dry baby… keep it dry…”

Second Thought

They found her in the act of adultery right? That begs the question… where’s the dude???

I mean seriously… that’s so problematic. He must have been well versed on the Shaggy Doctrine.

Third Thought

After all of the accusers bounce he turns to her and says "Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Drats… that’s the hard part.

I sure am glad that forgiveness isn’t a one time deal… but the point is clear. The whole idea of becoming a better person isn’t asking for forgiveness after each chronic screw up… the idea is being progressively better until we become brand new.

One step at a time…

One…step…at…a…time…

The World Is Yours

Jesus' brothers said to him, "You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world." For even his own brothers did not believe in him.

Therefore Jesus told them, "The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come." Having said this, he stayed in Galilee. – John 7:3-9

Today’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 13-15; John 7:1-27

Good gracious… Even his brothers were hating on him!

One thing that I noticed here is that Jesus worked on his time, not on anyone else’s time. His brothers try to bait him into going to Judea and perform miracles to prove that he was who he said he was.

But of course this wasn’t the real reason. They wanted him to go to Judea so that he could publicly fail or publicly succeed and give them the proof that they needed in order to believe.

They wanted him to go for their own selfish reasons, not for the greater good or to benefit their brother Jesus.

I come from a family full of advanced degrees. My dad is a nuclear engineer, my mom is a psychologist, my sister and several others are lawyers. I have many friends who are similarly educated as well. I am very proud of my friends and family and all of the things that they have accomplished.

But when it came time for me to graduate college I didn’t know what I wanted to do next. I saw many paths but none seemed right to me. So instead of jumping into grad school I decided to find a job. This was definitely scary because I always saw myself as someone who would do what the others around me had done. You finish high school, finish college, get an advanced degree and get PAID.

But that wasn’t the plan for me.

Since graduating school I have had many people tell me what I ought to do and for the most part it does seem to come from a place of love. But I am finally starting to realize the importance of owning my own path.

As well meaning as folks might be, me and God are the only people who have been with me from day one, and will be there until the last day.

If I allow myself to live life on other people’s terms then odds are I won’t be doing God’s or my will for my life.

That is a quick path to unhappiness.

So, yes, we should listen to our loved ones and mentors when they have advice for us; however, in the end we must remember that the decision is ours.

And for those that believe… holler at God too, I’m sure that He has the best advice of all and has the power to make it happen.

Do you… the world is yours.

My Mission Statement 1.0

Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. John 6:27

Today’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 7-9: John 6:22-44

This is an interesting challenge.

The question that

I see here is this: what is the focus of your life and what is that focus doing to further your purpose on this earth.

I had to ask myself that question yesterday.

Yesterday was the first day of orientation for a training program that I am doing at work. We talked about all of the tasks that we have to do over the next ten months and what we will hopefully learn through the process.

But the most interesting thing that we did involved taking a test to determine our strengths based on a program called Strengths Finder designed by Tom Rath. The test is from Gallup and they ask a battery of questions that seem to analyze your deepest concerns, desires and tendencies.

My results weren’t surprising at all. It revealed that I believe in a higher power through which all things in the world are connected. I spend a lot of energy and effort understanding the important individuals in my life and also that I have a healthy dose of competitive spirit.

True… true…

But the exercise that I found really intriguing was writing a mission statement based on these strengths.

At first this was hard. It actually took me back to the confusion that I had several years ago regarding what I am supposed to do with my life. I was pretty lost, and disconnected from God. As I mentioned before, this is what made me come back to the Bible.

I realized, the hard way, that my focus was not in line with my purpose. I knew this to be true even though I didn’t even know what my purpose was!

It is frustrating to live that way. You feel like a mouse on a wheel. No matter how fast you run you never get that cheese that’s dangling right in front of your mouth.

But when I got back into the Word all of the confusion disappeared. I received clarity. There are still a lot of question marks about what EXACTLY I am supposed to do but I did learn a whole lot about what makes me happy.

And I believe that the things that make us happy are in line with our purpose.

So as I was challenged to write my mission statement this time the shell of it came pretty easily.

My mission is to use my strengths to spread love to all of those around me, and by extension to the entire world.

This is what Jesus and Christianity are supposed to be all about anyway right? God is love. That’s why we were told to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Now the “how will I do this so that a brotha can EAT” part is still to be determined…. But in the meantime I can do this where I am by sharing who I am with those around me willing to lovingly receive me.

Once that next level of clarity comes I’ll let y’all know.

Question of the Day: What is the purpose of your life? If you don't know then what is the purpose right now? If you were to write a mission statement for your life what would it be?

Gotta Get Away

After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. John 6:14-15

Today’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 4-6; John 6:1-21

I’ve always enjoyed my personal, quiet time.

I wrote a post a while ago about one of my bus adventures. When I’m not talking to my guardian angel on the bus, the bus is one of my quiet sanctuaries.

But it is more than just the bus.

The bus stop is about an eight minute walk from my apartment. I enjoy the quiet solitude of a walk, observing passersby as they walk, jog, run and drive to their next destination. I sometimes say hello and strike up conversations, but more often than that I just enjoy the experience from a distance. Sometimes I even create fictional life stories for them. I give them people to love, obstacles to overcome, and goals to achieve.

I’ve always had an active imagination.

And on the bus too I am provided the quiet time necessary to get completely lost in thought. When I read through the Bible the second time it was primarily done on the bus. In addition to the Bible I have read countless books, articles, and stories. I have also said countless prayers and spent many hours meditating.

We all need that quiet time alone. Often times it is hard for us to get it at home when there are so many people and things vying for our attention. If it isn’t one of the random commercials on a constantly running TV set trying to manipulate you into buying their goods and services it’s someone at home asking us to do something.

Home may be where the heart is but good gracious if only they’d just leave you be some times!

In the excerpt above folks were pushing up a bit too hard on Jesus and he had to go ahead and bounce to a mountain top. And you know what, I’m not mad at him.

Sometimes we gotta prioritize self. Otherwise we get caught up living life on other people’s terms instead doing what we have to do to achieve our own dreams.