Appropriate Behavior!

Today is one of those days where I am sitting kind of haphazardly at my desk, with my legs positioned at strange angles… so that I can accommodate the dog who is curled up under my desk.  But before you wonder why I don’t just tell him to move… let me explain…

You see, from about the time I turned off the light last night until and including right now… and for pretty much the entire day ahead… we have been, and will continue having rain, more rain, heavy rain and the accompanying booms of thunder and flashes of lightning that is common during the spring in Oklahoma.  The good news is that the Tornado Watch alert has expired... for now!

As I have mentioned before, Fiver, my almost 70-pound Aussie/Great Pyrenees mix, does not like loud noises and out here in Oklahoma, thunder can be VERY LOUD!  I can remember a time back in 2006 when I was attending school out here, when Piper and I were in the front room looking at a spreadsheet on my computer and talking about our finances when out of nowhere “BOOM!” and the whole house shook and Piper and I literally jumped with the peel of thunder.  Once we got our voices back, we looked at each other and burst out laughing together!  We never had that experience back in northern California.

But in Fiver’s case, I know what to expect with severe thunderstorms.  And I know him and his needs well enough to encourage him to find refuge under the desk and feel a bit of security there… even if it means that I have to be uncomfortable for a while.  The other alternative is to give him some medicine from the Vet, but he tends to get too lethargic with it… so I save that course of action as the last alternative if he starts shaking.

My point is that over the almost five years that we have had Fiver, that I have got to know him and his needs, his characteristics, his triggers for both positive and not so positive behaviors and how and when he might need a nudge away from something (or some other dog) that may cause him to become anxious!

I’ve also mentioned before, that although it was difficult for us when Piper stopped verbally communicating somewhat early in her fight with Alzheimer’s, that I knew her well enough to understand what she needed, what gave her enjoyment and/or comfort, and basically what she would want concerning the many decisions I was having to make in her behalf.

What totally caught me off-guard was how some people whom I thought would and should have known us, demonstrated through their words and actions that they really knew very little about who Piper and I really were and where we stood. 

These thoughts came up this morning as I studied a verse of scripture found in between the two that I was actually seeking to study today!  Sandwiched between Paul’s encouragement to “rejoice in the Lord always” and to “be careful for nothing” (Philippians 4:4,6 KJV) is a short little verse that packs a big punch when you take the time to study it out.

Philippians 4:5 simply states, “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.” (KJV)  The key words in this command of the Lord are “moderation” and “known.”  Moderation in the original Greek is explained as behavior that is “appropriate, seemingly, suitable, equitable, fair, gentle, reasonable and/or patient.” (Strong’s/Thayer’s)  According to Dictionary.com, appropriate behavior is that “which is fitting for a particular purpose, person or occasion.”  

When used as a verb, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes it as an action “to take or make use of (something, someone, or some situation) without authority or right.”  From our experience, it was someone taking liberties that were not theirs to take!  In Idioms by The Free Dictionary, “taking liberties” is defined as “To alter something (especially by making it inaccurate or untrue) in order to benefit from it or accommodate one's own needs or interests.”  Or in terminology we see being used in our political world today, one could say it is, falsely changing the story to fit the narrative that another is comfortable with.

The other key word from our verse that puts the thought all together is the word “known.”  This in the Greek, is our old friend “ginosko” which describes one having a deeply personal and/or intimate relationship with someone.  So, in my simple way of thinking, the Apostle Paul is telling us to take the time to get to know and understand what is really going on with someone, and to appreciate their experience or point of view before jumping into their situation and give advice or criticism and/or pass on false accusations or stories… In other words, to do your homework and then act with an appropriate behavior that accurately fits the situation, and offers the best, loving help possible to meet the other people’s needs… and not necessarily yours!

For me… it means to keep my mouth shut, to listen, ask the right questions, and then pray before I offer input into another person’s life.  I guess that’s why God gave us two ears to listen… but only one mouth to speak!

The Passion Translation of Philippians 4:5 tells us to, “Let gentleness be seen in every relationship, for our Lord is ever near.”   I like that.  If one enters a situation with “gentleness” as their motivation, then selfishness, fear or anger will have to take a back seat and a Godly APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR will prevail!

Have a great rest of the week, and as you do… keep EXPECTING God’s best!

Everything's Changing...

I couldn’t help but to get lost in my thoughts this morning after reading from Proverbs 4:20-23 and began to consider how much things have changed in my lifetime alone.  As a father giving sage advice to his children, the author of this proverb, who is likened to God, writes:

“Listen carefully, my dear child, to everything that I teach you, and pay attention to all that I have to say. Fill your thoughts with my words until they penetrate deep into your spirit. Then, as you unwrap my words, they will impart true life and radiant health into the very core of your being. So above all, guard the affections of your heart, for they affect all that you are. Pay attention to the welfare of your innermost being, for from there flows the wellspring of life.” (The Passion Translation)

Most people in my generation were taught a certain level of moral awareness, that seems to have taken flight over the last few decades.  This portion of scripture makes it pretty clear that each of us are personally responsible for holding to the standards of life that we were taught and/or prescribe to.  But it seems like in past times… that society gave us a helping hand… if you know what I mean.

One of the first examples I thought of was when Piper and I were attending Chico State University back in 1973-1974.  In the year that we attended school there, we lived in the on-campus dorms.   Piper in the older girl’s dorm, Lassen Hall and I across the grassy area in the guy’s dorm named Sierra Hall.  At that time, we had open access to each other’s dorms during the day, but had limited access at night due to the evening curfew when the outside doors were locked.

Things were a little different when my sister attended Long Beach State University six years prior to our college years.  In her girl’s dorm (an identical match to Piper’s and mine in architectural style) all male visitors had to be escorted in by a female resident and the resident also had to yell out upon entrance to the hallway, “Man in the hall!” A quick look this morning on the CSU housing website listed both the halls that Piper and I stayed in, as now having both men and women’s rooms in the same wing with separate bathrooms at each end.

Piper and I both visited each other quite often in each other’s dorm, so it was natural that we got to know many of the young people who lived in our wings.  I knew by name most of the gals whose rooms were close to Piper’s and the same with her for the guys in my wing.

So, as I mentioned in the above scripture’s reference, concerning each of our personal responsibilities to hold up our standards… and in this case, God’s standards… I recall an embarrassing incident early one evening when I came to pick up Piper for a date, and one of her wing mates came prancing down the hall wearing nothing but a tiny, see-through, baby doll nightie.  This little gal (she was shorter than Piper) who most guys who knew her, thought was very attractive (although to be honest… I didn’t quite see it... and then again, Piper and I were engaged), was very outgoing and liked to be the center of attention. 

Well, she made a beeline to me and stopped right in front of me about ten yards from Piper’s room door (that by then, I was desperately trying to get to!)  I was way too embarrassed to think straight, and did my best to keep my eyes planted on her face while we made pleasantries back and forth. 

She was laughing pretty hard by the time she scooted around me and headed to the restroom... at least I think that’s where I thought she was headed… I didn’t dare turn and watch her walk away, but with a beet-red face practically ran to Piper’s room and furiously banged on her door.  When she opened the door, it only took one glance for her and her roommate to almost fall on the floor in laughter! 

I don’t know, but that is just the way that seems right to me.  In that and similar situations, I loved and respected my girlfriend and then my wife, too much than to let my eyes wander anywhere but where they are supposed to be… and thank you very much… but they were ALWAYS content to be on HER and her alone!

And like I said, although I believe that God has set some fairly strict guidelines for us to follow, I also believe that we have to interpret those standards accordingly.  Through the years, Piper and I saw many different standards held by some wonderful, Godly and giving Christians who love the Lord with all their hearts. 

I was raised Catholic and would not think it as unusual to see the priest smoking a cigarette after church or as he walked across the school playground on the way to the rectory.  My parents were very active in the church and school, and I attended many church organizational (Knights of Columbus, The Italian Catholic Federation etc) dinner events over the years with my parents as a kid and then later with Piper, where it was (and still is) quite normal for there to be a bar with alcoholic beverages.

It was also not unusual for Piper and I, as the Youth Ministers at the American Baptist Church that Piper grew up in, to be at a Parent’s of Youth dinner event at a nice restaurant when some of the parents had a glass of wine with their meal.  And on the opposite end of the spectrum, in later years, we were active in churches where any suggestion of alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, or dancing (as at a wedding) were seen as nothing short of blasphemy!

The vast majority of the members of these churches were, as I said above, saved, wonderful, God-loving, give-you-the-shirt-off-their-back type of people who would be at your door in a moment’s notice in order to help someone out in time of need.

Our scripture encourages us to stay active in your study of the Word of God, and tells us, above all… “to guard the affections of your heart.”  From my experience, when we regularly do those two things, then the things that are wrong for us to do will lose their interest in our lives… and God’s right and wrong will begin to prevail in and through us.

Our responsibility is NOT to judge other’s behavior, but to seek His truth in his Word, be obedient to what the Word tells us and in doing so, we’ll guard the affections of our hearts.

Have a great new week, and as you do, stay active in His Word, guard the affections that you let into your life and keep EXPECTING His best for your life.

 

 

Lookin' Good!

When I got up this morning a little before 5:00 to take the dog out… he had gotten up on the bed and was staring me in the face… I was feeling kind of out-of-sorts.  I hadn’t been sleeping well, seemed to repeatedly have the same unsettling dream, and was waking up every hour since around 12:30.  I wasn’t necessarily upset, but a little confused, un-focused and just plain old blah!

It had been raining most of the night, but seemed to have paused at that particular moment.  So, I slipped on my shoes, grabbed a jacket and took Fiver outside.  He was pretty good about it and quickly took care of his business and we returned into the living room.  Once back in the bedroom (after drying his feet), I gave Fiver a treat and picked up my Bible and read in a personalized way, from Proverbs 3:5 where the Psalmist declared:

“No matter what is going on, no matter how I may feel, I choose to trust in the Lord completely, and to not rely on my own opinions. But with all my heart to rely on Him to guide me, for I know that He will always lead me in every decision I need to make.” (TPT)

I didn’t feel much different at that point, so I laid down on top of the bed and began to pray quietly.  After a while, I found myself speaking out JOY scriptures and discovered that I had a peace that seemed to have snuck up upon me as I prayed!  I even noticed that I had a slight grin on my face… that I must admit, felt pretty good!  So, I slipped under the covers and fell asleep.

When I awoke about an hour later, I still felt the peace and pulled back the covers, stepped out… careful not to step on the dog who was now patiently waiting next to the bed, threw on some clothes, dropped a pod in my new coffee maker and headed to the study!  Once my Bible study program opened up on my laptop, I did a word search on the words JOY for the older translations and HAPPY for the modern ones.

The first verse to catch my eye was Psalm 119:1-2 in The Passion Translation where the Psalmist writes “You’re only truly happy when you walk in total integrity, walking in the light of God’s word.  What joy overwhelms everyone who keeps the ways of God, those who seek him as their heart’s passion!”  I thought, “Well, that verse sort of described what happened to me earlier this morning.  When I turned my feelings over to the light of God’s Word, I received His JOY that in turn, caused me to become CHEERFUL and HAPPY!”

From there I went over to the end of the book of Romans, where Paul was summing up his letter to the church and declared, “I’m so happy when I think of you, because everyone knows the testimony of your deep commitment of faith…” (Romans 16:19 TPT)  And then to James 5:13 where the Pastor of the church in Jerusalem asks, “Are there any believers in your fellowship suffering great hardship and distress? Encourage them to pray! Are there happy, cheerful ones among you? Encourage them to sing out their praises!" (TPT)

After reading the last two verses, I leaned back in my comfy desk chair and could clearly see that both Paul and James were telling their readers that their JOY, CHEERFULNESS and HAPPINESS, which was derived from their deep faith in God and His Word, not only looked good on them, but was also very evident and/or visible to other people!

I got the sense that James was strongly suggesting that those in need, stop their complaining and go to the Lord in quiet, humble, sincere and faith-filled prayer, while to the HAPPY and CHEERFUL ones in the congregation, he strongly encourages to SING OUT their praises in order to build up everyone else!  In other words… people like to see and hear HAPPY, JOYFULL individuals, for I personally believe that God has given each of us an innate desire to be JOYFUL and HAPPY in this life… through the power of Him and His word.

So, as you live your life this weekend… I whole-heartedly encourage each of you to BE HAPPY and JOYFUL in all that you do.  And if you're having a difficult time getting there, like I did early this morning… turn to God’s Word and start reading and confessing His JOY and HAPPINESS scriptures over your day!

Take it from me… He’ll NEVER let you down! 

Have a great last weekend in April… and as you do, keep EXPECTING his best for you!

          

STAMPED!

As I was continuing to study a portion of scripture in 2 Corinthians chapter one this morning, I came across a particular version of the Bible that arrested my forward progress and almost immediately sent me backwards down a string of personal memories that happened in the years around 1976.

Lots of special things happened during those days that began in the second year of Piper’s and my marriage.  I had left my job as a salesman in the hardware department at Sears sometime in late 1976 as Piper and I had both thought that it would be a good time to pursue my photography aspirations.  She was working as a teacher at a large Christian preschool and we had recently been asked to take over as on-site managers of the apartments where we lived.  With that position we had free rent and would get paid for any maintenance that I did around the buildings.  I was also receiving a small monthly stipend as the Youth minister at our church.

When word began to spread that I had a photography business, I booked a few weddings and outdoor family portraits.  Then, through a friend of my mom’s, I was able to procure a position as the local photographer covering events for the Catholic Diocese’s newspaper.  That was a fun position that took me all over the county, to all kinds of interesting Catholic facilities and events.  It was all black and white photography that I would shoot and then process in my own darkroom, which assured me of complete quality control from start to finish!

In 2 Corinthians 1:20, The Apostle Paul tells his readers, according to The Message Bible, that “whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God's Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident.”  And it was this idea of getting STAMPED that sent me down memory lane.

One of the first things that I did after completing all the legal paperwork for starting my own business, was to have a custom STAMP made with the name and phone number of our business on it.  I had done some (what I thought was) creative design with my business cards and had them look in size, shape and design to resemble a strip of 35mm film.  I had also designed a unique look for the stamp, with an over-sized rectangle and the name of company as the outer border flowing around the whole card with the contact information in the middle.

I was never quite sure where my photographs for the Catholic paper would end up as I worked with a local Deacon from St Rose Church in Santa Rosa, who would send all the copy information to the Dioceses headquarters in San Francisco to be printed.  I wanted anyone who saw my work to know where it came from, so I would STAMP my business information on the back of each 8X10 print using a dark red ink… Which actually worked, as I got some other jobs through the years from individuals whose hands my work went through.

It was also during that time that I realized, while driving home from an all-day shoot at a Catholic retreat center in the mountains near the Sonoma County coast, that the heavy duty, foam-lined, metal, completely filled and organized photography equipment case that I had strapped to the trunk rack on the back of my 1966 dark blue MGB… was worth more than the car I was driving!  As I came around a twisty curve, I had the nervous thought that one slip of the bungee cord and all my fancy equipment could be lost!

So, that thought began a process where Piper and I sought the Lord’s directions, took a detailed look at our finances and after a while, felt the okay to stretch our faith and make the first big purchase of our marriage!  With both of us being auto enthusiasts, the choice of cars was not too difficult.  A few weeks later we were the proud owners of a brand new, 1977 Pacific Blue with a white leather interior, mags and shade kit on the back lift window, Datsun 280 Z roadster.  With that car, I could put all my photo equipment inside, on the back deck with easy access from the lift window.  I could also use it as a platform at some of the outdoor venues I was at.

I could tell you of many fun experiences we enjoyed with that car… but back to the point of this post!  The STAMP on the back of my black and white pictures signified that those prints were my original work and that I owned the negatives if reprints were needed.  And that is the significance that I took from our scripture above.  As Christians we are entitled to believe for the promises in the Bible that Jesus has provided for us through His death, burial, resurrection and assentation to the right hand of God.

And here’s the exciting part… According to 2 Corinthians 1:20, when we step out in faith and make a request of God… Jesus STAMPS His Yes on that request and at that point it becomes His ownership… His responsibility… His task to fulfill!  The Bible in Basic English says that “He (Jesus) is the yes to all the UNDERTAKINGS of God…”  Dictionary.com defines “UNDERTAKES” as “The act of a person who undertakes a task or responsibility.”

That to me, makes it pretty clear, that once we make our request, it becomes STAMPED with the seal of His ownership… just as my photography STAMP marked the prints as mine.  Therefore, after our request is made, the responsibility to complete it belongs to God and NOT to us!  Our job is to keep believing in faith that we have received it (see Mark 11:24) and then let God do His thing!  Sometimes the answers to requests take time as many people, places and/or things have to line up, while at other times the fulfillment can come quickly.  But that’s NOT our job.  Our job is to EXPECT His fulfillment because Jesus has STAMPED our request with His YES!

Okay… Okay… This post has gotten pretty long… but I think you can catch my drift here!  Making requests of God is a two-way operation!  It takes both of us… each doing our own jobs and responsibilities in order to see them fulfilled!  So, the next time you make a request of God and begin to entertain doubt… just flip over the request and see WHOSE contact information is STAMPED on the back!  Then trust in Him to meet that need and/or request!

Have a terrific rest of the week, and as you do, keep EXPECTING God’s best for you!

 

I'll Have Waffles!

I have always enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and to go out for breakfast... even more so!  The only problem over the years though, was that with my work schedule and my wife homeschooling, we very seldom got to go out for breakfast.  The closest that we usually got was our relaxed Saturday morning family breakfasts at home!

The only times we had opportunities to go out for breakfast was on our once or twice a year, two-night holidays to the coast.  But we usually would forgo the out-for-breakfast treat and take advantage of another treat… the opportunity to sleep-in!  So, in knowing that we would miss the breakfast window in the places we stayed at, we would always make sure that we brought some delicious muffins… Piper with her favorite bran muffins and me with my lemon poppy seed muffins!

You see, Piper always liked to be up with the kids in the mornings which pretty much assured us of never getting to sleep in at home.  I think part of this stemmed from her enjoyment of being right smack in the middle of all the action, and secondly, because of the hours that her sister and her would spend on Saturday mornings alone, watching cartoons while their parent’s slept-in.

But on Saturday mornings things usually slowed down for our family and on most of them, you’d find me in the kitchen making my favorite pancakes or close second… hot crispy WAFFLES for everyone to enjoy!   Needless to say, our WAFFLE maker got a lot of use over the years… and in fact, occasionally it still does!  When the kids came out to visit me in North Carolina, I would always take them to our local Waffle House in Fuquay-Varina.  I’ve been to one in Tulsa a few times, and I have to admit that while the food is good, the cleanliness of the kitchen area leaves something to be desired!

It is kind of funny in that I came across a scripture a couple of days ago that brought back all of the above breakfast memories, and in particular “WAFFLES!”  Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 1:19 in The Message Bible that “When Silas and Timothy and I proclaimed the Son of God among you, did you pick up on any yes-and-no, on-again, off-again WAFFLING? Wasn't it a clean, strong Yes?” 

Now while I understand that WAFFLING in this verse has nothing to do with the delicious breakfast confection that comes hot and crispy off the WAFFLE maker just longing for a scoop of whipped butter and hot maple sugar dripping off the sides into your plate, it does cause me to remember that when I go out to The Waffle House for breakfast, that there is no WAFFLING around for me!  I don’t even have to open up the menu.  I know that I want a WAFFLE with a side of scrambled eggs and cheese with a couple strips of sausage.  And that, with a continual fill of hot coffee… makes me one happy camper!

Paul in this verse is also not messing round with his order to the church at Corinth.  He had heard about some mixed messages being taught in the city and was out to make a clear point by declaring in no uncertain terms, that the gospel message of Jesus Christ that he and his friends taught, was the only thing on the menu that they served.

In describing the promises of Christ, he plainly stated that there is to be absolutely no WAFFLING around.  That the message of Jesus Christ was and always will be the only TRUE message.  There is to be no mistaking that Jesus “has never been both a “yes” and a “no.” He has always been and always will be for us a resounding “YES!” (The Passion Translation)

Like Moses in the Old Testament when he strongly stated that the people of Israel only had two choices… life or death with no third option, Paul in his letters to the New Testament Churches tells the same story!  He told them that they had to choose one or the other… and like the example that he and his friends set, to NOT WAFFLE back and forth between the two.  You either believe in and for the Word in every situation you face or you don’t!

For me, it is a decision that I make first thing every morning.  I choose Jesus and His Word… ie, the truths found between the pages of my Bible… to be the truth… every time and in every place!  Therefore, the decision is already made for me BEFORE I walk into any situation!  And the more I study His Word, the more of His answers I already know when the trials and tribulations of life present themselves.  Having that information ahead of time helps me to think straight when troubles arise.  It helps me to ward off any attacks of fear, and helps to keep me in charge of the outcome of the situation!

So, what do you think… or better yet… what do you know?  Plain and simple… Is Jesus and His Word a resounding “YES” or “NO”… or is He a “sometimes YES” or “sometimes NO” depending on how much the situation questions and/or tests your personal level of faith?

Are you going to find yourself WAFFLING around and needing to check out the menu… or know that you know without question… that the Word of God is TRUE for YOU?

Have a terrific week.  We went from the mid-seventies yesterday to the thirties with snow flurries today!  But that’s OKAY!  I’ve learned to trust the Lord in the warm seasons as well as in the cold!

Either way… God wants us to continue to expect His best for us!

The Choice is Up To YOU!

I had a really sweet and intimate dream about Piper the other morning.  I awoke soon afterwards and rolled over on my back and simply smiled as I thought about the experience and cherished every moment of the dream.  As I pondered our wonderful past together, I suddenly looked to my present and future and decided right then and there, that I was going to CHOOSE LIFE… now without her… just as we had made a commitment early on in our marriage to CHOOSE LIFE and then pursue it together for 48 years.

In Deuteronomy 30:19, Moses had gathered the people of Israel for a final word of encouragement as they had come to the end of the first part of their long journey out of captivity in Egypt and were about to enter the land that God had promised them.  In this verse he boldly declared: “I call on heaven and earth as witnesses today that I have offered you life or death, blessings or curses. CHOOSE LIFE so that you and your descendants will live.” (God’s Word ©) 

It is interesting to me that just as all but three of the Israelites had never known any other life than the one they had left, I too have known no other life for the entirety of my adult life than being with Piper.  So, Moses’ advice seemed to be very apropos to me today as it did to them many years ago!

As I wrote about in my last blog post (“Today” 4/14/21), the proposition that Moses made to the Children of Israel had to do with a very specific time period… TODAY!  But I also believe that it was a decision that he was encouraging them to make, not only for that particular day… but then again, fresh and anew, every other day for the rest of their lives.

Another point that caught my attention was that Moses called upon the residents of both heaven and the earth to act as witnesses to the decision the people made.  How were those residents to know which decision was made by the people back then or by us in current times?  Well, simply by observing the way that you think, speak and act… in other words… the way you live your life!  It was made painfully aware to Piper and I when she got sick, which people had CHOSEN LIFE and which one’s had not.

The one’s who had not, were oftentimes depressed, sad, negative, quiet and occasionally argumentative about our situation.  To be perfectly honest, they were very difficult and unpleasant to be around!  The individuals who had made the decision to CHOOSE LIFE tended to look at our situation with a totally different mind-set.  They were usually happy, encouraging with their words and corresponding actions, and very supportive to our faith as well as with the medical procedures and courses of action that we chose to follow.  We discovered that it was fairly simple to see what life course decision different people had made.

The more I studied this verse, the more aware I became of the very clear fact that Moses only offered the people two decisions.  There was no third option!  The commentary in the Sermon Bible for this verse states, “there is no middle space; it must be life or death. Because life is everything. All that is worth having in this world or the next is in that word ‘life.’ ‘Therefore choose life.’"

In the original language, the word CHOOSE is defined as “to select, to elect, or to decide for yourself.”  It is the action verb in the statement and describes the action needed to be taken concerning the subject of the sentence.  It is a personal decision concerning which action we will take in our daily lives.  For me, it is a first-thing-in-the-morning decision that sets the attitude of my mind for that day.  If you’re anything like me, then you know that it can be very hard to live an uplifting day TODAY… with yesterday’s (getting a little stale) encouragement! 

It can be likened to saving a few moments of time in the morning and simply pouring some of the day-old coffee left over in the carafe, into a mug and warming it up in the microwave.  YUK!  There’s nothing like the flavor of a fresh brewed cup of coffee wafting into your senses and ahhhh… that first sip… YUMMMMMMMM!

I think that this is the same type of feeling and satisfaction that the Lord wants us to make fresh and anew each day… to CHOOSE LIFE or death.  What shall it be?  John Gill says that Moses is encouraging us to “prefer obedience to God’s Word and CHOOSE to perform it – to which the consequence is life.”  John Wesley wrote, “They shall have life that CHOOSE it – they that CHOOSE the favor of God and communion with Him - shall have what they CHOOSE!”

And lastly… I noticed that Moses wrapped up his encouragement by not only giving us a huge hint as to which CHOICE to make, but also let us know how that decision would directly affect others, when he… with a wink or two, I would think… said something like, “Hint! Hint!”  “…CHOOSE LIFE so that you and your descendants will live.”

So, which will you CHOOSE today… or tomorrow… or the day’s after that?  Will it be a positive affirmation of the Zoe kind of life that the Bible describes?  A life that is defined in the Greek as “the absolute fulness of life, life real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed, in the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ…” (Thayer’s) or death and the sadness, depression and negativism that goes hand in hand with that decision?

Hummm… I know which one I CHOOSE… How about you?

Have a good weekend, and as you do, keep expecting God’ best each day!

TODAY!

I had a revelation the other morning as Fiver and I were on our morning walk along the golf course, on our way to the neighborhood park and pond.  The ever-increasing green on the fairways that is returning after the months of dormancy, had caught my fancy and I found myself enjoying the freshness of what was before my eyes.  In the midst of all that, the idiom “the grass is always greener on the other side” came to mind and I had to pause for a moment when I realized that I had lived by that saying for many years.

There have been times in my life where I would find myself thinking things like… “Well, as soon as this is done,” or “as soon as that bill is paid off”, or “as soon as the weekend gets here”… and so on and so on!  Am I alone in that kind of thinking?

Ever since Piper’s passing onto glory, I keep thinking that at some point in the future, life will become somewhat normal for me again.  At the end of last year, I felt led to study Jesus’ words in Luke 4:18-19 when He returned from the temptation in the wilderness at the onset of His earthly ministry and declared to those in the temple that, "The Spirit of the Lord is with me. He has anointed me to tell the Good News to the poor… to announce the year of the Lord's favor." (God’s Word ©

I took this as a special word from the Lord for me and felt that 2021 would be the year when positive changes would be occurring in my life.  Therefore, since the beginning of the year, I have been regularly confessing that “this is the year of the Lord’s favor on my life” and that “This is the best year of my life!”

But as I witnessed all the green that was bursting out all around me on that walk the other morning, it suddenly dawned on me, that I am STILL looking out into the FUTURE!  Scriptures like Hebrews 11:1 tell me that faith is always present tense.  It is NOT in either the future nor the past… The writer of Hebrews explained that “Now faith is…” and in Mark 11:24 Jesus Himself told His disciples that “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” (KJV)

That, my dear readers is talking directly about TODAY!  So, right then and there, standing with the dog in the commons area behind our neighborhood, next to the golf course, I made a quick adjustment in my thinking and loudly proclaimed that “TODAY is the best day of my life!"

And with that proclamation, I noticed that an immediate sense of EXCITEMENT and EXPECTATION dropped into my heart!  Suddenly my hope was not some distant desire looking forward to tomorrow but to the very moment that I was standing in.  Why put off to tomorrow that which you can attain today?  It was like I put down the binoculars that I had been viewing my life with and exchanged them for my readers… and for the first time in a long time… be able to notice and appreciated the fine details right in front of my face!

In my Bible study time this morning, I did a word search on the phrase “This Day” which seems to be how the King James Version most often translated the word “Today” and discovered that it is used 325 times.  That information makes me believe that it is an important idea in the eyes of the Lord.  It would make sense that it is a special point that He continually had the writers of the Bible repeat from Genesis to the book of Hebrews.

Since I had that revelation last week, I now find myself pausing before I swing my legs over the side of the bed in the morning and confessing, with a genuine smile on my face, that “TODAY is the best day of my Life!”  It also tends to pop out of my mouth throughout the day as well, acting as a caffeine-free stimulant to my faith and to my attitude!

This week I have also learned of another important factor to the success of my new daily confession… but I’ll tell you about that additional ingredient in my next post… so keep in tune!

Until then though… start looking for God’s best in your life TODAY!  Don’t wait until tomorrow… I mean… who knows what can happen between then and TODAY?

Enjoy TODAY!  Enjoy the moment that you are living in right now!  Keep your EXPECTIONS high and keep EXPECTING God’s best… TODAY!

·       I also wanted to share the news that Piper’s Mom, Carm Canevari, passed away early yesterday morning.  She had been bed-ridden for quite some time and passed peacefully onto glory.  I was telling my kids that Piper probably had a big home-coming celebration with all the family that had gone on before them in attendance… and I’m also pretty sure that her Mom didn’t waste much time and began to sing a beautiful worship song unto the Lord as Piper played the melody on one of the beautiful white, nine-foot grand pianos in heaven with her Dad adding the rich tones of his bass voice.  Please keep Piper’s family in your prayers.  Thanks!

Walker's Radar...

I was caught a little unaware last week when the tornado sirens suddenly began sounding their alarms.  I knew that we had the possibility of some strong thunderstorms later in the evening hours, but no reports of possible tornados were ever mentioned.

So… there I was, sitting comfortably on my couch, watching the new rendition of the role that Chuck Norris made famous in “Walker Texas Ranger” (now shorten to “Walker”) where the new Walker and his female partner are responding to an emergency situation where… you guessed it… a tornado had touched down!  And… just as they jump out of the truck in the midst of a scene of horrific damage… I leapt to my feet and declared, “Hey!  That’s not on TV!  That’s our sirens going off!”

It was actually a little funny as I went over to my back windows to see what the sky looked like.  I found myself laughing and then spotted my neighbor over the fence, standing in the middle of his yard doing the same thing! 

My first thought was to grab my emergency radio in the bedroom, so as to hear what was going on.  When I came back into the living room, it dawned on me that I could watch the visual reports on TV as well.  You see, I had satellite TV in North Carolina which was really nice until there was any atmospheric disturbance like a thunderstorm and we immediately lost the signal.  But out here I went back to cable for that one reason alone… but tend to forget at times!

Anyway, as I watched the reporting on my big screen TV, I was amazed at the clarity and detail of the information that they reported on.  They have the capability to tell their viewers exactly where the air is spinning into a possible tornado and can pretty accurately project when the disturbance will come into wherever you are watching from!  After the worst of the storm passed by my immediate area, the forecaster switched to another zone south of Tulsa and closer to Oklahoma City in order to report on what was happening there.  As he described things, he pointed out a black line on the bottom of the screen and explained that the line marked the southern border that was covered by the Doppler radar station that they used for their viewing area around the Tulsa metroplex.

The thought of that southern coverage border came back into my mind this morning when I read from 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 where the Apostle Paul taught his readers saying,

“Of course we are human, but we don't fight like humans.  The weapons we use in our fight are not made by humans. Rather, they are powerful weapons from God. With them we destroy people's defenses, that is, their arguments and all their intellectual arrogance that oppose the knowledge of God. We take every thought captive so that it is obedient to Christ.” (God’s Word ©) 

The thing that I have come to appreciate about this scripture is that it takes you beyond the human aspects of whatever situation you are dealing with at any given time.  I had to learn this the hard way when we moved back home after Bible School, and were finally able to get an accurate diagnosis on what was happening to Piper.  There were many uncomfortable things that were said and done that were very difficult for me to understand… and to not take personally.

It took a while for me to learn, but with the help of verses of scripture like ours today, I realized that the true battle for everything, including Piper’s health and the unusual family interactions, had more to do with things going on in the spiritual realm than in the natural… where they were manifested.

When I finally came to this realization, I was able to remove my focus from the particular individuals involved and center in on the real culprit... the enemy of our souls!  Remember him… he’s the one who has “only one thing in mind… to steal, slaughter and destroy” us and everything dear and meaningful to us. (John 10:10 TPT)

Paul makes it clear that the accusations we faced, were weapons being used against our faith in God and the directions we firmly believed that HE was giving us.  I eventually learned that my battle plan was to center on “taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” and His Word and to deal with the spiritual battle and not get caught up in all the other things that were trying to distract us from obeying God.

In reference to the severe weather threats that we were facing last week… well, when I looked out the window, yes, the sky was a little dark in places, but it was not raining and it wasn’t even that windy… but yet the sirens were going off, telling us to go and find shelter.  In other words, even though I couldn’t see it in the natural, the threat was real and was potentially approaching us.  The radar saw what we couldn’t.  Which is sort of like what was going on with Piper and I.  The unexpected reactions we received, were only the people's physical reaction to what they thought they saw and how they saw the story ending.… but yet, all the way along… it was the parts of the story that none of us could see (ie; the things we stood in faith for) that turned out to be real… where FAITH became FACT!

And as far as the black line that marked the end of the TV station's storm coverage area goes… that just reminded me, that as we stayed “obedient to Christ” or according to the original Greek, stayed within or under the covering and influence of the Anointed One and His anointing, we stayed in His coverage area… and would always know the right way to go… or not go!

I like the idea of how weather radar can give the trained meteorologist the ability to see developing patterns that are not readily visible to the human eye alone.  It is like our taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ… which can give the informed Christian the ability to see potential hazards before they are visible in our lives!

So… I can say that I learned my lesson!  I am going to be more aware of the physical signs around me as we enter into tornado season out here in Oklahoma, just like I learned to stay close to the Lord and aware of His signs that tell me what is really going on in my life… and how HE wants me to deal with it!

Have a great week!  Stay safe, stay blessed and keep expecting God’s best for your life!

Deliberate Decisions

I have become painfully aware these days, that I have had to make slow deliberate decisions concerning things that up to a couple of years ago, were everyday thoughts, words or actions that I would regularly make without as much of a second thought.  With the absence of my wife and the life that we had forged together, I find that many, if not most, of the traditional things that I depended on for comfort and stability are suddenly needing to be re-evaluated… and in many cases… totally re-established!

Today I oftentimes find myself facing new situations and circumstances that seem to be shook by regular reminders of my past.  Take yesterday for example… I went to our nearby Bass Pro Outdoors Shop to get some get some new summer wear.  Just walking into this particular store brings back many fond memories as Piper and I frequented the store during our initial stay in Oklahoma some ten years ago. 

The grandness of the store is an adventure all to itself and Piper and I spent more than a few Friday nights walking through the store as a part of our date nights!  We also went every few months to buy me new boots as the concrete floors at my job at Home Depot tended to wear down my shoes quite rapidly.  So, needless to say, I have positive memories of us holding hands as we oohed and ahhed over the displays, the wall hanging, waterfall and other outdoor scenes, clothing and equipment.

Then, as I was minding my own business, standing in line waiting for the next available cashier, I glanced over to the display of salt water taffy to my left and couldn’t help but break out into laughter.  I was instantly transported in time, remembering Piper’s and my visit to a local salt water taffy store (in a pink and white striped trailer) in Bodega Bay, California during our 25^th anniversary holiday together.  In particular, I recalled the bag of candy we purchased and how enthralled Piper was at the display of ceramic lighthouses that was on display in a corner of the small store that was packed with merchandise… and customers!

Then I snapped back into reality when I noticed that the young family ahead of me was looking at me like I’d lost a marble or two!  Thankfully I was saved when a cashier yelled out “I can help whoever is next” and the line moved forward.  Things like that example happen quite often as almost everything reminds me in some way, shape or form of Piper and or things we did together or as a family.

So, now I find that I have to think things through and then make deliberate decisions concerning the way I think about a particular event that’s unfolding before me, the words I am going to respond with and/or the actions that I am going to take.  I still awake most mornings having to rethink my scheduled activities in the light that Piper is no longer lying next to me and that we will not be sharing the day’s events together.

As I sat on the edge of the bed this morning confessing some verses of scripture over my day, I found myself meditating on a familiar verse in John 10:10 that I mentioned in our last blog post.  The King James Version has Jesus saying in red, “The thief (ie; the devil) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”   The thought that caught my attention was that Jesus made the point to say “might” two times in the same sentence.  That caused me to consider what He meant by that.

The Passion Translation makes it a little clearer with its modern rendition of the verse by declaring, “A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect—life in its fullness until you overflow!”  It seems to me that Jesus is making a strong contrast between the job requirements of the devil and Himself in direct relationship to you and me!

He plainly states that the devil’s one job responsibility is to steal, kill and destroy us… while Jesus was resurrected on Easter Sunday and is now seated at the right hand of God with the responsibility of giving us an abundance of life… BUT… there is a caveat to Jesus’ ability to give us an abundance in life… and that is... that it is UP TO YOU AND ME TO WANT IT AND THEN RECEIVE IT!

I believe that is exactly why Jesus makes the double point in stating “that they MIGHT have life, and that they MIGHT have it more abundantly.”  The MIGHT means that it is totally up to us to receive what Jesus is offering us!  The Passion Translation puts it in terms that are very familiar to me… and to the readers of this blog!  This translation says that we can have an abundance of life that is “MORE THAN WE EXPECT.”  Simply said, if we EXPECT nothing… then we receive nothing.  If we EXPECT little… then we receive little… but if we expand our faith and EXPECT much… then we are able to receive much!

The Apostle Paul confirms this truth in Ephesians 3:20 where he stated that God is able to “achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination!” (The Passion Translation)  Paul in agreement with Jesus is encouraging us to make great requests of God, to dream unbelievable dreams and be free to imagine wildly big things... so that God can meet and achieve infinitely more than what we are believing for!  Let’s face it folks… WE CAN NEVER OUT-DO GOD!

So, what is my point?  Well… just as I have had to make DELIBERATE DECSIONS concerning many of the things that I do on a daily basis… I believe that God in His Word is also encouraging us to make the DELIBERATE DECISION to believe His Word, to EXPECT the promises within the pages of our Bibles to come true for us and to feel free to EXPECT infinitely more, to ask for big things, to dream what some people might consider to be impossible dreams and to let the wild places of our imaginations become the norm in our lives… KNOWING... that God loves us so much that He wants the best for us!

That’s the God that I serve… HOW ABOUT YOU?

Have a terrific weekend, and as you do… keep EXPECTING God’s best to be the norm in your life!

A Specific Target

My wife was always drawn to things that reminisced of an earlier… simpler time in life.  Whenever we were on our two-night holidays alone together or camping in the mountains with the kids, she enjoyed our supply runs (for important items like ice cream) into the local hamlet and in particular, to the store that usually included a combination grocery, hardware and souvenir shop.  Once there, you could see the JOY of discovery written all over her face as she seemed to have the knack to pick up some old-fashioned container as a vacation souvenir as well as to add to her antique tins collection.

For years she displayed her hobby on the counter of the wet bar in the family room where she conducted the Berruto Family Homeschool.  The only problem though, was that her collectables tended to get hidden behind the array of school books, lesson plans and assignments, sewing projects and just about anything else that got set there when any of us were on the way through the school room that also led to both the garage and the backyard!

When I came across the boxes of her collectables, while unpacking at our new home in North Carolina, I had the inspiration to put together a nice wooden display on the wall in the family room where she and I seemed to spend a lot of time.  It was my hope that she would enjoy looking at them while being confined to a wheelchair.  I had a lot of pleasure designing the display and was happy to see that it seemed to bring back that familiar JOY that shown through her lovely brown eyes.

One of the first things that I did after I moved to Oklahoma, was to dig out the boxes of her collectables and reassemble the display on a wall in a very prominent place in what would have been her new kitchen.  Now as I glance at the wall, I can’t help but to think of her and of the JOY that each of the items on show brought to her.

When I think back of the 48 years that Piper and I shared together, I can’t help but to see the huge part that JOY had in our relationship, our family and in our ministry.  There have been many days lately, when I just burst out into joyful laughter as I glance at some of the pictures of her that I have hanging throughout our house.  It is like I take an instant step back in time and find myself re-living the JOY that we were experiencing when the shutter tripped on the scene.  But I’ve also learned of the important role that JOY played during the tough times in our life… and in particular… of the last eight years of her earthy existence.

This reality came into focus over this past Easter when I read through the Biblical story of Easter week in the book of John.  In looking over my notes for the last six days, it caught my attention that I had started each morning off by writing down a personalization of Jesus’ words to His followers in John 16:22 declaring for myself that, “In the presence of the Lord, my heart bursts with joy that no one is able to take from me.” (The Passion Translation)

The more I studied this statement, the more I realized of how our JOY was a specific target of the enemy of our faith.   From the moment we returned home from Bible School, we were met with waves of depression, doubt, unbelief and fear, from individuals outside of our home, toward what we were facing and in particular, with the course of action we had chosen to follow.  But as far as I can now see… our saving grace was found in Jesus words in John 16:22, as we daily saturated ourselves in the Word of God, stayed in His presence and thereby found ourselves full of his JOY that others could not take away from us.

The King James Version describes it as a JOY that “no man taketh from you.”  According to Thayer’s Greek Definitions, the word “taketh” implies the action of someone attempting “to lift” our JOY from us… similar to the way a pick-pocket will attempt “to lift” your wallet without you knowing it… or “by force” if necessary!  The Mounce Concise Greek English Dictionary also defines it as “to destroy” which leads me to think about Jesus’ words in John 10:10 where He stated that “the thief (ie; the devil) comes to steal, kill and DESTROY.  But I came so that my sheep will have life and so that they will have everything they need.” (God’s Word ©)

This morning I looked up many verses relating to the JOY of the Lord and discovered, among many other things, that His JOY is our STRENGTH (Nehemiah 8:10), it connects us with God’s MIGHT (Zephaniah 3:17), is a tangible result of the Lord’s COMFORT in our lives (Isaiah 52:9), is FED by God’s Word (Jeremiah 15:16), is where His PRESENCE is (Psalm 16:11), should have an important VOICE in our lives (Jeremiah 33:11), is seen as a REWARD from the Lord (Matthew 25:21) and of most importance to me and others who have lost a loved one, JOY REPLACES MOURNING (Isaiah 61:3).

One of the clinchers to me, was the fact that JOY was so important in the life of the Apostle Paul, that he wanted to finish his course in life with JOY being a mark of his work and his legacy! (Acts 20:24)

And you know what?  It also makes life FUN to live!  It makes you and I FUN to be around, and it makes it EASY to share the gospel with others in need!

What do you think about that?  Would you rather live a life of FEAR that in turn causes doubt, unbelief, anger and an all-around bad attitude?  Or a life of JOY that makes you see the world in the light of a whole new color of expectation… because you’re focusing on and thereby trusting in the Lord and His possibilities and NOT on man’s limited resources!

Here’s hoping that your “heart bursts with joy that no one is able to take from you!”

Nonchalance

From almost day one… I always enjoyed surprising Piper with unexpected activities and gifts.  During our first summer together following our senior year in high school, I went with my Mom and Dad on a long-planned trip across the country to visit my sister and her husband at the now decommissioned Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda, Wisconsin, near the shores of Lake Huron.  My sister’s husband was a navigator on the KC 135 air tankers that refueled the B-52 bombers in mid-air hookups.

We were gone for two weeks and on the way home, I decided to play a little trick on my girlfriend.  So, as soon as we got home, I put on a sad voice, called her and let her know that we were still out of state and that I wouldn’t be home until the next day… Then I immediately hopped in the car with souvenirs of the trip in hand, and drove over to her house in order to surprise her!  When I got to the door, I excitedly rang the doorbell and quietly stood there ready to yell “Surprise!” when Piper answered.

But the moment was kind of shattered when her younger sister answered the door and rather bluntly said, with a startled look on her face: “What are you doing here?”  I was a little taken back and at a loss for words until I was saved by my perky sweetheart when she stuck her smiling face around her sister and simply laughed!  Then I quickly got it back together and nonchalantly said “Hi!” while she jumped through the doorway and gave me a hug!  (Boy… what I wouldn’t give for that hug today!)

I was getting the impression that Jesus put on that same “nonchalant” look upon His face following His resurrection on that first Easter morning, when He suddenly came upon the two Mary’s who were hurrying back to the Apostles in order to tell them about their experience with the angel and Jesus’ empty tomb.  The Message Bible records the incident saying, “Then Jesus met them, stopping them in their tracks. "Good morning!" he said. (and) They fell to their knees, embraced his feet, and worshiped him.” (Matthew 28:9) 

After seeing the angel at the empty tomb, the previous verse informs us that the two women, who were left deep in wonder and full of joy, lost no time in leaving the tomb and literally ran to tell the disciples.  Then right in the middle of all their confusion and excitement… along comes Jesus who casually greets them with a very normal expression of “Good Morning!”

It was the simplicity of His greeting… as if nothing special or unique had happened, that stopped me in my tracks as I was studying the Easter story in my Bible yesterday morning.  Then it hit me… as far as Jesus was concerned… and the angel at the tomb for that matter as well… it wasn’t such a big deal… because they FULLY EXPECTED that the Word of God that Jesus had been sharing with His followers for three years… would come true!

Then it dawned on me… How else could Moses tell Joshua to not be afraid, or Joshua tell the tribes of Israel to not be afraid… or the angel tell Joseph, Mary, Zachariah, the shepherd’s and then Paul to you and me in 2 Timothy 1:7 to not be afraid of God’s Word not working for them?  These great individual examples of our faith were all totally sold-out to the fact of God’s Word working in all the situations of their lives… just as God says it will to you and me today!

But let me say… When I did my best to look and act nonchalantly to Piper after our two-week separation from each other, I was just acting!  Inside I was jumping up and down and could hardly wait to get the hug that she eventually gave me!  But in Jesus’ case, I really believe that while He was excited to be at that point following His death, burial and resurrection, that He was still quite calm and secure in His assurance that God’s Word had worked throughout man’s history, was still working as stated then and would continue until the end of eternity!

I am pretty certain that Jesus could not have done all that He did for you and me, if He was not solid in His very personal foundation of knowing How much the Father loved Him and therefore… would always be true to His Word… which according to Ephesians 3:17-20 is an exact duplication of the way the Father loves you and me today!  It is the same foundation of LOVE that should motivate us to fully believe His Word to be true and not… in any way, shape or form allow FEAR to enter in and steal our faith in Jesus and His written Word.

So… The next time you nonchalantly greet someone with a cheery “GOOD MORNING!” …Let me encourage you to think about how much YOU believe God’s Word to be TRUE in and for your life.  And, of course… in order to know if it is true or not for your life, you have to first know what God’s Word in your Bible says… right?

Have a terrific Easter week, and as you do… keep expecting God’s best!