paravanes:meditations

"Are you down? Stay there!" I have had time this weekend to watch one of my favorite films, the original Rocky (1976). You can follow the link for a plot summary, but a key event in this boxing drama/love story occurs when a fighter is struggling near the end of a round and takes a hard fall. His manager, who's supported him through the rigorous training process but is now fearful for the fighter's health and safety, simply tells him to "stay down." In other words, "it's gotten too hard for you; just stay down, stay safe, and let yourself lose this fight."   This is the thing God never says to anyone. If you are on Earth, God has a good plan for what should happen with your life. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future . God has invested much in the human family. If you are alive, God has invested in you. He sustains the ...

Jesus Christ: The Eternal God-Man …who forever lives to love us and lead us into life. A new year’s resolution often looks like this:   “I’m going to get closer to God this year. I’m going to do the right thing.   I’m going to let God create the priorities of my life.” Who is this God I seek to become closer with? How do I know what is the “right thing”? How do I identify God’s priorities in my life? Jesus Christ, the Eternal God-Man, told us if we have seen Him, we have seen God the Father. Jesus also told us He would send a Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to remind us of everything Jesus told us and to show us things to come. This Jesus was many things to many people during His time on earth, and even now He is many things to many people. In His earthly life, He was a Master Teacher and Storyteller, a controversial rabbi, a physical and spiritual healer, an insightful and powerful prophet.   To many people, He is, even now, revered as a great teacher...

Many wisdom teachers of many ages have taught their students this: "you cannot impose your personal standards of behavior on others." Jesus encouraged His disciples to "be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." You can read many variations of this statement from Matthew 10:16 here . As I interact with others who may or may not share my world view -- and that is their right, by the way --,  I must keep Jesus' directive in mind. When I keep His directive in mind, I never react foolishly or thoughtlessly because someone does something I would never do. Besides, it's a challenge to say what I would "never do." How can I know this? Also,  no other person is under any obligation to do things my way. Only I am responsible to my own values. It is also my responsibility to be aware that others act from their knowledge, their priorities, and their perspectives. I can be a person of honesty and integrity in the middle of all of this. I can re...

Now that the holidays are over and life has returned to a semblance of normality, I am reflecting upon what the holidays meant and what I can take with me into this new year. This most recent Christmas (2011) was on a Sunday. Once again, discussions arose about what types of services should be held on "Christmas Sunday" and how many people would be likely to attend church service on Christmas morning. After all, won't everyone prefer to stay home, relax, and enjoy their  Christmas gifts and their favorite breakfast foods...and grab another cup of coffee or hot cocoa? Some churches abbreviated their services, others combined services, and a few simply cancelled services. I didn't have a difficult time deciding what to do on that morning. I went to church. I am aware, even though it's seldom spoken, of how my neighbors observe my regular attendance to church on Sundays. I can be relied upon to leave home at a certain time each Sunday morning. Others, especia...