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Christian Moore is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and founder of the WhyTry Program, resilience education curriculum for youth.

Coming from a blended family of twelve children, Christian spent most of his childhood years on the streets. In a neighborhood just outside of Washington DC, he was exposed to a wide array of social problems, which opened his eyes to the many injustices that exist in our world today. These experiences, combined with severe learning disabilities and an inner-city volunteer experience as a youth, all contributed to Christian’s eventual decision to become a social worker and help others who struggle with similar challenges. After fighting his way to receiving a master of social work (MSW) and working in education, corrections, and a homeless program, Christian recognized the need for a new approach and created WhyTry.

Thousands of school districts across the US have had Christian consult on how to increase resilience, lower dropout, improve school climate, prevent bullying, lower the achievement gap, and improve academics through teaching social and emotional education to all students.

Christian lives in the Rocky Mountains with his wife, Wendy, and their two sons, carson and Cooper.

I have selected the following paragraphs to introduce you to Christian’s Flip the Switch concept that builds resilience.

Resilience is the ability to endure pain, to press on, even if you’re not winning. The ability to show up, to keep going, or even to just continue to go through the motions while you’re dealing with failure, depression, anxiety, hopelessness, addiction, legal problems, an abusive spouse, unemployment, a terminal illness – the list of struggles that are part of the human condition is endless – creates dignity. It creates self-respect. There is an honor in pressing through even the worst of circumstances. Pain channeled in a positive direction is the greatest thing that can happen to you.

Because of the vastness of the human experience, we all process pain differently with varying levels of ability, and we must have great compassion for others and not judge someone who appears less resilient.  However, resilience is what makes a difference between those who succumb to problems and those who fight through them. In each of those scenarios, one person got caught in the self-pity and blaming, becoming a victim and shutting down. The other person, however was resilient. They were able to say to themselves, I’m going to use this difficult situation as fuel to try harder.

I call this “Flipping the Switch.“ When you Flip the Switch, you stop for a moment, realize that you can turn your pain into power, move forward, committed to being resilient. Let’s look closer at the powerful edge that Flipping the Switch can give you.

How an Inmate can have an advantage over a Harvard grad

I’ve taught the concept of Flipping the Switch in some interesting places. After speaking to a group of students in an inner-city school, I was approached by an administrator immediately after my speech and asked if I had time to speak to a group of juvenile offenders in a local detention center that very afternoon. I had time before my flight, so I agreed, and they rushed me over to a lockdown facility full of boys ages 12 to 18 who had committed terrible crimes, including rape and murder. This was definitely a rough crowd.

Since the decision to have me speak was made last minute, the director of the facility didn’t have much warning that I was coming. She didn’t know anything about me or what I was going to be speaking about. These juvenile offenders are on a highly regimented schedule, and usually I need 20 or 30 minutes to set up my equipment. The director was obviously agitated, and as I started to get ready she angrily said, “They’re coming in right now! You don’t have time to get set up. Do you know who these kids are? What are you going to say to these boys?” In her defense, she was caught off guard, but it wasn’t hard to hear what she was really saying. I imagined her looking at me, a short fat, white guy from upper-middle-class suburbia, and thinking I was way out of my league. What could I possibly have to say of value to these young men? The offenders – mostly African-Americans and a few Latinos, started slouching into the room. “Put your computer away,“ she said. “Go.“ I walked to the front of the room, and she left the room as I began to speak.

The boys lean back in the chairs, not making eye contact with me. Their body language said, what you got? and there was a ton of attitude in the room. They weren’t into it at all. I walked over to the wall and start flipping the light switch on and off. The room, with only one small window by the door, went very dark each time I turned off the light. And every time light once again flooded the room, I saw the boys looking at me like, Are you crazy?

With my finger still on the switch, I said, “I’m about to teach you something, and if you are able to really understand it, every one of you in this room could have an advantage over a student at Harvard.” That got the room quiet; the scraping of chair legs and shuffling of feet stopped. Now I had their attention.

I explained to them what it means to Flip the Switch – that they had the power to see their challenges differently and convert their anger into the fuel to be better. “The only thing that really gives someone in jail an advantage over someone at Harvard, “I said, “is how quickly they realize that the switch is there. That Harvard guy, he might not realize it’s there until he’s 60 years old. Or never. You guys right now are teenagers. Can you imagine the power of knowing that switch is there when you’re 15 or 16? The switch equals the awareness that you can use pain, disappointment and tragedy as fuel to overcome life’s challenges. That you can see your problems as your best friend. I’m telling you, there are a lot of adults you never knew they had this capacity. I have family members who have lived on this Earth 80 years and they never knew they could Flip the Switch. They only saw their problems as a reason to be angry, upset, feel disrespected, and turn to depression, anxiety, or hopelessness. These are educated people! And they only saw their pain as a reason to give up.

“Anybody here ever messed up?“ I asked, scanning the room. “Anybody hear have any great pain in your life?“ All of those boys raised their hands, and most were now making full eye contact with me. “You’ve got the fuel! You got the fuel already in you! You got to use that fuel to become greater. I don’t care where the fuel came from, whether it’s poverty, abuse, you hurting someone else, your dad dying, or your mom in prison…. I don’t know where your fuel comes from. But you got the fuel. Anybody here frustrated?” “Again all hands went up. “Use the fuel, I’m telling you! If you use the fuel you have an advantage over somebody at Harvard who doesn’t know how to use the fuel. There are people who run multimillion dollar corporation‘s or have PhDs that don’t get this. If you understand how to Flip the Switch, you WILL have the advantage.“

I paced the room trying to look into each of the boys’ faces. They were looking up now, leaning forward eagerly. I shouted out a challenge; “Every night I want you to ask yourself, ‘Am I Flipping the Switch?’ When you mess up, are you giving up or trying to become greater? Because the reality is, everyone messes up. The most resilient people use the mess as a reason to become greater. Everyone has nights when they go to bed with fear, frustration, anxiety, and anger. You’ve got to Flip the Switch, and consciously decide to wake up tomorrow and work as hard as you can to do the best that you can. You consciously decide to not get hung up in all the crap. That’s what resilient people do. When you walk out of here, you can use your pain as fuel to be a better employee, A better son, a better father. Because of this difficult situation, you’re going to become greater.”

I explain to them that the reality is, they’re in jail. They are going to sit there for five, ten years – however long their sentence is. Time is constantly moving, no matter where they are, and they could spend their time there being angry and rebellious, or they could work on Flipping the Switch. I told them that the minute they Flip the Switch, their emotions flip as well, and that if they do this, previously unforeseen options will eventually open up to them. Things they might never have dreamed of will come together. Once they were committed to this course of action, I said, doors would open for them, doors they didn’t even know existed.

By the end of my speech, those young men were fully engaged. You could’ve heard a pin drop in that room. Afterward, they stood in line to talk to me. They were emotional and sincerely thanked me, saying things like “I see the world different” and asking me questions, hungry for more. They were extremely respectful, former attitudes and wariness forgotten. It was an intense and amazing experience for me as I felt their emotional eagerness. They’d come in rolling their eyes, and they left shaking my hand.

When the director returned, two supervisors who had remained in the back of the room pulled her over and talked to her. She then came to me, thanked me for coming, and apologized for being upset earlier. “I misjudged you,“ she said. “My staff told me this was one of the best speeches they’ve ever heard.“

As a side note, it’s interesting that I had to Flip the Switch during my interactions with this director. I agreed to volunteer my time and speak to this group last minute. When she was condescending and rude to me, not allowing me to set up, my initial reaction was to get angry and defend myself. However, I knew that the most important thing was for me to have the chance to help these kids, not to get even with her. With that thought in mind, I was able to Flip the Switch – to draw upon my anger and convert it into energy for my talk.

My good friend Daniel Gerber suggested I read this book titled “The Resilience Breakthrough: 27 Tools for Turning Adversity into Action” by Christian Moore and a Foreword by Stephen Covey.

The author details on page 34 that once you are aware that the switch exists, you will need the ability to flip it. Follow these steps to do so.

1.) Combat denial and acknowledge that there is a problem. Realize the reality of your pain from where you’re standing. Pain can occur anywhere across a wide spectrum  – it could stem from a true crisis or simply a the day-to-day hardships that mow you over. Whether you’re overwhelmed by laundry or loosing your home, accept that the situation is your reality. However, a word of caution here – it’s also important to keep things in perspective. Don’t get bogged down in the negativity; acknowledge that you can still get up and do something no matter what your reality is, and that while everything may seem hopeless, life evolves quickly.

2.) Ask yourself the Flip the Switch question: How can I use this emotional pain, challenge, or situation to better my circumstances and make me more resilient – today, this hour, this minute, this second?

3.) Do the opposite of what people would normally do in a similar situation. Even if a certain response is understandable, valid even, do the opposite. When you Flip the Switch, you’re turning the situation on its head – you’re turning bad into good, pain into power.

4.) Pay attention to how you feel inside when you decide to Flip the Switch. You’re likely to feel more energized, hopeful, and motivated. This will inspire you to continue to Flip the Switch in the long term. This will increase your awareness and allow you to feel more in control enabling hope and optimism to grow.

Christian Moore has inspired me in dimensions as a non-practicing educator I was sorely needing. You as teachers and social worker types may well be familiar with Christian’s books. He certainly raises the bar for professing believers and especially for you at Kidron Mennonite this morning who heard Pastor Carl’s sermon on “Steps to the Future: Decide.” Bottom line, we must decide when summoned by God whether we’ll 1.) Offer Him our Excuses or 2.) Accept His Expectations! Our excuses come easy but our obedience at the table of God’s support is rare considering His Expectations and Resources; including Promises, Perceptions (our finite vs. His infinite), Power, Provision, and Purpose!

Christian grew up on the streets as a drug runner with severe learning disabilities who is now definitely leaving his imprint all over his sphere of influence. He took his finite less than “normal” talents and “grew” them into a legacy matched by few even with a full deck of their faculties. Please understand this introduction in no way summarizes the vast content Christian portrays in this book.

Blessings as You Go Forth creating your legacy in the full array of God’s expectations designed specifically for YOU and your talents >>>>> merlin  

In my prior post, I introduced to you to the book “Self Deliverance made Simple: Keys to Closing Every Door to the Enemy in your Life” by the Clarks. This has been a profoundly significant book for Loretta and I. Before introducing the next book, I have chosen to share from this book’s final pages of these three double “I AMs” found in Isaiah. The following is taken verbatim beginning on page 215 in a section titled Deliverer, Forgiver, Comforter.

A friend of ours discovered a profoundly significant truth, but he is a scholar and wasn’t really interested in teaching about it. Scholars sometimes get more joy in the discovery process, finding nuggets, than teaching about them. It concerns the double “I AM, I AMs“ found exclusively in the Book of Isaiah (see Isa 43:11, 25; 51:12).

The Hebrew word ani is used whenever someone talks about themselves such as, “I went for a walk.“ Not only can I go for a walk, but anyone else can, too. The distinctive Hebrew word used in Isaiah for “I am“ is anochi. What is so significant about this? Anochi is used when referring to oneself alone as opposed to everyone else – I and no other. Anochi also means the speaker is expressing a desire to get close to the person they are addressing, that it applies intimate relationship between the speaker and the one spoken to.

What should we understand about anochi when doubled? The importance of a teaching in the Bible is signified by the use of doubled words. We are thus alerted to the introduction of weighty matter with profound significance. When God calls Himself as anochi anochi toward us, he is giving us notice that we have a special and exclusive relationship with him and it is vital for us to understand.

Therefore, the only way you can fully render the meaning of these three double I AMs is, “I AM, I AM God with an attitude about this! It’s a good attitude, of course, but one of great fervency. In other words, anochi anochi as used in the book of Isaiah means, “I AM, I AM fervent about these things! I am passionate about delivering, forgiving, and comforting you, and I am the only one who can do this!“

These three imperative statements in Isaiah are uniquely powerful statements from the heart of Father God toward us (see Isaiah 43:11, 25; 51:12). They reflect the burning passion of our heavenly Father on our behalf. He desires to deliver, forgive, and comfort us to the uttermost. Deliver us how? Back to the heart of the Father who spoke us into existence on planet earth.

We, as children of our heavenly father, should share this His deep desire to rescue those who are in bondage. He wants to express His heart through us. In the mission statement of Jesus, he announced that he had been sent to “proclaim liberty to the captives“, (Luke 4:18). Now the Lord invites us to co-labor with him on behalf of others. May the fire of his Love burn in us!

I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?“ Then I said, “Here am I! Send me“(Isaiah 6:8).

We are delivered to be deliverers.

Moreover, we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent his Son as Deliver of the world ( I John 4:14)

I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no savior [deliverer] (Isaiah 43:11).

Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk” (Acts 3:6)

Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.“ And he came out that very hour (Acts 16:18).

We are forgiven to be forgivers.

I, even I, and he blots out your transgressions, [as your forgiver] for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins, (Isaiah 43:25).

We are comforted to be comforters.

I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid? (Isaiah 51:12)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God (II Corinthians 1:3-4).

Blessings as You Go Forth Facilitating the Faith You’ve been Given into your Spheres of Influence as Deliverers, Forgivers and Comforters; not merely as “tin horns blaring your wares” but rather, since we’ve been given much, that we always share from a vibrant, vulnerable, transparent heart of empathy, attracting nearby “seekers” to the Gospel as Jesus did. ……….merlin

 I have been scarce of late for many reasons but do know  one thing. What I enjoy as much or even more than writing, is listening to others explain what is most important to them just now.  Perhaps I’ll even ask how that has changed recently for them, or not! For it is from those insights, from both me and them, that we can begin to build mutual interesting significant relationships. Relationships possessing value and exhibiting the seven levels of intimacy as identified by Matthew Kelly in his book so named include clichés, facts, opinions, hopes and dreams, feelings, faults fears and failures, and finally, legitimate needs. And no, these levels are not achieved in any particular order though clichés and facts are usually first encountered. It does seem our culture is bent on destroying meaningful communication as it is being encouraged by both Kelly and the Holy Scriptures. But more on that later.

I have read Dennis and Dr. Jen Clark’s book “Self – Deliverance made Simple: Keys to Closing Every Door to The Enemy In Your Life” several times with much appreciation. I just recently returned to it to prepare to lead a 90 minute weekly discussion group thru it’s three sections and seventeen chapters. The sections are titled “Training for Battle, Winning the War, and Advancing the Kingdom.” Likely not your typical self help Christian walk in the park book!

Quoting from its Preface, “The Protestant Reformation began to restore the truth of the priesthood of the believer. In practice, however, most believers are an audience instead of an army. The times are changing. Deliverance Made Simple is not intended to be a comprehensive guide on the subject of deliverance, nor do we suggest that the church no longer needs experts for deliverance ministries. However, we do believe there are somethings we can learn to do ourselves.  We should take care of our own daily dental hygiene by brushing our own teeth and flossing, but we still need to go to the dentist for cleanings and dental emergencies.

God has given all believers spiritual weaponry and authority but  many have never been taught how to use their spiritual equipment. When leaders train their congregations to rely on Christ within for daily “spiritual hygiene,“ they can trust more in God and rely less on other people. As pastors, we rejoice to see Christians in our own fellowship taking personal responsibility for their spiritual growth. As far as we are concerned, it is very fulfilling to show up as coaches equipping the team to “play the game.“

Quoting now beginning on page 18, “when Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden, prior to sin entering the picture, they had perfect harmony with God and one another. The only emotions they felt were God’s emotions. Emotions were created to be conduit, or “pipes,“ for the love of God. We experience the love of God as the fruit of the Spirit – one fruit, multiple functions (see Galatians 5:22-23).

==========================================================
Joy is love rejoicing:     finding the pleasure in God‘s presence.

Peace is love resting:     having an assurance that everything is in God’s hands.

Patience is love enduring:     willing to wait for God’s timing.

Kindness is love giving:     serving others with Mercy.

Goodness is love motivating:     love and holiness.

Faith is love trusting:     we can believe God and others can believe us.

Gentleness is love esteeming:      (“esteem others better” than yourself, see Philippians 2:3). 

Self-control is love  restraining:     (power under control)

Reread this several times over several days. These are the “key understandings” to implement the “Seven Levels of Intimacy” in your life. Are you perfecting your rejoicing, your resting, your enduring, your giving, your motivating, your trusting, your esteeming, and your restraining? This will require your conscious diligent effort  and practice! ==========================================================

“As soon as sin entered the picture, Adam and Eve were catapulted into a kingdom of disharmony, toxic emotions, and evil tormentors. In just a few short verses in Scripture, Adam and Eve felt hurt, fear, lust, anger, guilt, and shame for the first time. (see Genesis 3:1-24). Every negative emotion signals an area where the enemy has legal ground. The banner over the kingdom of God is love. (See Song of Solomon 2:4). The flag over the kingdom of the devil is fear. God’s emotions are love based while negative emotions are fear-based.”

The last three paragraphs in this chapter identify Jesus saying “if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither willy our Father in heaven forgive your trespasses“ (Mark 11:25-26). This does not mean we lose our salvation if we fail to forgive someone, but we will suffer the consequences of our sin and will experience tormenting demonic harassment. (see Matthew 18:21-35).

Our conscious mind only knows a tiny portion of all that is hidden within us. Even when we can’t think of anything, the Lord will reveal what needs to be dealt with when we get in the attitude of prayer. When we ask God to show us secret sins and issues in our heart, the Lord is always faithful. Never once has he said, “You are now perfect and have no need of me! “

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way (Psalm 139:23-24 NASB).

The principles for forgiveness, emotional healing, bringing down strongholds, and self-deliverance can be easily learned and quickly applied by all believers, including young children. We have taught many children as young as three and four years old to forgive and let Jesus wash “bad feelings” out. Children actually learn more easily than adults because they haven’t spent years living by will power and intellect. God has equipped all Christians, young and old, with the tools for victorious Christian living.

The following are Block Quotes from Chapter One “Hitchhikers”

When we forgive, we have peace.

Fear invites evil into our life.

Sanctification and spiritual growth is an ongoing process.

Negative emotions remove us from God’s protection.

Emotions show us what kingdom we’re in.

Evil can’t touch something God controls.

Forgiveness is instant!

Keep short accounts with God.

Unforgiveness is sin.

God has equipped all Christians for victory!

Blessings as YOU GO FORTH TODAY TRAINING FOR BATTLE….merlin

I have been in the woods the past two days getting firewood out for the approaching winter. The past two evenings I’m complying with my health adviser to soak an hour in the jacuzzi adding 3 cups of Epsom salts and two cups of Bicarb of soda. Thus far, I’ve been awaking the next morning refreshed and ready for more. But just now minutes ago, after the soak, I was suddenly wide awake and after 20 minutes of tossing, I felt compelled to just get out of bed and write about today. It irks me to waste time tossing and fortunately, it seldom occurs.

So in my last post I spoke of honestly being transparent of the twists and turns as my life journey unfolds. And that elevates the stakes a tad as such honesty may well implicate Loretta as well. But such is not the case in this post as it all relates only to me.

I was really planning on being in the woods before 8 am but then the quarterly visit from my friendly alienpestcontrol.com called being nearby so I obliged him. Now I can at least wash the windows since he sprays during the fall visit. I also got detained by some desk work but finally by 10:30 am I was parked in the woods with the two wheel trailer in tow looking at just where to begin. It was a most tranquil scene. The cascading sunshine was filtered by the numerous tall trees throughout the surrounding area and over the “transport ready” beech and cherry chunks that had been cut earlier. I was picking up the smaller pieces not needing to be split to make it easier for us to navigate the wood splitter on the 21^st when I have two muscular high school youth coming for a few hours to split the 30+ trunk slices that likely weigh 100-200 lbs. I’ll borrow neighbor Grandpa Martin’s pristine historical “cant hook” to help move them in exchange for several boxes of Smith Ice Cream.

So imagine, here I am just totally enjoying the surrounding beauty, thanking God that I’m even able to function in this capacity after last year. I then again ask him to protect me from danger today as well as to bless Loretta’s lunch with her friend Donna from Smithville High School days. As I recall, I spent some more time dwelling on some names of persons currently demanding more prayer time, and just enjoying the tranquility of the deep timber.

Next, I’m prompted to text my coach, JD and say “OK, I’ve been reading Malcolm Gladstone’s book “David and Goliath” and find it full of interesting stories of thought provoking inspiration. Our mutual friend Matthew Kelly speaks often of the impact and significance of stories in helping listeners or readers connect the truths and concepts being shared.” And there was more I’ll not bore you with. In seconds he shot me back a response with a youtube link “Wake up call” that he and his daughter had just introduced to youtube and while I was watching that, he sent me the second of the series.

After watching both 12 minute segments, I just sat there stunned. True, I only have known JD 6 months but we have been thru some “appreciable stuff”together and he never gave me a hint of suffering a loss 6 years ago as I had nearly 47 years ago. I didn’t call JD. Eventually, I text him the following

“Oh JD! I had no idea what you’ve been thru. I will never forget sitting here in the woods this tranquil almost holy morning on September 11, 2019  watching you share these two YouTube’s. So unique that I’d experience all this from you this morning here in my woods while getting firewood out. You know I literally grew up in the woods. It was my escape place as a child and where my mother would take me for Sunday afternoon walks as our farm was adjacent to several sections of state acquired woods for back taxes. Literally a  MN Appalachia! Perhaps that’s why I live in a remnant of a woods now. You reminded me of my loss 47 years ago  and my leg breaking episode first anniversary coming up on the 18^th. Good Stuff JD! Blessings as you challenge us all to heed our wake-up calls by first accepting God’s love, and then fully embracing and facilitating unconditional love in our spheres of influence.

Still reflecting, I shared the first segment with Loretta, our three sons and my sister. The time now was nearly noon and I had not even yet got off the tractor seat. I turned on the boom box and continued listening to “David& Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants” as I loaded and then unloaded and stacked. This book is definitely a must read for every believer desirous of engaging in pertinent conversation with unaware seekers or borderline lethargic believers on numerous fronts. More details on the book in a future post. It does reveal two most interesting pacifist accounts of an immigrant Winnipeg Mennonite couple and a French Huguenot community near Switzerland protecting and smuggling out Jews during the German occupation.

Seriously, I still had three more interruptions during the afternoon before I finished the book only to promptly begin going thru it the second time to catch what I missed earlier. I frequently do that. Two of the breaks were by believer disciples with both discovering a new approach to moving forward. So neat for me to be privileged to witness and be myself so encouraged by their growth.

And now as I conclude this unique and memorable day, the rain has indeed finally arrived, only 12 hours later than forecast the day prior, accompanied even by lightening and thunder. What is really strange about today was the thunder that periodically was heard at least in the Dalton area during bright sunshine from 1 pm on, when the rain was to have begun. Perhaps a tribute to the 2001 9/11?

I’m in my writing chair now in my office but I likely should have gone to the covered patio when I arose at midnight to fully enjoy the progression of the thunderstorm. It is now 2:30 am and  I am fulfilled, and ready to retire. Never though was I expecting such a unique and  meaningful day. I was to just going to get the wood out. 

Blessings as You GO FORTH today accepting, implementing, and then fully embracing facilitating unconditional love in yours spheres of influence…. As we yet have breath, strength and opportunity to do so!         merlin

Presume you too have been enjoying the beautiful weather the past month noting how we have escaped extreme heat after the earlier record moisture levels. This was the first summer I ever got my lawn mower stuck four times sufficiently to need a tow. Evidently I don’t own a Venture. I do not ever recall since my arrival in Wayne Co OH during ’82, when we were not usually quite dry for several weeks and often accompanied with high temps stressing the corn crop.

This evening after cheeseburgers and ice cream at the dariette, we enjoyed the back country roads, the surprisingly mature corn fields and a magnificent sunset with the top down as our official closure of summer ’19, feeling quite blessed indeed recalling that some of the fields were planted July 4^th or even later.And the fact that Dorian is now apparently going to merely “side-swipe” FL rather hit it head on, makes my heart even more grateful. So many blessings to celebrate as I sit on our patio tonight listening to the stock cars roar off in the distance in their circular pursuits at the local speedway, not so unlike us perhaps, without the noise I hope, but the magnitude of split second decisions just as devastating or as rewarding as our decisions may well be tomorrow. How easily I recall my “near misses” of what could have been personal tragedies were it not for angels, as well as my “direct hits” when I rarely  wisely discerned God’s instructions. Once again, Presence and Purposes.

But now all is relatively quiet, especially between the speedway heats in my immediate surroundings of the woods except for the usual night sounds, and they seem to be magnified as if they are celebrating as well! The sun set exactly 120 minutes ago, at 7:55 pm, and the stars are already shining brightly overhead. Such breath taking intoxicating peace. I indeed do enjoy our sanctuary, even though I grabbed a sweatshirt for warmth against the pervading chill.

I am increasingly aware I’m not likely a typical blogger. I am not an expert on anything. What little I read either in books or electronically I tend to view the material being presented to we the readers as possessing a clinical correctness couched in the sterility of proven wisdom. As I live life, I seldom enjoy the assimilation of its struggles in neat succinct packages but frequently in total disarray. People write fiction of such accounts but rarely do I encounter authors who share the struggles of their personal lives during their real time actual struggles though I’m quite sure there are many such examples and perhaps you’ll email me names of such. Three of my favorite authors exhibiting such fresh vibrant hopeful honesty are Matthew Kelly, Robert Morris and John Bevere. Usually it seems we pick up on the authors process when the event is completed, and only then do we learn of the victory won or the dastardly defeat (seldom the latter though).

I must confide in you that in the not so recent past I was tempted to think my story or work was of my past, as I grown up and throughout life witnessed and read of such historical accounts. In recent months now I am discerning that the “current challenging events” of how we process the nuances and distractions of life’s relationships, work, retirement, business, betrayal, family, church community, the media, culture, politics, etc., are 1.) all either in the spotlight of, OR 2.) under an electronic microscope of the Gospel of Christ, and such “current challenging events” are of infinitely more value than merely continuing historical regurgitations regardless of who they were and their credentials (usually experiential).

Why? Because a close examination of the “current challenging events” in our lives implies “real time activity” in and amongst the inter-connectiveness of our spirit, soul and body, heart mind and will, as we pursue God’s presence and His purposes in our lives right now we as go about our daily tasks, however mundane or unimportant they may seem.

In reading through the One Year Bible, we have just concluded Job (one tough book) and have entered Ecclesiastes. Today’s reading and quoting now beginning at 3:11 “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” I tend to interpret perhaps naively the referenced “eternity” as my personal “Holy Discomfort” in that I really do “know very little” in the scheme of life as God has set it forth for us in which to engage, especially “what God has done from the beginning to the end.”

Fortunately, the NT portion today from II Corinthians 6:3-13, I believe fills in the “knowledge gaps” for us non-academics lacking time for theological pursuits so late in life. “We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry would not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships, and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience, and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in  sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, but yet regarded as imposters; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, yet we live on; beaten and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, yet possessing everything.

We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. As a fair exchange – I speak to you my children – open wide your hearts also.”

In summary then, considering our daily tasks tomorrow, what is your “Holy Discomfort” whispering to you? Are you a Corinthian feeling the “brush of Paul’s spiritual realities” similarly as FL may experience Dorian tomorrow? OR, are you on the team with Paul commending ourselves in every way: in great endurance; etc. Read those fifteen identifiers again. Please understand me when I say I love my new life in Christ but in comparison to what He has shown me that is possible, I am yet living a very lack luster spiritually mundane life! The question for me in the near future is, do I have the guts to share my journey of this process as Biblical Job and contemporaries Kelly, Morris, and Bevere have done? OR, am I even supposed to? Email me if so prompted. 

Perhaps you have more specifics to add to Paul’s 15 identifiers? Not only do I actually know little of God and his processes as Job declared, but worse, now as a NT disciple, I have sent very little confirming evidence ahead for my “future hearing.”  Historical knowledge accounts for little without sanctified “real time experience” and obedience.

Blessings as you Go Forth, enjoying the earth’s beautiful scenery tomorrow, God’s presence in your dreams and aspirations, and the revelations of His purposes for implementation as He directs you.    merlin

I normally write a post weekly. Lately I’ve been compelled to write twice a week and shorter more concise posts, but I’m admittedly, dragging my feet on posting twice. Loretta and I are under a stifling work schedule for the next 60 days that may well be extended an additional month or two.

This past month has provided numerous potential topics for me to write about and the past day I’ve been contemplating which idea to pursue next. This was Day 2 of the “60 day push”and after supper while mowing the back fairway that was long overdue, I was mulling over Malcolm Gladwell’s book “The Tipping Point” recommended to me Tuesday by a most energetic local 21 year old entrepreneur. Only halfway through it now, it has proven quite interesting on many fronts, especially as I relate it to church revitalization-growth. I presume the classic example of the Church so engaged in a “tipping point” phenomenal was following the Acts of the Apostles and the Churches first several hundred years prior to Constantine, though there have been minor incidents (revivals) since. But not in North America recently at least, of noteworthy mention.

Gladwell speaks of the three rules of epidemics, with large volumes of supporting statistics, for such as the Hush Puppy shoe resurgence, the ride of Paul Revere, how Sesame Street began and why, the phenomenal rise and fall of NYC crime during the 80’s-90’s,the unbelievable revitalization of the NYC subway system, etc. And all the while I’m thinking so what’s up with this often lack-luster NA church we’re all experiencing, after all, the Church is not (at least, I don’t think that’s what Jesus intended) a “conventional” business endeavor and subject necessarily to all the statistics Gladwell spews in support of his theories.

In fact, the Church as Christ intended it, was to divide and conquer while populating this earth, and was set in motion by the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ and followed by sending His Holy Spirit to communicate His Presence and Purposes to enable us as faith facilitators in His Kingdom.

Now contrast “The Tipping Point” to another idea rattling around in my head since last week. In Robert Morris’s  book “Frequency” in Chapter Nine, “Hearing God’s Voice For Others”, he gives this following account that occurred in Seattle’s Westgate Chapel. . Since I never heard of Alec Rowlands, I just googled him at his church website and listened to his last Sunday’s (August 25) sermon titled “Antidote For the Plague.” Amazing man of God who speaks truth that I’ll share later.

Starting on page 167, “Pastor Alec Rowlands, in his helpful book, The Presence, tells of a time when he heard a word from the Lord through another person. It happen fairly early on in his ministry at Westgate Chapel in Seattle, the largest city in the Pacific Northwest, one of the most pagan regions of America. Alec and his wife, Rita, had been at the church for four years, and the honeymoon of the recruitment phrase was over, and discouragement and frustration had set in.

The church seemed caught in a rut. Alec had preached about prayer and had constantly emphasized the necessity and wonderment of being in the presence of God, but the response from the congregation seemed unenthusiastic and even stifled. About 1300 people attended the church in those days, but only about 30 people could be coaxed to come out to each midweek prayer meeting.

One sleepy Sunday morning during the 9 AM service, everything seemed to go off as planned. The congregation sang some songs of worship. Alec introduce the visiting missionary. The offering was given. Alex delivered the sermon. This Sunday seem like any other Sunday. The 11:00 AM service began the same way. But then something changed.

Right after the worship portion of the service, one man in the balcony remained standing. Alec knew him to be a godly man. He and his family had been involved with the church for several years, and the man was in community with other godly believers at the church and demonstrably under the authority of the church leadership. Alec knew him to be a man of prayer with a tremendous heart for worship.

The man began speaking from the balcony. Having unplanned speeches such as this wasn’t a regular occurrence at Westlake, although it had happened every now and  again. The man wasn’t speaking frantically or ecstatically, so Alex let it continue. The man simply spoke with reference to Luke 8:4-12 about how various“soil’s” were present in the congregation, meaning that people were spiritually receptive in different capacities. The man spoke of God’s word breaking through, and he encouraged the congregation that the receptive soil would find a reason to rejoice, and God would bring forth fruit from the word planted in good soil. Then the man sat down.

Alex described what he saw:

 :
“When the man sat down, I looked out across the congregation – and to this day what I saw I find hard to explain. Most in the congregation, main floor and balcony, were weeping. Some spontaneously gathered into small groups across the sanctuary and begin to pray. Some stood to their feet, eyes closed, faces directed to heaven. Others lifted their hands before God, like a toddler reaching for a parent’s love. Several hundred headed out of their seats for the altar area where they knelt to pray. No one had given any directive from the pulpit. I was concerned that anything I might do or say would disrupt the work God was so obviously doing. After a long while I went to the microphone and said, “God’s not done, and we’re not going to interfere with what he’s doing. Please just keep your heart open and surrender to him.” I sat down.

For the next forty-five minutes God took charge. I didn’t preach. I didn’t introduce the missionaries. The soloist didn’t sing. We didn’t take an offering. We all just went to prayer. Finally, when those who had been in the altar area headed back to their seats, I went to the microphone and gave an altar call for those who have never given their lives to Christ. Twenty-five people came forward. That service was normally over at 12:30. By 1 o’clock the sanctuary was still full. Nobody wanted to leave. By 2 o’clock it was still more than half full. The people continued in quiet prayer and worship. God’s presence broke through in an unusual way that day.

With the boards backing, the next Sunday we called for a solemn assembly to take place at the church the following Wednesday evening. Based on my track record I remember thinking I’d be happy if a hundred people showed up. You can imagine my surprise that Wednesday night, when I walked out of my study into the sanctuary to find the main floor and the balcony of our church packed. It was such a confirmation for me that this was a God-thing.”

More than twenty years later Alex described how that word from the Lord through the man in the balcony acted as a turning point for the entire church. Everything changed after that. Prayer changed. Worship changed. The atmosphere in the congregation changed. The staff changed. From that point onward to this day, an emphasis on prayer remains a constant in that church.

My friends, the Holy Spirit walks alongside us. He dwells within us, guiding us into all truth. He doesn’t want to be silent; He wants to have an intimate, communicative relationship with us. As we walk with Him, He will speak to us and give us words, and sometimes these words will be for us. And at other times those words will be for the edification of others. Prophecy is never to be manipulative or used for selfish gain. It’s another confirmation that God is at work in our midst.

My prayer for all of us is that we would learn to hear God’s voice clearly and then act with confidence upon the impressions from the Holy Spirit that we receive. Let us become gracious sons and daughters of encouragement for his names sake. Amen.

Merlin speaking again. This is my heart for our churches. No, we do not need a tipping point per se as far as numbers, but we do need a spiritual maturity in our ranks, men and women seeking daily and hourly the Presence and Purposes of God in our hearts and minds as we obey Him as we disciple seekers. What happened in the story above was helped by there being fertile soil in that congregation. We must not merely park and be comfortable in our box (pew)

For what it’s worth, I have  encouraged sadly only a handful of others thus far, to take the phenomenal (new favorite word for me tonight it seems) prayer guide book by Tony Souder titled “Pray For Me” and use it daily to pray for our congregations. After I pray for the student I’ve been assigned, I go back and repeat the process and identify “everyone at KMC” in my daily prayer for our church. Tony has written 13 weeks of daily prayers in what he calls The Seven Essentials: Favor, Wisdom, Love, Faith, Purity, Speech and Conduct. The statistics for daily Bible reading and prayer for Christians during the week is dismal. Prayer meetings are fast disappearing, actually are extinct now. If you are serious about living a joyful Christian life, I suggest you do as I did nearly four years ago now.

1.) Set an appointment daily when you’ll meet with God,

2.) Be still and worship,

3.) Read and Pray, and

4.) Listen and Write! Yes, I guess I took that number four “listen and write” a bit too far. I had a rocky start though. It took several years to get the routine down but now, I’ll do it for life.

And once more, this is too long! 1700 words! But finished in less than three hours!

Blessings as YOU GO FORTH as you discover your “tipping point” for Jesus, and His Presence and His Purposes for YOU!!    merlin

I just returned from a follow-up appointment on earlier blood work with my new primary physician who is in his second month of practice since completing his residency in the Akron area. My numbers are now unbelievably good: sed rate down to 11 from 56 and C-reactive protein down to 0.27 from nearly 10.0 three years ago; all largely accomplished by Loretta’s due diligence on my diet and nutrition and many prayers of family and friends. Initially diagnosed with symptoms of Polymyalgia Rheumatica in June ’17, I was then placed on prednisone to merely be mobile and it took nearly a year to wean my self off that steroid.

Headed out the clinic door I spotted my longtime friend Celia in the waiting room. Sitting down beside her, she inquired of my condition and I answered her in all honesty, “I do believe I am the most blessed man you know.” Perhaps I should have just said “that you’ll meet today.” But fact is, that’s just how I felt walking out of the clinic at that moment, though it certainly has not always been that way of late or even ever.

Upon arrival at the clinic and while waiting 20 minutes to get called back, I had cruised my emails from the past 10 days, particularly the daily “encouragement givers” I’ve signed up for but do not always open; such as “My Utmost for His Highest” or the “Ransomed Heart Daily Readings.” Now having read and reflected deeply of their wisdom, I was mindful that “No Man Is An Island,” (RH Aug 20)  “The Ministry of the Unnoticed” (Utmost Aug 20) “An Aching Abyss” (RH 27), and maybe 3-4 more. I experienced my own personal spiritual renaissance right there in the waiting room.

Like you, I have more on my “to do TODAY” list than is ever possible physically, but beyond and well below all that projected busyness, is the nagging realization that the “to do list” is not at all what is important for me today, tomorrow or perhaps, ever! I believe the secrete to a life lived well is to continually simplify so that you do not get bogged with the trivial cares of living so you can concentrate primarily on relationships; first yours “vertically”and then, the host of the ‘horizontals” you’ve been entrusted, whether wife, husband, children, grand-children, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, fellow workers, neighbors, clients, friends, enemies, etc.  

As you, I too have my daily routines of readings and prayers that focus my attention and spirit. But there are times I need to break out and go beyond into new areas of freshness and vibrancy as I just experienced in those 25 minutes in the waiting room. I am so thankful for such an abundance of such tools today that prepare us for the deep communion we can experience both in speaking to and especially while listening to the voice of God to us, and specifically,  just to us, as we relish His attention, His presence, and His revealed purposes.

Perhaps a 25 minute encounter like that will cause you too to make a ridiculous presumptuous statement like I did earlier today, “I do believe I am the most blessed man you know!”

Blessings as you Go Forth Today Discovering not only how blessed you are, but indeed, how  you may UNCONSCIOUSLY “speak truth” or bless the “horizontals” in your proximity!     merlin    

PS. I am assuming you are aware nothing effectively works “horizontally”if your “vertical communication” isn’t “live-streaming.” Go to the Source. Be Real. Be Authentic. Implement practically in your life today that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of your wisdom.  Mere understanding is a bit iffy!

This post will contrast two stories. Both could be considered positive in their own right but the latter caricature has infinitely more depth, fulfillment, and resolve than the first true account. Once more, I’m quoting a story that Matt Kelly tells in his Rhythm of Life book beginning on page 33.

“At different times in our lives, we all need a new perspective.

In the late 1960’s, there was a young man who had a dream of  becoming a famous musician. He knew exactly what he wanted, so he left high school and began to play his music wherever people would listen. But as a high school dropout and with little experience, he found it difficult to get work as a musician.

Before too long he found himself playing in small, dirty clubs and bars. Sharing his gift with a handful of drunks night after night become a discouraging habit. This was not his dream. He had dreamed of playing to sellout shows across America and around the world. He had dreamed of seeing his name in lights, of walking down the street and being stopped for autographs, and of having his albums in every music store. He even dreamed one day he would play to a pack baseball stadium – an absurd thought in the late 1960’s.

He had stumbled upon difficult times. Financially he was broke, professionally he was failing, and his only joy in life was the support of his girlfriend. They had so little money that they would sleep in laundromats to save the expense of a hotel. But one day she got sick of being constantly on the road,. This gypsy lifestyle was not her dream either. She had dreamed of being married to a famous musician but was unaware of the hard work it takes to get to the top. It was not the life she had imagined, so she left him.

With his only joy in life gone, he decided to commit suicide. That night the young musician made a halfhearted attempt to end his life by drinking a bottle of furniture polish and a bottle of vodka. The next day very sick, he checked himself into a mental institution.

Less than three weeks later, he checked himself out. He was a new man. He was refreshed, enthusiastic, and excited about life. He was cured. They had not given him any medication, nor was it anything the doctors or nurses had said to him. The other patients had cured him.

They reminded him of how fortunate and gifted he was, and they had shown him how much more life could be. He was given a new perspective on life.

That day, that same young man left the mental institution absolutely resolved to pursue his dream of becoming  a famed musician. He was determined to travel and work and do whatever was necessary to achieve his dream.

Three years later, he wrote a song called “Piano Man,” and today almost every person on the planet has heard of Billy Joel.  And yes, on June 22 and 23 in 1990, Billy Joel play to sellout crowds of 90,000 people at Yankee Stadium.

Yes, we all need a startling new perspective at least once in our lives. Billy Joel’s experience in the mental institution gave him that new perspective. It is my hope that this book will give you that new perspective, too.”

Now, we’ll switch over to a book by Robert Morris titled “Frequency. Tune In. Hear God.” I was first introduced to both Robert and Frequency before it was even published as Loretta had given me the Frequency seminar four CD set but that is another story. As I was re – listening to the book the past two days, I’ve been touched on two fronts, First, that God really desires to speak to us directly and second, that merely living in check with our conscience as our GPS is woefully archaic spiritually. I’ve not recalled hearing this specific teaching on conscience ever prior, but in all fairness, spiritual attentiveness prior in my life was not one of my attributes.    

But before I go into his teaching on conscience, I must conclude what I began with Billy Joel. I contrast Robert’s narrative of God strolling through the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve picking up on page 144 “Every morning and evening, in the cool of the day, God would meet with them. I like to think their time was more than a mere conversation– even though a conversation with God would have been great enough by itself. I think God enjoyed Paradise with them. God enjoyed showing them around the garden. Maybe the three of them even hiked to see a huge waterfall before jumping in for a swim. Perhaps God said “Come on, I’ll show you a herd of elephants.They’re just over the rise. Aren’t they funny with their long trunks and big ears?” 

And maybe sometimes their conversations were like those quiet, almost breathless words that can be whispered between a husband and a wife when they are perfectly at peace, lying side by side, holding hands, drifting off to sleep – perfect harmony, perfect intimacy, perfect joy, perfect peace.”

So I offer now for your consideration, where lies the basis for your pursuit, priority and passion in life? Are you settling for merely a new perspective? For Billy Joel,  it was certainly a needed and a most unique encounter… Or does your passion resonate in the garden, with real conversation, real communication as with the couple drifting off to sleep – perfect harmony, perfect intimacy, perfect joy and perfect peace.

These two examples are certainly worlds apart!

Now on to quoting Robert on our conscience starting on page 146, “Here is a bold statement: God never intended us to live by the knowledge of good and evil – NEVER. He intended for us to eat from the tree of life. God always chooses life. God didn’t intend for people to need to live by their consciences and continually weigh what’s good and bad. He originally intended people to live by His voice. (Matt 4:4)

Casting doubt on this plan was part of Satan’s original lie. He wanted Adam and Eve to believe that sin was more pleasurable than following God, and he wanted them to doubt the voice of God. Remember how several of Satan’s temptations began with a question: What did God say? Has God truly said…? (Gen 3:1) Satan wanted Adam and Eve to doubt God’s voice. Once Satan got them to doubt God’s voice, then it was easy for them to take the next step and sin. But God wants us to hear his voice, to listen to Him and to rely on hearing and heeding His voice.

God doesn’t want us to live by our consciences, even today. Sometimes our conscience doesn’t agree with God. A conscience can be overactive, prompting a sensitive person to feel condemned, crushed by the weight of sin, even after confession. The best thing a conscience can ever do is tell us what’s good and bad and help bring us to the place of conviction of sin where we know we need Jesus as our Savior. The Holy Spirit picks up the job and brings us to the place of full conviction where we accept our Savior. Then, when Jesus enters our lives, our consciences are cleansed by the blood of Jesus so that we don’t serve God out of dead works. Dead works is how some people try to earn God’s favor. We know sin separates us from God, so we try to work our way back to Him, as if our effort can save us. Mark this carefully: we can never earn our salvation. We can only receive it. But if our consciences have not been cleansed, then we’ll continually work to earn God’s favor.

Hebrews 9:14 is a wonderfully freeing verse: “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”  We are free to love Jesus wholeheartedly, to pursue Him with all our hearts, and to serve the living God out of faith, love, and hope (I Thess. 1:3 ). Actually, when we follow Christ, it’s not even our consciences that convict us of right and wrong. That is the job of the Holy Spirit   

living inside of us as Jesus said of the Holy Spirit in John 16: 8-11, “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement: Of sin, ,because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father and you see me no more; of judgement, because the ruler of this world is judged.”

Like the voice of a close friend or a spouse, we learn to recognize God’s voice by being with Him and by talking with Him often. God never intended for us to live by our consciences alone, for deciding what’s good and evil or right and wrong. We were created to hear and to respond to the voice of God. I promise you this: when God is our highest priority, pursuit, and passion, we will recognize his voice. And in those times when we don’t hear Him, we just need to trust His silence.” 

 Blessings as You Go Forth Today Anticipating Drifting Off To Sleep Tonight – In God’s Perfect Harmony, Perfect Intimacy, Perfect Joy and Perfect Peace! Accept No Imitations or Knock-Off’s!!       merlin

Good afternoon everyone. My sister Verla Hochstetler, and her husband Jonathon, a native of the famous Wolford ND community, now living on 40 acres of the home place in MN, called me saying she had just listened to the August 14 Focus on the Family podcast featuring Michele Cushatt who said about our identity, “I propose if you can lose it, it is not who you are!!”

 Next Verla listened to my last post and found it interesting how similar they were in emphasis. Actually, Michelle surpasses my and Kelly’s initial encouragement for us to discover our true identity. When appropriately timely for you, I encourage you give it a listen for its full impact. Simply Google “focusonthefamilyyoutubepodcastaugust14.

I have included my rough grammatically incorrect notes of her presentation in the following if you prefer a quick reading……

Experienced cancer of the tongue three times, third was devastating loosing 2/3’s of her tongue…Absolutely No promises from surgeons, a 9 hr surgery… Extreme external radiation and chemotherapy…. Learned again to eat, to speak, lost 80% taste,  dry mouth for remainder of her life… One year later after third surgery,  an angelic 4 yr old girl asked her “Why do you talk funny?” Michele , a speaking professional had earlier traveled the world speaking and training persons to speak. You can do everything right all of your life , and in a sec it all can (will) vanish!

Now Michele asks “What about you? We all have our cancers, things that make us feel damaged, broken or different, rejected, perhaps relationships that were so important, so precious to you that went away, vanished in a moment!  OR maybe you’re getting older, you look in the mirror! Ugh! And what about your faith, sometimes you’re not sure what you believe anymore?… Wherever your form of “cancer” is, that thing that happens in our life,” that disrupts everything we hold dear….  I’m guessing ingrammatically  time it takes you to the point where you don’t really know who you are anymore? This is all more complicated by the culture we live in. Our culture’s basis for our identify is based on 4 things: 

1. Your career –  what you do, your aptitude, IQ, house, your ability to add something,

2. Role – who you are in relation to other people, mom, dad, GP, neighbor, friend,

3. Talents – something you can do better than most anyone else

4. Appearance– height weight hair color or presence, skin color, commanding presence, posture

The problem is that every single one of those things can (WILL) change—Your job, contributions, relationships, appearance, death, diminished talents…. OR maybe you’re getting older, just look in the mirror! Ugh! And what about your faith, perhaps you’re not sure what you believe anymore?  Whatever your form of “cancer” may be, I’m guessing “it” will in time take you to the point where you don’t really know who you are anymore… So if we answer who we are by the above, we are on “sifting sand” & I propose something different…If You can lose it, it is not who you are!!  The reality is that everything in your life can be lost.

So, where do we find the solid ground for our existence? How do we answer the “Who Am I Question?”  I am quite fond of Moses, he has a long story, much drama, born a slave, destined to die, raised and educated in a palace,  later at a burning bush, 80 yrs, old, thinking I’m too damaged, too messed up for a calling, too different, too flawed, but God was just getting started with him, Exodus 3:4  “I am the God of your father….. the promise.. so now go, I am sending you, Moses said “Who am I that I should go?” This is God’s answer to us, every time we ask that question He answers with (if we’re listening) “I will be with you!”  God is literally telling us “It’s not about you!”

That is the first footing that God wanted to give to Moses, and to us also, to the “who am I” question. From Genesis to Revelation, there is this one consistent thread visible and that IS GOD”S deep consuming desire to be with us!”  Consider a 60 second Biblical summary: Garden of Eden, a blood covenant, God dwelt in symbols, a tabernacle and temple, people came to meet with God. God came in flesh, Incarnate, God with us, the cross became that bridge, no longer have to worry about gaining access to the Almighty, because of Christ we can always be in his Presence, no more divider between us and the divine, then an empty tomb so that even death couldn’t separate us.. Jesus upon his ascension said “And Lo I am with always, even until the end of the age.. If I don’t leave, the Spirit cannot come to you” ..now it’s God’s Presence in us.. until the day we enter heaven… In heaven in God’s Presence, there is no sun and no moon because God Himself….Yes, longer than 60 sec, are you convinced? Can you see it? (the podcast is much more articulate and complete!)

The Presence of God is our first footing but God gave another answer to Moses because  Moses was still not convinced.. I need more, I need some really solid references, some more ammo, some more credibility in my arsenal (doesn’t that sound like all of us?) …The Lord says “I am who I am!! I am has sent me to you! This is your second footing with God… the  Purposes of God!

Presence first, His Purposes are second

Moses’s mistake and my mistake on that downtown street that day responding to the angelic 4 yr old was that Moses and I  were looking for greatness within. He was looking at what he had to offer, what he could bring to the table.

Back to the burning bush, funny thing about fire. Fire can either burn or warm, can either kill or consume, OR warm and give life. The difference depends on who is wielding it. As long as Moses and you and I walk in our own purposes, you and I will be consumed. But the burning bush was not consumed because God was in it. If you and I attempt to work out our own purposes, we will be consumed by them. The only way for you and I to walk out of this life without being consumed by a “faulty identity” is to  walk closely in the purposes of God. These are the two footings God gave Moses and us.

Let’s talk about footings briefly. My husband Troy builds. A “Footing” by definition is something that concrete supports under a foundation that rests on something solid and the key for a good footing is that it needs to be wider than the structure it supports.. When you and I try to look for greatness within, guess what? The footing is ourselves. It won’t hold up. The Presence of God and  the Purposes of God. These are the only two footings that will prevail. That’s it. The ultra-extreme radiation and chemo pushed me to the brink of my very existence. I now know how very little I can take with me. It really is only what you send ahead!

It has been three years since the third diagnosis. I am now cancer free. We celebrate. I have scars all over my body. Things don’t work the way they used to. That is hard! However, who I am is absolutely intact! Who I am has not been compromised in the least. What I thought would be my devastation, has become quite frankly my salvation. Why do I talk funny? I talk funny because it forces me day in and day out to stand on the solid ground of God’s two footings. There is no fooling myself anymore.

I am going to ask you to do something right now. Take off your shoes. Now stand up.  This is not a game. This life we’re living is not a game. It’s real and it’s for keeps. And it depend entirely how you and I walk out this journey,

 This is what I want you to do. First I want you touch that Right leg. You walk in the presence of God every single day,when you get up, when you go to sleep at night. God does not sleep.. And the reason is Psalm 16:8 “because He is at my Right hand, I will not be moved! You have the presence of God at your R hand 24/7/365! Feel it. Know it. My advice is to be passionate  … If you’re going to thrive in God’s uniquely personal gift of His presence and purposes, if you’re going to be the type of person that has solid ground for an unshakable life, you have to get your footings. Repeat after me “I will walk in the presence of God”

Now take your Left leg. Consider the Purposes of God. This is an ongoing challenge as we all have our agenda. But every day as I consider my left leg, I’m walking in the purposes of God, His purposes will not consume and defeat me. And only his purposes will last, will persevere! You can sum this all up in one sentence, You and I were never meant to build our own identity . Actually our identity is God’s gift to us established even before the foundations of the world where laid…. However, iit is for us to discover though (coaching/discipling has its place), and is most accessible while in God’s presence and while pursuing His purposes. No, I can’t even imagine!! Being without, that is!

When you and I leave here today, lets live differently. We must take back our Holy Ground. Be willing to confront that  burning bush! Whatever the cancer! Or whatever the “cancer” was that ushered us into the very Presence of God and an appreciative understanding the Purposes of God revealing out true Identity.

Merlin speaking now, “In my case, it was the events of my entire life living for self with my obnoxious decoys strategically placed about finally culminating in being laid flat on my back three times in 30 months, even twice in a wheelchair for several months that was concluded with my auto accident on 9/18/18 where I literally may have been four feet shy of death. God is merciful indeed.”

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever would save his life would will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his own soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his own soul? Matt 16: 24-26.       

 Go forth now, always in His Presence and Purposes, enjoying your Identity in Christ, remembering “if you can lose it, it is not who you really are!”  merlin

PS: So perhaps, we do have a bigger “identity crisis” today in the world and the church than we ever realized. I did and I admit it. Now though, we do have the necessary understanding to effect a real and enduring significant  change… In us and  others.  No need to be shy either. Do enjoy the  JOY of your identity.

Part of my coaching assignment by JD, requires I read Matthew Kelly’s book “The Rhythms of Life: Living Everyday With Passion & Purpose” (TROL) Even though I’ve been through it as well as “in and about it” frequently, I am amazed how my “at this moment perspective” has been  changed by the events and experiences of the past 30 days.  It is virtually monumental!

I did as JD instructed. “Go on vacation and do no work.” Actually it was the longest vacation I ever took, 12 days. And I am now embarrassed to even tell you that. Never really bothered me before. Perhaps evidence finally I am losing some of the vestiges of up until recently, having been a life-long workaholic. I did leave with a lengthy to do list (stack of green 3×5 index cards) which I lost early on. Very convenient and perhaps even divine! Out of sight at my age is indeed out of mind!   

So how was it so monumental? I was blindsided at how much my dreams had changed during the past two weeks. I had prior to leaving on vacation 65 dreams identified in the following areas: Adventure, Emotional, Spiritual, Financial, Legacy, Professional, Physical, Intellectual, Material, Creative, Psychological, and Character. I just looked over them this morning and I estimate nearly half of them will be dropped or greatly retooled. Why? I’m sure there are numerous reasons but it primarily lies in the realm of perspective; getting off the treadmill long enough to break the rhythm of mild insanity and experiencing numerous interactions with persons for the first time in 50 + years, new locations, new genre of literature, long fruitful discussions with Loretta and family and even perfect strangers on the road hearing their stories, etc. We even crashed a wedding! Much better than a car!

Most of you know I really do desire a much different life from here forward and what is so strange, is that as I continue to discover my God given “essential purpose,” I am discovering it is really what I’ve given lip service to for decades but was clueless and powerless to initiate. And the reason I was clueless and powerless? Intellect and desire alone are insufficient catalyst. Basically, I was living without the love of God in my heart, life, being, etc. Once I accepted that I was indeed loved by God, my focus shifted from myself to others and as my ability to love increased, so did my ability to be loved increase, completing the cycle as God always intended.

Perhaps the word that best describes my former years is the most unattractive word, infatuation. We mistakenly will say “he is so in love with himself” of a selfish self-centered person, or “I just love Rocky Road ice cream, BMW’s, summer, or whatever. I believe those examples are merely an infatuation, because they can’t love you back. They only tantalize your taste, ego, or dislike of winter. Love functions best when it is cyclical but that is definitely not the prerequisite. Only God can provide us love reminiscent of the love He had for us “in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”( Romans 5:8) sufficient for us to endure, resist, refrain, and to be empowered to “keep us from stumbling and to present us blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy…..” Jude 1:24.

Or consider The Message Version of I Corinthians 13: 3-7. ”Love never gives up. Love cares for others more than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, doesn’t have a swelled head, doesn’t force itself on others, isn’t always “me first,” doesn’t fly off the handle, doesn’t keep the score of the sins of others, doesn’t revel when others grovel, takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps going to the end.”

Yes, God’s standards are high and infatuation is today’s normal for us choosing  the path of clueless and powerless. But as Kelly skillfully reveals to his readers in the books first three sentences. “Everything is a choice. This is life’s greatest truth and its hardest lesson. It is a great truth because it reminds us of the power within us. Not power over others, but the often untapped power to be ourselves and to live the life we unfortunately, have never even imagined.”

“For many years I have been asking myself and others, “What do you want from life?“ The first several times I made my own list, all I wanted was more of the things of the world. Then I discovered my essential purpose, and everything changed.

I started asking myself, “Which of the things on my list are going to help me become the- best-version-of-myself?“ The good news was that I did have some things on my list that were going to help me become such. I also had a lot of things that were indifferent to my essential purpose. The bad news was that I had some things on my list that were directly or indirectly going to cause me, or encourage me, to become a-lesser-version-of-myself. I began assessing the things on my list in relation to my essential purpose.

From here on Kelly is speaking beginning on page six and the following will help you better understand how a two week vacation so positively disrupted my earlier dream list.

When I am focused on becoming the-best-version-of-myself, I am deeply happy. It is the pursuit of our essential purpose ALONE that satisfies.

When you know you are striving to become the-best-version-of-yourself, that alone is enough to sustain you in happiness. When you don’t have that, all the pleasure and possessions you can summon from the world cannot sustain happiness in the depths of your heart.

We spend our lives in the service of our desires. Sometimes those desires are good and their pursuit is to our benefit. At other times our desires are selfish and self-destructive. If there is purpose and meaning to our lives, then the highest levels of living must be linked to discovering that meaning and fulfilling that purpose. It stands to reason, then, that there should be a relationship between the purpose and the meaning of life and our dreams.

Earlier, I asked you to stop and consider what you wanted from life and to write those things down. As you progress through this book, I would like you to remain open to revising and changing, adding and eliminating, some of what you had previously written.

So, even though I am constantly dreaming new dreams, I have learned to dream with my central purpose at the center of my life. With that in mind, I have developed seven core dreams that help me stay focused on my essential purpose.

These are my dreams. I believe that the pursuit of these dreams will lead us to peace, happiness, success, satisfaction, service, wholeness, and holiness.

They are my dreams, but they are also my dreams for you.

The first dream

I have a dream for you….that you have complete control over your mental and physical faculties and that you are slave neither to food, nor drink, nor any other substance. I dream that you will be free, that you will have freedom in the truest sense of the word and the strength of character to do what is right in each situation.

The second dream

 I have a dream for you… that you are able to discern the people, activities, and possessions that are most important to you. And that you are able to give each of them their time and place according to their appropriate priority.


The third dream

 I have a dream for you…. that you have the courage and determination, firmness, and persistence to perform the tasks that you choose, decide, and resolve to perform. That you perform them with a commitment to excellence and attention to detail.



The fourth dream

I have a dream for you… that you discover a unique talent that leads you to dedicate the professional aspect of your life do some work you can be passionate about. I dream that you may enjoy the rare privilege of spending your days in meaningful work. That you serve your neighbor, your family, and your community in this occupation and that by it, you are able to provide for your temporal needs.



The fifth dream

 I have a dream for you…  that you grow in wealth in every sense of the word, that you are never in need, and that whatever your wealth is, you share it with all you can.


The sixth dream
I have a dream for you….  that you find true love. Someone you can cherish. Someone who makes you want to be a better person. A soulmate who can challenge you and love you. A companion who can walk with you, know you, share your joy, perceive your pain and heartache, and comfort you in your disappointments.


The seventh dream

I have a dream for you…. that you discover a deep and abiding inner peace. The peace that comes from knowing that who you are, where you are, and what you do is essentially good and makes sense; that you are contributing to the happiness of others; that you are progressing towards becoming the-best-version-of-yourself.

Blessings as you GO FORTH REVELING IN THE DREAMS YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER HAS ALWAYS HELD FOR YOU…IF YOU COULD ONLY IMAGINE… merlin