Responding to Accusation

Responding to Accusation

Proverbs 30:8 "Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:"

Luke 12:11-12 "11 And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: 12 For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say."

We all have conflict. Friction both smooths us and refines us, like sandpaper. Friction is also necessary when you want to have any traction. Without friction, tires won't grip and move your vehicle further down your chosen path. But there are appropriate and inappropriate ways to deal with conflict. When conflict occurs, the natural reaction is to blame someone else and defend yourself. But true followers of Christ must respond differently. Have you ever been falsely accused? Have you been lied on? Have you been misrepresented? Has someone you trusted as a confidante then repeated your private information to others? I have. Anytime you are in the public eye, in service, in a leadership position... you are fair game for people to talk about. In my experience, I was falsely accused of something in a public forum. I could have responded (and rightly so) in a manner that showed indignation, that annihilated the accuser, and that - while technically correct - would have caused more damage and further division, which defeats the purpose of moving forward and unity. Being right isn't always the right answer. Thankfully, the Lord enabled me to remain calm rather than react angrily. The older I get, I am learning that praying first is always the best response in a crisis. When we do, God supernaturally provides mental gymnastics, brings details to our remembrance, and provides oration skills which we can't muster up ourselves.

·         Spiritual discernment. The Lord, who perfectly understands the source of every problem, can give us insight beyond our limited perspective. Perhaps there's been a communication breakdown, a feeling of jealousy on the other person's part, or a mistake we unknowingly made. The Holy Ghost can show us how to approach our accuser and see beyond hurtful words or actions.

·         A quiet spirit. Our human nature wants to react quickly so that we can defend ourselves. That's why we must first deliberately focus our attention on the Lord and experience the inward peace He alone makes available to us (John 14:27).

·         Wisdom. Jesus told His disciples the Holy Spirit would give them wise words to say when they faced hostile authorities. He'll do the same for you. Ask Him to put a seal on your lips until He shows you what to say and when (Ps. 141:3).

It's freeing to realize that we don't have to react to criticism with anger and self-protection the way the world does. If/When someone brings drama to your doorstep - you don't have to partake. People that want to publicly criticize, lie, or malign you don't have to have your reaction. We are taught to join in the fray, get into online flame wars, flip tables and generally act poorly. That is celebrated, but it's not necessary and you can break that cycle. Remember, we are called to represent Christ in every situation by depending on Him. In responding as He directs, we bring Him glory and cause unbelievers to want to know the source of our strength.

Cheers, 
#JustBeingMichael ツ

Liberty, Grace, and Freedom

A very timely and correct subtitle could be "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should."
An even more succinctly clarified title might be, "Man, I'm tired of being politically correct."

Pull up a chair and let's have some honest dialog. Peter was one kind of a disciple, and Paul was another. One was part of the original crew. One walked with Christ daily, sat at His feet, learned from Him directly, and heard the actual voice of God come from what has to be the single most polarizing human to have existed. That human, Jesus, and the polarization, being that he was also the first and only completely divine human that existed. Paul, on the other hand, didn't have all of that in his back pocket. He was Jewish. He was raised right. He had means. He worked on the wrong side of Christ. Wait... what? Yes. He did. He had means and he assisted the Romans, concerned for their longevity, in securing their interests. He did that by "innocently" persecuting Christians. You have to remember that Christians AND their surrounding local governments thought that Christ was raising a physical army and that He was bringing about a worldly revolution in government and in direct royal power and position. These people saw the God-Man walk, talk, preach, perform miracles, be incorrectly and illegally tried, judged, found guilty. They saw him whipped, further beaten, crucified, die, and be buried. Then they saw him walk into a room and confront them with his life. They were ready right then and there for a kingdom to be set up. They were ready right then and there for the balance of power to shift, and for Judaism to be fulfilled, bringing about centuries of promises from God. So, I mean... naturally, the local representatives to the big central powers were concerned. They'd be foolish NOT to be. And that's how we meet Paul. He works for Big Power, and he is concerned and persecuting this crazy, faith-filled "fringe" Jews.
--Fast forward, Paul is struck down on the road to Damascus.
--Fast forward, Paul is rebuked and shown a vision from God that allows him to preach to all of the humans, not just Jews.
--Fast forward, Paul sees a lot... and I mean, a lot, of miracles. He is in the thick of the action with this whole movement. And that means his faith is naturally bolstered. He has lots of faith, because he's seen countless miracles every day - INCLUDING those that give him complete freedom from Roman and Jewish superstitions, religions, and customs. He was free.
--Now, that is where we begin here today: 

1 Corinthians 8:9: "But take heed, lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak." 

That ONE scripture nails it home, but you need to know the context. Paul is educating LEADERS and people that are already Christians on how to act, how to love, how to show Christ, and how to avoid silly and pointless conflict that arises out of ignorance and ego. The entire book is a great "How To" set of instructions to Corinth. (Assuming we believe this was truly Paul and not one of the pseudoepigriphal books that cause so much angst!) However, I digress... that's a hair I'll split with my scholar friends. For the purposes of this writing, focus on the lesson and the emotion behind it: Paul leads us to know several important things in Chapter 8:

--Idols are still rampant. That means, by following common sense that food, incense, and other things are still offered to those idols. (Some newer Christians still held Jewish law. They still had Roman idols. They had "believed" the good news of Christ, and they WANTED a revolution. But they hadn't "seen" anything. They were learning and growing, but they were not miraculously imbued with the experiences and faith of the disciples and the original crew. They still had their idols, and the beliefs and "comfort" of the ritual of those idols.)

--New Christians are still weak-minded and may still hold some superstitions (Gee... that's true today, too. People have to grow in the Lord, and in faith. I still have to grow. I still flinch if I see a black cat. Does that mean I practice witchcraft and really thing broken mirrors will haunt me? No. But there are decades of ingrained belief and practice in EVERY human. Don't exploit that, taunt that, or even worse, IGNORE that. Ignoring someone's lack of knowledge and ignoring them to flounder while you mature and follow God in ways that are too deep for them, can be just as damaging as watching your toddler try to follow you into the deep end when they can't swim.)

--We ONLY have to answer to God. (Nowhere does Paul say that because of the confusion that we are do hold our personal standards to those that need special attention. That's why they are called personal. He was herding cats here, and it's odd to say, I'm going to do this thing, like eating meat offered to idols, that some found so offensive that it turned them off from hearing further truths about God. He had the foresight to learn and to train other church leaders in this matter. You can be as "right" as you want to be, and you may even be truly correct. But... and hear me... if you turn everyone off around you, who is hearing your message? Who are you reaching? You have to actually reach folks to get the message of Christ crucified to them.)

--These things may not be Heaven or Hell issues to US as believers. I mean, those of us that have had the experience, the tangible, and the revelation of exactly who Jesus is... we have a lot of privilege in knowing exactly who that makes us. We have been given countless, unfathomable grace to be pulled "from the miry clay." But what about those baby Christians or even Christians that are just weak in faith and not on a solid ground of understanding WHO God is? They may not be mature in understand exactly what Jesus accomplished in dying, grace, mercy. There are those that think you can still earn grace - that mercy is a word that evokes weakness and sentimentality. There are those that may have lived their entire life in a dead relationship... know about God, but not knowing God, and never grasping the life application of a true "pick up your cross, and follow me" mentality. Be very careful... something you do may not be something that is Heaven or Hell for you, but it may be for those watching you to determine if your witness is something that they believe or if you serve a God in which they are interested. You may be the only representative or ambassador that God ever puts in their path.

--Don't flaunt your liberty, and your grace is not very graceful when it offends and hurts the spiritual well-being of another, weaker person. People that need Christ always say that they love the idea of Jesus, but not the people that are the loudest in claiming to be His followers. People that are the loudest cheerleaders of grace, are usually the ones that (forgive me for seeming to judge) look like they abuse grace. Grace is there for us, an endless fountain of forgiveness. We do have liberty, but that doesn't mean we throw that in the face of those that don't understand it.

That is where the lesson ended in Corinthians. Can you think of situations today, in your life that this might apply to? Are you a church leader? Are you a Christian witness? Do you claim to have knowledge of Christ and share that with others? Do you walk in love? Love bears all things, you see. Here are examples that I know have burdened my friends and myself. Review them and ask yourself how you would handle them. How would you best represent Christ to others?
--You go out with a group of mixed church and secular friends. Do you drink? Why or why not? Your secular friends will be drinking. Your Christian friends may or may not agree with drinking. What's your answer? Would it matter if they were new converts? Would it matter if they had been delivered from alcoholism before they came to Jesus? Would that change your actions?
--You have decided that cutting your hair is not a heaven or hell issue for you. Do you tell your pastor? Do you balk about church participation?
--You disagree with other's liberty. You know your relationship with Christ is strong. Do you bother yourself or argue with them over what you think they are doing wrong? I have stricter moral codes on how I deal with finances than many veteran UPC ministers I know. They have lots of wiggle room when it comes to money. Just not sleeve length. Now, don't misunderstand me. I THINK STANDARDS ARE IMPORTANT. I believe in holiness. I believe in modesty. But let me put it this way, I have been to churches where little old ladies and men will not raise their hands, will not dance, will not shout, will not get excited when you proclaim that God came down in flesh, died for them, and his blood will cleanse them. It will save the reprobate, heal the sick, and will cause miraculous changes of heart. But if you talk about clothes or hair, you can't keep them on a pew. That's backwards. I also believe if that is your ONLY claim to Christ, then you have missed the entire purpose of Jesus. Jesus wants your inside to be right, your mind renewed, and your spirit to be knit with His. He'll clean up the outside.

--You know that certain words hurt certain groups of people. You may not have any sympathy or love for them. God does. You may not agree with them. God can handle that. You know that words only have power if you give them power. Do you use those words anyway? They don't hurt you, they are not offensive to you, they don't affect you. They hurt someone you know. They affect someone you know. They turn away someone you know. Does that change your attitude or use of words?

At the end of the day, you are the only person you can be responsible for. You can only control your actions. But your actions, and your responsibility reach far. The ripples you create, and the people you reach, or conversely turn away can be a sobering thought. It is VITAL to understand grace and the liberty that God gives us by saving us. We can never earn it. We can't be good enough, we can't be holy enough, and we can't have enough standards to EARN salvation. That' is God's gift to us. And, technically, we could have liberty for anything... but we would also create huge rifts in church, in society, and ultimately, ourselves. Is it that hard to love enough to not say misogynistic words? They may not offend you, but what about those you offend? Do you use racial slurs? Is it because that's your heritage? It's not hate? It's just taking the power out of the word? But if it hurts someone and causes a situation where they no longer respect or believe your witness to Christ, what good have you done? What about words for gay people? What about words for transgender people? You may not be offended by saying "that's so gay." But it hurts someone to have something so vital to your core being equated with being stupid. Or even the huge ordeal right now over the word "tranny." What about the recent shootings? Which Pentecostal crossed his path numerous times and never heeded God's urging to say something, do something, or just be there for someone that needed it? Or which Christian had the chance to delve deeper about God with that person, clearly needing something, and used grace or liberty to go their own way?

You have liberty to say and do as you please, but the pain it may cause someone may also be the very thing that makes them never listen to you. The ego and your walk with Christ have to be very strong to take some of this in... it's not about YOU. You are already a Christian. You are already a witness. You are already a leader. Your liberty has been secured. Your soul has been pardoned and you have been delivered. But your liberty may be preventing others from enjoying that same experience. Be aware. It's so critical in this day and age. Love is never the wrong answer, even if you don't understand the question. Kindness is never the wrong choice.

Peace,
#JustBeingMichael ツ

My Testimony... To Date

Hello Friends & Loved Ones…

I have truly treasured the support and friendship from everyone in the past year of my life. It’s been overwhelming, and to be blunt, surprising to me. There are sources of inspiration and support that have come completely out of left field. People have shown up to assist, pray and be there for me that I never even thought I’d be able to see or speak with again. And there are those that I’d assumed I’d have their undying support throughout my life, that were nowhere to be found and that I had to practically beg to make time to catch up.

These are not indictments – just facts.

As many of you are intimately familiar with, for the past several years I’ve suffered a lot of overall health and wellness issues. Many of my closer friends know the, at times arduous, journey I’ve been on with regard to my health and my digestive disorders. Those that are closest to me know the miraculous recovery I’ve been given, and how that action has been instrumental in reconciling my faith, my spiritual and emotional journeys as well.

I believe in giving credit where credit is due, and to God, for all of the magnificent and, honestly, wondrous works in my life, I give thanks. The place I was last April, one short year ago, and where I was six months ago… sitting in a doctor’s office, with a death sentence on my head. I’ve made magnificent strides. The cancer (yes, the Barrett’s esophagus had become cancerous), my hiatal hernia, the ulcers, and the perforated esophagus from advanced GERD have all been cleared by my physicians.

Let me be clearer: All. Of. It.

The testimony I am able to give is one of not only one of me working with my physicians, and the real, true struggle of trying to eliminate toxins and poisons from our current societal lifestyle. But it is a testimony of true miracles. At least two, if you count things that neither I, nor my doctor could have done or did. I think the daily struggles and the strength, willpower, and ability to get up and face the day were miracles, too. That’s not for me to split hairs on. Regardless of your belief structure, regardless of your faith and what it allows you process in your own mind - mine has made me whole. What should have occurred, didn’t. What shouldn’t have occurred, did. And even my wonderful doctor is now asking me about this God that I keep talking about. Why am I so adamant that I don’t generalize the name of God, or give credit to just any old spirit up there, and I keep calling him Jesus? Why am I so quick to give credit when medical science cannot answer my questions? (I never meant to be someone else’s catalyst, or testimony, but I suppose my plans are not always the ones that matter.) I can’t answer the theology of it all. And even my depth of knowledge and scripture isn’t adequate in the face of what is being described by two of my doctors now as a miracle. Here is what I know: The pictures of my esophagus and stomach today are that of a model, healthy adult male vs the ones that resembled ground turkey that needed to be removed and I’d have feeding tubes and require specialized pills and diets forever. I have always heard of things like this happening. And I’ve joked with several of you that it always happened to someone else. If you were a Bourn, or if you were a Craft, or that one girl at Jr. Camp’s Roomate’s Sister’s Friend got healed. We all tell and retell those stories. It’s so different when God touches you personally. I had made peace with dying. I really had. I thought I’d not have the surgery, I’d not treat the cancer, and I’d made peace that I’d squandered my calling, my anointing, and my gifts, and that I’d likely go to hell. I guess those plans of mine were also not exactly what God wanted. What a difference 6 months, the Lord, and prayer can make!!

Some of you have been precious to me during this time. You listened and stood by during my struggle in quitting smoking, quitting unhealthy and disastrous eating and drinking, and even with my sedentary to active lifestyle. The struggle was real, y’all! Those of you, know who you are, and you are very dear to me! The encouragement you have given during the surgeries, the extreme eating and monitoring plan – you’ll never know how much it meant. You were even kind, when I wasn’t. My god, who knew that detoxing and the wild restrictions of food, drink, and vice would make me so irritable and cranky! I still can’t walk by someone smoking a menthol cigarette without tearing up and wanting to beg for just one puff! And even though I can have some wine or some clear liquors… I can smell Jager or think of a Jager Bomb and I still miss it! Those late night phone calls where I questioned God’s reasoning and why I was “having to deal with all of this spiritual crap” mean the world to me now. The fact that God would even wake me up and deal with me still freaks me out. And it still makes me want to smoke. Isn’t it crazy how even when clean and sober and having detoxified the body… our minds still want what would hurt us! To those that listened to me whine and complain, to those that listened to me go through all of this and question my sanity and spirituality… to those that stood beside me during the death of my sweet Mamaw Sue during all of this… you will never know what it means to me, and I don’t think I can adequately repay you.

The end of it is not over. I had kind of hoped it would be. I thought, “Oh, Great… I’ll get involved with a local church, work, and tithe and just kind of build a great little life.” Oh, if only God would just do what I say, and listen to the plans and designs I submit!!! But that, too, isn’t meant to be. It has been an amazing 6 months since October, my diagnosis, and my release from what would have been certain death to this new lease on life. God gives old men like me dreams and visions still…

I no longer despise the life given me. I no longer despise the hard times that brought me to where I am today. I no longer laugh in the face of my callings. I no longer rail and rage against the inevitable submission I must make to God for all He’s done for me. Yes, my life is important to me… my life’s work is important to me… But how I pay my bills is becoming less important to me, because I want to make a life not just a living. I want to leave a legacy besides that of only the drudgery of what I’d allowed my life to become. Success has a price...

I wasn’t happy…

My body wasn’t happy…
My spirit wasn’t happy…

And they all began to shut down. It took a crossroads. It took a death sentence. It took a miracle.  

What happened after that is something at which I can only marvel. I prayed. I, simply, quietly, and directly, prayed. Now, I am a great designer, planner, and coordinator – but, I could not have planned and coordinated the next steps my life is going to take. The meticulous dovetailing of professional, personal, and ministerial projects and partners came together in a way that I could never have imagined, much less asked for, and worked toward… I have been blessed with talent. I have been given a mind and memory that scare some people. I have been given the ability to communicate verbally and with writing. And God has seen fit to allow my work, my career, my skillset, my expertise, my family, my talents, my passion, and my gifts to all met at one crossroad. I get emotional when I truly think of the next steps and projects. I want to make even more proactive and positive steps in my own life and thus, I’ve decided to restructure my life.

All of this has been leading to this announcement and this proclamation: I’ve quit my current job, and will be altering my career path, effectively. As in, effective immediately, effective permanently.

I’ve been privileged to start my own company, Kennedy Solutions, and I’ll be fortunate enough to be working with government and working with public healthcare. It’s an expertise I’ve acquired along the way. I’ll still be working with Federal and State programs – but I am committed to working with integrity, honesty, and expertise. I’ve already been blessed to secure contracting and to finalize all of the paperwork (prior to any announcements, thus the wait and the teasers.) And once a few things started rolling, even more contractors and people wanted to partner and connect to begin doing good work, that we are proud of, in a way that benefits both us, our government, and people. We are doing creative consulting… we are something different!!

Kennedy Solutions has also been invited to participate in national initiatives due to our experience in Healthcare, Nutrition and Wellness. I have to admit, we have a unique and personal perspective when it comes to wellness and taking care of the body through holistic nutrition.

And here is where God is just hilarious, and where my personal dreams (dreams I’d given up on) have come true: We will be doing non-profit work with both ministry and pastoral programs. I’m fortunate enough to where I’ll be in partnership with my parents and family on projects. This is exciting because my “dad” has talked to me about some of my theological and writing ideas. The fact that I’ve been offered a partnership and a book deal on a theological series is very humbling (Zacchaius, #IBGAS, and my testimony). My mom and I have decided to partner on a music project, and I’ve been blessed to be invited to participate in ministry with a local church in the Tampa Bay area.

Oh! And, certainly not least, we have been working with Google on fun tech projects and have just secured the next phase of working through wearable technology! We are excited to announce that we are partnering with Google on wearable tech and government and healthcare!! It’s crazy how one moment of fun and a seemingly harmless meeting a year ago has turned into a new part of our career and project goals. We will also be working with Microsoft right here in Tampa on win8 and government solutions… I’m even getting the opportunity to further my education and fulfill a personal lifelong dream of obtaining a terminal degree! (Working on my doctorate!)

I don’t know what everyone else is going through. I don’t know if some will consider this post conceit, or bragging. I can’t really be bothered with how it will be received. I’ve been bursting inside to share the Good News of what has been going on, and just couldn’t until contracts and business was completed. But, I do know this… the more I have relinquished my own plans, and the more I have given to God, the more I’ve received… and in ways I’d have never been able to design or contemplate. Let that galvanize your faith today. Maybe you are sick – well, I’ve been there – bolster your own faith and watch what God can do, when you actively participate. Maybe you have a dream – exercise your faith, and give it to God, even when losing that control is scary, and watch the hand of God move in your own life.

One of the great men I’ve known, T.L. Craft, said “if you make God’s business your business, God will make your business His business.” And that’s just true. I’ve never understood just how true until recently.

You cannot outgive God.

You cannot outserve God.
You cannot outpace God.
You cannot outlove God.

I am blessed beyond measure.

Cheers,
#JustBeingMichael ツ

Feeling down? Feeling empty? Get full...

The Fullness of God in You
Ephesians 3:14-21

Everyone has a bad day. Those are just part of our lives. However, do you feel like your bad days are increasing and your good days are the ones that are few? Do you feel empty? Unsatisfied? Do you try to fill yourself up? People will eat until overfull when they feel empty. People will drink to excess when they feel empty. People will find sources of comfort and love that leave them feeling worse when they feel empty. 

It's our nature to compensate and self-medicate. We are not a people that enjoy pain, and when we feel pain, we need for it to stop. We need to end it. You know how you can be hungry, but not know what for? And how you can graze and still keep going back to your fridge because you have not found what is going to trigger your brain that you are happy and satisfied with what you ate?

But, how is it that some people never seem (publically anyway) to be unsatisfied. They seem to be thin, fit, athletic, bills paid, well-heeled, happy, worshipful, thankful, smart, educated, clear skin, good hair, etc... And we, for some reason, immediately pull our rulers and measurement devices out. Why God? Why them, Lord? Why not me? Why not this or that? Why give them this? They can't even appreciate it the way I would, Lord. They don't even know how lucky they have it, Lord!

Have you ever wondered if you are a "whole person"? Our very emotional make up leaves us "un-whole." We are born with a desire to eat. We are born with a desire to connect with other people. We are born with a desire to mate. We are born with a desire to be in a pack. Yet, we are told our whole lives to be unique, special, and called out. We are taught to be competitive, daring, and ambitious to that we will be separate. Let me just say right here: We all go through it. We all get lonely. We all want love. We all want God. We all want people and friends. We all want our family to be safe and happy and health. Everyone. You are not alone. We all have struggles in life that could make us feel incomplete, but the apostle Paul says we can be "filled up to all the fullness of God" (v. 19).

Don't let your victory, your natural gifts and your essence that God gave you be destroyed because you are never satisfied. A "whole person" is generally satisfied with life. They feel loved and are able to love others in return. Difficulties and hardships don't devastate them because they are able to go through them with confidence in God. They aren't a complainer or someone who is quick to blame others. A positive attitude guards their mind since they know that the Lord will work everything out for good (Rom. 8:28).

But this isn't magic. It's not something that you can fake. And it's not something that you have a "recipe" for... Being a Christian doesn't automatically make us feel complete, and it's not a fix-all solution for the consequences of poor choices in your life. Fullness comes only when we experience God's love for us. [For two decades now, and for many years prior, I knew *theologically* that the Lord loved me. I have sung it, preached about it, written about it, and published it. But I didn't really feel it. It was ONLY after I took a deep look at my life and started dealing with events that had fractured my soul, both in childhood and things I did to myself as an adult, that I began to experience God in a new, and very intimate way. Once I felt the security of His love for me, I discovered great joy in walking in obedience to His will. The reason was that I knew I could trust Him to meet all my needs in His time and in His way. It takes the stress and discomfort of waiting and worrying away.]

Do you feel God's love, or is it just a biblical fact to you? If you only have the "head knowledge" of your faith, you will miss out on so many things... If you long for wholeness, the key is to experience an real relationship with Jesus Christ. This is possible only when you're willing to open up and let the Lord search your heart. It isn't always comfortable, but if you are willing, He'll reveal what's holding you back from accepting His love and His favor.

Cheers,
#JustBeingMichael ツ

Why Does "He" Delay?

"Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord..."

Isaiah 64:1-4

God is a God of action. He is an active God. Active tense. Participatory. Involved. Present. Even when He rested on the seventh day of creation, it wasn't because He was tired and needed to recuperate. Omnipotence requires no rest. And although He deliberately made a choice to stop His creative activity, He never ceased working.

The same is true in our lives. Yes, I really do believe in an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent God. I believe that He thought of a concept and flung the stars into being. I am also bright enough to believe that He is a God of order and of respect. And I think that same God might have used things like science, evolution, and progression to accomplished a divine, and designed, purpose. That being said, while the Lord is always controlling the universe, He is, at the same time, intimately involved with individual lives.

God has a plan for each one of us and wants us to know what it is. We can be a stubborn and hard-headed people. Every time we take a step of obedience, He sheds more light on our path. But sometimes He asks us to pause awhile, and we may not know why. We long for direction in a particular matter, but our prayers, seemingly, just aren't being answered, and we wonder, Why does He delay?

God has not forgotten you. God knows exactly where you are...  Check yourself, your circumstances and your part in hindering or ignoring God's will. When you aren't seeing any answers, it doesn't mean that God is not working. He's still actively involved in your life, but He works in ways that are not always visible. He orchestrates circumstances, changes people's hearts, and protects His children from making hasty decisions that will have disastrous consequences. Do you long for a great relationship? Maybe you are not ready because the person you need to be with "isn't your type," or isn't going to put up with your shenanigans. Perhaps the Lord knows you're not yet ready for the next leg of your spiritual journey. I know you want to be a spiritual giant and a great prayer warrior. But to carry the mantle and the title, you also have to perform the office and complete the duty. Waiting times are opportunities for growth in character, obedience, and faith. He may also need time to train you for future responsibilities and ministries. David could have never slayed Goliath if he had never been sent to tend sheep for years prior to that. He had to kill a bear and a lion while he was doing other things before he became a great warrior and King.

Rest in God. When you intentionally choose to be still, God unleashes His mighty power on your behalf. He has planned good things for those who wait, and I believe what He has in store for your life will surpass all expectations. When He knows you're ready to receive His blessings, they'll flow into your lap.

Cheers,
#JustBeingMichael ツ

Ash Wednesday - My Lenten Journey Begins...

Matthew 25:34-40: "Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

Ash Wednesday can be a hard day for people, literally and figuratively. Some people are feeling the after effects of Fat Tuesday. Some people are beginning a Lenten Discipline. Some don't understand the spiritual implications of their choices. Some just get ashes because it's tradition. There are no "wrong" ways to observe Ash Wednesday, but there are certainly ways to have a deeper understanding of the day, and a spiritual life application of the day, should you want it.

As humans, we have a tendency to focus on our immediate, not our far-reaching. We focus on our most painful, not our longest-lasting. And we want immediate results, not deferred gratification that comes with process, and growth. Case in point: I'm having a hard day: difficult people, malice before speaking, homesickness, health and fitness goals, my attitude, small "obstacles" that just stream towards me with no end in sight... But: Is this really my existence? Is it my life? We don't always look to, or want, a spiritual answer. We don't want to pause, reflect, take a deep breath, and then make grown up choices and decisions. We don't want to hold our rage and pain inside, or hold our viciousness in check. We don't want to ensure that we are in Christ's service, and working in Christ's stead, versus our own desires and ambitions. All of that is not my end though. I have to remember that I do have a spiritual answer. I do have a prayer. I can rely on something bigger and outside of “me.” I have to realize that this is not my life. My life is not really my own any longer. Am I in service of myself? Or am I in Christ's service?

Take for instance, the example of Joseph, the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus. We know extremely little about Joseph. We know he worked in the building trade, including what we call carpentry. We know he could trace his ancestry back to the ancient royal house of David and Solomon. We know that Joseph faced a unique personal and moral challenge, and came through it with integrity and humility. Seriously, think how it was for him. Mary has news for him, news to send a chill down the spine of any prospective husband. How can he possibly believe her strange story? What will people say?

Then, Joseph has “the dream.” In it, it is made plain that Mary's story is true. What's more, she and her child are caught up, not just in a personal challenge, but in a much older, stranger purpose: God's purpose. God's rescue operation, long expected and at last coming true. But what if Joseph hadn’t? What if he wasn’t obedient, or didn’t participate?

Whenever God does something, He involves people — often unlikely people, frequently surprised and alarmed people. He asks them to trust him in a new way, to put aside their natural reactions, to listen humbly for a fresh word and to act on it without knowing exactly how it's going to work out. We, as Christians often stumble over the “how.” We expect the God of All Ages to submit His plan to us for approval and participation. We become petulant and difficult to ourselves, our fellow Christians, and to God when we feel left out of that divine vision. But, there are larger things at work in this world, and there are greater plans than I sometimes remember to focus on… I need to stop and consider the purpose of my life. What am I living for? Am I living to make money? Am I living to merely survive? Am I living, working, and slaving away so I can pursue my own interests or chase success? Am I putting energy into my friends and family? Am I letting ambition (even for good causes) be the focus, rather than the end goal?

All of these are worthy goals. No one wants to fail; no one wants to forsake their friends, family, loved ones... No one wants to give less than one hundred percent! All of these aims—even the last one, which sounds so selfless—are futile. The only goal of lasting value and fulfillment is serving Christ. As His followers, we should model our life after His. And Mark 10:45 tells us that "even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.” We honor Him by doing likewise. Do you know of anyone that is hungry? Anyone that is thirsty? Do you know of someone that needs clothing? Do you know of someone in a prison that needs a visitor?

That's what God is asking all of us to do this Lenten season. Remember who you are, and walk in your calling; but always remember who God is, and that He isn’t required to gain your approval to complete His designs. Like Joseph, we may have to put our initial reactions on hold and be prepared to hear new words, to think new thoughts, and to live them out. We all come with our own questions, our own sorrows and frustrations, our own longings. God will deal with them in His own way, but he will do so as part of his own much larger and deeper purposes. Who knows what might happen, this year, if even a few of us were prepared to listen to God's word in scripture in a new way, to share the humility of Joseph, and to find ourselves caught up in God's rescue operation?

Cheers,
#JustBeingMichael

An Open Letter to My Girlfriends...

This is an open letter to my girlfriend(s). You are an amalgamation of many types of women. You are not singled out. You are not being put on “blast” or notice. But I want to speak to “you,” if you can consider yourself a collective, a group, a “you.”

I love you. I think you are great. I think that you have unique, special qualities that no one else will ever have. I think your eyes are beautiful. I think that the way you carry yourself is unique. There will never be another human being like you on the face of the planet. You could be someone’s twin, and your unique and personal perspective of the world is still your own. You are the only you that will ever exist. I want you to know that I see you. I do. I really, truly, and honestly “see” you.

Having that sight and being in a sympathetic, but “outside-looking-in” perspective, is hard. I see you, but I am powerless. I see your struggles, and yet, I cannot tell you how to navigate them perfectly. I want to offer support, but without directing you. And I think that the pain you endure is needless, and in some ways, self-inflicted. I am concerned for you. I am worried for you. I pray daily for you. I don’t know how to help you, other than to be a shoulder, and to pray. But I also think that you need to be told a few truths:

• God never makes people to be copies of anything else. I’ve never known any artist that appreciated being told how to create art. I’m sure God gets pretty pissed off when you explain to Him that he made mistakes. I know you share a thousand pictures and inspirational quotes from Instagram about this, but do you read them? Do you believe them? You should.
• I’ve never known you to be secure. Ever. I get that you were raised this way from birth, but you might want to change this before you take this behavior into your golden years. You have stated you know this, but if you are not doing anything real, or measurable to make those changes, you are just talking in circles with the same group of people. What good does that do?
• Life isn’t something that you wait to begin. You won’t be happy “when.” You must make each moment of your journey count. Life will not be any better, or worse, or any more “livable” when:
• You finally pay off your loans
• You get that car
• Your divorce is final
• Your husband comes to his senses about your worth
• You get shoes that make that other heifer eat it!
• You are finally in a relationship
• You get married
• You get a fancier purse
• You have a baby
• You find a better best friend
• Why would you ever give up your dreams for someone else’s dreams? Can they not be accomplished together, as a unit? As a couple? As a “we?” If the answer is no, then that is NOT the couple, “we,” and unit you should be in…
• Men want a Proverbs 31 woman, and we talk, preach, and write books about it. Yet, we rarely talk about what kind of man WE need to be, in order to attract that type of partner. You will never attract a man that is worthy of a Proverbs 31 woman, if you don’t demand it. You can’t “be” a Proverbs 31 woman, and hold that as a standard-bearer, if you allow yourself to be treated as something else. If you don’t require good, fair, and equitable treatment – why would you think you are going to be treated that way?
• Just like you have standards of how you would like to be treated, you should give that respect back. Respect goes two ways, and if you are constantly upset at how others treat you, but never at fault in your mind of how you treat others, then you have some self-reflection time to take. 
• Grown women don’t “pretend” something didn’t happen, like they were on a child’s playground. Adults address the issue, and move past it, if possible and applicable. Forgiveness is there for a reason. Trust me, if you are my friend, I will forgive any grievance I have, but I won’t ignore it.
• Generally, you think too much. About everything. Calm your mind, breathe deeply, and understand that as a designed, created, and unique person, you deserve the respect, time, and peace that anyone else deserves. You don’t deserve more, but you don’t deserve less. Not every single thing is about you, your business, or for you. You do not have to expend any energy on what some other man or woman thinks of you. You just don’t. Save yourself the time and frustration.
• If you love someone, that is not always enough. I know that is heartbreaking news, but it is true. Love will not pay your bills. Love will not get you a job. Love will not put food on your table. Love will not make you live for God. Love is a comfort, and a luxury, and an extra. It is not a requirement, nor is it a right or a promise. You have been sold a lie, and you have been sold a fairy tale. You will be happier if you realize that real, true love is hard work and it is something YOU create, not fall into, or out of, or are “blessed” with.
• Love does not always equal faithfulness. I know many men that love their partner, wife, spouse, husband and cheat like dogs. They don’t “mean” it badly. They “love” their partner for all of the home life, and things offered there, but that isn’t always enough. You need to decide you’re your acceptable boundaries are, and how you would expect to be treated, and how you expect your treatment to be received. It’s not all your fault, but it’s not all his either.
• Yes, we like sports. But hear this… it’s because it has numbers and someone wins. That really is why… it’s not some deep rooted sexual thing. It’s not ingrained. It’s genetic and it’s how we are raised to be in power. Sports aren’t about how we FEEL. It’s binary. It’s “did you win, or lose.” Who did better? Who did what to help win? Individual, team, Olympic, whatever… sports are easy because we don’t have to talk for four hours about who said what that made them FEEL badly about a sports. We sportsed our hardest and outsportsed the other sports and won! That’s the basic reason. 
• Yes, we think participation trophies are dumb.
• Yes, we agree that it’s dumb to have overly-sensitive men. You don’t really like them either. But you don’t want us to be too distant either. It REALLY does confuse and frustrate us, both as your friends and as the guys you would date.
• You assume that your ability to split a hair seven ways is also something men do. No.
• Men are generally not good people. There are a few good ones. And there are many, many of them that strive to be the best they can. But almost EVERY man is flawed, hard-headed, and reared to be excellent and believe in himself. Men are never raised to constantly berate themselves, diet, feel less than, or fight over things that are superficial. Men are raised to be in power, and feed, and grow. As a partner to that, you need to get over the fact that you, as a woman, are generally raised to keep yourself small, and only reward yourself out of excellence, and not because you deserve to be raised that way to just naturally be powerful and excel. That is an unfortunate lie you have been taught.
• Why would you ever argue or fight in public with another woman? Oh, honey... Facebook, Twitter, and your text messages are public.
• Why would you consider yourself the winner if you "won" the guy in a fight with another woman? You are still the loser in that situation, honey. Your man is trash at that point. And you are not any better off for having "kept" him in that situation.
• Why would you berate another woman on her level of what you deem is acceptable levels of femininity? You hate it when men do that with masculinity? Why would you exhibit the exact behavior?
• Why would you constantly rotate your friends? You seem to constantly be talking about one of us, to the rest of us… I say this in love, but you always talk about your opinion on one person of the day, to all of the rest of the group is noticed, and it’s weird. That’s why people get testy. If you will talk TO us about the others, you will talk ABOUT us to the others, even under the guise of venting.
• You will always be the other woman, until you remove yourself from that position. If he will cheat WITH you, he will cheat ON you. It is not his wife’s fault, it is his fault. Regardless of what she is, or is not, he will never leave her for you. If he does, he will leave YOU for the NEXT one.
• You can proclaim, all day long, that you are a modern, empowered, liberated woman. Great. I think that’s just great. Go for that. Be yourself, be unique, and be excellent. But if you proclaim, that… please live up to that. 
• Don’t back down on being a great, empowered lady, if you are just going to cry about being single. 
• Don’t claim to be unique and how you are holding out because you deserve it, if you are making a spectacle of yourself in public by dating any old man that will give you 5 minutes of attention.
• Don’t claim that you are excellent and a Daughter of the King, if you are allowing yourself to be used like public toilet, and then wondering why no one thinks you are marriage material, datable, or even respectable.
• I do not think anyone should ever be disrespected, but hear me clearly… if you see a person in a police uniform, you assume they are a policeman. If you see a person in a fire uniform, you assume they are a fireman. If you see someone in a whore uniform, you just naturally assume they’re a whore. Don’t cry foul because someone thinks you are a skank, if you dress, walk, and talk like a skank.
• If you are dating, shacking up, partnered, married, and your partner is beating you. Leave. I made the horrific and awful mistake of allowing someone to hit me, and then I hit back. And then they hit me, and I’d hit back. I should have turned my back, walked away and never looked in the rearview mirror. What happened was that I was brought to that level, acted in a completely irrational, childish, and retaliatory way and I hit back. Some think that’s fine, I don’t. I wish I hadn’t… but if you get hit. You need to move on. Period. The end.
• If you are married, and your husband is cheating on you. Do you find this acceptable?
• No? Leave.
• Yes? Why? Because your pastor told you to wait? Uh, was it a man? Why? Why would someone tell you to take years of mental abuse? Why would they not counsel the offending party to restoration, instead of the VICTIM to adapt to abuse? I don’t understand that. From a male perspective, a man would NEVER take that advice or adapt to mental and emotional abuse.
• Yes? Well, if you are into that, and he does, and you are allowed to, and it’s open and your business… that’s up to you. I don’t think that’s right, and I don’t want to know, but you do you, honey.
• When you have a guy that loves you and does things for you and is kind to you, and treats you well and is interested in you, and you put him in your friend zone… that’s your fault. 
• When someone, anyone, tells you who they are, you should pay attention to that and listen to what they’ve said.
• Girls that tell you how hard they go, and how they “keep it real,” are “crazy,” or that they will “cut someone”… well, then listen to them. Heed their warning! They are telling you straight up… and when they turn that ON you… you always act surprised. Stop it.
• Guys that tell you they are not interested are not interested. Stop analyzing every single word of every text, email, FB, or conversation. They said it. Clearly. Not interested. Slips ups, drunk kisses, drunk booty calls, using you like a toilet to get their needs met, and then STILL not committing or making any progress with you won’t change if you invite and encourage that behavior. Why would it? People treat you exactly as you let them.
• Guys that tell you they are interested will ACT like they are interested. Don’t fall for words of love, if no actions of love are behind it.
• You will not always get out of something or someone what you put into something or someone. You are promised that, and you are told that… but I honestly think that’s where your disappointment comes from. That’s not true. Guys learn that from sports, games, and the playground. Just because we train someone doesn’t mean they’ll perform under pressure. And if they can’t, we don’t keep letting them so that their feelings are not hurt. Because then the whole team fails. Girls seem to think that if you train someone, and they fail, then you got let down on a personal level. That had NOTHING to do with you personally. It had NOTHING to do with YOUR situation. Some people will NEVER be a good investment, and NEVER give you what you gave. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it, or that you can’t love them with a Godly love, and try to help anyway, but you can’t take it personally.

I realize that some of these are very direct and hard to swallow. I even realize that as a friend, you may think I have no insight. But I do, both as someone that’s been there, and someone that sees from a very unique perspective. I love you. I do. I think the absolute world of you. You are my mother/sister/best friend/ex-girlfriend/ex-best friend/future wife/confident/co-worker. I don’t want you to hurt, and I don’t want you to spend years wasting your time learning a lesson that you could get over in days if you focused the energy and knew that sometimes it’s just not about you, or because of you, or something you could even control.

You are great, just like you are. You are loved, whether you realize it or not, just like you are. You are going to be just fine, even if you can’t see it. And you will THRIVE in the face of some of your obstacles, even if you don’t believe it.

I love you.

Cheers,
#JustBeingMichael ツ