Leap Day!

How are you celebrating Leap Day?

Will you jump to conclusions?

Take a leap of faith?

Turn over a new leap? (Sorry)

You can clear your biggest hurdles.

You can try the decaffeinated version and just take it one step at a time.

Some Leap Day traditions include women proposing marriage to men, playing Leap Frog, or planning for the next leap year (2028).

I looked up a list of Leap Day celebration ideas, but most of them were quite lame. Which seems sadly ironic for a day of leaping. I saw ideas like cook a meal, take some pictures, make a Leap Day T-shirt, prepare for spring. 

Seriously, "prepare for spring"? I need an extra day in February to inspire me to prepare for spring?

Well for me, I happen to be a the beach today, so I went for a walk and found lots of sea biscuits! We have never before found any of those shells at the shore, and today we saw dozens!

Whatever you do today, lame or not, I hope your Leap Day springs forth with joyful irony and fun memories! 

And as I think of it, I don't really remember any Leap Days from years past. Hmmm.

Steel-Man

I have been disappointed with the way some Christian thinkers engage in conversation about important subjects. I have noticed the tone used in dialogue tends to be far too polemical.

Too many Christians will state a point of view on, say, abortion or immigration or education. Then they will construct a straw-man version of the opposing point of view and proceed to dismantle and ridicule that position. 

So here are my concerns and observations.

First, Jesus told us to love our enemies, as well as our neighbors. These diatribes by Christians do not indicate a loving attitude toward anyone, especially anyone who disagrees.

Second, personal attacks and calling others stupid has never been very persuasive. If their goal is to persuade, they should find some commonality with those who disagree.

Third, the attacks on a straw-man don't prove much at all. They may energize those in agreement, but that doesn't really change anyone's mind.

Fourth, straw-man attacks tend to weaken the position they intend to affirm. When I hear a straw-man attack, I realize that the attacker has such a weak understanding of the issue that he/she cannot refute the true position of the opposition. 

Finally, in a straw-man attack I see someone who is actually afraid of dealing with truth. He/she would rather look good to a particular audience than actually convince someone to change his/her position.

Why not actually construct a robust, persuasive argument as the opposition would actually state it? Why not try to understand that position and make a case that sounds intellectually honest? Then you can seek truth with the opposition, raising actual points of disagreement. 

Seems to me that too many people are afraid to construct a steel-man for the sake of honest argument. We are more interested in ridiculing others and putting them down, than we are in actually seeking truth together.

No wonder we are so divided.

Troublesome King

In Matthew 2 we see the story of the Magi coming to visit Jesus. As they looked for the newborn king, they went to the capital, Jerusalem. When Herod the Great heard about this inquiry, he was troubled, Matthew tells us. I guess so. If a new king was born, the current king would certainly expect to know about it.

But Matthew notes that "all Jerusalem" was also troubled. I have always thought that the citizens were worried about King Herod's reaction to the news. But maybe these citizens were worried about the possibility of a new king upsetting the status quo.

In any society there are people who want to keep things as they are. They want to conserve the current systems. If the system works for me, why would I want it to change? Sure there are people who are struggling, but they can thrive too if they will get with the program.

But when this newborn king grew up, he turned things upside down, declaring that the poor in spirit, the mourners, the meek -- these were the blessed people. This message would really challenge the status quo. 

So, yeah, Herod and the powerful people in Jerusalem were right to be troubled.

Prophets and criticism

Israel was supposed to be God's chosen people to show God's goodness to the world. Israel had a few moments of faithfulness, but generally they were about as corrupt as the rest of the world. They oppressed foreigners and their own people. They failed to carry out justice. They set up systems to prop up the elite at the expense of the ordinary people. They worshiped other gods.

The prophets noted all these failures and called the kings to account. They called out the failures of diplomacy, failures of leadership, failures of worship. They criticized the government relentlessly. And this did not improve the popularity of the prophets.

The prophets stood up to the powerful, often at great cost. They were often hated. Their reports in the Bible were actually a minority report. They would have lost all the opinion polls in their day.

Their main job was to criticize and call God's people back to faith. They usually failed. But they did it anyway.

We need some prophets today. Not that we are God's chosen people. But there is so much to criticize in government and society today. Somebody needs to speak the truth.

People who should know better are falling under the spell of loud politicians. Somebody needs to call this out. 

Bring on the prophets.

 

Come to your senses

Our guest speaker at Crossroads this morning, Guy Andrews, led us into the story of the Prodigal Son. The story is so familiar. I've heard so many sermons and Bible studies on this famous parable. But the story keeps yielding more profound truth.

You probably know the story, and you can find it in Luke 15. Jesus tells three stories there, and the last one is about three men. There's a father, an older son, and a younger son. The younger son wants to cash out of the family, so the father allows him to take his inheritance and walk away. This son has a great time partying, until the money runs out. His life gets pitiful. Then he comes to his senses.

He decides to go back home and beg to be let in the house. 

The father sees him coming, and runs out to meet him. The father forgives him and calls for a celebration.

Meanwhile, the older brother has stayed home, slaving away in the family fields. When he hears about his brother's return and the impending party, he can stand it. The father goes to see his older son and tries to explain why they had to celebrate. But older brother will have none of it. It's not fair for him to slave away and not ever have a party. "Everything I have is yours," the father tells him. 

The younger brother brought shame to the family and wasted all his wealth. Then he came to his senses. The father rejoiced because this son finally understood the value of relationship.

The older brother apparently brought respect to the family and never wasted wealth. But he never came to his senses. The father was sad because this son thought that honor, wealth, and obedience were more important than relationship.

Here's the point. The father rejoices when his sons come to their senses. Every day I need to come to my senses because every day I get things mixed up.

Coming to my senses brings me life.

Better than goody-goody

Jesus pronounces as "blessed" those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. (See Matthew 5:6.) When we think of righteousness, we think of good behavior, doing the right thing. It's a personal matter. You make sure that you follow all the rules. You check the boxes.

Those who hunger and thirst for that may seem, well, not much fun. They may come across as goody-goody, or self-righteous, or judgmental. They are so caught up with their rule following that they miss out on the joys of life. Maybe they think it's worth it, after all, they are promised future reward.

But Jesus does not say, "Blessed are the rule followers." 

We get tripped up by the word "righteousness." It's not about following rules and polishing your sterling reputation. It really means "right relationships." 

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for right relationships." That puts a whole different spin on the saying. And notice what Jesus goes on to talk about in Matthew 5--settling disputes, not hating people, not objectifying people, serving those who oppress you. It really is about being in good relationship with other people.

If you hunger and thirst for right relationships, you can make your own world more peaceful, and you can surprise others by not being selfish. This is the kind of attitude that will make your world a better place. When lots of people live like that, you have a movement.

If you choose to live like that, Jesus says you will be filled. That's the kind of world I want to live in.

Checking on the Experiment

The New York Times daily email today noted the trouble with teens and smartphones. They found that the earlier children receive a smartphone, the more likely they are to struggle with mental health. 

A girl receiving her first phone at age 6 has over a 70% chance of experiencing mental health problems. 

We are all part of a grand experiment, a study of what happens to humanity when it has unlimited access to every connection all the time. I blogged about this grand experiment nearly 11 years ago. You can read that post here.  The experiment was just beginning then. The results of the experiment are disturbing.

Back then, we didn't realize how addictive electronic screens could be. Now we see the addiction and the depression, disconnection, bullying, shaming, distraction, insomnia, and loneliness that this technology has facilitated.

We are all lab rats. It's nearly impossible to opt out of the experiment. Those who do opt out look like kooks. But maybe we can at least dial it back. We can realize that our social media apps are actively working to keep us hooked. We can put limits on our screen time. We can turn off our phones.

Maybe you could try one of these ways of disconnecting.

• Turn off your phone at night.
• Make a habit of not looking at your phone first thing in the morning. Wait until after your workout or your first cup of coffee.
• Leave your phone in the car when you go out to eat.
• Turn off your phone for a couple of hours every Sunday afternoon. And take a nap or take a walk.
• Remember that the social media companies want to use you to make money. Limit their access to you.
• Say a prayer whenever scroll through your social media feed. Pray for someone you care about, pray for wisdom, pray for restraint.

We can't stop this experiment, but we can limit our participation. Looks like our mental health depends on it.

Oppenheimer

I just watched the movie. Wow. A great story told powerfully.

There was so much I did not know about the Manhattan Project and the politics behind it. 

We are faced with moral choices every day, but I can't imagine the incongruity of building a weapon like this. You need the weapon to stop evil, before that evil makes that awful weapon itself.

And when the evil is waning, soon to collapse, should you use that weapon? Should you use it a second time?

The world has never been the same since that first explosion in Los Alamos.

We do well consider the evil and destruction of violence, even as a means of stopping violence.

Feeding AI

I have a subscription to Microsoft's Office 365. It's a bummer to pay for it every year, but at least I know that I stay updated.

What I did not realize is that all my documents are available to Microsoft to feed into their Artificial Intelligence machine, "Copilot." More and more I see suggestions about next words or phrases in the things I type. Sometimes the suggestions are helpful, sometimes they are just annoying.

Many AI programs are based on a "large language model." These programs are designed to predict the next word in any word combination. With simply next word prediction, these AI models can build very complex "thoughts" or ideas. 

And people are now using AI for all kinds of tasks. You can get AI to help you organize thoughts, suggest creative solutions, or mimic a specific style. 

These are all things that I have heard AI can do. I have never done more than pull up the website for Chat GPT. I'm still a little skeptical of the whole concept. I like to do my own thinking, thank you. But I do like to save time and effort. 

One day maybe I'll ask some AI for ideas on yardwork, or vacation activities, or ways to fill out a March Madness bracket. I'm not quite there yet.

Tech No

I remember as a teenager watching my parents who were unable to keep up with the latest trends. They were so lame. Now it's my turn. 

I just want to share some of my attitudes and experiences with technology. I got my first computer in 1987, and I was so excited. It was so amazing to write my grad school papers on a word processor. Printing was tricky, but it was so much better than a typewriter.

Now I have apps on my phone for important things like Chic-fil-A. I have thousands of points. I also have some social media apps. I check Facebook about every day. I have never really gotten into Instagram. I have an account, but, well, it just doesn't hook me. 

When I'm scrolling on social media, I feel like I'm holding my breath. This is something that I can only do for so long. It feels like a guilty pleasure without a whole lot of pleasure.

I had a Twitter account, which of course has become X. Here again, I have never been hooked. Usually it feels like a waste of time. I hear podcasters talk about engaging and enraging people on X. I find it easy to shut it down.

Now, I do love me some podcasts. I think this might be the best use of the smart phone ever. Except maybe taking pictures of my grandson.

I Snap Chat with only three people, my wife and two daughters. That can be fun.

I have never downloaded Tiktok. I think it's just something else to figure out, and it seems mostly like teenagers giggling. Plus, I don't trust those Chinese people with my data.

Yeah, I'm out of touch, maybe. But I do love to dig in the dirt. There's no app for that.

Garden plans

I'm working to plan my garden now. I've got a few plants growing now, some lettuce and spinach. I have done some soil prep in the other beds, so I am ready to put some seeds in the ground. You wouldn't think that planning a garden is that complicated, but I find it to be.

You need to consider the obvious things, like the hardiness of the plant. Some seeds can't be sown until after the last frost. But then you need to consider what was in that garden bed previously. You want to rotate crops so that you don't deplete the soil. You also have think about the life cycle of the plant. Some veggies will bolt when the weather gets hot. Others just get going when the weather warms up. This means that some garden beds will be available for new crops in the middle of the season. Need to plan for that too.

Last year I had pumpkins that ripened too early. I picked them in August, not when you want them in October. So I'll be sowing my pumpkin seeds later this year.

Another consideration is wildlife. My garden fence is pretty good at keeping the varmints out. But one year my corn was just ready to pick, when I saw that racoons had climbed in and helped themselves. So now I try to hide the corn patch behind other plants, so the racoons can't see it so well. That strategy has worked for a couple of seasons.

So, I'm learning by trial and error. But I do enjoy the taste of garden fresh veggies!

 

Power and murder

Alexei Navalny died last week in a Siberian prison camp, where he was serving a 30 year sentence. He was an outspoken critic of Russian president Vladimir Putin. 

One must notice how often critics of Putin mysteriously perish. Most recently we note the deaths of Navalny and Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Russian general who challenged Putin on his prosecution of the Ukraine war. The general died in a plane crash.

History is full of political and military leaders who execute voices of dissent. Such murders create enemies, and the brutal leader must stay ahead of the enemy list. 

I know hardly anything about Navalny or Prigozhin. But a child can see the pattern of killing enemies. It looks like might makes right. And they say that history is written by the winners. So Putin can have all the Russian history books tell the story of his bold leadership, fighting NATO and the West, while unifying the people of Russia and expanding their territory.

I have to wonder, if Putin succeeds in unifying Russia through the blood of dissenters, what kind of society will that create? If the leader uses any means to silence every critic, what will happen in Russian business deals? Russian classrooms? Russian families? Russian churches? Compassion, empathy, and love will look like quaint storybook themes.

Putin may retain his power, but it looks like he has long lost his soul.

Confessing Lent

I went to an Ash Wednesday service this week, and the pastor appropriately noted that Lent is a time for fasting, for giving up something. This year I had not really identified anything to give up. I've been through Lent seasons many times without intentionally living any self-denial. I kind of thought this year would be like that.

Then I started blogging about confession. I realized that I'm not good at confessing. I don't especially like it, but then, who does? I see that I can deny myself through growing in the habit of confession.

So, here's my idea. I want to confess something every day during Lent. I plan to confess to someone I trust. And it won't always be a sin that I confess. Most often I expect to confess something about my feelings.

I have never been good about recognizing or expressing my feelings. So this is an exercise in seeing myself more from God's perspective, admitting that my human experience is more than just my thoughts.

I think it might work. I'm not sure how I will feel about it.

Easing into confession

We Protestants are not used to much confessing. Some will recite generic confession prayers in church every Sunday, and that's good. But we don't have a real good context for personal confessing. 

So here are some ideas for easing into a habit of confession. Obviously you need to find someone you really trust. It could be your spouse. It could be a small group of trusted friends. It could be just one friend.

Try offering something personal as a confession, but not begin with your deepest, darkest sin. You can confess things other than sin. You can confess doubt, fear, anxiety, confusion. You can confess that you don't understand something. You can confess your need for wisdom.

The point is that we can begin to open up about things we don't typically talk about. We can be vulnerable and get used to sharing our hearts. As we build trust, we can grow into sharing more deeply from our hearts.

I think we all need this.

Confession and healing

Yesterday began the season of Lent, the 40(ish) day period of fasting leading up to Easter. During that time, Christians are encouraged to give up something as an exercise of self-denial. This self-denial helps one identify with Jesus, who gave up life itself on the cross.

As we deny ourselves, we may more easily discover our own brokenness and sin. Such discovery should lead us to confession.

Confession is something that Protestants and Catholics handle differently. Many Protestant churches lead parishioners through weekly prayers of confession, a corporate way to acknowledge our failures. This is valuable.

But Catholics encourage parishioners to name their sins specifically, individually to a priest in confession. I understand the Protestant objection here. We believe in the priesthood of the believer, that we don't need anyone to stand between us and God. Jesus himself is our priest.

Nevertheless, scripture calls us to confess. "If we confess our sins, he [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). We can dig that. Let's confess our sins to God. He forgives us. We need it.

Notice also what James says about confessing: "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed" (James 5:16). Confession to other believers brings more than forgiveness; it brings healing. 

Protestants don't mind confessing sin to God, but it's really awkward to confess your sin to another person. I might do that occasionally, but not regularly. I think I'm missing out on some healing.

Love and Life

It's Valentine's Day, a day to celebrate love. Why is love worth celebrating?

Jesus gave his disciples a new command: Love one another, even as he loved them.

When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus gave two: Love God, love people.

In his first letter, the Apostle John actually says that God is love (1 John 4:7-8).

Paul talks about how love is more important than lots of other expressions of the faith. In his "love chapter," Paul describes how love behaves. Then he speaks of the highest Christian virtues saying, "Faith, hope, and love--these three remain. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13)

The Old Testament is full of love as well. Psalm 136 says 26 times in 26 verses, "His love endures forever."

So, yeah, love is a big deal. We need to give it and we need to receive it. 

May you receive his love and may it overflow to those around you.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Gonna need some peacemakers

I was brought up short this week by the words of Jesus. In his opening of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), he says, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God." I have preached on this saying, and still I missed something crucial. (I need to go back and look at that sermon and see what in the world I said.) 

So these peacemakers have the good life, Jesus says. What does it take to be a peacemaker? It takes involvement. It takes getting in the middle of the fray. A peacemaker is one who recognizes discord or conflict and works to mediate a resolution. You can't just observe and comment. You have to engage the opposing factions and facilitate understanding and compassion.

Unfortunately, it looks like we will need some serious peacemaking in 2024. Already there are plenty of wars around the world, and the looming possibility for more. But the stage is set for lots of political fighting here in the U.S. this year. 

Progressives and conservatives often consider the other side to be the enemy. Too often they characterize the other people as evil.

Enter the peacemakers (please!). We need Jesus-followers to step in (not barge in) to situations where people are looking for the worst in others, where emotions are high, where hate is boiling over. Such disciples can listen and encourage others to listen. They can recognize the image of God in people on both sides. They can urge compassion across the political divide.

Maybe peacemakers will make a difference this year. It will make the world a better place.

The big game

It was an exciting Super Bowl last night! For me, it was fun to watch because I like both teams. Patrick Mahomes has such a friendly vibe, and his coach Andy Reid is so down to earth. I don't know much about Brock Purdy, but I respect his cool confidence on the field. Kyle Shanahan has done a good job of bringing the 49ers to life.

Seems like just when people really get into the sport, it's all over.

We have to wait for fall to see some more. I can hear the song now, "Are you ready for some football?!"

And maybe we won't have to watch a celebrity react to every play. Not likely.

To fight or not to fight

I want to be a pacifist. I see the damage that violence does in so many contexts--families and nations through history. I see the power of peaceful resistance in India under Gandhi and in the United States under MLK. 

This type of movement really brings redemption, as the oppressed leads the oppressor to a change of heart. Of course this is the way the moral arc of the universe should go. People rise to more noble treatment of fellow humans.

So nonviolence is always the answer. Even if you lose in short run--like being put in jail, or beaten up--your cause will ultimately prevail. Or at least it ought to. You can take solace in knowing that you did the right thing.

It all sounds so right, so high-minded, so moral. 

But. But if someone threatens an innocent person, and I have the opportunity to use appropriate violence to stop it, I think I will. 

So, I guess I'm not really a pacifist. But why does the violence of war have to rule the world? Or does it really rule the world? 

Valentine's Ashes

I have not always paid a lot of attention to the Christian calendar, but I notice that Ash Wednesday falls on Valentine's Day this year. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Christian season of Lent, which culminates with Easter Sunday.

This double meaning of the date brings greater meaning to both occasions. 

When we think about celebrating our loved ones, we can remember that we must truly love in a sacrificial way. Lent is the season of self-denial. We can express our love sacrificially, putting others ahead of ourselves.

When we think about the beginning of the Lenten season, we can focus on the depths of Jesus's love for us. His love was so great that it endured the cross. He absorbed all the evil in the world, and he overcame it through his resurrection. All this he did for us.

Lent is a season of understanding and experiencing sacrifice. Valentine's seems like a good way to begin.

Jesus and touchdowns

With the Super Bowl only a few days away, I have heard a lot about Christian football players. I'm glad that these men acknowledge their faith, and I'm glad that the media allow them to speak up.

But somehow it seems that Christian news outlets are using these stories a little too much. I'm actually trying to put my finger on my objections. 

It's like they are saying, "Hey, famous football stars believe in Jesus. You should too!" And I guess that's not terrible either, but is that all we've got? Men who are not ashamed of their faith who excel at a game...

I feel like there should be much more compelling stories of God's kingdom out there. Maybe miracles of healing, or addictions being broken, or justice restored. We should be making Jesus famous by transformed lives and poverty eliminated and relationships restored and cities revived. 

If we can't show the power of God through supernatural transformation, at least we can cheer for touchdowns and those who make them.

A new kind of repentance

In church world we are always talking about repentance. And typically that means telling people, "Stop doing that sin." You know the usual suspects on the sin list: adultery, lying, drunkenness, gambling, porn, etc. Wouldn't the world be a better place without all those sins? Of course.

But the people calling for repentance usually focus on all the sins they never do. 

Some long time leaders in the Christian faith, however, are engaging in a new kind of repentance. They are changing their minds about the way the faith is practiced. I'm thinking specifically about Hank Hanegraaff. He was on the radio as "The Bible Answer Man." He fielded all kinds of questions on live radio, offering orthodox, Protestant answers.

But a few years ago, Hanegraaff ended his radio program and converted to the Eastern Orthodox Christian faith. Apparently he repented of the Western, Reformed perspectives that informed his theology. Rather than having an "answer" for everything about the Bible, he now embraces the idea that there are actually some things that can't be explained. There is mystery in the Lord and his creation.

Most Protestants believe that there has to be a good answer for everything. If we can't find a good answer, then we are obliged to speculate and fabricate until we find something that mostly works. Logic is regarded as infallible.

I'm about ready to repent of the Western mindset of an-answer-for-everything. Mystery is built into just about every aspect of life and creation. I can wrestle with it and marvel at it. But I don't have to solve it.

Living in this tension stretches me, and I hope it makes me more like Jesus.

No compassion for the border

The United States has needed new immigration laws for decades. Congress came very close to passing new laws this week. And then they choked.

This is a classic example of partisan politics taking priority over the good of the country. In news reports I have seen thousands of people crossing the Rio Grande. They face razor wire and red tape. The current rules are not working for them. 

Then there are border cities flooded with needy families. These cities can't adequately house or feed these folks. The current rules are not working for these American cities either.

Meanwhile Congress plays politics with the lives of suffering people. Shame on them. Shame on us for keeping them in power.

Absolute Power

Our country was designed to avoid consolidation of power. That's why we have three branches of government. 

If we were to allow any branch to act with no accountability, we would soon live under tyranny. Every politician should be held accountable, even criminally as appropriate.

Our leaders need to stand up for the rule of law, especially with those in positions of power. It takes courage to stand for truth, especially in the face of peer pressure.

Our country depends on it.

Escalation

We are at war with Houthis who are financed by Iran. They attacked a US base in Jordan and killed three American soldiers. We responded by attacking 87 targets in Iraq and Syria. Then they attacked again. We are vowing to retaliate again.

Where does this end?

The United States has interfered in so many other countries for so long that we have made millions of enemies. Just look at the anti-US demonstrations in various countries around the world.

Nations keep trying to solve issues with brute force. Military action has seemed to win the day a lot. But so often the conclusion of a war just sets up history for the next war.

Right now it looks like another world war could break out. 

There has to be a better way.

Egg count

I recently complained that my chickens were lazy, not laying enough eggs. I have about a dozen hens who could lay. Some are older than others, and less likely to lay, but seven of the ladies are less than a year old. Seems like they could step up.

I thought I owed them this word of encouragement.

I have now collected four eggs every day for the last four days. Yay! The days are getting longer, and the extra daylight is supposed to help them lay. 

I do try to treat my chickens well. I see them every day and make sure they have all the food, water, treats, and space they need. They are all free range with a moveable fence to keep them safe from predators. I want them to enjoy life.

And I also want them to contribute to my breakfast.

Maybe they will start reading my blog, too.

Dreams

We all need to have dreams. I have a plaque in my cabin that says, "If your dreams don't scare you, they are not big enough!"

Some people are all dream and no action. But some dreamers seem to inspire everybody they encounter. 

We like to imagine good things in the future, things that we can pursue, things that we can work toward. Dreams can move us ahead and give us hope. Some dreams are never realized, but still have value. Norman Vincent Peale famously said, "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you will land among the stars." 

Here are some suggestions for realizing your dreams.

Turn your imagination loose on your dream. Take your idea to the extremes, just to see what you come up with. Your far-fetched ideas can lead you to something else that can really work. 

Identify your hurdles and obstacles. Figure out who or what can help you work around them.

Find somebody to dream with you. This might be the hardest thing to do. When you put your dream into words and share it with a trusted friend, it seems more real. And you might find someone who can cheer you on.

Let your dream unfold. When some pieces begin to fall into place, and some don't, you can retool the dream to fit reality.

I'm not an expert at fulfilling dreams, but I like to think big. Dreaming and imagining are key elements of creativity. When we create, we are reflecting the image of God. And that's what we are made for.

Say it now

Tonight a friend shared a dream she had about a mutual acquaintance. He is now deceased. In her dream she saw him before his death and wanted to tell him how to address his health concerns. Then he would not die prematurely. But, alas, she restrained herself, not wanting to mess with the space/time continuum. So she just gave him a big hug.

Indeed love is the universal language. A hug says more than we can possibly communicate with words. 

But words are important, too. There are probably many important things I need to say to various people. I don't want to miss the right time to say the right things. I need to tune in to the Holy Spirit, and trust his leadership in speaking my heart. 

I can communicate love with words and hugs. Mostly, I want to share my heart with those who are close to me.

A time to hack and cut

I hate kudzu. You know how it takes over. You see it swallowing trees all along the highway. It has been swallowing trees on my farm for decades. I've been working for years to get rid of it, and I attacked a section of it this week. With a weed eater, a knife, clippers, and a chainsaw I tore into the jungle. It revealed beauty that I never realized was there. It's going to look like a park in the spring.

I had obviously known it was there, but I had never really gone after it. If I had known how good it would look, I would have done this years ago.

And so it is with life. Many things in life need my attention. I barely notice them. But when I finally put forth the effort to make a change, I'm amazed at the results. I'm ready to hack away at more kudzu, and I'm noticing where I can uncover the hidden beauty. 

This is the season for removing kudzu. It's dormant, its roots and vines are easier to find and cut. When the time is right, I need to go for it.

I need to notice when the time is right for dealing with life's issues: financial, relational, organizational, and spiritual. Who knows what beauty I can uncover?