Christmas: It really doesn't matter!

A young lady this morning had the unmitigated gall to wish me "Happy Holidays!" I was highly offended. I had stopped in to buy gas and a pack of...gum, on my way to work. Because it was really early, there is a very good chance that she had worked all night long. She was also in her early 20's, so she may have had a little son or daughter sleeping in a toddler bed somewhere. Maybe she can barely make ends meet, but she shows up to work every day anyways. But honestly, any of those possibilities are irrelevant when you consider the fact that she said "Holiday" instead of "Christmas." How dare she remove the reason for the season? I mean, sure, December 25th was the date of Saturnalia, a pagan feast day to worship the god Saturn. But that doesn't matter, we took it, it's ours now! Since the decree of a Roman emperor that December 25th would henceforth and forever be the birthday of Jesus, no one is ever allowed to celebrate anything else, or greet anyone with anything other than a very self righteous "Merry Christmas." This is 'Merica. In 'Merica, we celebrate Christmas! This young lady in the gas station was also wearing a Santa hat! Can you believe it? A Santa hat. How dare she wear a hat that reminds me of a mythical fat man who brings kids presents on Christmas Eve, and has a reindeer with nose acne? Or, maybe Christmas doesn't matter to God at all. Did you know that the early believers never celebrated the birth of Jesus? They celebrated the Resurrection...but they did it every Sunday. Our special holidays started showing up Centuries later, as the result of the rule of a few Roman emperors, who made Christianity the state religion for political purposes. For instance, have you ever wondered where the name "Easter" comes from? It's actually named after an ancient goddess if fertility named "Ishtar." Fertility...hence the rabbits and eggs. So basically we stole both Christmas and Easter, and changed their meaning. Good news is, we made them up, so our opinions have no bearing on what God finds important. I love Christmas. I love the tree smell in my house. I love the lights, candles, eggnog, and the cold weather. I love spending time with my family, and buying presents for my girls. I love going to my moms' house and eating way too much. The thing is, Jesus doesn't need Christmas. His sacrifice demands our love, sacrifice, and devotion every single day. He's earned it. He doesn't need us renaming pagan holidays and giving them to Him. He owns the world. He doesn't need theologically awful Christmas carols, He gets worship from His people every day. He doesn't need a star on top of our Christmas trees (which is really weird, considering that bringing in a tree was also part of the worship of the "Sun god...Saturn") Here's my challenge. Instead of trying desperately to defend Jesus' Birthday, what if we acted like Him? For instance, when someone says "Happy Holidays", just say it back. What if we just showed them compassion and love, instead of demanding that they follow our customs? Stop putting "Keep Christ in Christmas" on your profile, it makes the rest of us look ignorant. Can't it just be an awesome excuse to hang out with our loved ones? Sure, I'm gonna thank God for anther day to chill with my family, but I'm not going to pretend it's His birthday (Jesus was most likely born in September). Just breathe and have a fantastic Christmas Season. I'm going to have a blast.

On Promoting Discussion To Provide A Solution

I want to share my response to a Facebook conversation today because considering the conversation brought up some conviction in my own mind about what my approach should be to my writing in the future.

Josh and I get a lot of flak for being "Controversial" in a lot of our speaking and writing. Um, that's not going to change. What I hope folks understand is that the point is not to make waves or cause division, it is to encourage folks to think for themselves and study to find the truth, rather than just sucking down "what they've always heard."

The most legitimate argument a non-believer can have toward us as believers is that most of us choose to believe a lot of "facts of our faith" based on tradition instead of truth.

If we agree that our faith is founded on the person of Jesus Christ, we have to pursue an accurate interpretation of what He actually says. Before we can do that, we have to actually know what He says. That is an area of conviction for me. After 25 years of faith, how faithfully do I truly pursue the truth and how faithfully do I attempt to interpret accurately. And then, how faithfully do I share that truth with others.

We are not responsible to change hearts or minds with the truth. Jesus does that. But we have to know it in order to tell it, so that it can be used to burden or soften hardened hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Anyway, here's my part of the conversation. It's not very detailed but I think you'll be able to follow it and maybe find some part of it compelling.



I shouldn't involve myself in this conversation, but I want to make a couple of points that need mentioning. 

In response to the "Two universities so I'm a debater" comment- it really doesn't matter. James is arguing the complexities of argument (or debate) rather than discussing the supposed facts or the arguments themselves. That is why "academics" and "debaters" historically don't do much. They're too busy arguing about someone else's belief system to put theirs into practice. 

To the point about the decline of belief in God or as Keith put it, the need for a god comfort, I would bring up the old saying, "There are no atheists in foxholes." Our pride tends to push us more and more towards a humanistic worldview, until something comes up that we cannot handle on our own. 

I understand this could then be argued from either side. Either we disprove the existence of God by claiming that we create Him in our own minds to help us cope, or we can use it as support for proof of God's existence- the proverbial "God-shaped-hole" in every human psyche suggesting that we wouldn't need or desire to create Him did He not already exist. 

I would also point out to James, that 50 years of experience has always been a better teacher, and therefore a better supportive argument, than, "I went to college." 

Again, most of what we learn in college is taught from someone's worldview, and is therefore skewed in some way by their interpretation of the facts rather than a revelation of the facts themselves. I think any educated person would agree that first-hand experience has historically been more authoritative and less tainted by "interpretation" than second or third-hand information. So "I went to college" is never an authoritative argument on any subject. 

I don't accept any man's opinion as the "truth" on any philosophical or theological topic, regardless of the letters behind or in front of their name, if I cannot use factual and experiential evidence to support it. 

 Does that make my opinion authoritative? 

Absolutely not. 

It simply means that the developed human mind must come to its own conclusions by comparing the evidence of experience with what it "knows" to be true. This evidence has brought us to differing conclusions. 

That does not add or take away any weight from the number of degrees or certificates I may choose to hang on my "I love me" wall. 

My experience in the military and the experiences of my friends who are still serving, my friends who have lost children or spouses, the circumstances of my own life, all carry more weight for me than what some humanist professor told me while hiding behind his podium or his blog, while never confronting the issues that confront people in real life. 

I believe that both "believing experts" and "non-believing experts" fail their students and followers by speaking from the "debate" perspective, while avoiding real social, psychological, philosophical, emotional, economic, spiritual, and sociological issues altogether. We would rather "discuss" the issues than provide a solution. Because debate or discussion allows me to feel arrogant or comfortable in my own opinion, while providing a solution usually requires me to step out of my comfort zone in selflessness and humility.

As Forest Gump would say, "That's all I have to say about that." ...for now.

Hey WBC...Jesus Loves Paul Walker

For those who have been wondering...Westboro Baptist Church does not represent Christ or Christianity.

If there is anything that is sad, it's that they are probably the loudest organization using the name of Jesus in our country, the majority of the time.

They do not represent the person of Jesus Christ. They do not represent the character of God as it is laid out in scripture.

They represent fear. They represent hatred. They represent pride. They represent selfishness. They represent self-seeking, self-serving initiatives. They represent a lust for fame. They represent a desire to instill fear and confusion about the character of God and the character of His children.

As far as their attack on a deceased Paul Walker...

What's the point?

Ever noticed how they only go after the famous or the deceased?

Everything that I've seen come out of WBC have been declarations of God's judgement. There's not even any really specific reason for judgement. Simply a declaration of judgement.

I did not have the privilege of knowing Mr. Walker. I  think I watched most of his movies. I thought he was an entertaining actor. I did not follow him closely as far as his personal life was concerned, so I do not have an opinion of his moral fiber, his character, or the validity of his apparent claims of being a Christian.

I do have an opinion of the leadership of Westboro Baptist Church and the validity of their claims as followers of Jesus Christ.

I do not believe that they know Jesus.

I believe that they are used by the enemy as a distraction and as a tool to bring down the name of Jesus and the character of His Church.

I will not carry a picket sign, declaring where or how they will spend eternity. They will stand before the ultimate Judge and give an account. Whether that account be cut short by, "Depart from me, I never knew you," or whether it simply be in regards to their inability to accurately interpret scripture or their lack of desire to represent Jesus accurately, I cannot be sure.

This I do know.

God is not an evil Santa with a baseball bat. He is holy, and He is also loving. He is unchanging, and He is compassionate. He desires to have a relationship with people through the person of Jesus Christ. He commands us to convey His desire by loving others and revealing His love to them. Our love and compassion for them then being our part of the process that causes them to accept that relationship through faith, surrender, repentance.

Hatred and condemnation are never revealed to us in scripture as part of the ministry of the church.

Satan is the accuser. Jesus is not.

And maybe that's what it boils down to.

Our pride causes us to prefer accusation to encouragement, bitterness to kindness, hatred to love.

These are characteristics of the great eternal loser. The enemy of The Almighty. The prince of darkness.

Accusing "church people" are not shining a light into the darkness. They are promoting that darkness.

You Might Be An American Man If...

Usually this blog is pretty serious. But sometimes you have to share your less serious thoughts as well.

Here are a few reasons one might deduct that you are an American man.

1. Your favorite TV stars are named Stephen A. and Skip

2. You don't eat dessert, you drink dessert

3. V8 is an engine configuration, not an ingredient in said drink

4. Bacon has at least eight times the "delicacy" rating of caviar

5. A conversation with a wife or girlfriend should be structured in one of two ways

• Subject
• Body
• Conclusion

OR:

• Problem
• Bad Word
• Solution

6. A movie should be structured in one of three ways

• Fast 
• Loud
• Win

OR:

• Fight
• Lose
• Fight More
• Win

OR:

• Nice Girl
• Bad Guy
• Bad Guy Dies
• Win

7. Music should have a purpose. Either:

• Help Work Out
• Help Relax

Remind Of The "Good Old Days" (Nostalgia)

• Encourage Intimacy With Wife
• Prevent Road Rage
• Encourage Road Rage

OK, that's enough for the moment. If you don't see yourself in at least two of these points, chances are you arrived here on a boat...recently. Or you are a member of the more excellent sex.

Your Favorite False Doctrine

I remember when I was in high school, walking around a college campus with my brother and a few of our friends. We would walk four or five wide, like we were headed to the OK Corral. We were invincible. Every college girl noticed us (whether they realized it or not), and we could go wherever we wanted, whenever we wanted, no matter what.

We would stir up a little trouble, just to see if the rule enforcers would challenge us. They usually didn't. If somebody did confront one of us, the others were always around to shut that somebody down.

I had a similar experience in the Air Force. A small band of brothers who were extremely hard on each other, but would defend one another to the hilt against any outsiders.

This was unity. A group of people who worked together to accomplish a purpose. Who held each other to a high standard. Who protected each other from the divisiveness of potential threats.

Within the church, the devil has nurtured a seed of disunity among believers. Some call it "denominational loyalty." Some call it, "closeness in my local church," and some even elevate it to the point of calling it, "the doctrine of separation."

This is a short blog post. I won't go into the arrogance it must require to create an idea and call it "doctrine" when it isn't even eluded to in scripture. I won't go into any of the many ways people have been hurt, driven away from the church, and have even rejected Jesus because of these separatists.

I'll just briefly talk about one of the logical purposes of the unity we are commanded to. Oh yeah, while we're not directed in scripture do be separated from other believers, we are actually commanded to work together in unity. Where did we miss that one? Check it out.

I can't list them all here, but read Paul's plea to believers for loving unity in Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians.

But let's keep moving.

This unity idea even makes sense to non-Christ-followers. Major corporations put all kinds of systems in place to keep their employees informed on the big picture, their common goals. The US military straight-up changes your entire personality to make you more like your co-workers. Everyone is constantly reminded of what their responsibility is and their value in the ultimate scheme of things.

This is because these organizations know that to get anywhere everyone must pull together. They weed out individuals who would rather pull for themselves.

But not the Church.

We talk about what "circle" of believers we're most comfortable in. We raise our children to believe that Christ-followers who think about something a little differently are lesser Christians or their parents just aren't as mature as we are.

Everywhere we go we create division amongst ourselves by raising flags Jesus never raised. We fight over music, cigarettes, alcohol, clothes, tattoos, building styles, church sizes, teaching styles, children's ministry structures, education preferences...the list just goes on and on and on...

How is it that we think we can be effective this way? We know a house divided against itself cannot stand. Yet, we are constantly seeking ways to be divided.

And we've been doing it for hundreds of years!

 Why do we so enjoy disagreeing?

Because we are each so in love with ourselves!

Oh, and we forget where we're going!

We are satisfied treading water in our perceived "spiritual maturity" and choose to ignore the fact that we are bearing so little fruit.

Guess what? Jesus doesn't love division! He doesn't receive any glory from our bickering amongst ourselves.

I'm no genius. I don't have any answers.

I know that what I have to do is constantly be reminded of my purpose. That is to show the love of Jesus to the world around me, and love my fellow Christ-follower as well. This is how Jesus said we would impact the world. This is how we get their attention and create opportunities to share the gospel.

I understand that I must pursue obedience and holiness, but these are groomed in an attitude of love because my love is what motivates me to Christlikeness.

Divisiveness is never borne out of love and humility. It is always borne out of selfishness and pride.

This doesn't mean I shouldn't stand against sin. It means that if I'm going to stand against anything and call it sin, it had better be something Jesus stood against and that He called sin.

That's my rant for now.

What's With The Funky Name?

So I've changed the title of this blog. I think it better represents my purpose for the blog. But what does that mean?

During a fairly spirited debate the other night, my brother Josh and I were reminded of a very disturbing truth the other night. The devil likes to take good things and give them a little twist in order to render them ineffective for spreading the Gospel.

This has become especially true in the case of the modern church. As my cousin Andrew pointed out during this discussion, somehow we've designed our churches to be castles with motes around them. We get all of the people who look alike together and then raise the drawbridge, leaving the desperate and dying world outside. Like Jesus wanted us to keep Him all to ourselves!

How much more arrogant and sinful can we be? Is not the root of our sin founded in our own selfishness and pride? How can we think that this behavior is godly or Christlike?

I can't even remember to count how many times I've heard a professing Christ-follower excuse his or her lack of compassion or desire to serve with an arrogant, "I just don't feel comfortable around these people," or, "I just don't have anything in common with these people," or, "I don't want my kids around these people."

God forbid your children learn to be more concerned with the well-being of others!

You want to make the excuse that you just aren't feeling a sense of community when you are surrounded by hurting sinners? I would suggest that the community you seek only comes through service to others. You may be surprised how much you have in common with the people you are called to minister to.

Of course I am not suggesting that I have this all figured out. I am just as selfish and proud as anybody else. But I am learning that life is not about me. I am praying for strength to be less self-centered.

What I can't understand is how the majority of Christians continue to justify their selfishness as piety, and try to attach Jesus' name to their sin. They make up "principles" that are designed to protect them from people they aren't comfortable with.

I think of some folks who made a great show of starting a ministry to addicts. However, after a few weeks they realized that people who struggle with addiction are often very poor, look pretty rough, and have rough friends. Quickly, this group of "believers" made an announcement that the homeless addicts were no longer invited. This ministry was designed only for the "white collar addict."

Because the homeless addicts had no way to contribute monetarily and were the "scary" kind, they were no longer worthy of being served.

What?!

News flash folks. Read the gospels. Jesus never concerned Himself with whom He was associated. He didn't spend three years sitting in a castle ministering to the pharisees. He went to where the people were who were hurting. He gave them His truth, His love, His healing power.

The Gospel is hard. The gate is wide but the way is narrow.

It's hard because it's more than just saying a few words. It involves hard things like repentance and surrender. It involves redemption and newness of life. And those are the things that the broken sinner needs to experience a heart transformation and a life change.

Why would we want to make it harder than it already is? Why would we demand things of people that Jesus didn't demand of them? Things about their appearance or their past?

My challenge to myself and my friends is this. Open the door! Let down the drawbridge! Spend less time sitting in a circle ho-humming about "doctrines" that are irrelevant and man-made (like the ones that have a man's name attached to them).

Let's get back to truly being all about Jesus! What did He say? How did He say it? To whom did He say it?

Jesus threw open the door. He knew it was hard to walk through, and He didn't pull any punches. But He didn't qualify it in regards to lifestyles, careers, pasts, marriages (the woman at the well), income, race, etc.

This is the point of the new name. It's a big door. Jesus is the way. He doesn't need you to preface His truth with your comfort or convenience.

And He has a big roar! Jesus is the most famous person in history thanks to the power of His Gospel and how it impacts the world, everywhere it is spoken.

So let's try to speak it His way, by His grace, and by the power of His Spirit in us.

Hope For The Hurting

Psalm 25:3 No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame, but shame will come on those who are treacherous without cause.

Sometimes it is difficult to provide comfort to a friend who is hurting, or to find comfort for myself when I find myself in dark times. It's easy to say, "Oh, God will help you," without providing any specifics or direction of any kind. 

But I would not be one who makes some generalized statement and then goes on about my day feeling good about doing my deed for the day. I would rather provide some source of true strength and some words that really mean something to a friend who needs strength or comfort. 

In Psalm 25, David begins by asking God for help and protection. But I would encourage you to read the entire Psalm. In verse 3 he does point out the encouragement that those who hope in the Lord will not be put to shame, and then continues throughout the Psalm, really painting a picture of what hoping in the Lord looks like.

He asks for mercy and forgiveness. He worships the Lord for His great love and faithfulness. He recognizes the blessings bestowed on one who fears and hopes in the Lord.

My purpose is not to write an exhaustive teaching on the psalm itself, but rather to say briefly what I've noticed in my own life.

I think I have struggled with depression at times in my life. I have never sought "professional" help and have never been diagnosed. But there have been times when I would barely eat, felt fatigued and lazy all the time, thought badly of myself, thought about ways to "get away" from the situation, for months at a time.

I usually managed to disguise these thoughts and feelings pretty well. I was usually in a situation where others were relying on me to be strong, and I was able to appear so for their benefit.

However, what I have come to realize is that any strength I do have is not my own. Those times when I feel weak or discouraged or even depressed it is usually because I have become unplugged from the source. When I am relying on my own strength, my own intellect, or other people, I grow weaker and weaker by the day. When I am actively seeking God's face, and leaning on Him to provide what is needed, I have an ever-expanding sense of peace and stability that carries me, regardless of the circumstances that surround me.

This is true, whether I see the source of my depression as a financial problem, a relationship problem, a work problem. My spiritual and emotional state of depression means the enemy is winning a battle, and is succeeding in distracting me from being productive or effective for the ministry of the gospel, providing for my family in every way, and pursuing a strong and ever-growing understanding and closeness in my relationship with The Most High God.

So, let that be your comfort. The Creator of the universe wants to have a personal relationship with you. He wants to provide you with the strength to face adversity, the peace that comes with obedience to Him, and the love that flows out of a person who is living in close fellowship with Himself.

It is easy to fall on some distraction to take our mind off our troubles. 
It is easy to use some substance to forget for a little while. 
But those are temporary solutions that address the symptoms. 

It is harder to humble yourself and go to the One who holds the cure. But it is so worth it.

Thankful For What?

Most of the Thanksgiving celebrations of my past have been similar to one another. Get together, play football, watch football, eat, talk about what we're thankful for, etc. Yesterday was a little bit different.

Now that several of my younger siblings have reached or are nearing adulthood, thanksgiving, and all other holidays, have to be flexible to a lot of different factors. Things like more extended families, friends, significant others, grandparents, all need to be catered to.

In the process, some of our priorities have to change. I have to miss almost all of the football, my mom has to wait for everyone to arrive on differing schedules, my brothers have in-laws and extended family with their own schedules and priorities as well.

Then, finally, we're all together in one room. Three young children are running and jumping across the furniture. And this can't be done without screams of delight. The older kids are starving from anticipation of the feast they've been waiting all day to consume. The teenagers are cracking stupid jokes to alleviate the possible tensions that could arise from the fact that all of the adults are already exhausted. The marathon that is a holiday in a large and growing family is beginning to take its toll.

We are united for a brief prayer of thanks, which in a family so large, some don't even know is happening. The toddlers pray out loud in the background, trying to repeat every word that comes from their grandfather's mouth. His voice is not loud, so sometimes you have to strain a little to hear his prayer over the boisterous voices of the children. Is not even this sacred? But it is. And perfect.

Of course there are those who would prefer more structure, more formality in the process. But their thoughts must be ignored as tradition is sacrificed on the alter of pure joy and togetherness. Nobody has to pause the festivities to go around the table and express, "Something I'm thankful for." It's all here, being poured out in love and laughter and silly songs from a four-year-old in the background.

As I look around I am reminded that there is no secret formula to the perfect family dinner. There is no way to keep two-year-old cousins at the table, not playing and squealing, for more than about three minutes. There's no way to properly exclude friends or significant others as if you are protecting some sacred family rite, that requires marriage to penetrate its secret happenings.

The doors must be open, the lights must be on, and the fun must be unhindered. Are we ruining tradition by being flexible? Are we failing to make memories by not all sitting down or getting up at the same times? Are we missing something magical by not scheduling a series of events that revolves around making one person feel special?

I have so much to be thankful for. This year just as every year before.

But I realized again last night how thankful I am to have parents who realize that life, tradition, family, faith...it's all about people. We are called to love and serve one another. Our faith is best demonstrated in love for each other.

My mother's holiday dinner isn't designed to be a traditional "Matriarch-centered" event. It is loosely structured to meet the needs and desires of her family and their friends, and she derives her joy from being able to meet those needs.

My father's holiday traditions are not to be seen or heard in a loud pious voice, establishing his dominance or superior maturity or ownership of the situation. It is to quietly meet the needs of his children and grandchildren and he derives joy from seeing them happy and blessed.

This picture is a description of two separate Thanksgiving dinners. One with my family, and one with my wife's. While the personalities vary slightly, the heart is the same.

I was overwhelmed last night with the realization of how truly blessed I am. No matter how difficult life becomes, no matter how foreboding tomorrow may be, I am surrounded by people who will help me, who will pick me up when I fall, and who will not let me fail.

My dream as I sit here this morning is this. There are many who did not have this experience yesterday. Many children in broken families, many families without a meal. I want to find a way to take some of those people in, and make them a part of a family like mine. Maybe the Lord will show me how to do that one day soon.

If I Could Change One Thing

I was reminded this morning of how selfish I am. This happens fairly often, really. I become so caught up in what I can do to make myself successful, or meet some need or want for myself or my family, that the world around me becomes a crazy blur.

There is so much that I take for granted, so much that I am unhappy or discontented with. And yet there are so many around me whose struggles and sufferings put my inconveniences to shame.

I started this blog because I realized one thing specifically. I have committed to write every day in order to build a successful business. I used to write all the time, and now I'm kind of moving back in that direction. But if I can write for several hours a day for my business, even if my business is designed to help people, I should be able to write something just to encourage someone for 30 minutes a day.

This does not mean that I fancy myself some kind of guru or spiritual expert. But maybe something I'm learning can help someone else in the process. That's the reason for the name of this blog. I am not an expert. Honestly, anyone who thinks he is an expert on spiritual matters probably views himself too highly. God is too big. But there are simple things that we should know and operate in that are helpful.

So, as I learn them or am reminded of them, I'd like the privilege of sharing them with you.

Here are today's thoughts:

If I could change one thing-

If I could change one thing,

I would have said that prayer.

But I forgot to think of that friend,

When I professed to care.

If I could change one thing,

I would have made that call,

But yesterday was about me,

That's why I dropped the ball.

If I could change one thing,

I would have found some cash,

But I was busy looking down my nose,

And trying to save my stash.

"He'd probably drink it anyway,"

So I justified my thinking,

But what business was it of mine,

If he spent it eating or drinking.

Was I afraid some other prick

Would see me lend a hand?

God forbid I step outside 

My comfort to feed a man.

Or was I just uncomfortable

To see someone in need

"If I don't look right at him,

He won't see my heart of greed."

The problem was it was his need

Not mine that it would fill

And I've got eyes for only one

That's me again, and still.

And what about that friend

That I just don't have time to call

"What can I do, just listen?"

So I find a way to stall.

But maybe that was just the thing

He needed all along.

Someone who could hear him cry,

Pick him up, or just stay strong.

If I could change one thing,

It wouldn't be my looks or skill.

It would be my heart for others

To see their needs, their wants, their will.

I can look at me and Jesus,

And think I'm doing pretty swell

But He said, "What you do for THEM,

You do for me as well."

If I could change one thing,

It wouldn't be about what I say,

It would be to look at others first

And prove it, here, today.

-Joey

Check out Matthew 25:31-46.

It's so easy to live day-to-day, thinking about ourselves. What do I need to get accomplished, how do I feel, who hurt my feelings, how was my day at work? It becomes extremely difficult to even remember that other people exist.

But when we do see the people around us and the lives we represent, we still think of them in terms of how they relate to us. Typically that means judging them based on their appearance, their accent, their situation, or something they say around us or to us directly. We are primed to pass judgement based upon how their existence affects the world we live in, with ourselves being the center of that universe.

Therefore we make decisions about people based on how they make us feel, who they remind us of, etc. By the time we're done judging what benefit they are to us, we have missed any opportunity to be of some benefit to them! 

I realized yesterday while looking at a homeless man that I was just as human as he was. I realized that everyone I know is capable of being homeless. We're all subject to making a bad decision or simply being a victim of someone else's bad decision. 

It wasn't my responsibility to assess the cause or validity of his situation. It was my responsibility to show the love of Jesus with the information I had, in the situation as it presented itself. This guy was standing on the corner looking forward to a 30 degree night on the street. I was not. 

There was not a lot I could do, and I did not do enough. This is where my responsibility for my own needs and my own success comes in. I should be pursuing success, wealth even, so that in situations like that, I can do a whole lot more. Not so that I can ride around in big cars, dress the way I want to, play golf every day, or build the Windsor Castle (check it out, it's amazing lol). So that when I am presented with a need, I can meet it.

But this cannot wait until I'm wealthy. I must be faithful in the small opportunities as they present themselves every day, if I expect to be entrusted with something greater.

Anyway, I know I've rambled along for a while. Take it for what it's worth. I don't know much. I just know what I'm being presented with today, so I thought I'd share.