DON’T BET AGAINST THE INDIVIDUAL

Don’t bet against the future of the individual; for Christ said the kingdom of God is within each of us.

SOMETHING POSITIVE

What is the source of my identity? What unifies me with my fellow man? Can there be contrast without conflict? What do we have in common?

Do I believe or do I not?

To chose to believe won’t make my life easier. God does things in unconventional ways; He’ll ask me to do difficult things.

Christianity is hard.

FRIENDSHIP

U. S. Senator Lindsey Graham’s tribute to Senator John McCain.

DON’T TRUST MY MEMORY

I’m a storyteller and being accurate is important.

YESTERDAY

John Charles Dollman

Photo credit: Brighton and Hove Museums and Art Galleries

The desire for wealth tempted me to sin. With wealth, I could buy what I wanted and there was quite a bit I wanted.

That was yesterday.

I don’t know when or how, the hour or the date. But what I wanted yesterday, I no longer care about today.

 

CHRISTIANITY IS FOR LOSERS

Faith in Christ may not offer much to those who are convinced they have already found happiness. Those who have achieved purpose and satisfaction through accumulation. Those who count their winnings without doubt or concern.

Christianity is for those who have sorrows and regrets. Christ’s Love is for those of us who would otherwise be losers.

Christ’s Love is for sinners; sinners like me.

SPEAKING THE LANGUAGE OF GOD

Agapan Love is God’s Love for humankind.

Agape is not the love of personal attachment, attraction, or desire. Agape is divine, unselfish and kind; it is truth and justice. It is concern for the good of others.

Agape is the language of God.

To learn Agape you must know your heart. It is spoken from the heart.

Not everyone will learn it. Many have no desire to hear or speak it.

I don’t wish for my heart to be both deaf and dumb.

To communicate with God I have to speak His language.

 

NEIGHBORS

“Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Justice, honesty, and respect don’t come naturally; they have to be learned.

Fred Rogers was a Presbyterian minister. He didn’t preach religion.

Mr. Rogers taught young children to Love their neighbors. He taught respect. It wasn’t an act. He didn’t speak down to a child. He gave honest answers to difficult questions; he spoke the truth.

“Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” – Mark 10:15

NOURISHMENT

My body can’t survive for very long without nourishment; it needs food and water. Next, to breathing, eating is the most fundamental thing I do. When I was primitive searching for and preparing food occupied most of my day. It’s what I would post to my wall back then.

Agriculture has provided me with more free time. More time to think if I so wish. Still, fundamentally, survival is about all being physical amounts to.

However, there is a connection to another dimension. One I can not see; yet, I know is there. I know I’m more than physical, I’m also a spiritual being and my spirit requires nourishment as well.

My spirit feeds on Love; without Love, it would die.

EVERYTHING IS A TARGET

Solomon Islands, May 24, 1944

At 1,000 yards my .50-calibers are deadly. I know just where they strike. I cannot miss.

Now he is out of the water, but he does not run. The beach is wide. He cannot make the cover of trees. He is centered in my sight. My finger tightens on the trigger. A touch and he will crumple on the coral sand.

But he disdains to run. He strides across the beach. Each step carries dignity and courage in its timing. He is not an ordinary man. The shot is too easy. His bearing, his stride, his dignity — there is something in them that has formed a bond between us. His life is worth more than the pressure of a trigger. I do not want to see him crumple on the beach.

World War II Journal of Charles A. Lindbergh