Be Thou my vision, O lord of my heart;

Nought be all else to me, save that Thou art;

Thou my best thought, in the day and the night,

Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

In a quiet house, worship music playing softly in my alone place, I began thinking about the things that took Him to the cross. Those things in all of us that caused the separation- the shut door.

Yet, because of His sacrifice, the doors were thrown open wide by the hands of grace.

Because He loved us so very much, because He so wanted that close-knit, that under-His-wing relationship once again. . .

Even now, nothing is over the top for Him. The extents He will go to in order to draw in a lost child, a wandering soul, is staggering. I’ve seen it with my own eyes time and again, and still must rub them in disbelief.

He hasn’t changed one bit.

I wish my words could express what my heart burst to say. But alas. . .  they’re not enough. Not nearly enough.

Thank You! Thank You!!

May my life constantly reflect the grace you’ve shown me on the cross.

Amen!

This Saturday, November 15^th, a Rally is scheduled to take place in front of the Dallas City Hall. The gathering is a grass root effort that will also take place in many major cities across all 50 states at the same time. The topic of protest? California’s Proposition 8.

A similar proposition passed in Florida as well, along with a major ban on single parent foster care in Arkansas. Most might say the people have had their say, justice has been served and victory against evil’s influence in this country quenched. But there’s more at stake here and I wonder if my Jesus brothers and sisters have really thought this through or merely jumped on the moral majority band wagon.

I’m wondering how many of my Jesus brother and sisters would feel to find out the marriage vows they’d taken with their partner whom they deeply love suddenly became null and void based on the majority rule? How would they explain this change in the family system to their children? How would they comfort those innocent little ones who come home asking why they are not considered a “real” family?

This decision affects so many more people than we realize. I’ve heard the Religious Right’s argument for the need to protect the children. But who is protecting the children that belong to LGBT families? Back in 1999, it was estimated that six to 14 million children are raised by at least one gay parent. The numbers of the past 9 years have only grown. Yet what protection do these children have when their parents are not allowed to form legal unions where all are protected under the law as any other family? Who is standing up for them against the hate and strife this fight evokes in our country and cities?

God is pro-family and there is no denying that. The ten commandments tell us to honor our parents. It doesn’t list the criteria these parents must meet to be honored. If the Bible isn’t precise on this, who are we as a church to pass judgement on what is and isn’t a moral family? And I don’t see large gathering of religious protester or picketers saying an atheist can’t adopt children or form a foster family. This simply doesn’t balance out in my view of things.

All I see that we as a church are accomplishing is dividing and weakening the very family structure we are commissioned to protect. Yet our hateful stance on this issue causes parents to ostracize their very own children because they think it’s their Christian responsibility to not accept such sinful behavior. For myself, I didn’t speak to my mother for two years after she came out to me, believing the same falsehood. Finally, God got through to me that his commandments didn’t waver, no matter what lifestyle choices she made. Her decision was something that should have been left between Him and her in the first place.

I know there are many arguments both for and against this topic and both have valid points. But fact is fact. Religious judgement is tearing families apart and will continue to do so until the Church begins to walk in love like Jesus taught and not be like the Pharisees who he called a “generation of vipers.”

I keep thinking of the passage in the Bible where Jesus stands overlooking Jerusalem with yearning in his heart, wanting to gather them in like a hen gathers her chicks. There is such a large segment of this world that is turned away because of rejection and hate-filled words of those who need to be speaking in love. Jesus didn’t come to condemn, he came to give life. His whole time spent on earth was an example of this. Who are we to play God and say who are worthy and not worthy to enter the kingdom? We are to point the way into the gate, not block it.

I’m afraid that those who stand in front of the gate with fingers waving around need to take care lest they hear a resounding thud when the gate closes behind them.

I lift up my eyes to the hills–

where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord,

the maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip–

He who watches over you will not slumber

Psalm 121: 1-3

In the midst of storms, trials and frustrations of hour-by-hour living, I forget. I simply forget where to seek help. I forget that the God who fashioned the universe, who called forth the creatures to roam the earth, the One who provides for the fowl of the air, cares most for me.

A homeless man once said:

Look at the birds of the air,

they do not sow or reap or store in barns,

and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not much more valuable than they?

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

Matthew 6:36-27

Every twig, every seed comes from Him. God so infinitely fashioned this earth that a certain amount of debris falls from trees and animals that form the nest birds make to rest their young in. Uncountable varieties of insects exist to provide them with a smorgasbord of delicacies to choose from each day.

 And yet…

During the creation phase, he didn’t craft the birds with the same intention as he did us. No, it’s like comparing a bowl to a fine vase. God breathed all his passion into us: to walk in the cool of the evening with Him, to fellowship with Him, to love and be loved by Him.

 So why do we sweat it?

 Why do we kill ourselves working jobs we hate, to pay bills we’ve acquired because we had to have possessions we care little about? And those possessions we do care about seem to break or get lost. So why worry? Why strive? Why waste endless hours pursuing pipe dreams that go up in a puff of smoke the moment our hands grasp them? It takes up a lot of time and energy that I could put toward activities I actually enjoy doing.

Things I’d rather do than Worry:

1.  Blaring worship music while cooking dinner and singing my heart out to God.

2.  Racing my son to the park to see who will get there first to feed the ducks.

3.  Relaxing on the porch swing and watching the sun go down as I tell God about my day.

4.  Actually making time to write instead of talking or whining about it.

5.  Making a difference in this world by walking to a different beat.

I think that homeless dude was right. There’s something better, much better that I can put my energy into.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness

and all these things

will be given to you as well.

Matthew 6:33

So many opportunities I can put my heart into besides worrying. I will seek Him first above all things so that all the things I need in this life, so the desires God has instilled in me, and the purposes he’s created me for can be obtained in the here and now.

 (And) the Lord will keep you from all harm–

he will watch over your life;

the Lord will watch over your coming and going

both now and forevermore.

Psalm 121:7-8

 All scripture from NIV Bible

There’s magic dwelling deep down inside each of us. Not the potions and incantations kind of Halloween magic. Not the fairytale or fable kind of magic either. No, what I’m talking about is that extraordinariness hidden within a person that screams and fights to be released.

This extraordinary wonderment comes from the Father of Lights, the giver of all good gifts. (James 1:17) Each of us has a heavenly mandate to find this magic within us and use it to bring light to a languishing, sin-filled world. (John 14:15)

Yet, my friends, trouble lurks at hand. An evil plot to thwart the Kingdom’s children from not only uncovering their potential, but from using it to dazzle the world. This enemy uses all manner of tactics from busyness to self-doubt to even more sinister plan of actions such as addictions and lies, which wound tender spirits to the point of near-death. (John 10:10) And if this diabolical thief can keep the children from shining, well then. . . .

Yet the Father of Lights is even more wise and purposeful. He has ways to encourage his children to dig deeper and find the inner strength to make a difference in this world. His greatest asset are the children who are willing to share their gifting with those who haven’t found theirs yet.  His other resource is in the unity of his light-bearers, when they gather together. This place will really brighten up when God’s children walk together as one strong front, let me tell you!

Friends, find those special gifts that only you have. Guard them from the enemy at all costs. But bring them out, explore them, play with them and most of all, use them!

The world will not fail because of the wrong leader. This upcoming Presidential race will not dictate the fate of this country. No governing power has that authority. (Ps. 72:11) It’s all us, folks. We decide, each and everyone of us when we make the decision to step from the mundane into God’s full-working wonderment.

Oh, what a dazzling world this could be!