WHERE IS GOD?

 . . . the fruit of the Spirit is
love
joy
peace
patience
kindness
goodness
faithfulness
gentleness
and self-control.
There is no law (Jewish Law) against such things.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

What does this all mean?

AWESOME!

. . . .

Not that I have already attained or have already been perfected, but I follow after it so that I may lay hold of that for which I was seized by Christ Jesus. 

I do not count myself to have attained, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 

I press toward the goal to the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

living water

I am made in the image of God, not your image of God.

WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW

We're confronted today with the notions of love and abide in our text.

Jesus uses these two words over and over again.

Did you notice that juxtaposition?

In this scripture, abiding is a way of saying, 'make your home with.'

And Jesus through his love, grace and mercy showed us how to abide with God.

And that is through our loving acts of hospitality and goodness.

You see, abiding is an active word. We make our home with Jesus, and we do it puposely as a community.

We actively invite others into that home with us.

The language we use in this home - can you guess - is the language of love.

That is a cool thing our Associate Pastor shared.

PROGRAM LISTINGS & PROGRAM SCHEDULES

An Extraordinary Adventure

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“There isn't time, so brief is life, for bickerings, apologies, heartburnings, callings to account. There is only time for loving, and but an instant, so to speak, for that.” _ Mark Twain. It's a new life.

Welcome to phenomenal life-thriving strategies delivered from the lean side of the mountain and embraced by many on this wondrous journey of life and learning - the continuation of our Extraordinary Adventure series.

"How do we cultivate young people who have the idealism, and the ambition, and the drive, and the passion to start their own journey to bring about meaningful and positive social change?"

You are altogether beautiful, my love;
    there is no flaw in you.

King Solomon

When all is said and done,
What would you be satisfied you've said and done?

"I am the door. If anyone enters through Me, that one will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.   The thief does not come, except to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." Jesus, Son of Man, Prince of Glory, Redeemer.

Who made the mountains? Who made the trees? Who made the rivers flow to the sea? Who sends the rain when the earth is dry? Who made the flowers to bloom in the spring? Who made the song for the robins to sing? Who hung the moon in the starry sky? Yes, all that and way much more! Our mind. Our body. Our spirit. Our soul.

What stereotype has you bound?

Phenomenal Life Strategies

Life Strategy # 3: "Be PREPARED to DO what it TAKES."

Phenomenal life-affirming, life-thriving, life-uplifting strategies are being delivered by Our Lord Jesus on the lean side of the mountain. It's a new life.

Action Plan: Get Prepared to Do What It Takes: "Burn that oll; flip that switch; shine that light." Jesus gets personal with me again, whispering yet another awesome affirmation. Am I a City on a Hill, Lord? Am I Light - the light of the world? (What about you?) Oooh! It must take a whopping load of cajones to build a city on a hilltop. M-hm. Who's gonna just let that happen?

Rejoice! Be Glad!
What ever there may be.
At the top of the hill there is a city.

Welcome to my 'inter-personal' share!

"We can 'wait on the Lord' all we want, aint nothing gonna happen before we make ourselves ready for what's gonna happen. Be prepared to do what it takes. That might entail getting our booties off the bench and stepping through the brush in pursuit of the building blocks for our city on the hill."

"Prepare the way; let them talk all day. Some people thrive on do's. Some people strive on don'ts. Some may take tried true paths. Some will blaze new trails. Prepare the way. Noah did. Just remember: you are not Noah! Not that Noah. Besides, his city had to float up to the top of the mountain." Ain't that something?

What is your moto?

What's your way?

I am amongst those privileged - a'hem - with the rare fortune of being both an Eagle Scout and a Queen Scout. (Oh, shut up!) In other words, I have no excuse; I am doubly required to Be Prepared!

Lord! Why me?

"You are the light of the world."

There goes my sweet Jesus again, speaking to me in brilliant metaphors. Wow! Pregnant with meaning! Enormous impact across time and space. All the way from the mountain top to guess who? Searching through the dang-on ghoulish clamor into these waxy ears. Yes, Jesus speaks to me! You too? No? That's okay.

I am the light this world needs!

Ain't I something?

"You are the light of the world. You betta believe it."

Can we talk?

It is a metphor, sweetheart! Where were you born? Where did you grow up? Where are you now? M-hm! We are watching a metaphor coming alive! You! A city on a hill! Oooh-wee-wee! A timely metaphor. Loaded with truffles and treasures and treats. So to speak. A light. M-hm! Jam-packed with all the motivation any smart person might need.

Let's talk.

Can you hear the wind blowing? Breathe! Better than that. Breathe! Yes, breathe, my friend; breathe. There is a new wind blowing. M-hm! I quite fancy what Jesus is breathing into me. A brand-spanking new effective strategy! For me! Centuries old. Yet very new! Now, I am NOT into putting words in Jesus' mouth - nope - not into that! There is no need. And I haven't a clue what my sweet Jesus is telling you, or if he is even talking to you; that's none of my business and I am way too busy to eavesdrop. But I can share with you - and I am about to - what his sweet whispers are stirring in my creative cabeza.

But first let's talk.

This light! Yes, this light! Wham-bang! Jesus is a storyteller. I am telling you this: my Jesus is a storyteller - a genius storyteller. He speaks. His breath speaks. His words speak. His life speaks. So powerfully. So penetratingly. So lovingly. So awesomely. I am telling you my Jesus is a storyteller. This light! Yes, light! What is this light?

What is being conjured in your beautiful mind at the registering of this light?

A flickering candle? A star? The moon? A noon-day sun? What light is this? What is registering in you? A flashlight in the dark? A beam ashore shining across to a ship tossed in a storm-struck-sea? A scratched match? A flame lifted to trembling lips? What is this light? Joy in the eyes of a glad child? What is this light to you? Good news? Hope? Desperate hope? An opening at the long end of a gruesome tunnel? Love? A necessary solution? A neon sign? What is this light? Fireworks?

Hmmm?

Yep. My Jesus is a storyteller! Reaches deep through to my core with just one word - light - then comes more!

So what does light register in you? (Quite probably it is not what registers in everyone else in your circle! It is easy to assume it does. And thence to erroneously declare: 'And thus saith the Lord.') What is this light? What are its qualities? What do we know of it so far? What might we glean? How do we grasp it? Can we harness it? Should we? What if no one cares? What if it is just common sense? What is common sense in a fake-faith propaganda-prone world?

What does light do?

Hmm?

What about the properties of light (for the budding brainiacs amongst us)?

I am the light of the world!

Ain't that cool?

What about you? You are that light, aren't you? Which light are you?

Light attracts some things; light repels some things. Roaches run from light; growth goes toward light. There is much more to light than meets the eye.

What light are you, if you are?

What light am I? I am.

Ooooh-wee! And a city on a hill! What city is this, my dear Lord Jesus? Tokyo? Singapore? London? New York? Poudreyen? Nevermind. I need must keep building this city, this town. It is already on the hill. Hmm? Okay, Got it. And I so like this brand! Did you get it? Check out The brand! The brand! The Brand. I love the brand! Permission granted. I am a franchise owner of The brand! The brand! With a strategy to run it. What about you? Celebrate. Let's dance. Embrace the shake, if you've got it.

Just kidding. But I love it. That was back in my baby years. There is a rhythm to each of our lives. Yes. Something awesome happens when we are in it. And sometimes that rhythm changes. A new balance. A new rhythm. Embrace the shake! Found your new rhythm? How about this? Ready? Let's go. Create.

Freestyle.

Create the dream. We're already on stage. A city on a hill. Your move!

Okay Light, that's enough of talking. Be all you can be! Time for some doing!

What?

You don't know what to do! "Lord, help us please! Please, Lord."

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. _ Robert Frost

Take time (if need be) to discover, hone, and use your gifts. You'll find useful steps (discovery process, action plans) in Riding Moby Dick. Just Click!

You are
The Light of The World

BOOM!

"I give them eternal life. They shall never perish, nor shall anyone snatch them from My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them from My Father’s hand. My Father and I are one." All things are possible. Start with what is just outside your comfort zone. Believe. Act upon it. Step outside and breathe.

WORD TO THE WISE: Be Prepared to Do what it Takes.

Whether for a match or tournament (big or small) I train our champions to prepare using pretty much the same approach to preparation I found valuable when I was competing on our circuit, though each of us is substantially different. We prepare physically, mentally, and emotionally for anticipated and unanticipated challenges and engagements.

Win or lose, we come away from each match and each tournament chockfull of useful knowledge and experience (data) that facilitate our physical, mental and emortional preparation for the next match, for the next tournament, for our next hilltop event in life.

Big or small, across the board, this practice translates into life quite well, I find. So I recommend it, for life is a continuum. M-hm. Let that simmer for a good moment.

Coco Grauf, 14 (yes, 14 - the youngest in 24 years), just won the French Open (Roland Garros) Girls Title. I suspect we'll be seeing and hearing more of her in coming seasons. Not everyone is going to like that.

As a coach, as a confidant, here is what excites me. Coco lost 8 of the first 9 games in this championship match, and still won in what turned out to be a tooth-and-nail battle to the finish.

Why would that excite me?

Well, apart from great memories and outcomes and that 'let-me-do-that feeling; but please don't you ever get behind like that again; my heart absolutely hates roller coaster rides without an it's-gonna-be-alright guarantee, even if I seem cool, calm and collected; well, apart from any of that self-centeredness, it is what this new champion reveals about preparing for the moment, about being in the moment, and about emerging from the moment - that outcome - continually excites me. Physical preparation. Mental preparation. Emotional preparation. Those are the secret ingredients. Yes, and she is 14. I recommend it even to my ten-year old players. M-hm! Especially, because they are ten. Nevertheless, age is not a limiting factor. Nope!

How did I glean these things from that outcome?

Roland Garros is a grueling arena. Grueling! It tests every fiber of one's being.

At 1-6, 0-3, one could hardly fault any spectator for walking away feeling sure of Coco's loss and an easy win for her competitor. All her competitor needed was 3 games to hold the title forever and ever. Three! Coco had nothing. Yes, nothing. That 1 game was of no account. Well, not NOTHING, Coco had preparation, the kind I am whole-heartedly recommending and reminding myself of: a city on a hill kind of preparation; it does not arrive overnight or drop down from the sky. One builds it from the ground up. It requires excellence. It requires determination. It requires vision.

Here - from her lips - is how she built it.

Question: What happened at the beginning? Was it nerves?

Coco: I felt I was also nervous and she was playing good points and I did not know what to do and I kept telling myself to keep fighting; as long as there is another point there is another chance for me to win.

Question: How did you get back?

Coco: The crowd really helped me. They were cheering me on. I felt as if they were on the court playing with me.

Boom! Let those simmer. You might just hear the whisper. Training. Awareness. Physical strength. Mental strength. Emotional strength. Preparedness. Undergirding that preparedness to build the city in the face of obstacles and challenges - systemic, endemic, polemic - is a certain set of values about to be delivered from the lean side of the mountain. Brace for those. It just may be you have never heard those before - then again, as I have said, what I hear is meant strictly for me. I am sharing. It's a new life, my friends! Ha-ha-haaah! (That is a secret pitch of laughter booming across time and space to a set of buddies - guys and gals - from way back in our courageous youth who are this moment smiling in the face of recognition, and probably saying, "Oh, Boy! He's going to do it again!" Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. You betya. Time to get on board. Tune your instruments. Shine your shoes. Get perky. Times are a-gonna-be-different.) Oooh-wee! But let this not be about me. Share your story - the story of your city on the hill. I also am looking for those lights. You are the light of the world. And we need it. Oh, how we need it. I do.

"Knowledge that takes you not beyond yourself is far worse than ignorance." Elif Shafak.

Something To Consider

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You are

What POWER!