A Brilliant Life

 . . . 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.

. . .

 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. 

Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonderful works in Your name?’

 But then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from Me, you who practice evil.'

. . .

. . . .

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.

The Bible Doesn't Say That.

We'll be thinking of some of those cliche's, perhaps, that people have used, perhaps throughout history, perhaps in our own modern experience of things that people have said, and have said to you afterwards, that the bible says that.

How many of us have heard those things?

Usually, it is a phrase that is given to us when they think we are not doing what they think we should be doing.

You know those ways in which they justify 'the judgements' and 'the condemnation' that comes when they believe or others believe that something we are doing or should be doing in our lives is contrary to every thing that the bible says, and so they tell us something and then they tell us where it is in the bible.

Actually, they don't usually tell us where it is in the bible; they probably heard it somewhere, and somewhere along the way it becomes the gospel, and unfortunately, like so many of us, we don't go back and check whether it is in the bible.

And if we are really, really honest, many of us, perhaps, don't know where our bibles are.

That is a cool thing our Senior Pastor shared.

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An Extraordinary Adventure

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Let's share a story. Maybe two. For sure, neither is about 'hypocrites' and 'false prophets' nor about 'noisy accusers' with hellish claims of knowing God's demands of others. Nope. Jesus already told that story. They are liars. Needs no embellishment.

This episode offers personal stories of love, of joy, of peace, of patience, of kindness, of goodness, of faithfulness, of gentleness, of self control. These are stories of belonging, of community, of connection. These are personal stories about forgiveness, about balance, about focus, about life's rhythms, about freedom, about navigating this amazing life, a life though mined with the reckless traps of wicked minds (bad intentions, maliciousness) and lures, is also a life of beautiful people supporting each other bettering themselves building communities, a people who have walked off the crumpled pages of misappropriated "books" into the succulent thrills of living breezes. If our stories of vulnerability, if awesome creativity, if shared solutions fall short, perfection is never the promise of our intriguing journey. We get up and we go at it again. And again!

These are lifting-up stories. Practical. Incomplete. Imperfect. Ongoing. Beautiful discoveries. Discoveries of frailties. Discoveries of flawlessness. Amazing array of perspectives. Precious Breaths. And, isn't there any witness of evil being blatantly practiced in some God's name? Yes! Does an Almighty God need a defender? You tell me. We - journeying - build each other's courage. Brilliant balls, if you like! Expand our understanding. Devise meaningful solutions. We are perfecting passing this baton. Redesigning our race to our Grand Moment. Doctoring the wounded. Championing every win against bad intentions and unjust outcomes. Bringing in the bun at every turn.

We are our stories. We are awesome. We are fierce. We are fun. We share our stories. We belong to each other. Hello. How are you?

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

As much as is within you, let your action stand the test of your value.
Match your talent & will-to-succeed with a gut & willingness-to-fail.

"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.

Never let anyone put limits on what you can do! Don't allow it!

Phenomenal Life Strategies

Life Strategy # 15: "Pull your leg up, be calm, keep moving."

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: Build authentic relationships rooted in solid sustainable values that support the strengthening and expansion of your abilities and personal promise. Jesus gets personal with me again, whispering the value and necessity of meeting others where they are, reminding me and bolstering me with a cherished encouragement, "I am where you are. I am with you always." (What about you?) Is there anyone you can sincerely count on? Who counts on you? Where are you a root, a branch or seasonal leaves in this garden of life?

Rejoice! Be Glad!
We are accompanied.
Many have gone before us.

Welcome to my 'inter-personal' share!

"Come, give me a hug. You are mine. You can do no wrong." Granny's Grace. "What can I do for you, son ? I am here for you."

Who is it that said, health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the greatest relationship? Mmmmm? Oh, that everyone would be blessed with friends who are shadows, and friends who are mirrors, since mirrors don’t lie and shadows don’t leave even when it is dark, even through a storm. Yes, even through a fire!

May we grow hearty of mind, so connected and contented, we are never resigned to breaking our mirrors nor abusing our shadows. Harming them hurts us.

That's a sadistic pain.

Hurt people hurt people. It is a vicious cycle - humanity's tragedy, evil's comedy.

Rather, seek comity. Empathy: embrace the discomfort. A noble pain. M-hm.

Yes, pain is pain, yet not all pains are equal.

True? What have you found?

In a little community where I was once a little boy, there is a thing people sometimes say: you can do no wrong. It is a special thing to say. Very special. It is comforting. It is consoling. It inspires confidence. It evokes courage. "You can do no wrong." It heals deep wounds. It sends you back into the fight emboldened. "You can do no wrong."

M-hm.

On a certain memorable day, another "terrible" thing happened (I wont tell you what, you'll only laugh at my pain, and that's not funny). I was beyond embarassed. Pissed. I was hurt.

And my granny - (this tough and humble woman, not talkative, and not reputed for being even closely resembling a hugger; I am the huggy-huggy lovey-dovey of the lot - go figure!) - she must've seen my "trouble" or got wind of it. Who-ah!

She called me. By name!

"Come," she said, "give me a hug. You are mine. You can do no wrong. What can I do for you, son? I am here for you. Tell me."

You see?

That is grace. Yes, grace!

That is comfort. You can do no wrong. That's the lifting of burdens. That's belonging. That's connection. That's restoration. That's strength. Food up through roots.

You can do no wrong!

That's mirroring the holiest of all truths (to me!).

That is healing. That's wholeness. That's empowerment. M-hm. I was superman again. I was batman. I was robin. I was . . . spiderman? (Can't recall that). The hulk? (Never. Too green.) I became all-in-all, once again, me! I could do no wrong. Flawless. Unbroken! You see? I became again the boy I want to be. No wrong! Free.

But!

In that very community where I was once a little boy, where there is a thing people say - you can do no wrong - what I was about to stumble upon, what I came eventually to know, renders the awesomenes of this formative experience, which I just told you of, not to be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, though it very much is. It is indeed the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. But, you see, not everyone, for so I was very quickly to discover, who says to you, you can do no wrong, is intending by it to empower you. No! Some say it, these very words - you can do no wrong - to insult you! To bait you. To demean you. To deflate you! To dare you. M-hm. You see?

Then I traveled.

I went there and there and there and there, beyond my boy world. M-hm.

And I came upon a place - who-ah - where those very words are spoken - you can do no wrong. There, it is a whistle. M-hm. Its after-blow, there, is destruction. Utter destruction. A whistle! M-hm. You see?

I've learned something.

The truth.

I made a note to self: words have power; beware its weilder where there is no sheild.

Pain.

Not all pains are equal, you see. Some pains feed growth. Some pains lift warriors out of stuckness. Some pains destroy. And I wonder if we have yet learned pain's whole truth. Some pains are redemptive. Some pains are glorious - a story still in progress. And this one is magnificent.

You'll see.

I have found that every person got their start on The High Achiever's Journey. (Click to Check it out). Shout. But where are they now? How about you? Share. Our story continues.

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!

My child, the danger of low expectations is being old seeing your youth.
Now is the time to inquire what more can I do. Then go and do it.

GLO-REY!

"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:

No one is an island, it seems to me. Your story is mine. My story might well be yours. Equally. We all have blindspots. Born that way. We need each other's eyes. We'll see.

There is a fellow name Quick. You probably almost met him. Always in hurry, he. You probably caught whiff of his smoke, at a glance. Metaphorically speaking, of course. Proud fellow. Impecable ancestry. Great genes. Royal blood. His confirmation name is Very Quick.

Quick's best friend's name is Gonzalez. Speedy. They went to the same school. Attend the same college. Both are in the same class. With Luke.

Slow takes those very courses too. Has lots of hang-around friends, he. Not Quick. Slow could never get to the point time enough for Quick. Quick has no tolerance for Chit-Chat either. Spit it out or shut up is his motto. "Just the gyst. I must go!" But Slow stammers. Childhood trauma. You see. Can you see blindspots?

Quick can make decisions in a blink. Instinct. It's a strong sense-of-importance kind of a thing. Frequent practice.

Slow is steeped in detail - every kind of detail - piles of too much knowing. "Too little intelligence," Preparation complains. Long paper trails. Nothing yet built that was not constructed in dust by moths and bugs and print-paper-eating beetles.

Jenny is alergic. Achoo! She is Slow's neighbor.

Poor thing. You see?

Sally was in Slow's class too. Now they are in college pursuing similar degrees. Sally is Jenny's sister. Sally has a thing for Quick. You know. So frustrating. But Quick is vibrant. Drives Sally's imagination up a creek, dreaming.

Only - If's twin - is tight with Slow on account of the twins malady, a rare blood condition for which Slow is determined to find the cure. The three are found frequently together running down some freshly dug rabbit hole on quality tips from Or.

"Solution is bound to be somewhere around there." Or tells them. "I observed Possibility heading in that very direction on knowledge of Solution's whereabouts. She was in training with Quick. Go that way. Hurry. See what else you might find. They'll probably leave a healthy trail expecting you to follow behind."

Yes, Or was in the same class with them all, now in college together, sharing the same dorms with many others. Influential fellow, he. You see?

So is Lucky.

Don't mix up Lucky with Luke. It happens frequently. Same with Preparation and Opportunity. They also are in the same college pursuing sophisticated degrees. So is And. Lucky never misses a chance to be with those four. They know how to party. Trust me.

Quick just never understood And - mysterious fellow he! Don't speak the same language. Too clingy. Always looking around. Touching. Holding. Something always up his sleeve. Mysterious through and through. Nice abs, though. Quick keeps his distance: some people are just too hard to understand. Besides, Quick is claustrophobic.

Out of class, away from the parties, And is mostly in the closet. Huge closet. Along with Oper. Long-time friends those too. Strange fellows. Strings of strange visiting companions to that closet each and every day.

Quick thinks And is a drug-dealer.

As for Oper, Quick thinks he is a pimp. Who attracts long trails of strangers to their secret closet, in and out, all day? "Got to be a pimp. The two of them are hookers," Quick is reported to have said repeatedly, questioning their integrity. "I don't trust And."

Possibility disagrees. He believes they are simply soulmates.

Opportunity knows them to be match-makers. Wise Matchmakers. "Good people. You'll need them. Mysterious brains. They'll never force themselves on you."

"Too clingy when you get to know them," the twins reported. "If we weren't after the cure we would prove it to you." You see?

Can you see blindspots?

Whatever you realize now, the whole lot attend the same college. With Peter. Colin is there too. Claro. Trotzki. Sarah. Tom. Frank. Billy. Cherry. Jeff. Mark. Mel. Maureen. Priscilla. Elon. The lot.

Little did they all know, Quick has a special secret and a secret wish.

M-hm.

Who would even guess such a thing? Quick could hardly conference with any of his classmates - not for long - other than with speedy. So they never really knew why he was always on the run. He is too important, was the general understanding. But Quick has a secret.

You see?

And the whole lot - every last one - have blind spots.

Outside this eclectic group, Quick's friends are wishy-washy. He knows they are. Doesn't bother him. However, Quick is convinced, being of royal blood and impeccable genes, all the good talk in the entire city is about him. He is convinced everybody needs him. Desperately. He is just short on time. Besides, Quick is expensive. Those royal genes, you see! Lucky financed a few of Quick's charitable endeavors. That hasn't helped the broader cause any.

And knows of Quick's narcissistic preocupation. But that's Quick's prerogative.

You see, this story I am telling you, it would drive Quick crazy having to stick through to the end of it. He'd be gone by now.

Are the two of you related?

On assignment practicing patience?

Oh, Curiosity!

Curiosity is a spectacular friend. Not in the same class, though. Trust me. Stay tight with Curiosity. Unless you don't like surprises. I willl tell you this little secret: Curiosity and Opportunity are as thick as thieves.

Here is something else: this is And's story - not Quick's.

Well, it is and it isn't - that's the funny thing. Quick thinks we are talking about him. About his record-breaking achievements. And how those were accomplished. He has no clue someone knows his secret. Nor that every last one of those in college with him has long had the same wish as he. Nope! He doesn't know. Quick will never know. Quick will not stick around to rattle his presumptions. He is quite unaware of his blindspots.

Sally is about to find one though.

You see Luke is a fantastic singer. They gathered to hear his melodious voice. The three rabbit-hole adventurers (Slow, Only & If) were not there! Lo, and behold, they heard Luke singing, metaphorically of course, about the exact wish each has, even though none of us knew at the time all the others were wishing for the same thing. Luke did not expressly name the thing everyone was wishing for. He calls this thing - this wish each of us and most all high achievers in route to our specific Golden Moment are frequently secretly wishing - You (metaphroically singing, of course). Yet each of us heard our own wish in that name - the brain works in magical ways, you see - miracles - and something sparks within everyone a new kind of knowing, which everyone who is not in this class will have no clue about. They believe he is singing literally. That is their understanding. You see?

Listen.

None of that lot waited for the rest of this multi-talented concert to finish, they were off in a hurry. Lo-and-behold, when they arrived they all looked around and noticed they were all attending the same two essential sessions, even though they were not all pursuing the same majors.

Most all of the lot were there, except Or.

No one expected Quick to be there.

And was smiling. And knew something.

Everyone paid rapt attention. You should too.

Session No. 1

Session No. 2

Hi! Oh, you are still here. Awesome.

Yes, the learned lot looked around. Spontaneously. Where was Oper? Where was And? The two were present during the sessions. When did they leave? Where had they gone?

The frantic search was on.

And had left them a message. "Check out Leverage," the message said.

So they did.

Though unaware they all shared the same secret wish, some things were beginning to click. But Sally was nowhere to be found. Or was still missing. You could be sure Gonzalez was with Quick. Wherever!

Nevertheless, each had begun figuring out the missing link - a necessity on their way to getting their wish filled. Then it clicked. It began to make sense what Opportunity had said way back when, and now they understood why so many excited strangers are always streaming into And's secret closet. Now it was raining. But not for long.

You see?

But none waited for the rain, they all ran to And's closet, smiling. You see? No?

Quick had found the very fix for his secret wish a long, long, long, long time ago, but because he did not trust And and because he held a closely guarded secret, Quick abandoned his fix along his run through the desert from the ever-pursuing Sally, where it got dried out and crumbled, and was now rained upon.

But where was Sally? Where was Or? Where was Quick? Where is Opportunity?

Do you know?

For sure, Slow, Only & If don't give a damn. But someone is stuck. Someone would be best advised to stay calm, pull a leg up, and keep moving, and don't forget to clean up after. And leave Quick alone. He's got prerogatives.

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

Something To Consider

* * *

You are

What POWER!