When we are hurt by the church

 

For everyone who has ever been disappointed by, discouraged or disillusioned by church, I am sorry you were wounded by the very people who were supposed to represent Jesus. It is shameful and unacceptable. There are no excuses for churches hurting those entrusted to their care. Hang with me for a moment while I unpack the ugly side of church, but there is hope.

Here’s the sad reality: Evil gravitates toward good like a cancer latching onto its host. Churches can attract people to leadership positions who want to exercise power and control over other people, and typically these power-hungry people are individuals who feel absolutely powerless at home or at work. They line up to join church committees, they love long unproductive meetings, they become territorial, and they enjoy issuing orders for which they will neither commit to helping with nor funding themselves personally. These types of people have missed the value of transformation — they only know how to tally up “nickels and noses,” i.e., when it comes to “church” the contribution and attendance are all they care about.

Because of these power brokers, pastors and congregants alike have left their churches in droves — this possibly includes you as well. Statistics show that many ministers suffer intense burnout rates, and the average preacher will spend more time earning their seminary degrees than they ever will serving in church. Many, actually most, teenagers will become collateral damage, themselves fleeing from church as adults after a lifetime of listening to their grumbling parents struggle with the volunteer leaders in their local church. And, as you may have noticed, countless churches are closing their doors, shuttering their windows, and simply vanishing.

Why shouldn’t we simply give up on the idea of church, since there are so many problems within her walls? Not to mention, it seems like “celebrity pastors” are falling like dominoes to one scandal or another all too often. Why? Because the church isn’t limited by “four walls,” and it doesn’t have to be run like a business, driven by a consumer mentality, or feel like a major theater production.

Churches can focus on serving Jesus, and caring for His flock. When you get away from the bright stage lights and “organized Christianity” and attempt to follow the Bible instead of Robert’s Rule of Order, church becomes more organic, more wholesome. It becomes real. Will you still have problems? Certainly, since none of us are perfect, but considering the alternatives it’s worth it.

There will always be parasitical, argumentative, hypocritical powermongers attempting to leech off of the goodwill of believers, which neither nullifies the work Jesus sets before us nor does it excuse us from serving.

You can find a church (or plant one) that is focused on transforming lives through the power of the Cross, the moving of the Spirit, and through the enrichment of the Scriptures.

There are loving and welcoming, non-judgmental, life-changing churches focused on changing lives. They might not have a steeple on their roof. In fact they might not even have a building to their name to put a steeple on, but they have what matters — the heart of Jesus.

Originally published in the Kingsport Timesnews:

https://www.timesnews.net/news/faith/why-you-shouldnt-give-up-on-church/article_9ed03c8a-4307-11ec-936b-b33f3bfce420.html

Why it's best to just speak your mind

 

One of the biggest paradoxes ever is the excitement of the holidays along with the sadness that accompanies the holidays. The holidays can be joyful and festive, but this season can also be rough on all of us. Some of us will go to the cemetery and sweep leaves off of our loved ones’ headstones, wishing we had one more day to spend with them.

Maybe we will look around the table during this holiday season, missing loved ones who have moved away, passed away, or who simply have decided to stay away.

Seemingly, to make it rougher during the holidays, they say that we shouldn’t talk about “religion or politics” when we gather together to celebrate. If you can’t talk about subjects you’re faithful to or passionate about with people who share the same last name as you, perhaps these relationships were too fragile in the first place.

If you have to pretend you are something you are not to maintain any relationship, then I doubt there is much of a relationship worth maintaining. I am not advocating “stirring the pot” or purposely riling people up just to be irritating. I am saying, it’s time to be yourself.

So, to be clear, the holidays can be a gloomy time and yes family gatherings are ripe for conflict — but who wants to walk on eggshells their entire life?

Now is the season to celebrate faith and family, but if you can’t express yourself freely, within reason, you’ll not only resent your family, you’ll despise yourself for being a phony.

The same can be said of your relationships at church or work.

It’s a lose-lose situation to pretend to be someone who you are not. Biting your tongue only serves to suppress what you really think, believe or stand for. When you go against yourself long enough, you slowly erode your soul.

When we pretend to be someone we aren’t to simply gain the acceptance of others, they aren’t really accepting a true version of us. So we not only deceive those around us, we senselessly censor and suppress ourselves. This isn’t healthy. The end result is, not only won’t we like those we are trying to impress, we will eventually hate ourselves for carrying on the charade.

Jesus says in John, Chapter 8 that the devil is the father of lies. Why would we want to perpetuate a false persona to those around us? That’s the biggest lie ever told!

So perhaps the best gift that you can give yourself this holiday season is the permission to be yourself. It’s honest and true, and it’s the best you that you have to offer.

Therefore, when you get together with your family and friends, talk about politics, talk about religion, share your true opinions on whatever subject comes up — don’t let anyone bully you or shame you into silence.

This holiday season, as you reminisce with your loved ones make sure you are there with them fully, but make sure it is actually the real you who is present. Not half of you, not part of you, not a fake version of what you think they want to see so they can accept you — be the real you. The reality is, if you can’t be true to yourself, you can’t be true to others.

Of course, you can already guess what the flip side of this coin is, can’t you? The same grace you hope to receive from those around you so that you can truly be yourself, you’ll need to extend to those around the table as well.

Originally published in the Kingsport TimesNews:

https://www.timesnews.net/news/faith/its-time-to-be-yourself/article_8db9df74-2a92-11ec-bdf7-bf3ee684f91c.html

The Solutions to your problems

Have you been dissatisfied with how your church has handled a particular problem or problem person, wondering to yourself why church politics failed to fix our problems? It’s because Satan is busier in the church boardroom than he is in the barroom.

I frequently hear from different people about the problems in their churches or from others about the problems with how poorly the city and county handle their responsibilities. My questions then become, how can you contribute to solving this problem you’re so troubled about, what’s the best solution, and how will you help out? Because if you’re passionate about a problem you see, it’s better to work toward being part of the solution than it is to gripe about it.

If you are waiting for your church leaders or your local politicians to make bad situations better, I feel sorry for you. Most of the people we are waiting for to make the desired improvements are more concerned with their position/office and with preserving their organization/institution than they are with whatever problems you worry about. If you are disappointed with the state of affairs you see, you probably have misplaced your faith and trust. I hate to break it to you, but most decisions are not made in “formal” meetings. They are decided in the “informal” meetings out in the parking lot before the meeting even happens.

What are some positive steps you can take toward resolving problems? You can draft up a plan, offer resources, put in the effort, and volunteer to work on it. This is as true for your church as it is for your city.

If you are upset with your neighborhood, ask a police officer what you can do to help make a difference and how you can make our city a better place. Or take a drive out to the old Sam’s Club and volunteer at the Second Harvest Food Bank. Or go talk to a school principal and offer to help tutor at-risk kids. There’s no lack of opportunities for you to make a positive difference.

Do you know what the difference is between being frustrated about a problem and simply grumbling about it? Most people like to criticize and fault-find a lot more than they like participating in the solution.

For example, it’s easy to sit in your armchair and take a potshot at the potholes on our roads, though you never hear a follow- up from those critics on how to best repair our roads. It’s the same thing when your church isn’t “growing.”

You don’t have to be special or smart to point out problems. Thanks to Facebook, we no longer have to submit a “letter to the editor” to air our contempt. It’s easy to hide bravely behind our keyboards and smartphones and lambaste those “in charge.” Social media has emboldened us, but the fact is, truly courageous people don’t have the time to be critical of others because they are too busy making a difference.

If you think you’re too weak and powerless to make a difference, then you see yourself as a victim. And let me tell you what, the world will eat you alive — in that case you’re better off keeping your opinion to yourself if you don’t think you can help fix it. All you are doing at that point is wasting a lot of emotional energy, and no one likes sour grapes. Like the old impolite saying goes, “put up or shut up...”

Maybe the deeper problem is we as people are addicted to complaining. Complaining isn’t a spiritual gift, it isn’t a sign of compassion, and it doesn’t indicate you care. Complaining all the time is evidence of a critical heart. Fault-finding is straight-up hypocrisy. It’s not insightful or profound to point out what’s wrong with the world without participating in the solution.

What if we as believers hounded lost souls about their need for Jesus with half as much zeal as we pestered people about COVID, masks and vaccines — whichever side of that debate you landed on. If your concern is legitimate, do something more productive than complaining. If God lays a burden on your heart, it’s not for the purpose of whining about it. Whether it’s the poor condition of our roads, the homeless, COVID, racism, inequality, drugs — whatever it is, no one wants to hear what the problem is without hearing your solutions. In other words: What are you doing to fix the problems besides complaining, worrying or blaming?

Watch your words and compliment more than you complain. Then and only then will people listen and begin to take you more seriously. Don’t complain about City Hall until you hitch up and haul your fair share of the burdens in our community.

Don’t wait around for your church leaders or your politicians to fix the problems that trouble you most. Take responsibility, roll up your sleeves and get to work — you’ll never need permission to do the right thing.

Originally published on Oct 15th 2021 in the Kingsport TimesNews:

https://www.timesnews.net/news/faith/stop-complaining-and-be-part-of-the-solution/article_b0edcef6-1700-11ec-a74f-9fd25d8fd231.html

Forgetting the forgotten no more

 

Today evoked an unexpected emotional experience for me as we pumped concrete for a bus driver, who happens to also be the Principal at his school.  By the way, his wife also drives a school bus on a different route, and she is the Science teacher at another rural school.  

I wonder why we never hear about servant-hearted people like this on CNN or Fox News?  After all, who would care about a family of educators in rural Southeast Kentucky, instead, the region is most likely thought of as the armpit of America by the TV elites, and simply forgotten about by most of us.  After today though, it will be a long time before I forget about this forgotten region again.  

To get to Lynch Kentucky, we crossed Black Mountain, at just over 4000 feet above sea level, it's the highest point in the state.  The deep forests and towering mountains enshrine the region like a fortress, keeping outsiders out, and insiders in.  The terrain was beyond rugged.  My picture of the sunrise does not do proper justice to the majestic beauty of the area.  The drive up and over the mountain was hair-raising at times.  Razor sharp switchbacks, sheer cliffs and straight drop-offs, the road was nothing short of the stuff legends are made of.  

The road going into Harlan County is so curvy, and the terrain so steep, it takes about a half an hour to go ten miles.  The rugged landscape is breathtaking, it's truly awe inspiring.  

I suppose today evoked so many emotions for me, not simply because I read Hillbilly Elegy, or before that, Night Comes to the Cumberlands, but because my family actually comes from this impoverished region.  My dad left Southeast Kentucky back in the early 60's with the largest migration of Americans in US history as many folks from the Appalachian area moved to the Great Lakes in hopes of escaping their bitter existence, looking for a better life.  I'm not sure if I'm supposed to feel gratitude or guilt about this.  

So today, I witnessed Lynch KY, a weary and worn-down town, buried and hidden within a wonderful wilderness.  Forgotten by most of America, forsaken and abandoned by the rest.  The lure of steady income from the coal giants having dried up mostly, it's only a shell of what it was 100 years ago.  Harlan County is ripe with rare beauty, a place resting in times gone by, quiet and tranquil.  Sadly, with no industry or any chance of a future for this or the next generation, it seems like intergenerational-welfare is the only hope for most of the folks around.   

The juxtaposition of the amazing views, the splendor of one of the most beautiful places on earth, the towering mountains capped with rich forests all being witnessed in real-time, contrasted to the hopelessness stemming from such extreme poverty and the bleak future for the folks there was deeply moving.  I left asking myself, what are the invisible chains shackling the people there?  Is it simply "acceptance" at their plight?  Are they victims of their circumstances?  What can be done to reinvigorate the region?  Clearly, coal wasn't the only precious resource extracted from there, something intangible has been taken as well.  Also, though, from the people I met today, I see there are people who stick around these dying towns not because they are stuck, they stay because they can make a difference, and they care. 

If you've never heard this song, you need to click on this link below :

You'll never leave Harlan Alive 

Truth about God: Book Review

At one time, it probably seemed like most of your family and everyone around you from your next-door neighbors to the mailman to the lunch lady knew and believed in God. Lately, it seems like less and less people are committed to a local church, and even less seem to be interested in a personal relationship with Jesus.

What complicates this bleak situation even further is the fact that people who resist committing to church/Jesus have begun to ask some fairly sophisticated questions — they raise serious objections to following Jesus, and many of us feel stumped, stumbling around searching for satisfactory answers.

In other words, it’s gotten harder to share our beliefs with the world around us. There are multiple challenges to sharing and defending our faith these days, and it only seems like our job is going to get harder as time goes on.


People frequently ask me for resources they can read up on to sharpen their understanding of difficult topics and hone their evangelistic skills. I’ll point you to a valuable resource with a powerful framework that helps us understand some of the contemporary threats to the Christian faith, a book that helps you comprehend the modern world, and will help you to communicate the timeless truths of Scripture.

Here’s one of the most helpful resources I can recommend to you if you are interested in defending your Christian faith and if you need some encouragement to be more evangelistic.

Richard Knopp’s “Truth About God: What We Can Know and How Can We Know It” is a book that draws on Scripture, history, tradition, ration/reason and experience, and it is full of useful information.


This book is appealing because it is very compact, and it’s written clearly and concisely. It addresses many of the concerns of doubters, skeptics and unbelievers that you might interact with. It is an exciting read that is insightful, helpful and thought provoking.

Knopp provides useful terminology. He unpacks philosophical terminology in plain, easily understandable language, offering wise direction couched in solid principles.

It’s rare to find such a book that not only addresses current challenges but is written with a respectable/considerate tone, and presents powerful propositions about an engaging topic: God. What the title promises, the book delivers on. It is written with intellectual integrity, and it’s reinforced with reflective discussion questions at the conclusion of each chapter, so you could read this alone or with your small group.

If we plan to fulfill the Great Commission, we need to take our own personal study seriously. Knopp’s book has many practical approaches that can be utilized by everyone, and it doesn’t require a graduate degree to understand it.

Apologetics, the defense of the Christian faith, isn’t an esoteric art reserved for an elite guild of cloistered monks — it’s part and parcel of experiencing Jesus as His disciples. This book instills confidence as it equips, educates and inspires.

I truly believe it can help you too, and I hope you’ll consider adding it to your personal library at home.

Originally published here: 

https://www.timesnews.net/news/faith/truth-about-god-is-a-valuable-resource/article_69cbe3e0-0103-11ec-9c42-db908737de5e.html

What does your marriage need to thrive?

Sadly, it seems like too many people married the wrong spouse. They act like they wish they had picked someone else or they make a mistake with someone they aren’t married to and they have to live with those painful consequences for the rest of their lives. Why are there so many unhappy married couples? It’s because, in a small sense, some married people tend to forget that healthy relationships are nurtured much like tending livestock.

My folks raised cattle on their small farm, deep down in the Ozarks. They mostly had black Angus, usually no more than 25 at a time, and while I can’t remember a single one of them, my dad had one animal I’ll never forget — he was a beautiful beast, a massive red Limousin bull. The only problem with this bull was, when he wanted to visit another herd, he just reared up in the air on his hind legs, placed his front hooves on the gate, pushed his 2,500 pounds forward, and off he went.

Typically, after the bull spent a few days in some other field, a local farmer (with his own herd of cows) would then call my dad and say, “Come and get your bull, he’s done making his rounds here ...” You see, once that Limousin bull realized he could leave whenever he pleased, no fence could ever hold him after that.

American farmers and ranchers have always struggled with corralling their livestock. It’s hard to keep your livestock on your property without a good stockade, unless you skip the fences like they do in other parts of the world. In other regions, they have found out what works better than building strong fences that eventually fail — they simply dig better wells.

It’s a simple solution to an age-old problem: Provide your livestock with their needs in an arid and desolate land, and they stick around the farm — cattle, horses or sheep won’t wander far from their feed and water in the wilderness. The same principle applies to our most intimate relationships.

What Paul says about maintaining a healthy sex life in 1 Corinthians 7:3-5 has broader applications as well, “3 The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.” In other words, provide each other’s mutual needs at home so your spouse won’t feel the need to stray from your farm.

If you aren’t providing for your spouse’s relationship needs, they will find their needs met elsewhere, and that’s when people experience hell on earth. All of the great marriages that you see share this common truth — spouses who strive to meet each other’s needs enjoy marriages that thrive. Whenever any marriage feels like it’s withering on the vine, someone in the relationship isn’t meeting their significant other’s needs.

You can’t keep your spouse cooped up, so make it so they don’t feel neglected and want to leave to have their needs met elsewhere. Or as my cousin, a Vietnam vet with a few Purple Hearts, likes to say about his marital relationship, “This dog don’t stray, because she (pointing to his wife) keeps him well-fed.”

Originally published here: Timesnews faith column

Don't be a moron on Mother's Day

 

One of the dumbest trends I've seen on Social media is the pushback against celebrating Mother's Day in church.  Hip preachers who are into the latest fads are rationalizing this move away from a valued tradition by claiming Mother's Day is simply too painful to acknowledge since there are women who can't have children and there are people who had a crappy mom.  

This line of thinking where we cater to the possibility of the worrisome areas of life is another symptom of what is wrong with our culture.  Let's not recognize or reward the people who are noteworthy because we might offend or hurt someone else's feelings isn't fair, or reasonable.  It's stupid.

I'm not insensitive to the people who can't conceive or those who had a bad childhood.  That's not my point at all.  Maybe we need a day out of the year where we recognize their losses, but even for those who suffer great tragedy, we can't shortchange the heroic or the victorious by ignoring their importance.  

I'm sad for the women who can't have children and really want to.  It's not fair.  The reality is, you are no less of a woman or a human if you aren't able to bring children into this world, but it does hurt, it leaves a void in your heart, and it hurts so much because of the blessing of parenting and motherhood, something we celebrate for a reason.

And, yes, there are horrible mothers.  My mom, rest her soul, never would've received "Mom of the year."  I'm at peace with her failures as a mom, and I've learned to love her, "warts & all."  She left with another man when I was about 14, then came home later when my dad went looking for her, and there a host of other issues I could ruminate on if I wanted to make myself a miserable wretch.  You come to grips one day that your parents did the best they could, and even when that wasn't good enough, you live & let live, and you let go of the past and you learn to forgive.  If you don't comes to terms with these problems, they will ruin you and the relationships that matter in life.  

Still, even for all the hurt feelings and problems surrounding Mother's Day, none of those problems negate the fact there are good, yes great, moms out there who deserve a little special recognition at least once a year.  Since God gave us one of the greatest gifts, Mothers & Motherhood, I think it's highly inappropriate for us to neglect moms or honor them when we gather as a church.  

Cancel Culture, censorship, religious freedom, and the spirit-crushing powershift happening right now

All people of every background deserve respect, dignity and the right to voice their opinions — but differing opinions require a two-way street too. One of the greatest traits we hold as Americans is the freedom to dialogue, to differ, to debate. It’s interesting though, how certain dissenting views are being threatened, bullied and silenced. For example, certain expressions of Judeo-Christian religions, conservative political views, and time-tested traditional views on family values are being removed, blocked and scrubbed from social media and the internet as if they never existed.

There seems to be a power shift regarding what and who is influencing our culture. I do not understand why a mere fraction, an extremely small percentage, the slightest margin of our population, a minuscule group compared to the whole, is being allowed to redefine what the bulk of us believe about the use of gender pronouns, faith, values and morals. Why do the fringes get to define the center for the rest of us?

Cultural boycotts are not new, but they seem to be picking up steam over the past few years. Perhaps you’ve heard about the recent controversies over several of Dr. Seuss’ books, cartoon characters such as Pepé Le Pew, and Disney classics like “Peter Pan” and “Dumbo.” Even common brand names have been besieged, like Aunt Jemima or the image of the American Indian girl on the Land O’ Lakes, which are all being removed. The popular term is “cancel culture.”

It’s one thing to withdraw your support or participation. It’s another to vilify and try to destroy another because you disagree with them, and that is where cancel culture often leads.

It’s not just cartoon characters and product labels under siege. People who are not in line with the mainstream media and much of Hollywood are being punished or ostracized for the crime of being “offensive.”

Is this “cancel culture” a fad, will it work and to what ends, and why don’t more people speak up against it? If a position or stance is deemed offensive, does that give a select few the right to ban it for the rest of us? How long until they try to cancel the Bible for what it says about morality, family and the idea that biologically there are only two genders? How long until verses like Isaiah 5:20, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” are categorized as hate speech?

The Equality Act (basically an amendment to the Civil Rights Act of 1964) which passed in the House last month could be setting a dangerous precedent, overriding the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993. Apparently this new law could prevent churches from interpreting and communicating what they believe Scripture to say without the threat of repercussions. For example, according to the Equality Act, if a biological male identifies as a female, he has government protection to use the women’s restroom in your church. This is insanity. How did we ever get to this place?

Discrimination based on someone’s race or religion is wrong, but you can’t force a Jewish deli to serve barbecued pork either. There has to be some balance and common sense that we all can apply. If your goal is to gain acceptance or approval for your alternative lifestyles, silencing your dissenters won’t accomplish it.

Click here to see the original article posted in the TimesNews

Review of "Unholy Mess: What the Bible says about Clutter"

I hadn’t ever thought about until recently, but, is it possible that living an uncluttered life is a spiritual discipline? My maternal grandfather, “Father Bear,” was a hoarder. And when I say hoarder, yes he was just like the unimaginable type they film for cable TV — his house was beyond disgusting. Coming up through the Great Depression he eventually saved everything from all the newspapers that came across his table, empty cans of dog food, to the seeds of the fruit he ate. I grew into adulthood abhorring clutter, also witnessing my parents following Father Bear’s example. Maybe you can relate to such an experience too?

Are you ready to hear about a resource from a strong Christian woman’s voice that addresses decluttering all aspects of our lives? It’s the book that triggered the question in my mind that decluttering might just be a spiritual discipline. It’s my honor to commend Angie Hyche on a book well-written and to recommend to you her “Unholy Mess: What the Bible Says About Clutter.”

Less is more, so I won’t boil down a prize ox into a bouillon cube by summarizing her entire book point by point. I hope, instead, to entice you to pick up her book and see for yourself how much better your life can be when you apply the principles she lays out. Her holistic approach holds more profound implications than simply tidying up your basement, though.

Maybe you’re thinking we don’t need another book on organization, but maybe it’s time for a book written from a Christian perspective. And that’s where Angie’s book comes in — her aim is to feed your soul and help shape your perspectives on your relationship with God and to navigate the areas of your life where being better organized (your attention, your schedule, and yes your possessions) will bring you more peace and joy. She wants to help us tame the chaos to experience the abundant life Jesus promises.

Angie packs “Unholy Mess” with ample research and statistics. She cites several studies and articles, and she sprinkles in volumes of vulnerability — she doesn’t claim to be perfect, and she won’t shame you. If you want to assess your values and priorities, Angie’s book is helpful, plus she isn’t dogmatic and her theology isn’t “Do this or you’re a sinner.” Instead, she provides Scriptures at nearly every turn of the page that help us prioritize our actions and our views, while confronting the cognitive dissonance we struggle with when we allow disorder to run amok.

We all need coaching in establishing healthy boundaries and the motivation to change. With clear writing and experience to back up her ideas, “Unholy Mess” will help you to adjust your habits and your attitudes, again all from a Christian approach/perspective. You’ll be encouraged and uplifted along the way as you learn about ways to apply the many practical strategies she offers. She offers a great filter on how to organize our lives: Declutter, arrange, and then maintain.

One of the aspects I liked most about Angie’s book were the reflective questions she provides to help you as you try to set realistic goals. The initial third of the book primarily addresses our relationship with God, the next third transitions to the “how to,” and the last third —which was my favorite part of the book — covers the obstacles to decluttering and how to manage our future so we don’t fall back into our old habits.

Some of the big takeaways I found to be extremely helpful were her thoughts on being purposeful with our possessions, her stewardship strategies, and how she aptly blended theology with theory, philosophy and application. She does so, balancing topics covering the physical mess we observe along with the inability we wrestle with to be fully present, like with others over a meal, and how much more of an abundant life God has for us when we overcome the chaos.

This book is a great resource, and it has a lot of potential for small group ministries. Certainly your small group could go through the book together, but that’s not my point. How often have you been embarrassed to have company over because your countertops haven’t seen daylight and the couch is hidden under a pile ... OK, I know that’s an exaggeration, but my point is, many people feel uncomfortable inviting people over when their house isn’t up to the standard they would like it to be. So this book will help us with the ministry of hospitality and help us as the church to open our homes to others more as we tame the chaos.

I know minimalism is in vogue these days, but I assure you Angie isn’t preaching privation and asceticism. She simply offers a better way to contentment as you organize the space you occupy, free up a lot more of your time, and experience more joy than you ever will when your inner and outer life are cluttered. The consequences of a cluttered life simply aren’t worth it, and Angie will show you clearly that clutter is not a burden we were designed to carry.

What concrete line pumping means to me:

 

What is it like being a line pump operator? 

It's way more than pushing concrete through a system.  

It's about being a courageous, determined, pragmatic problem-solver, most days.  It's being able to see the shortest distance between points A & B and making the near impossible happen on a daily basis.  It's the rare ability to withstand the worst weather, most physically demanding punishment of any construction job, and to show up and do a job most people can't possibly comprehend.      

What does it take to make it in this industry?  Hard work, putting in the long hours away from home & family, hustle, and a work ethic from days gone bye.  It requires nerves of steel, balance, fearlessness, bravery, superhuman strength/endurance, the ability to think quickly under extremely stressful situations, and an open mind that realizes you never stop learning about this trade.

With a mixture of shade-tree-mechanics and operating high tech equipment, it's being able to troubleshoot problems on the fly and get the job done no matter what it takes regardless of the terrain, weather, or circumstances.  Meanwhile working with people from all across the spectrum of professional tradesmen/finishers all the way to Youtube-it-homeowners. 

Concrete doesn't always cooperate.  Adjusting to different pump mixes is a balance of chemistry, physics, math, and old fashioned common sense.  Either way, you know how to just "send it" and how to hammer it...

Pumping comes with a mixed bag of emotional ties to your equipment, ties to those few who are the only ones to understand what to really takes to move concrete through steel pipes and rubber hoses, and a sense of pride knowing you are part of an elite circle of truly exceptional workers.  Pumping can build your self-confidence one day, and leave you doubting yourself the next, but it will never leave your thoughts day or night.  

Pump on...

Do you schadenfreude?

 

It’s sad, but not surprising — not everyone in your life will applaud your victories. Sadly, not everyone you like can or will celebrate your accomplishments. Sometimes when we succeed, it reminds them of their failures. It’s not your fault, instead, “it is what it is.” Just think about the depth and strength of character of John the Baptist when, referring to Jesus, John said, “He must increase, I must decrease.” (John 3:30) It’s not easy to be happy for others as they eclipse us.

When your marriage is strong, your work is going well, your children are thriving, whenever you overcome struggles and obstacles, you may long for and hope for the “pat on the back” acknowledgement or at least to have those close to you embrace your achievements. Unfortunately, when we hope for this, we usually set ourselves up for some major disappointment.

Very few people in this world, even those who share your DNA, can truly be happy for you when you “win.” Again, our winning reminds them of their losses.

Just like Cain hated Abel and Saul despised David, people will be unhappy you feel joy. As fallen humanity stains the souls of even the best of us, it’s hard to fight the urge/temptation to be envious, jealous, or even to battle selfishness itself. In fact, instead of rejoicing with us in the good times, many people experience great satisfaction when we stumble and fall. There’s a buzzword for it: Schadenfreude.

Schadenfreude is the word for when we feel pleasure over another’s misfortune. It’s a deep sense of satisfaction over witnessing a huge failure in someone else’s life; that and epicaricacy, another word for describing the delight we take in observing another’s tragedy. I imagine this weekend’s big game will provide an opportunity for this. I can’t say for sure since I won’t be watching it.

My guess is, while you’ve felt these sensations of joy over someone’s trouble, you didn’t know there were words for it. Think about that time you were tempted to resent a co-worker who received the promotion you deserved. Think about the time someone you knew hit a huge milestone with flying colors and you were stuck in a season of the doldrums.

Then again, think about the time you gossiped, gleefully, when your friend was fired or was caught in a scandal. You felt a tinge of guilt, but that guilt paled in comparison to the satisfaction you felt over their demise — that’s schadenfreude.

What’s the opposite of schadenfreude? Solidarity.

It’s hard to imagine that it actually pains people when life goes well for us, that while we experience periods of blessings they feel resentment welling up in their souls. It’s even harder to imagine there are people who rejoice over our pain. The solution? Solidarity. Find people who can celebrate your wins, who can feel joy when you succeed, and who genuinely mourn when you suffer.

For healthier relationships, meditate on these passages, Romans 12:10 and 16:17, “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor,” and “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.” This may pare down your friend circle, but when it comes to friends, quality trumps quantity. “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24)

Click here to read the original article published in the Kingsport Times News

D is for Docket: Inspired by Ray Bradbury's works and current events

The great machine pulsated, its engines whirled. Three days earlier the machine began to stir, yet the experts said it would take another four days before it was awake. Everybody caught their breath as the ground vibrated. Cases of food and water were still being crammed on board. The crowd of onlookers asked, ‘what could take seven days’ to start any machine. The air was charged with amazement from the ominous noises the machine emitted.

The plans to leave earth moved along quickly. There really was no other choice, this world was dying and it was high time to find another one. Earth’s inhabitants were about to become drifters.

The earth’s core mysteriously cooled down while the tectonic-plates froze in place. The planet’s supply of Co2 dwindled to the point that most of the trees died. After the largest solar-flare in a century, the magnetic poles dissolved leaving the bees and birds as directionless as a stampede. Once the bees stopped cross-pollinating crops and after the birds stopped controlling the invading armies of insects, mass famine threatened humanity like a barbarian-horde.

People couldn’t breathe. Storms brewed. The Internet crashed along with the power-grid. Satellites, radios, and cell phones all failed to communicate. With the world deaf, dumb, and blind there was only a prospect of empty shelves in grocery-stores and riots in the streets. The situation on planet earth was as helpless as a stillborn. The solution was all too simple: Escape, abandon, avoid extinction.

There was a bottleneck in the line for entering the ship. The men in white lab-coats sat upright in their chairs, arms folded, clipboards within reach. Medically speaking, so they told the crowds, there was no use bringing people along for a long space voyage if they would risk the health of the entire ship. What went unsaid was, If on the other hand you had some redeeming trait, well then maybe you might make the passage. No one boarded the great ship without the thumbs-up of the white lab coats.

The position of ultimate authority slowly went to the heads of the experts in the white lab coats. At first they were like Founding Fathers - driven by a sense of duty, but over time they succumbed to pride. It was a heady experience, after all, determining who would leave and who would be left on a planet about to die.

The great machine was huge, admission wasn’t entirely a matter of room. There were issues of infecting the healthy passengers or potentially infecting their would-be host planet too, and that had the experts the most concerned. How unethical and uncivilized it would be for us to carry our diseases across the Galaxy. Unthinkable!

The sea of people stretched as far as the eye could see. An elderly man with a limp slowly approached the table of experts. Without even looking up, one of the men in white coats asked, “Occupation?” “Poet, of sorts.” the old man said. The experts leaned in and quietly whispered in each other’s ears. “Do we really need ‘another’ poet?” The consensus was ‘no’ he wasn’t really needed. Though their task wasn’t to make those types of determinations, they took it upon themselves to scrutinize anyway.

A chorus of complaints battered the old man. “How did you get that limp?!?” “Why wasn’t it repaired?” “How old are you?” Finally, one last expert spoke up, “Really? A Poet, humph? How ‘bout you step over here ‘Longfellow’ so-as we can get’s us a better look at you?” Proud of his grammatical lampoons, he offhandedly pointed beyond the line, and directed the old man to step behind a white curtain. Once behind the curtain, they examined him and quickly concluded that the old man should be given the “special” tour.

The approval of the crowd made a few of the experts blush. All eyes were on the old man as he was allowed to board the great machine. The elderly poet saw the unmanned engine-room, the massive underside of the ship where the cargo was being stored, and without a word was taken down a dark hallway. Before long, the old man knew what was happening: The “special” tour allowed people who wouldn’t see the earth from the skies, to see what they were missing. Expelled like a drunken vagrant from a soup-kitchen, he was driven out of the back of the great ship without seeing a soul.

Several artists, poets, musicians, historians and the likes, all met with the same treatment after brief inquiries into family health, diet and exercise habits, short examinations: They were rejected like vandals. At first the experts in the lab coats felt guilty, but over time, really just in a few days, they felt like gods. They would be setting the future right. By weeding out the old, sick, decrepit, the undesirables, especially the unneeded, they would be doing mankind a huge favor. Humans could start off with a clean slate.

A beautiful young woman walked up to the front of the line, much to the pleasure of the experts. She smiled shyly as they openly admired her. The approval of the experts was almost immediate, and, it came without asking her for information of occupation or education. Her young son suddenly stepped out from behind her, sucking his thumb. The tone of the conversation changed as quickly as the appearance of a summertime thunderstorm. “Who is this?” they asked. “Oh, my son, of course.” The young boy stood there, still as a statue, quietly sucking his thumb. “Well now, has he always sucked his thumb?” Embarrassed, the beautiful young lady admitted that as long as she could remember, her son had.

“Why don’t you go on to the ship, young lady, while we examine him. We can’t take any chances, one never knows what lies behind these antisocial infirmities.” The mother was shocked. What could be wrong with an innocent boy’s thumb sucking? The men looked at their watches and down at their clipboards and then at each other. The mother sensed, as they broke eye-contact, that she was risking her own passage on the great machine. Like a person who was partially hypnotized, she walked away, leaving her son in the care of the experts.

On the last day it was finally time for the men in the white lab coats to take their turn stowing their possessions aboard the great machine. With heads held high, they walked to the loading ramp as if they owned the ship. They were blind to the piles of tools, coils of rope and unmarked crates. Having a sense of great accomplishment, the weary band of experts massaged their temples while grumbling about their sacrifices and the long hours they dedicated to the betterment of mankind. Slapping each other on the back, they let out a collective sigh.

“Hold it right there.” A gruff looking soldier held up a hand restricting their path. “What seems to be the problem?” a smug looking expert asked. Without any emotion the soldier said, “Your people will need to follow us.” “Why?” demanded an angry expert. “You will not be in contact with the common passengers.” was the only response. It was about time we were finally appreciated, one of the experts thought aloud.

Certain that their trip wouldn’t be spoiled by mingling anymore with common people, there must be higher-tier accommodations set aside for royalty and celebrities with room for us too, he thought. With heads still held high, the experts marched in step with the soldiers. The soldiers pointed the group of experts to a doorway, halted and saluted. The men in wrinkled lab coats walked on past without ever giving the soldiers another glance.

The long hallway that the soldiers directed them to was impressive, only confirming the aspirations the experts felt. High ceilings with ornate decorations stood in stark contrast to the bland outward appearance of the great machine. Fine oil-paintings from different periods were hung in the long hall. Without noticing, the group passed by a watercolor of a sunset which was paired with a charcoal of a waterfall in a hardwood frame. They were soon deaf to the beautiful music that played through speakers hidden within the walls. Several famous quotes decorated arched-doorways -- all went unread. Shadow boxes housed yellowed documents, but the experts walked on, now seemingly oblivious.

At the end of a long hallway, they were met by a group wearing biohazard-suits. The silent group in their protective suits efficiently escorted the experts off of the ship. The experts protested all the while, asking, then demanding to speak with the officials. The people in the strange looking suits robotically did their job, without a single display of emotion.

The last expert to exit the ship simply asked “Why?” A younger member of the biohazard team answered, “Because, after being exposed to countless ‘rejects’ there’s a real possibility that your group is infected. The inoculation period of many diseases are well over two months, meaning, the risk to the general population aboard the ship would be jeopardized, by you.” “Why not just quarantine us?” the men in the white coats all asked. “Nice try, Mac. If it were that simple, you experts would’ve suggested that long ago for the people you discarded.”

As the great machine defied gravity, slowly passing through the clouds, passengers admired the view. Out of the blue one man wondered out loud, “With all of precautions we’ve made to avoid infecting each other, or the planet we land on...” He paused, swallowing his quinoa, looking quite puzzled he asked, “What happens if we land on a planet filled with germs we aren’t immune to?”

When the "top 1%" consume too much of our thoughts

 


I hear a lot of people complaining about the top “1%” of the wealthiest people. Common folks like us sneer as we gripe about how unfair it is that those people control so much of the world’s wealth. Somehow this wealth makes them bad people. “Let’s just hate them” seems to be the consensus.

What if we all, each of us who can read this page today, are actually the world’s richest people? Comparatively speaking, if you have a toilet in your house, you are way above average. If you have electricity, running water, a cellphone and an automobile, you are grossly wealthy by comparison to billions of people. That’s billions with a B, and you are probably in the top 10% of the bracket of what we call wealthy by living conditions and standards. Not too shabby.

Who really cares about the rich, though. They have their own little world and we have ours, right? Well, again, we are all wealthy in this country. Even if you only make $10,000 a year you are wealthier than over half the world’s population. If you earn $100,000 a year you are in the lower tier of the top 7-9%. If you make between $10,000 and the $100,000 mark, you are in the top 25%. Again, not too shabby.

It’s really unhealthy to worry about what the “rich” people have, when we have so much, all of us. And by the way, our community reaps the rewards of several philanthropists who generously contribute to this region. Most of the wealthy people you think about have worked hard to get where they are. They put in the hours of toil, they made sacrifices the common person is unwilling to make to get where they are, and a healthy portion of them give back.

Why is it unhealthy to worry and complain about the “rich” people? Yes, it’s harder to count your own blessings when you are busy tallying up what your neighbor has, but there’s more. Envy, minimally, rots the core of your soul. If it pains you to see other people experience good fortune, you are guaranteed to be the most sorrowful, unhappiest person in the world. People who succumb to envy are miserable and extremely sad. But it gets worse.

The Bible warns the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil. The Bible doesn’t say possessing money is evil. You know what is evil? Envy. It’s one of the works of the flesh. According to Galatians Chapter 5, people who are envious cannot inherit the Kingdom. It’s that serious.

Paul tells us we should be content with some bare minimums in life — he never said be contentious over what others have. And, Paul, just like Jesus before him, was a recipient of the blessings from wealthy donors whose generosity and contributions funded their ministries.

If you are worried about the souls of the top 1%, pray for them. It is hard to depend on God and trust God when you are that wealthy. I’m sure few people of that status can stay grounded. If you find yourself hating them because of what they have, pray for your own self. Your own soul is most likely in jeopardy if you hate them or envy them for what they have. And please remember how blessed you truly are.

This post was published originally in this link in the Kingsport Times News: Remember how blessed you truly are | Faith | timesnews.net