Fear factor

In his Pulitzer Prize winning book, “The Denial of Death”, Ernest Becker speaks of the fears that we grapple with in each of our lives. Some of those are fear of rejection, abandonment, failure, separation, and loss. However, are those mere manifestations of the one ultimate fear - the fear of death? Maybe he is right! How do we overcome that ultimate fear?

Faith. It is the only antidote that will exercise the demons of fears that can haunt us. For some, death takes away our control of our life. Can death be seen in divorce? Can death be seen in alcoholism? Can death be seen in abuse? Death is after destruction of a storm that has weathered in our lives. Death can be seen in divorce as an end to a relationship. However, the haunting of the other spouse continues to rehash the pain and there is no control.

Death can also be seen in alcoholism as it kills relationships with others, or the body and sometimes the consequences of drunk driving. There is no control when a drunk kills. Death does take away the control of life. Have you ever seen the movie “Meet Joe Black”? It is the spin-off of an earlier movie entitled “Death Takes a Holiday”. There are no boundaries when it comes to human life. When people are faced with death, hair turns white and the skin turns pale like white ash. Death is like a black blanket overwhelming your breath and you lose control to its powers. You find yourself surrendering helplessly into the blackness.

Stephen Crane wrote a poem: A man said to the universe, "I exist." "That may be true," said the universe, "however that has never created in me a sense of obligation to you." There are many of us who can relate to Crain and have cried out in pain and despair. The cries can be heard or sometimes we turn to our own self-devices to ease the pain. We usually pray and expect something to be done.

What do we really expect God to hear, to care, to act? Or, are we only talking to ourselves? On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him.

A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?" And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" Mark 4:35-41

People who loved Him deeply asked two of the most compelling questions in the New Testament of Jesus. When a fierce storm threatened to sink their boat in the Sea of Galilee. His disciples asked, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" (Mark 4:38). On another occasion, Mary was listening to Jesus, and Martha being upset and furiously barged in from the kitchen and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? (Luke 10:40)

People who had seen the power of Jesus and expected Him to step in and relieve their anxiety asked both questions. When it seemed that the Lord was ignoring their situation, an element of exasperation was added: "Don't You care?" I woke up one morning at 4am and heard my daughter crying in her room. I gently called to her as I was getting out of my bed to go see her. “Amber… Amber. Are you okay?” She said she was scared and I explained to her to come with Daddy. I held her in my arms and we fell asleep. The next morning as I was taking her to school she held my hand and looked at me with tender eyes and said, “Thank you for cuddling me and keeping me safe last night.” We do not know the voice in which Jesus spoke to his disciples but I can only imagine He could have used a gentle voice like I used with my daughter.

Listen and imagine Jesus saying the following, “Why are you so fearful?" "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things" When we're feeling alone or overwhelmed by our circumstances, we often cry out, "Lord, don't You care?" But when Jesus calms our storm and speaks our name, we realize that we have much more to learn. What can we truly learn from all of this? Have you really read the scripture? Let’s pull something out of it and examine it more closely. Notice these men were fishermen! They have been through storms before! They were veterans and they were confident in their own strength. Jesus was fast asleep and the storm didn’t bother Him. When we begin to rely on ourselves we begin to think that we don’t need God. We try to fix our problems by ourselves. When we have God in our lives we can sleep through the storm and be at peace in knowing that He will take care of us.

We know what it feels like at times to wonder whether God cares or whether we matter. Then it happens in our life, much like it happened to the disciples. Suddenly, Jesus speaks a word and the storm is over. It has passed. On the surface it would seem that the problem of the disciples had been solved, and they would cheer in celebration. But understand what the text says because the implications are great. Rather than removing their fear, Jesus multiplied it. They had been afraid of the storm. Now everything was up for grabs. Everything they had known and everything they had experienced was questioned. This person could speak a word and calm the wind and the water!

When God is working in our life, the peace is so overwhelming we become afraid of it. Maybe God has put someone special into your life and you are overwhelmed by it. We are much more comfortable when we can explain things, when we are able to categorize and to use God’s message in our lives. However, when God breaks through the storms in our lives, sometimes He has to calm the child and not the storm. God has to enable us to trust in Him.

Nobody is trouble-free. God's people are not exempt. When faced with troubles, we often turn to God and see Him more clearly or in a new way. He often molds our life through trouble. Will your trouble make you bitter or better? If your storm is still in your life then God is trying to calm you and hold you. Sometimes the Father is already calling you and wanting to invite you into his arms of safety.

When was the last time you looked with tender eyes and said “Thank you for holding me last night and keeping me safe”? Let go and let God control the storm. Let Him calm the inner child within you by being aware of the signs and messages He gives you. Peace be still. Are you ready to let go of the control in your life and let God weather the storm for you? Don’t be troubled by many things for this only strengthens the storms in your life. Don’t let the fear of death take you away from God.

Peace be still.

Say it over and over and soon you will have peace. Just fall asleep in the boat of your life and let God bring you safely through the storms of your life. Peace be still in your heart. You don’t have to worry about the economy when you know your riches are in Him who will provide as long as you have faith.

May God bless you and let Him calm your soul.God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, Psalms 46:1-2

Gone Batty?

Bats are the only true flying mammals that are primarily nocturnal animals. Occasionally, sometime before sunset, many fly early in the evening capturing insects. Being mammals, bats have hair and they give birth to living young and feeding them on milk from mammary glands. Bats are more abundant in the tropics and there are more than 900 species of bats worldwide.

Beyond the common myths that bats can’t see, it is scientifically known that bats can see better than we do at night and many bats can “see” in the dark by using echolocation (or sonar). Echolocations are pulses of very high-frequency sound (inaudible to human ears) at a rate of a few to 200 per second. Bats listen to the echoes reflected back to them and they can discern their flight path. Their ability is so acute that they can avoid obstacles such as a thin piece of thread in complete darkness and are also able to capture tiny insects while in flight.

In the world of pain and sorrow and prayers that seem to go unanswered, sometimes there appears to be no hope for the future, especially when you cry out and all you can hear is an echo. Climbing high into the mountains one can scream and hear the echo pierce the sky ringing back with what seems to be an answer. “Hello?” The echo comes back repeating in harmony: ”Hello?” It’s almost like looking in a mirror. You can see your reflection and now your voice comes back giving you the same reflection you once blurted out. “Where are you?” Still being consistent, the voice rings back: ”Where are you?” Sometimes we get frustrated with the answers we get back. Then we blurt out, “I’m here stupid” and as it forcefully goes out into the land, it bounces back threefold as it answers to you, ” I’m here stupid”.

Perception plays a key role as we begin to communicate. Sometimes we do not realize what we are sending off by our body language or by our words. Without thinking or realizing the surroundings that we put ourselves into, we get upset. Sometimes through frustration or anger we blurt out, “You’re the one that is stupid”, and yet life throws its same response in unison to us as it echoes back from the mountaintops, “You’re the one that is stupid.” Have you ever gone into a cave or a cavern? You can make a sound and it echoes back to you. Whether you are on top of the world or whether you’re down in the earth, there is always an echo wherever you go. Does it ever make you stop and think, realizing that most likely you will get back what you are putting into it?

“Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return." Luke 6:38

Hello!”

The echo rings back positive with no question as it shouts back, “Hello!” You can hear the enthusiasm coming back in your own voice from the echo. Mustering all the strength you have left in you, you begin to yell. “You are a great person!” And being in consistency, it rings back like if you were looking at a reflection of yourself in the mirror. “You are a great person”. Whatever we put into our lives is what we will receive back.

There might be a person that perceives you different than you perceive yourself. When you believe you are a good person knowing that you give to others and someone indicates that they don’t think you are, it causes you to evaluate yourself. When you know your own heart, then you will know their perception is not a true reflection of who you are. It is just a delusion that may force you off your beaten path of service if you allow it. It is my prayer that you won’t let that happen.

Life is filled with negativity. I wonder how many of us are negative against life or even ourselves? Want to stop the cycle of feeling bad? Want to stop the cycle of wondering if someone will treat me right? Want to stop the cycle of feelings of how you feel?

Listen to your echo in life. Just as the bats use echo to guide them in the darkness, we too can use our echo of our voice to guide us through our times of darkness. Listen to the echo and be like a bat and allow the echoes to guide you. If we are made in HIS image shouldn't the Bible be an echo to our life? Remember what we give out to others is what we will receive in return. If we are judgmental, then others will judge us in the same manner. If we are forgiving then others will be forgiving in the same manner as we are. If we play with people’s emotions then it will be returned to us. “Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.” Luke 6:31

Okay. I know what you are thinking because I have been there too. There are some that you give to and you feel spent because there is nothing coming back in return. Remember echo has to have something to bounce off of. What if a person is foggy like a mirror? You can’t see your reflection. What if a person doesn’t realize how to give and has not elasticity to return anything to you? This is when we have to move in a different direction until we find an echo that is able to give.

Hello? Hello? It makes a difference in how we believe in ourselves. It makes a difference in how we believe in ourselves. I did that on purpose so you may understand that you are a good person. God made you in HIS IMAGE. If HE gives us His love shouldn’t we love as well? What about the person that can’t give back? You just keep on loving them and maybe one day it will return to you. Remember everything we do is in HIS timing and not ours. Follow HIS voice. “And He was saying to them all, ""If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Luke 9:34 Hello! You can do it! Just believe! It will be measured to you as it runs over into your lap. Are you listening to your echo? Does it reflect Jesus in your life?

For Better or For Worse? Doing the impossible: LOVE

Job 1:20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." 22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

On 21 June 2001, a dark day for a successful family man that also worked for the NASA's Johnson Space Center. Russell Yates had five children. Their mother, Andrea Yates, had drowned four sons and one baby girl in the family’s bathtub in Houston, Texas.

Andrea Yates, 36, could face the death penalty if found guilty of killing her five children. Mr. and Mrs. Yates were married for eight years. Mrs. Yates suffered from postpartum depression after the births of their two youngest children, and was also distraught over the recent death of her father. These events sparked another lapse of depression. '

'I've got really two tragedies: one is my children and the other is my wife,'' Yates, 36, said. ''What happened was just incomprehensible . . . . One side of me blames her because she did it, but the other side of me says she didn't.'' "She wasn't in her right frame of mind. She loved our kids. Anybody that knew her knew that." ' 'I've got to remember she wasn't herself. . . . And Andrea, if you see this, I love you.'' (taken from watching CBS News)

Can something good come out of something so tragic? I will let the one that reads this message determine this answer. This is a tough message to write as I struggle within to pull something good. However, I didn't have to pull anything good out of it. It's already there. Can you find it? Do you see the good?

Perception is everything. To perceive is to pay attention to details or behavior for the purpose of arriving at a conclusion or come to the realization of events or facts that has taken place in one's own environment. When one has the right perception without being deluded with false information or false ideas, one can have a clear perception to handle accurately the situation that occurs around one's own environment. The focus and perception must have God centered first. One can not change what happens to them but one can change how one thinks and believes about those situations one encounters.

Two people came together eight years ago and were married. For better or for worse are vows that both had made in a commitment before God and to each other. The worse has happened and notice what he said. "And Andrea, if you see this, I love you.'' No matter what she had done he still stood by her and told her he loved her. It reminds me of this verse, 1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

No matter what a person might do in one's life God will always love. David knew the love for he expressed it in his writings of Psalms. Psalm 136:26 Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever. I am not condoning what she did was right. I am thanking Mr. Yates for his example. Whether he is a Christian or not, his behavior and commitment is an example to everyone. The question remains within this message: Can one maintain the love one has after the tragedy this man has gone through? It's a matter of one's own perception.

Do you know that when one may sin in one's life that God will also continue to love? 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.Just as Mr. Yates is patient with his wife and I'm sure he doesn't want his wife to perish.

The point of this message is not to say to keep sinning, so that God's love will keep flourishing. The point of the message is to continually trust in God even when you do wrong and to know that His love is unfailing. Psalm 52:8 But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever.

One should examine to see if one could have the attitude of Mr. Yates and be able to continue to accept and to love another person. Second, one should trust in the Lord when tragedy strikes and not to blame God. Job didn't blame God. Third, recognize that when one sins, one can be forgiven. Finally, remember that it might seem impossible to forgive or to love but with God all things are possible. Mark 10:27 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." Keeping in mind with this attitude one can do anything and to forgive and to love one has a much happier life because God gives that peace that passes all understanding.

When tragedy strikes in one's life just remember how to look at it with God. Allow God to work in your life. Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Love others no matter what happens and be able to forgive, BECAUSE OF HIM, He continues to love us and continues to forgive us. How much are you willing to love?

Forgiving the unforgiven

Wherever one may go in life they must remember the Spirit of God that has called them to freedom. Sometimes one has allowed friends, jobs, or family to quench the freedom and kill the life within. Soon, one could find them burned out and imprisoned to the earthly things of which one has been called to freedom. Thankfullness for life disappears.

Prison or jail is not fun. When I was working in the Criminal Investigations Unit for the United States Army, I was able to go to a prison and sit in a pod and watch the inmates. I often pondered what they did in life to put them in this predicament. There were some in prison for being a murderer, some were dealing drugs, some were being a drug addict and in all these cases a wrong or an injustice was made upon a victim. Just being physically imprisoned is nothing into comparison to being emotionally imprisoned.

Many relationships are destroyed by the unwillingness to forgive. Some people want to be able to forgive others or even ones’ own faults and mistakes made in life. Some want to hang on to the suffering and never see closure, in which causes them to be a victim to themselves. Some want to destroy other peoples lives for mistakes which were made to them. Hanging on to a wrong is like keeping a slow stewing volcano within ones soul. The next wrong being done can cause an extreme explosion of anger and violence.

Don’t believe me? Remember Columbine High School shooting? What about a spouse that holds on to a suffered wrong and then lashes out in anger because something else just lit the fire. Holding on to suffering from wrong doings is painful and it keeps one stuck in the tar pit. Being stuck in a tar pit like a dinosaur. It will only devour one and soon makes one a living fossil. How can one be able to let go and let God? It is all in perception and attitude of how to encounter the situations one may face. The reality is recognizing that God is in control and that the power to choose to forgive comes from the strength of God.

Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

If I had a bucket full of rocks is it full? Some have answered yes. If I had a bucket full of water is it full? Some have answered yes. However, if I had a bucket full of rocks it isn’t full. I can still put gravel in, along with sand and water. Then the bucket becomes full with substance. If I had the bucket of water then it is full and if I was to add other things to it, the water would over flow. This was the meaning behind Paul’s message in Colossians. One must put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Notice that Love is the last mentioned and it could be that Love is the hardest to obtain over compassion or being gentle. Love covers a multitude of things.

1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.When one has love it is easier to choose to forgive than to hold anger within and never to forgive. Take a big rock and drop it into the bucket of water. Notice how it splashes everywhere. That is anger without forgiveness. Take gravel and pour it into the bucket of rocks. Notice how the gravel blends and melds with the rocks? That is compassion working with gentleness and allowing humility to offer forgiveness when sand and water are added in and together it binds it in love. What is forgiveness? Forgiveness is a way of releasing the pain from the actions of others. From the release one ceases to be a victim and it releases the judgment against the offender. Forgiveness is not just for the offender but mainly designed for the forgiver.

Forgiveness is a release from the pain and wrong doing that one has suffered. It is a gift and comfort of peace that mends relationships. What do I mean? Joseph suffered wrongdoing by the hands of his brothers. Genesis 50:17 `This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.' Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father." When their message came to him, Joseph wept. Forgiveness started from God. Man sinned from the beginning. God sent His Son down for one to be able to be forgiven of one’s sin. Matthew 6:15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. It is because of HIM all are forgiven. Be free today and forgive others and one will begin to see the burden will be up lifted. Forgiveness is as if nothing has happened and you work together in rebuilding the relationship.

Depression is caused by many things and not forgiving and harboring bitterness is one of them. Jesus could have harbored ill feelings to those who wanted to kill Him but instead, He asked God to forgive them. Life is better when you let go of the wrong which has been done to you. Open you heart and forgive and you can see the burden lifted. God forgave us and that burden of wrong has been lifted. Someday He is coming back to take us home. Don't let an unforgiving or spiteful attitude bind you to the cross. Let go and let GOD uplift your spirit. It's all about Him. Yes, we all make mistakes and yet we are all forgiven. Thanks to the Father for the gift of Grace.