In our current climate, the idea that there are a few simple things that most, if not all, of us can agree on, is a wild assumption!  

Common sense is not so common, huh?  Instead what we have is confusion, contradiction, and conflict!

In this land of ‘alternative facts’ and relativism, it’s not surprising that even the news is no longer news!  Journalism has been reduced to propaganda and punditry.  Much Christian preaching has been undermined by pageantry, pedantry, and an unhealthy preoccupation with being provocative under the guise of being prophetic.  Education has become socialization rather than illumination and liberation.

All these things are examples of what happens when the Truth (or at least the pursuit of it) is abdicated in the name of profit or pragmatism.  We are untethered – without anchor or foundation. As a result, we find that we have no way of orienting ourselves, nothing around which we may gather.

No common courtesy. No common cause. No common good. No common ground. No common sense. 

Such is our lot when we yield to the instruction of fools…

LORD have mercy on us! 

Good sense is a fountain of life to him who has it, but the instruction of fools is folly.  

Proverbs 16:22

My mother used to say, ‘somebody got to have some sense,’ implying that if we encounter foolishness we ought to be the voices of reason. I pray that we may be so!

Good morning, I love you all!

ihs,

just adam

When God places something or someone on your heart – pay attention.  While every thought is not worthy of intense examination, there are signs and circumstances that should catch our attention.

I don’t know how or when I started enjoying mystery novels, movies, and tv shows, but I do. Maybe it was all those Scooby-Doo episodes from when I was kid.  Who knows!?

But part of unraveling a mystery is as simple as looking and listening carefully- paying attention to details!  To the small things, subtle things, things that may initially seem insignificant,  something that is just a little off or out of place – pay attention! You will be surprised by what you learn. 

While a special perceptiveness may be a gift that some claim, perspective is not so much of a gift as it is a discipline, a  way of seeing from different angles that can be broadened and sharpened with practice!

There are many things that seem mysterious in our lives that aren’t really so.  We can see more if we just look and listen more carefully!  Get it?  

Pay attention!

God speaks to us by Word and Spirit, through other people, through creation, and through our circumstances.  There are signs all around us.  Pay attention!

Sometimes the answers we seek are right in front of us!  

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

Romans 1:20

Good Morning, I love you all!

ihs, 

just adam

Are you the person that people don’t mind calling when something is going on? Do you show up and support others when times get tough? That’s a good thing – God wants us to be reliable and dependable. God wants us to be available to those who are in need – those in trouble!

But, who do you call on when you are going through a tough time? Where do you find support when you are struggling?

Unfortunately, in this world, those who give the most and are found the most reliable are frequently the loneliest and the most overlooked! If this is you, or how you are feeling right now, I want you to take a risk.

Ask for help. Sometimes our drive to serve causes us to suppress our own real needs for support and encouragement. Before long, we find ourselves in a deficit. And while we may continue to show up and make ourselves available – it does not bring us joy. Rather than invigorate and enliven us, it just saps our strength and leaves us feeling wrung out and weary. Ask for help.

Take the risk. Remind people that you are human. Remind them that you have needs. Dare to trust someone enough to lean on them. Everybody needs somebody – no matter how strong we are!

I know it’s frightening and the possibility of being disappointed is real. But what are you really risking? You are already disappointed and probably feeling a little overwhelmed, huh?

Ask for help!

You may be surprised by who shows up and is willing to bless you as you’ve blessed others!

Ask for help!

Good Morning, I love you all!

ihs,

just adam

Our obstacles are often more than just the ‘enemy’ trying to block us.  

Sometimes obstacles are opportunities for us to learn a lesson or develop some character.  Other times our obstacles reveal our weaknesses and blind spots – to keep us humble and available to God’s work within us.

And then sometimes, our obstacles are God’s will.  Sometimes it’s not the enemy, it is not something we did or did not do, sometimes some things are just not God’s will for us.  

I know that’s tough to hear, but sometimes when God prevents something, it’s because He is preparing us for better, protecting us from worse, or preserving us for another work. 

It behooves us to learn to discern so that we are not grieving the Spirit and fighting against God.  I know we think of the Spirit as One who empowers us to do, but sometimes the Spirit says, ‘no!’

When Paul was out on a missionary journey, doing seemingly good work,  the Spirit disrupted his itinerary…

⁶ And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. ⁷ And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.

Acts 16:6–7

Good Morning, I love you all!

ihs,

just adam

When we are confronted with wickedness, we don’t have many choices as to how we respond.  When we are confronted with destructive speech and behaviors, we cannot let it slide.  We cannot suffer bullies, and cruelty is always unacceptable. 

Christ is our Exemplar.  

We cannot claim the full and  abundant life of Jesus for ourselves while withholding it from others.  

Any system or people that endorse meanness, brutality, or hatefulness,  is inconsistent with the religion of Jesus. 

Any system or peoples that actively marginalize or betray the image of God in every human being are inconsistent with the character of a loving and compassionate Creator.  

Any system or peoples that subscribe to systems that prioritize property over people – wealth over the wellness of others, and the witness of Jesus, this is wickedness.

This wickedness must be rejected whenever it appears.

This wickedness must be resisted when it rises within us.

This wickedness must be repented from when we are found guilty.

When confronted with wickedness, we don’t have many choices as to how we respond.  

For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 

Matthew 5:20

Good Morning, I love you all!

ihs,

just adam

On this Easter Monday after a very long Holy Week, I am relying on the Spirit’s power to get up and get moving. Work awaits!  

I am tired for sure, but I am grateful.  

In times like these, we need to be reminded that Jesus’ Resurrection is not just something that occurred two thousand years ago.  But the Resurrection occurs within us over and over again!  

The Spirit of Christ lives and dwells within us! It is the power of His resurrection that lifts and energizes us. So while you reach for your morning cup of coffee or tea – that eye opener- pause for a moment and sense the Spirit that is yet at work within you.

Remember…

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Romans 8:11

Good Morning, I love you all!

ihs,

just adam

I must admit that from my young adulthood when I first became a Christian up to now, I have always wondered why the day that Jesus died is called Good Friday.

Did someone have a strong sense of irony?  Were they as sarcastic as my youngest daughter?  What’s up with this?  

I’m sure I could do some research or just google it, but I’d rather just sit with the paradox.  Hmm.

I remember the story of Joseph.  Joseph was Jacob’s favorite but hated by his brothers!  They conspired to kill him but quickly determined that selling him as a slave was more palatable.  

Years later and in the middle of a famine, these brothers would have to rely on the same brother they betrayed for their daily bread.  When Jacob later died, the brothers feared retribution.  Joseph refused retaliation and offered grace that foreshadows Jesus’ grace from the cross. This is what Joseph said:

Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. 

Genesis 50:20 NRSV

What makes this Friday good? Only God – only grace to save many lives.

Good morning, I love you all!

ihs,

just adam