The Salt of the Earth

We are the salt of the earth.  

In the days in which this was spoken, there was no refrigeration. Salt was used to prevent the corruption and degradation of food. We are called to prevent the corruption and degradation of the society in which we live. We cannot do that by remaining uninvolved in the political process. Ours is not only the right to vote and encourage others to do the same. Ours is the responsibility.

There are many who wear the label of Christian who are refusing to vote in November because they refuse to vote for a Mormon. Mitt Romney was not my first choice, but he is our only choice against Obama. Now is not the time for a misplaced sense of righteous indignation. Now is the time for unity as we stand together against another four years of the current administration carrying out a decades-old strategy to nullify our Constitution and the individual liberties it guarantees us.

If you think this is business as usual, think again. We are at a crossroads in our nation. Our freedom is at stake. Our future is at stake. With the same resolve that our founding fathers stood against tyranny as they established this free nation, so must we now unite as one and ardently fight against the forces that would strip away our liberty and move us toward socialism and worse.

They fought with guns and cannons. Our weapon is our vote. We CAN turn this ship around. There is no perfect candidate, so stop expecting one and using imperfection as an excuse not to fulfill YOUR civic duty. 

THINK! ACT! PRAY! VOTE!

No More Bodies

Several bodies have been found near water in the past several weeks in the Austin area - at least one a week. Another one was in the news this morning. I do not think this is a coincidence.

Ezekiel 47 speaks of life-giving water flowing out from the sanctuary to the surrounding area. This fresh water changes its environment, even transforming the Dead Sea into a place where life thrives. Only the stagnant waters of the swamps and marshes remain unaffected.

The natural world we see around us often reflects what is happening in the spiritual realm; I believe this trail of bodies is not to be overlooked by God's people. It is a picture of those who come to a place of refreshing only to come face-to-face with death itself - and in most (if not all) of the recent deaths in the local news, they have died alone.

So here is what I am asking: Is this a reflection of the unintended affect the Church has had on the world around us as we have directed our attention and resources on building mini-empires and internal programs? Have we failed to effectively carry the water of life that flows from the throne to those who need it the most?  Have we become stagnant swamps, unaffected by the living water that passes us by on its way to bring hope, healing and restoration where it is needed, carried by those who dare to break free from "church as usual" and follow the persistent urging of the Spirit of God who still hovers over the face of the deep?

Ezekiel clearly describes a steady stream of life-giving water (we are the water) that comes out from the sanctuary (God's presence)  that flows so freely that it restores life wherever it goes. Multitudes of fish of every kind (all kinds of people from different backgrounds) live in these waters. Trees on both banks bear fruit monthly (not just seasonally) and bear lasting fruit that never fails (discipleship) and leaves that do not wither and provide healing (regenerating resurrection power).

This is the mission of the Church. It is what we must aspire to be - a conduit of the presence of the Most High that pours out from inside the walls that would contain it into the world around us with such volume that it becomes a river no one can cross. 

Until life flourishes and no more bodies are found along our banks...

Have We Overlooked the Obvious Cure for Our Social Ills?

I had a conversation the other day with a lady who was not happy about how difficult it is for some people to get government assistance to help them with their day-to-day existence. She was also upset that millionaires and billionaires have so much while she has so little. In one candid moment, she revealed the heart of the matter when she said, "They have the lifestyle that I want." She went on to say that if you are a millionaire or billionaire, you should "do something with it. Don't show me your yacht, because I get motion sickness, and I would not enjoy it anyway."

During this same conversation, she let it slip that she has not held a job since she was laid off more than ten years ago. "But I'm not worried about it," she said. "I'm still waiting. I know that the right job will pop up in front of me one of these days." I think we just found the problem.

I find it interesting that those who begrudge others enjoying the fruit of their labor (a nice car, big house, boat or other nicety - and feel somehow they are entitled to approve of such niceties), when they themselves come into sudden or new-found monies do not go help others with it but rather make a beeline for the nearest mall and load up on as much "stuff" as they can find. It's why so many lottery winners end up broke in a very short period of time. They don't know how to manage what they have, and they resent those who do. Please hear my heart on this. I am not being critical or judgmental. This is simply an observation I have made again and again while doing outreach ministry and volunteer work with this sector of our society.

This mindset starts in childhood. Give two siblings a dollar. Little Johnny will spend a little and save the rest. Little Timmy blows the entire wad immediately on candy, gum or some little trinket. The candy and gum are eaten and chewed and the trinket breaks. This happens week after week until finally Little Johnny has saved up enough to buy himself the latest video game. Suddenly Timmy resents Johnny and feels entitled to have equal access to Johnny's game. Johnny may decide out of the goodness of his heart to share his game with Timmy, but he doesn't have to. It's his game. He saved for it and bought it so he could enjoy it.  

As our nation writhes under the most lawless administration in our history, we have become a nation plagued by class warfare, abortion, human trafficking, pornography, homosexuality, homelessness and a host of other social ills that run rampant in a fatherless society. We run around putting Barbie band-aids on gaping, bleeding, infected wounds, pop a little pill and try to forget about the pain. All the while the cancers of socialism and communism are taking over. In the same way that we ignore the symptoms and delay going to the doctor because we are afraid of what the diagnosis might be, we have ignored the societal symptoms that have been screaming at us that there is infection in the body, and we pretend not to notice. We are busy and don't have time to deal with that right now.

The cure to the social sicknesses that have snuffed the life out of other cultures in the past does not lie in government policies or regulations, more taxes, fewer taxes or any other man-made systems. The cure is in the Word of God. It always has been. 

Some who are wealthy are miserable because they thought money would fill the void in their heart. 

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”  (Matthew 4:4)

Some who are poor resent the wealthy and want what they have.

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”  (Exodus 20:17)

Abortion has kept tens of millions of children from seeing the light of day.

“You shall not murder."  (Exodus 20:13)

Human trafficking uses and abuses countless numbers of young women and children every single day.

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?"  (Isaiah 58:6)

Homosexuality, pornography and other sexual sins hold people in bondage.

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  (John 8:32)

Drugs, alcohol, sex, food, spending and other addictions keep Christians and non-Christians alike in secret prisons.

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you."  (Acts 1:8) 

"And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you."  (Romans 8:11)

It's easy to point fingers and call people out for the things they do that are wrong, because it feeds our own carnal desire to be placed above someone else. 

"Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you."  (Romans 12:3)

Our God-shaped desire for justice and liberty cries out against the individuals who seek to promote injustice and to take away our liberty. But remember:

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."  (Ephesians 6:12) 

So, you see, we have at our fingertips the very cure for every social sickness that plagues our nation. The Word of God is power that heals and truth that sets us free. The question is whether or not we dare to use it - because in order for it to be truly effective, we must apply in internally first. Don't pick out scriptures that prove your point and throw them at others like grenades in an effort to make them act right. The only thing you accomplish with that is to leave a trail of bodies and broken relationships.

"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation."  (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

Start with your own heart. Line up your own thoughts, words, actions and habits with the Word. Then take a few select passages, place them in your slingshot, swing that thing over your head and nail the enemy between the eyes. A single, well-placed blow to the enemy will do more to further the purposes of God than an entire arsenal of verses strewn about like scattershot at each other. 

And after all, isn't that we are all about? Isn't that what we are destined to do - to serve the purposes of God in our own generation?

"Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  

(Matthew 6:10)

Nurturing the Poor: Nanny Government or Bride of Christ?

People are talking – a lot. In the aftermath of the recent Supreme Court decision to uphold Obamacare (and the subsequent debates over the extension of Bush-era tax cuts), I have encountered several comments and conversations recently about the responsibility of working Americans to fund the lifestyles of those who do not work. What I find most disturbing are two misconceptions many Christians seem to have in regards to this issue. I would like to address both of them.

Misconception #1: Poor is poor. There is really no difference. We should give money to them all.

In my experience in outreach ministry, which for years has been largely based around those of limited financial means, I have found that there are basically three types of “poor” – (1) those who are passing through, (2) those who are camping out and (3) those who dwell in poverty.

The Visitors
In the first group are those who have lost a job or home, had a major medical situation or suffered some kind of a temporary financial setback. Most of these folks have no problem working to support themselves and their families. They want to be self-sufficient and strive to be so, but they need a little help getting over the hump until things turn around for them. These are the ones who are most often overlooked by the government and the church and too often end up trapped in poverty because they make too much to get any real assistance from the government and not enough to break out of their current situation and really thrive financially.

The Campers
These are the occupiers – they are occupying a territory they don’t really belong in, but they like it here and really have no intention of moving on. They live on government assistance by choice, because they have figured out how to work the system, staying under the radar, doing just enough to qualify for every government program they can while doing as little actual work as possible. Even though they are fully capable of supporting themselves, they simply choose not to. When these individuals are offered work that pays well, they turn it down, because their paycheck would jeopardize their taxpayer-funded income, which has come to be something they feel they must protect at all costs. They see their lifestyle as one of leisure because since they don’t work, they can spend their days doing whatever they want. They don’t want to give this up to go to work.

These are the ones who drain the resources unnecessarily and stomp all over every last nerve of hardworking taxpayers who see their tax dollars funding the lifestyles of people who believe that having others pay their way for them is somehow a right. It is this entitlement attitude that Paul addressed in the Thessalonian church when he established the rule, “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10)

The Dwellers
In the third group are those who live in poverty because it is all they know (the result of multi-generational poverty) or who cannot work for some reason (children, the disabled, the elderly). These are the ones about whom no one really complains about providing for, either through taxes, through churches, organizations and ministries or giving directly to the need.

I think the problem is that most of the time, we group all these people together and call them “the needy” or “the poor”. Doing so incites an emotionally charged argument over the roles of government and the church in helping them. Some see only the genuinely needy and feel that those who want to cut funding to them are heartless and selfish. Others see only the “frequent flyers” who abuse the system and are sick and tired of seeing their hard-earned money going to fund their lazy lifestyles. What we often overlook is that we are, in fact, talking about three distinct groups of people, and I believe that as stewards of what God has entrusted to us (it all belongs to Him), we need to address each group individually.

We should assist the “visitors” in getting them over the temporary hurdle so they can return to supporting themselves and their families. They in turn are able to become a blessing to others. This is what they want, what we want for them, and what society needs from them.

The “campers” may require a more “tough love” approach as we perhaps help with immediate needs but insist that they become productive in some way, cutting off the permanent assistance plan. If they are unwilling to work to earn what they receive, are we really being wise and faithful stewards when we continue to feed and provide for them, which leaves less in the coffers for those with legitimate needs who cannot take care of themselves? It is for the good of themselves, their families and society as a whole that they learn the Biblical principles of work and reward. We are to lead them to a place where they are willing to allow God to change their hearts from being takers to being givers and in turn be a blessing to others.

The “dwellers” are where we all agree that we (the CHURCH) should have stepped up a long time ago. This is where the cheerful giving of whatever we are able to give comes in. They are the widows, the orphans, the helpless, the sick and wounded, the elderly and those unable to care for themselves. These are the ones we cannot turn our backs on. These are the needs that we are moved by the Lord’s compassion to meet, whether directly or indirectly. When we are obedient in meeting these needs, we receive not only the immediate blessing of the joy that comes from being able to help someone but an even greater reward awaits us on the other side of eternity.

Unfortunately, however, the Church has not adequately stepped up to the plate to fulfill this part of her mission. We as the Body of Christ in America have abandoned this part of our destiny in pursuit of other more self-gratifying endeavors, leaving the meeting of these needs to someone else.

Enter the government (aka We the People). We pay (not give) our taxes to a government entity to redistribute a portion of what we earn to provide money to those who have not earned it (whether or not they are able to try). Unfortunately, our government has a history of mishandling those funds by redirecting them to other places and by not implementing a system by which true eligibility can be determined and verified. So people learn how to work the system and collect money they have not earned from those who did, leaving not enough to adequately care for those with legitimate need. This in turn motivates the government to raise taxes and take even more money from those who earn it to give to those who don’t, and the cycle continues.

Our government is not the vessel by which the Word of God instructs us meet the needs of the widow, the orphan and the poor. That vessel is the Church. If local churches would adequately channel our gifts to these individuals and families, their needs would be met. But most churches spend too much on buildings, staff salaries, utilities, media and sound equipment, advertising and “stuff” to have much left over to actually meet any needs. In fact, most churches, when approached by someone in need, will turn them away because they don’t have the resources in the church budget to help them. This is a shameful fact about the Church in America today.

We faithfully bring our tithes and offerings into the storehouse thinking we are furthering the kingdom of God, when all we are actually funding is the building (which spends more time closed than it does open), staff salaries and a handful of social events that promote not the kingdom of God but another man-made empire. Think I’m being too harsh? Ask to see a copy of your church’s books for the last year. Look at how much came in through tithes and offerings. Now take a good long look at the expenses and how much was spent helping those in need as opposed to the other expense categories. We run our churches like a business rather than like a living organism. We have applied the world’s concepts of business management to an organism that was never intended to function like a business, but like a family.

So we are left with individually meeting the needs directly. When we see someone in need, if we have it in our ability to meet that need (in whole or in part), we are instructed by God’s Word to do so. Period.

Give to Caesar what it Caesar’s – absolutely. But let our tax dollars be used for providing services that benefit ALL our citizens and for defending our country against all enemies foreign and domestic. Tax less and leave more money in the hands of the people who earn it so they (we) can meet the legitimate needs of those around us. This brings us to the second misconception.

Misconception #2: Paying taxes is the same thing as giving a gift.

Here is where I have heard many confused Christians lately reprimand other believers who oppose higher taxes; they immediately start quoting scriptures about giving, mistakenly equating paying taxes with giving to the kingdom of God. One of their favorites is:

“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7

Here in this one verse is actually found the answer to this misconception. It is in the two words, “under compulsion.” A tax is something we are commanded by the laws of man to pay (under compulsion). Failure to do so results in a penalty. Giving a cheerful gift to further the work of God’s Kingdom on earth is something we are commanded by the principles of God to do (cheerful giver). There is a huge difference. Let’s not confuse the two.

Finally, I challenge all of us to stop giving to get a tax deduction. Making sure we get that tax receipt is too often at the forefront of our thinking as we give. We are to give out of obedience to the Lord, with a cheerful and thankful heart and because we have the ability to do so – for therein lies the blessing.

Summer Travel Tips to Protect Your Identity

The following is from one of my business blogs, Barefoot Biz Blog. It is from a publication I just released offering practical tips to protect your identity and other personal and financial information while vacationing this summer. Enjoy - and stay safe!

Summer is here in all its sunshiny glory, and visions of lounging on a beach with a fruity beverage and feeling the sand between your toes may have you counting down the minutes until your vacation begins.

While you may not be worried about something sinister lurking just under the water’s surface, it may be prudent to be aware that an unsavory element could be lurking nearby.

A little awareness and a few proactive steps can go a long way toward protecting your sensitive information from falling into the wrong hands.

Freestyle Business Solutions has released a new Identity Insider: Summer Travel Tips to Protect Your Identity. The publication includes tips for social media, tagging your luggage, protection of personal electronic devices, what items to carry with you, keeping your home safe while you are gone and much more.

Read more.

Treating Spiritual Dehydration

I recently saw a show on public television about a climber who was stuck on a mountain after an accident left him with a broken leg. Severely dehydrated, freezing, weak and exhausted, he slowly made his way down the mountain, mostly by sitting and dragging himself down - a process that took days.

During the warmest part of the day, as the sun was melting the snow and ice beneath him, he could often hear water running somewhere below in ice crevices. At some points, it was nearly maddening for him to be able to hear the water he so desperately needed to quench his relentless thirst but be unable to see it or reach it.

Finally, he came across a tiny crack in the rock where water was trickling out. He laid down and put his face to the ground, licking the water directly off the rock. He found a way to dig around the rock and create a small pool where the water could gather, and he lapped up the life-restoring flow until he could hold no more.

"As I drank, I could feel my strength returning to me," he said, "and I knew I would be able to finish this journey and make it the rest of the way down."

When a body is dehydrated, organs do not function properly. Strength is sapped, and it is difficult to concentrate or think clearly.

So it is with the spirit. Our spirit can become severely dehydrated, causing various aspects of our lives to not function properly. Our strength is depleted and we find ourselves struggling for clarity and direction, seemingly unable to do anything more than keep breathing and getting through each day, much less living in any kind of victory.

"This is my comfort and consolation in my affliction: 

that Your word has revived me and given me life."

~ Psalm 119:50 (Amplified)

I could not help but remember what this climber said about his strength returning to him as he drank when I (a few days later) was spending a little time in the Psalms before bed. As I read, the words that I needed to hear poured into my spirit bringing comfort, direction and hope. I felt my spirit being renewed and refreshed - I felt my strength returning.

The Word of God is filled with what we need not only to sustain, but to thrive. Our spirits are designed to be fueled by His word and His presence. Nothing else can replace these two things in our lives. There is no shortage of counterfeit things that will try to take the place of God's word and His presence, but they can never satisfy our thirst for Him - it is not possible. This is by design.

And so, dear reader, be encouraged with this - make time to spend with God as often as possible. Soak in His presence and let His word wash over you. Here in the flow of these ancient words of life, we find healing, strength, hope, peace, joy, clarity and so much more. Here is where we are renewed, refreshed and recharged, not only for our own benefit, but also for the benefit of those around us.

"Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, 

'Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! 

For the Scriptures declare, "Rivers of living water will flow from his heart."'"

~ John 7:38 (The Message) 

 

How Did We Get Here, and How Do We Get Back?

Published April, 2012 in The Town Messenger

Individual freedom is something we cherish and most of the time take completely for granted. We assume that tomorrow we will enjoy the same basic freedoms that we do today with the same confidence that we believe the sun will rise in the morning. We joke about our freedoms slipping away one by one, but this is no laughing matter. If you are not sobered by the fact that you are not nearly as free as you think you are, then you have already been affected by the desensitization that liberty’s enemies (which have very real names and faces, by the way) have been spoon-feeding us for decades.

Last week the Supreme Court heard arguments regarding a piece of legislation that would strip every one of us of our individual right to choose. In an effort to reclaim states’ rights and protect our individual freedom, Texas and several other states filed suit regarding the constitutionality of the individual mandate of Obamacare – that requirement that every American citizen, regardless of preference, purchase their (the government’s) approved healthcare plan or pay a penalty. The fact that a mandate regarding what we as “free” American citizens spend our hard-earned money on is included in ANY piece of legislation should make our cumulative blood boil.

In March of 2010, when Nancy Pelosi stood up in front of Congress and the American people and said, “We have to pass the bill so that you can, uh, find out what is in it away from the fog of the controversy,” (view video) the ground rumbled as every one of our founding fathers rolled over in their graves, emitting an other-worldly chorus of, “What the …?” And on this side of the grass, millions of us sat in front of our televisions, computer screens and smart phones, dumbfounded that an educated woman could stand there and make such an asinine statement with a smile on her face as if she were discussing with her grandchildren why we they have to go to bed early. This one statement (and the reasoning behind it) goes down in the historical recesses of my mind as evidence of the unfathomable irresponsibility with which our current “leaders” govern this country. And the fact that she and her cohorts still have their jobs speaks to the fact that too many of us still just don’t get it.

Does our healthcare system need reform? Absolutely – but not at the expense of our individual freedom. Friedrich Hayek said,

“Freedom can be preserved only if it is treated as a supreme principle which must not be sacrificed for particular advantages.”

Voting for a bad piece of legislation just because it’s the only thing currently on the table (instead of sending it back and demanding something better) is just as foolish and irresponsible as sending a man to the White House based primarily on his skin color (yes, I’m going there). Before you get your undies in a wad and start throwing around the “racist” label, hear this: I would have loved to see a black or Hispanic or female president long ago. I think it’s long overdue. But it must be the right person – someone who will lead with integrity and character, who is not afraid to stand up for what is right and who puts the good of the country and every American citizen above his/her own political aspirations. Whether that person is black, white, brown, green or purple is of no consequence to me. What I look for is someone I can trust. Voting for someone just because they are black is just as closed-minded as not voting for them for the same reason.

Getting back to individual freedom, once we let them get away with mandating that we must purchase healthcare (or anything else) or face punishment, the door is open for them to control every other aspect of our lives. And for the record, the “they” I am referring to here is not some nameless, faceless group of strangers. They are men and women from our own towns and communities that WE VOTED INTO OFFICE. And if the next words out of your mouth were going to be, “Well, don’t look at me, because I didn’t vote,” save your breath. You are the reason we are in this mess. It is the stunning silence of the milions of Americans who do not bother to vote that screams to the power-hungry, “Go ahead. Do what you want. I don’t have time to care. What time does Dancing with the Stars come on tonight?” How’s that for throwing personal responsibility back on the table? Let’s see who picks it up.

“People never give up their liberties but under some delusion.” ~ Edmund Burke

How did we get here? How did we lose sight of our most treasured and foundational personal freedoms and allow a handful of self-focused, power-crazed people to take us so far down the road to destruction? We took our eye off the prize. We forgot how precious the right to vote really is. We fell for the lie that said that our lone little voice would not matter, so why bother? We failed to exercise our God-given right and responsibility to send people to Washington to look after and represent our interests, rather than their own or those of the lobbyists. Once we silenced our own voices by not voting, we stopped watching what was going on in Washington once our elected representatives got there. When they passed legislation that allowed them to exempt themselves from the same laws they impose on us, we allowed them to keep their jobs. It is as plain and simple as that. If Congress (who is employed by you and me, by the way) had to live under the same rules and regulations they require the rest of us to, there would be a huge difference in the kinds of laws that get passed.

Just so you don’t think that the problem rests solely with Congress, here are a few more little tidbits for you to chew on. On March 16, 2012, President Obama issued an Executive Order authorizing peacetime martial law. Read that sentence again. Two weeks ago, our president empowered himself to take absolute control of our natural resources, among other things, ANYTIME HE WANTS TO (see story). During the hearing last week in the Supreme Court regarding Obamacare, Justice Elena Kagan was quoted as saying,

“Why is a big gift from the federal government a matter of coercion? In other words, the federal government is here saying: We’re giving you a boatload of money. There are no matching funds requirement. There are no extraneous conditions attached to it. It’s just a boatload of federal money for you to take and spend on poor people’s health.” (see transcript)

And to bring it home, this same spirit that is trying to undermine our individual freedom is not isolated to Washington, DC. I sat in a meeting of citizens, church leaders and business leaders last week in one Williamson County town where the Mayor, when questioned about whether a particular decision would make the voters mad, was quoted as saying,

“Sometimes it’s not about the voters. Sometimes we have to make decisions, and let them get mad!”

Did you catch that? It doesn’t matter what the voters want. We (the ones the voters elected) know what is best, and we have the authority to do what we want whether the voters like it or not. This power-drunken attitude comes not from D.C., dear reader – it comes from a small Texas town in your backyard.
We must identify every enemy that raises its ugly head against our freedom and wage a full-on war against them. They don’t all look the same. Sometimes it’s the Marxist/Communist agendas that have been operating in our country for decades. Sometimes it’s the anti-American texts being taught in our schools at every level (see video). Sometimes it’s the good-ole-boy approach to local government that says, “You look the other way while I lie, cheat and steal, and I’ll do the same for you.” Even with all these players on the field, our biggest and most dangerous enemy is apathy – a culture that is more interested in who will win American Idol and when the next witchcraft or vampire movie will come out than in knowing (or caring) who is making life-altering decisions on our behalf and how to stop them before it goes any further.

I heard someone say today that a particular manager of a store didn’t have any good employees and always ended up getting in trouble for the slack job her employees did because she coddled them and did not hold them accountable. He said, “I would fire them.” We need to be reminded that unlike other countries, where a monarch or dictator or other ruling figure leads as they see fit with no repercussions, our government is made up of individuals who work for us. We answer to them, but only as far as they answer to us. If they pass laws and engage in activity that does not best represent our interests, we can and must show them the exit door and replace them someone who is better suited for the position. It’s just good business. It’s what any smart manager would do.

It is time to awaken the sleeping giant that is We the People. This is our time to shine. This is the hour when we must hold ourselves and our elected officials accountable. They are not there to babysit us. They are not there to coddle to the lobbyists and exempt themselves from the very laws they pass. They are there to protect our interests. If we don’t hold their feet to the fire, then we have no one to blame for our future (and that of our children and grandchildren) but ourselves.

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” ~ Jesus (John 8:32)

Homemade Mosquito Repellent

The following is an article I posted in The Town Messenger Webzine (Published 4.13.12)

With the weather warming up and Central Texas in full bloom, my inner outdoorsy girl has begun to emerge once again, and I am enjoying spending some portion of most evenings sitting outside just chillaxin’.

My much-deserved chill time was recently interrupted, however, by the unbearable nuisance of little mosquitoes and gnats. Not one to be easily removed from my favorite chill spot, I quickly engaged in a little online research on homemade insect repellents. There were plenty of opinions to glean from, so I went with my typical approach – go with my gut and what I think will work for me (and what I happen to have on hand).

I quickly mixed up a little potion of distilled water and about 20-25 drops each of lavender and tea tree essential oils in a 3 oz plastic bottle. I shook it up, rubbed it on my arms, legs and neck, and boldly marched back outside and resumed my rightful place in my favorite camp chair.

Lo and behold, the magic potion worked its wonders, and I was not bothered by a single winged critter. I actually watched them get very close to me but back off before they could land on me. It turns out they don’t like the smell of the lavender, and the tea tree oil must have a similar effect on them. ‘Tis true!

No more sticky, stinky chemical-based bug spray for me! My sweet little blend of happiness in a bottle will do me just fine, thank you very much! Next time I will use a small spray bottle to simplify the application process.

What kinds of homemade remedies do you enjoy making?

And The River Flows

From my journal dated March 25, 2012

The waters returning to Lake Travis (Jonestown, Texas)

From my vantage point under my new friend, the Old Oak Tree, the water at the bottom of the lake bed is now easily visible, and it is flowing. 

As the sun's rays dance on the surface of the southerly flow, it is as though the waters are singing a joyous song of redemption, proclaiming praise to the Giver of life. No one needs to instruct this river where to go. Its waters flow naturally and with purpose in constant movement to the music of their life song. The birds sing along as bees and butterflies prance among the flowers in a full-on presentation to the rest of creation.

My own life seems sometimes to lack this kind of divine flow - the effortless sense of simply being in the flow of what I was designed to be and to do. There are days I long for my existence to be simple - uncomplicated, when I yearn to escape from the pressure cooker that seems to define my waking moments. 

Taken standing in the bottom of the lake bed.

But then I remember that I am fearfully and wonderfully made, crafted by the same fingers that smeared mud on the eyes of a blind man to restore his sight. 

I remember that my moments, every last one of them, are nestled safely in the in the palm of the same hands that blessed five loaves of bread and two fish, multiplying them to feed thousands. 

I remember that the same voice that spoke the whole of creation into existence now gently whispers my name, calling me to come away with Him to a secret place where we can dwell together. 

When I remember these things and take them to heart, the refrain of my own life song begins to reawaken within me. The flow is being restored, and it is well with my soul.

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From Dry Bones to Living, Breathing Destinies

From my journal dated 3.11.12

Sitting at a picnic table facing what used to be part of Lake Travis. What my eyes behold now is a dry riverbed with barren boat docks, the kind that used to be floating on top of several feet of water. Now they are merely forlorn shells, reminiscent of what once was.

Last year's record drought wreaked havoc on the lakes of Central Texas, particularly Lake Travis. Even with the steady rains we have had in recent weeks, the lakes are still many, many feet below normal, and the driest parts still hold no water at all. Only Go knows if it will ever be normal again, ,and if so, when and what it will take to get there.

As I sit and stare at a dry riverbed and thousands of dry rocks and boulders, I am reminded of Ezekiel and the valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37). When the Lord asked Ezekiel if the bones could live, he replied, "O Sovereign Lord, You alone know."

As Ezekiel followed the Lord's instructions to prophecy life into those bones what speaks to me is the creative miracle that transpired in front of his eyes.

"I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them.." (v. 8). What had not existed mere seconds before (tendons and flesh) suddenly appeared on the bones (the framework). The tendons and flesh gave substance to each lifeless body.

What happened next is phenomenal in and of itself. The Lord instructed Ezekiel to speak to the breath - calling it from the from the four winds - calling it to breathe on "these slain that they may live."

Like the bones and like the dry lake beds, sometimes we find our dreams, and maybe our hearts, dry and lifeless. But we are not without hope. The dry bones are the framework of our dreams. They give testimony to the fact that something is there - something has potential. The tendons and flesh are what God pulls together to give our destiny substance. They make it real and tangible, giving it a shape and a face.

But until we learn to call forth the breath of life from the four winds and prophesy life into our own destiny, it will remain lifeless and unused. It will resemble an active destiny, but it will remain an empty shell. Only when we fully believe the purpose of our destiny will we speak it into existence - speaking the word of the Lord and calling life into our dreams and our destinies.

A young father and his daughter just passed by on their bicycles. As they rode by, the dad looked down at the lake bed. He pointed out to his daughter, "Hey, there's water down there again."

I take a closer look. It is true. There is water down there again.

A smile emerges across my face.

Ponderings from Near the Altar

Fire on the Altar | March 4, 2012

Fifty hours of non-stop worship and intercession. Thousands of participants. It is the reality that prevailed in Austin this weekend. And I was there, even if but for a few brief hours.

I entered a filled sanctuary and found a spot in the back where I could easily sit, stand, kneel, sway, lay - whatever I felt so inclined to do - without disturbing anyone else.

Here is a brief excerpt from my journal from today:

As I sit on the floor against a back wall, what overwhelms me is the simple and beautiful truth that someone like me - like any one of us -  can walk directly into a place like this where the Holy of Holies is manifest here and now.

No longer is this sweet place reserved only for certain individuals who have met certain criteria. The tangible, aromatic, holy presence of the Almighty is here for all of us. I cannot wrap my head around this, yet I know it to be true, as I am experiencing it even in this moment.

There was a time when someone like me could only get so close to His presence, then someone else would have to go in my behalf. Now, because Jesus has already paid my way in, here I am, sitting at His feet, gazing on His beautiful face. Here I sit - overwhelmed.

"Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High  

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty."

Psalm 91:1

What interests me about this is that I wrote this within just a few minutes of entering the sanctuary. The word aromatic came to me very strongly. Hours later, during a spontaneous song, the lyrics that were coming were something like, 

"I am no longer my own

I am Your garden

Enter Your garden, Lord."

As this was being sung, I began to smell the unmistakable fragrance of roses. At first I thought perhaps someone near me had opened a bottle of rose-scented essential or anointing oil. But as I looked around, I saw that no one was within twenty feet or more of me. I closed my eyes and inhaled. It was undeniable.If a fragrance can be "warm" this one was. It is a word I have often used to describe a physical aroma that sometimes accompanies the presence of God. This time it was the fragrance of roses, appropriately made manifest while we were singing about being His garden. 

I love His presence. Every aspect of it.

More, Lord. More and more and more until ...

Fires and Reservoirs

I was awakened at 1:30 AM this morning with a dream.

It was night time, and we were alerted to a fire in the neighborhood (not where we currently live, but in a neighborhood somewhere in Austin). We somehow had access to some kind of an emergency scanner, which let us know about this fire.

I got in the car and drove to the end of the block and turned left. There was the house fire, several houses down on the left.

As I approached the house that was burning, I noticed the house next door to it had the garage door open and the light was on. The only thing inside was some kind of a game table, like foosball or something. There were two men playing the game, either oblivious to what was going on right outside their door or not caring at all about it.

I pulled up to the curb on the opposite side of the street behind a fire truck, and I remembered what the firefighters had instructed us to do when our home burned last year - to move the vehicles. So I backed up to a safe distance several houses away and got out of the car.

As I walked up the sidewalk to the people whose home was on fire, I could see that the smoke was pouring across the street to where they stood. It filled the air, and I could smell it and it was making me choke a little. As I approached, I saw that the upper floor was fully engulfed in flames, and while some firefighters battled that blaze, others were downstairs placing large red fire tarps over the furniture and grabbing photographs to bring out.

I walked up to the family and said, "I just went through this very thing a few months ago, so I understand. What can I do for you? I'm here. I understand."

Here is where I woke up. The dream was so real that for about a half hour I could still smell smoke (like it gets on the inside of your nostrils and takes a while to work its way out).

While there is a very practical side to this dream, there is also a strong spiritual meaning as well, one that I believe we should all pay attention to.

1. As we stay close to the Father's heart, we become privy to information that He only reveals to those who are truly listening and whom He has equipped to go and meet the need (the emergency scanner). 
2. He positions us where we can be of greatest accessibility to the need - right in the neighborhood. Every situation we find ourselves in throughout our daily lives has the potential to become a mini mission field. Need is all around us. 
3. There are those who are playing games and will not be bothered by the obvious and desperate needs of those around them. Don't be one of them. 
4. Wisdom prevails. Know what to take into the situation and what to leave behind. The car needed to be left behind while I proceeded on foot. 
5. Our experiences, no matter how painful and difficult, become a valuable resource when we are faced with the needs of others. If you have "been there, done that," thank God for it. Use it to connect with someone else who needs what you have right here and right now.

As I prayed about this dream, the Lord spoke to me clearly, saying, " I sometimes allow My people to go through very difficult places because it creates a deeper well inside you of compassion and understanding from which you will be able to draw when I bring you to others who are hurting in the same way."

The word that keeps coming to me is reservoir. It means this:

A natural or artificial place where water is collected and stored for use, especially water for supplying a community, irrigating land, furnishing power, etc.

Of course, an artificial reservoir in context of this discussion would be one that we create ourselves, using our own "wisdom"  and "understanding;" one that is faulty at best and filled with tainted water. A natural reservoir is created by HIS hand, using HIS tools, and is filled with the water that brings life and causes all things to become new.

Notice the purposes of a reservoir:

1. Supplying a community (outreach)
2. Irrigating land (facilitating growth)
3. Furnishing power (equipping the saints)

I know which one I want inside me. How about you?

Lighthouses and Fireflies

I came across a Facebook post today by Christine Caine that I could not help but elaborate on. She said,

"Darkness can only prevail in the absence of light ... 

let's not avoid the very place we were called to illuminate! GO into all the world."

There is a mindset that has crept into the church that I believe reflects an unbalanced view of light and darkness - and the role of the 21st century church in reaching the culture in which she finds herself. Let me give you two examples:

(1) Several years ago, I was on a mini-missions trip to New York, and while were working with one particular ministry in the city, we stayed at the headquarters of another internationally known missions organization in New Jersey. In the smaller city where we lodged, we noticed that all the shops and stores and other businesses closed their doors early every night, before dark, and that most of them were protected by bars and gates. We were advised by the ministry leaders not to leave the premises after dark for our own safety. Further, we were also told that at a certain time (not that late by most standards), the doors would lock and we would be locked out for the night.

We were saddened to discover that fear had so gripped the hearts of the ministry leaders that they were no longer effective in reaching the community to which they had been called.

One night, as we were coming in, a young woman was leaving, armed with a Bible and a basket of small gift bags, filled with personal items and small Bibles. She was headed out alone, to minister to the prostitutes who worked the streets at night, knowing that she would have to remain out the entire night until the ministry doors were unlocked the next morning. This was something she did a few nights a week, and she did so under the protection of only God Himself because of the burden He had laid on her heart for these women. She refused to cower to the fear and chose rather to walk boldly into the darkness with the message of hope and restoration.

(2) Years later, when I first started working with a homeless ministry in Austin called Church Under the Bridge, a pastor's wife said something to me that broke my heart. She said, "I think it is so great what you guys are doing down there. You are reaching people that we will never be able to reach because they just won't come here." Everything in me wanted to scream, "YES, YOU CAN! You can GO TO THEM!"

In our passion for holiness and to live a righteous life, we cannot and must not become so isolated that we have no relevant message for the world in which we live. It is easy to adopt a religious spirit and be so consumed with not being "of the world" that we forget that we are placed in the world for a reason.

We need look no further than to Jesus Himself for an example of what our lives should be patterned after. He walked among "sinners" associating in personal and intimate settings with the very people the religious culture of the day avoided. He ate with them. He spent time in their homes. His conversations with them were not filled with, "You must get saved or you are going to hell!" but rather with undeniable truth that gently but firmly exposed their hearts - not to embarrass them or bring them shame, but to bring them to restored fellowship with His Father. The woman at the well responded in one way; the rich young ruler responded in another.

A light shining in a dark place naturally attracts people to it. Those things that want to remain hidden will try to avoid the light, so what do we do? Do we keep standing here shining, hoping that someday the nature of the darkness will change and it will mysteriously be drawn toward the light? No, we grab a lantern and go illuminate that area as well. The great commission is not to build huge ministry empires and wait for people to wander in. No. It is to go into all the world and make disciples. Go out and compel them to come in. Show them you have something inside worth coming in for - and I'm not talking about a show. I'm talking about the life-altering, demon-chasing, healing, delivering, restoring power of the presence of the Almighty. Music and lights and tv cameras and all that are fine as long as God Himself is still a welcome participant. At the end of the day, the entertainment value of your finely polished, orchestrated service won't hold a candle to ten minutes of face time with Him on a park bench if it has no substantive presence of God all up in it.

Your impact on the world around you doesn't have to be complicated. It can be as simple as getting dressed and going shopping. I once was making a purchase at a crafts store when the cashier asked if she could give me a hug. Caught off guard but sensing the importance of the moment, I agreed, and as she stepped out from behind the register, she burst into tears. As we embraced, she thanked me for wearing the shirt I had on, which had a message on it about faith. The words were exactly what she needed at a time in her life when her faith was being tested in a huge way.

When it comes to being a light in a dark place, you may feel more like a firefly than a lighthouse. But shine brightly, dear firefly, because your little lantern is reminding someone of home and leading them there. So, should we be afraid to go out and be a light in a dark place, or should we be afraid not to? Having an illuminating impact may be as simple as learning to control our speech (a reflection of a thankful heart). Can it really be that easy? Consider this ...

"Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 

so that you may become blameless and pure, 

'children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.' 

Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 

as you hold firmly to the word of life."

Philippians 2:14-16