Last Tues. night we gathered together to watch the movie, The Book of Eli. This is a very thought provoking and interesting movie. If you are more interested, just Google a review and check it out. I'm not in the business of movie reviewing or recommending, so you will be spared my opinions here. The movie did stir a few thoughts in my head regarding "church", the bride of Christ. The movie has the classic protagonist (Eli, the hero - lead character) vs. antagonist (Carnegie, the character who opposes the hero) plot line, but there is much more. For me, Eli reprsented freedom and Carnegie represented bondage, oppression power and control. Carnegie used the classic means to wield power; money, possessions, food/water and sex. Eli was pursuing a path that lead to freedom, yet he was distracted by the intensity of his mission, which shackled him in a greater purpose; relationships with others. In The Book of Eli, all elements of the good vs. evil story portrayed the human condition so beautifully. The question that comes up for me as I reflect is; how does the "church" well intentioned as it may be, wield power and control over people. We recognize the obvious in world history, so I'm not going to dwell on events of the past, a sad story for sure. I am thinking of today. I would submit to you that in today's church, the use of power and control is witnessed in what we will call moralism and legalism. Do you agree? What are your thoughts? How would you define these two terms? Please add your comments and we will define these terms next time. Thanks in advance for sharing. Vic

The apostle John seemed to recognize the light and referenced the light as being a person. See this... In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and he was God. He was in the beginning with God. He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn't make. Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone. The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. God sent John the Baptist to tell everyone about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light ; he was only a witness to the light . The one who is the true light , who gives light to everyone, was going to come into the world. John 1:1-9 John is announcing that Jesus is the Light and he was coming into the world. Jesus' teaching through the parables also points us to Light and its power to bring us out of hiddenness (darkness). Parable of the Lamp 21 Then Jesus asked them, “Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine. 22 For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light . 23 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” 24 Then he added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given —and you will receive even more. 25 To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.” Parable of the Lost Coin 8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.” In both of these parables, Jesus seems to be bringing a certain signifcance to light . He seems to be saying that light is required for us to find the way out and that He is the light . He also is calling those who He is speaking to; to listen, pay close attention. He is impressing on the ones He is speaking to that this is very important. He wants us to know Him and that He is the way out of the labrynth. The Light will lead us home. And home is where the freedom is, no more darkness, no need to hide in the labrynth of our minds and hearts. What is required of us to access the power of the Light , to find the way out of the labrynth? More about that next time... your thoughts?

Will you journey with me in finding the way out of the labrynth of hiddenness ? You've come with me this far, so follow me into the place of hope for the way out of hiddenness. There is freedom in the Way . It is risky and messy but when one finally comes out from behind the mindless pathways of hiddenness in the labrynth, there is an undeniable release into life. In the first century the apostles who were following Jesus were caught up with a life of hiddenness . There were so many voices competing with Jesus that were offering pathways out of a life of hiddenness. Most of the voices were saying, "this man can't be telling the truth, he can't possibly fufill our laws in himself, get back in the labrynth of laws where it is safe." Thomas asked this question of Jesus; Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way ?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life ... John 14:5-6 Jesus also said this to Thomas and the others. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life , and have it to the full. John 10:10 Hmmm, you might be pondering all of this and saying, "here we go...this guy is taking me down the road to religion, not another one of those." Hang in there with me, as I've come to discover that Jesus didn't come to take anyone down the road to religion. I really believe the thief is involved in leading people down that road, not Jesus. Below you will read a famous verse quoted all the time in the context of going to heaven. John 3:16 I have included the verses that follow because there is something for us here in the pathway to freedom from hiddenness. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light , and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light , so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." Did you notice the references to light there and contrasting light with darkness ? In my understanding at this point, I think darkness = hiddenness . We all like the darkness , because we think we can't be seen. The labrynth of hiddenness is a place of darkness. Jesus is referenced by the apostle John as Light. Could it be that a way out of the labrynth of hiddenness be found in following Jesus? We will explore this possibility next time. Your thoughts?

Finding a way out of the labrynth of hiddness is not easy for most of us. Many of us have spent years practicing and performing in the mental maze of hiddeness . We think we are protected there, so we keep searching for new protective pathways. The problem is that as we continue on this journey we are working our way toward exhaustion. We are headed to a turn in the labrynth that brings disillusionment and despondency because we can never find a pathway that fully and completely protects us. We spend so much self-effort and striving to please others and to mask our real selves. It is really maddening and yet we keep on keepin on, and some times get validation from those around us who don't know any better themselves. And then the ulitmate, we think that all this effort and moral striving pleases God. It is all a lie. It is all deception and it will never lead to fulfillment. We have lost sight of this truth, "Without faith (trust), it is impossible to please God". Hebrews 11:6 What is trusting in God all about you say? It is first about acknowledging our hiddeness , our efforts to be in control, make our own way, be all powerful. It is coming to grips with the fact that the life I've been living is all about me and I've been bluffing my way along, caught in this hideous labrynth. How to get free, how to find my way out, is there hope? Can you relate to the labrynth of hiddeness ? Are you there now? Stay tuned, there is hope, there is a way out. There is good news.

I have been thinking about labrynths lately. This thinking has been focused on relational hiddeness for me. I really don't know what the signifcance of labrynths are in ones spiritual journey. The pictures I share here are just to get you tracking with me as I talk about how humans (I) hide in relationships, and why this is so destructive. My context is mainly in the world of men, and that is where I will focus this blog post. The labrynth that I visualize is the one above, made from shrubs. In this labrynth see how I could hide around the corners and get lost, seeking the next turn to stay away from you. It could be a fun game to stay hidden from you, as you try desperately to find me. It's the old "hide and go seek" game I used to play with my neighborhood friends, only this time in a labrynth. Unfortunately, I have learned that I can play that same game with relationships and I don't need a labrynth. The labrynth of hiddeness exists in me. I have crafted the labrynth out of the pain, hurt and guilt I've experienced in relationships over the years. Actually I was born into the labrynth so to speak. Here is how that happened. Take a look at what is recorded in the Bible...Genesis Chapter 3 - 1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' " 4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?" 10 He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid ." Hiding was the response the first humans had after they disobeyed God and chose to be their own Gods. Adam and Eve set hiddeness in motion for the rest of us and we've been practicing it ever since...creating elaborate labrynths of hiddeness for our lives. We even deny and make excuses for our hiding, just as our ancient ancestors did in the Bible. Not much has changed over the centuries. There are more stories of hiddeness in the news every day. The good news...there is freedom from the labrynth of hiddeness, and the cost for the freedom is free for you and me. Free for you and me, doesn't that sound good! In my next post I will share with you how I came into this freedom and am continuing to experience it in deeper ways every day. Love has everything to do with it, but that is for the next post. See you soon.

As a family, we have been enjoying the Winter Olympics together on television. The games are going on just north of us and several times we've been tempted to hop in the car, head to Vancouver, to see some events. Our enthusiasm was squelched when we found that ticket prices are just outrageous. On the left is a picture of some Olympians who participated in the winter games of 1960. The games were held at Squaw Valley in No. Calif./Nevada. These athletes were true amateurs. I was explaining to Ellie and Carly, the Olympics are not for amateurs any longer. Every event we watch, for the most part, is filled with what are essentially professional athletes. For me, an older guy, some of the Olympic intrigue and connection is gone. The sponsorship of these athletes is all about big money. Seeing perseverance, teamwork and comraderie amongst the athletes is somewhat redeeming for me. I'll hang in there for a few more nights. It is a family night activity and a time for sharing too.

Welcome to Bo's Cafe. We have good coffee here, occasionally we serve some amazing desserts, but that all depends on the chef, whether he's up to it or not. Guaranteed there are some interesting characters here. Bo's meets at www.boscafe.com but you can also find us at other places around the states. Sometimes the cafe gathers in a home. Stay tuned!

Have you ever been to Bo's Cafe? I'm not sure many people have really and that saddens me. Why do so many people choose other places to visit, places that offer no hope, no help, no healing? Why? Why? Why? I had an acquaintance, we will call him Mack, who never entered Bo's Cafe. I gave him an invitation several times. I even said I'd go with him. For whatever reason, he chose not to come with me. He lived in so much pain, so much confusion and so much brokenness. Bo's Cafe could have been a place of refuge for him. There he would have found men who would have welcomed him, listened to him and joined him in his pain. Mack often chose alcohol to numb his pain; alcohol instead of real relationships. He knew it didn't work for him. I attended the celebration of Mack's life yesterday. There were quite a number of folks there sharing that Mack worked hard, played hard and tried hard in this life. He was a relatively young man; two teenage kids will miss him more than they know right now. There is pain in my heart for Mack and guys like him. My comfort rests in that Mack is at peace now, no more angst, striving, struggling, brokenness or pain for him. Let's turn to you. Would you come to me to Bo's Cafe?; a place of love, healing, forgiveness, freedom and grace-filled relationships with a group of broken people. Bo's Cafe is real and alive today. Stay with me for more and pick up the book, Bo's Cafe at www.amazon.com

I came across this exerpt in a comment on the TrueFaced blog. The blog was talking about having grace for ourselves in our faith journey with Christ. When we mess up it doesn't disqualify us from continuing to share the truths of living life in His grace. With this context, here is the exerpt. From the book “God in the Alley” by Greg Paul If you had asked me when I was, say, twenty-five, how I could be the presence of Jesus, most of what I would have told you—assuming I understood your question at all—would have centered on ways I could possibly have modeled his strength, purity, or faithfulness..And if you had gone on and said, “Where or how do you think you could see him in other people?”—well, I would have thought you were talking gibberish, to be honest. But if I had been able to get my head around the question, I would likely have said something about seeing that strength, purity, and faithfulness at work in others. Of course, the biblical writers encourage me to be strong (in the Lord, and in the strength of his might, according to Paul`’), exhort me to be pure, and call me to faithfulness. These are the behavioral goals to which I ought rightly to aspire. However, these stories of my friends reveal a peculiar paradox: I am more likely to have Jesus revealed to me and through me in weakness than in strength, sinfulness than in purity, or doubt than in perfect faithfulness. If I can sum up all these “failures of the spirit,” all these ways in which nothing ever seems to work the way it should—not the people around me, not the sequences of events that I witness or in which I find myself engaged, and certainly not the operation of my own contrary heart—if I can sum up all these things with the single term brokenness, then I come to this astonishing conclusion: Jesus is found in brokenness. This is the surprise of brokenness. The all-powerful Lord may seem distant and even frightening; the spotlessly perfect and unique Christ may seem unattainable. But I know what it’s like to cry out in desperate prayer; I, too, seem to need to suffer in order to learn how to be the Father’s obedient child—although, unlike the Son, its generally my own sins that cause my suffering. It’s the broken Jesus whom I can approach and even, in some small way, begin to emulate. It is he who connects me to the Lord and Christ. The surprise of brokenness is not just that the Almighty allowed himself to be broken, and that he invites me to touch him there in that brokenness. It’s also that my own brokenness—that hidden, ugly, twisted stuff that I had expected would disqualify me forever from his friendship, and that, if it were known, would torpedo all my other relationships too—is precisely the place where he desires to touch me, and it is the place where I am most able to truly connect with other people. My brokenness, then, turns out to be a place of meeting. My friends from the street keep me at a distance as long as they consider me to be whole and holy; when they discover the truth that I am messed up too, we find common ground. Shortly after writing it, I gave a draft copy of the story of my almost fight with Derek to a friend to read.. He had come from the street, was valiantly battling addictions, and had been speaking to me about the riot of resentments he was experiencing in dealing with some of his past associates. I had told him several times that I often experience similar feelings myself, but that seemed difficult for him to accept. Many of my street friends seem to think that because I am a pastor, I must be of a different species from them and perhaps not capable of the same kind of emotions, instability, or dysfunction. By nature, I’m not inclined to quick displays of anger, and I’ve had years of experience dealing with truly objectionable people and situations in a (mostly) calm manner. Although he knew me well, the story was a surprise to my friend. And it was a gift. To both of us. He understood immediately that I was choosing to make myself vulnerable to him, and he treated that confidence—and me—with supreme tenderness. It encouraged hint to know that I really do share some of his struggles and helped him to see that they are part of the human condition, not just more evidence that he himself is a screwup. As long as I pretend to myself and others that I am “just fine, thanks,” I keep people—and even God; especially God!—at a distance. When I admit my brokenness and enter into more intimate relationships with God and his people, I am less inclined to judge others’ brokenness. Instead, I can dignify it, recognizing and mourning the deep pain and alienation that is the inevitable result of being sinful people living in a sinful world but rejoicing also that we are together in this, and that God is with us, meeting us at the very point of our need. Essentially, this is simply the practice of confession, and confession is truly good for the soul. It releases me from the pressure of having to pretend that I am other than I am. And that honesty forbids me from requiring very much of others.

The Wed. morning men's group I am blessed to lead just finished a study of Jesus' well known parable, The Prodigal Son. If you want to read it for yourself, see the gospel of Luke chapter 15. Our study of this parable was directed by pastor Timothy Keller and the study is called Prodigal God. A deeper study of this teaching of Jesus reveals that this is a story of two sons, both of whom are lost. During the study most of us were convicted of aspects of our lostness and the fact that we entered into the religion of Christendom instead of truly desiring a relationship with our Father in heaven through Jesus. We were blown away week after week as more of our hearts were revealed. The transparency and vulnerability of this group of men allowed the Holy Spirit to move freely in our midst, which led us into greater intimacy with our Lord and each other. I think I speak for all of us in saying that we can't recommend this study highly enough to you.

Okay, I'm going back in time with this one, but remember balsa wood airplanes. Gliders would be a more appropriate name for them. I used to have a blast flying these planes, getting them to glide gracefully in the breeze. I was thinking about what activity I might do with the 6 year old boy I mentor and into my head came, fly a glider. I wasn't sure if they even existed, as I haven't seen many flying around these days. Together we went to our local drug store and sure enough, there were several to choose from, yahoo! I picked the good old fashion one, pop the wings out of the mold, slide them into place and Bingo!, we were ready to fly. We have been having a blast throwing the plane up into the breeze and watching it glide, do rolls, turns and flips in the air. I highly recommend it! Cudos to the imagination that our Creator put in us to create the airplane. Balsa wood gliders drew me back to the simplicity and wonder of flight, and yet was quite complex in the beginning for Orville and Wilbur Wright, many trials and errors. Go out and get yourself a balsa wood glider and have some fun. I think it will bring out the little boy in you, and if you have a little boy nearby, bring him along. Hey, you might try it on a teenager too.

Time is growing close for men to gather together, reunite, lock arms and journey towards the essence of manhood. I have come to understand that growing in this walk with Christ happens in community, a community rooted in Grace. So... I look forward to meeting with men who lead in humility, embrace the mystery, desire authenticity and seek freedom in relationships. Tuesday night, Sept. 15th, 6:30 p.m. at the Woodward's house is when and where we lock arms in the walk or run to knowing Him. This is an open invitation to you, please consider joining us!

Have you ever seen the Dvd series, Band of Brothers? It is an incredible series filled with the essence of being a man in many stories from the front lines during World War II. I was riveted to my T.V. set and couldn't stop watching the series when it was loaned to me by a friend. There is so much to mine from the relationships of the men involved in the story. Out of the series, one finds examples of leadership, community, companionship, trust, conflict and brotherhood. I'm feeling led to share this series with men this fall and see where the Lord leads us in this journey. Brothers in Christ, do we fully understand the meaning of brotherhood, like the men in The Band of Brothers? Stay tuned to the start-up date, the journey will begin soon. Are you called to join us? Here is something from John Eldredge's book, Waking the Dead , that speaks of the need for banding together for discernment. Rushing the Field 08/21/2009 A friend of mine wanted to teach English as a second language in an Asian country, as a way of becoming a sort of undercover missionary. A beautiful dream, one that I’m sure she would have been excellent in fulfilling. But she rushed to the field unprepared in many ways. I don’t mean finances and language skills; I mean in the ways of the heart. Lurking down in her soul were some deep and unresolved issues that would set her up for a fall: among them shame and guilt from an abusive past. The team she joined was totally unfamiliar with the new heart, and they doubted its goodness; as with too many Christian ministries, shame and guilt were often used as motivators. Their old covenant theology would play right into Susan’s issues, shut down her young heart. Finally, she was unpracticed in spiritual warfare, ill-equipped for what hell would throw at her. The devil is a master at shame and guilt. She went; she got hammered; she came home, defeated. Her friends wonder if she’ll ever try it again. The disaster could have been avoided. Wisdom was crying out: do not rush the field (Luke 14:31); train yourself to discern good and evil (Heb. 5:14); live as though your life is at stake, and the enemy is waiting to outwit you (Matt. 10:16). God has given us all sorts of counsel and direction in his written Word; thank God, we have it written down in black and white. We would do well to be familiar with it, study it with all the intensity of the men who studied the maps of the Normandy coastline before they hit the beaches on D-Day. The more that wisdom enters our hearts, the more we will be able to trust our hearts in difficult situations. Notice that wisdom is not cramming our head with principles. It is developing a discerning heart . What made Solomon such a sharp guy was his wise and discerning heart (1 Kings 3:9). We don’t seek wisdom because it’s a good idea; we seek wisdom because we’re dead if we don’t. ( Waking the Dead , 99–100)

I have been thinking about boundaries and walls in the context of relationships with others. I really dislike wall building between people and have seen walls built for the silliest reasons over the years. In my observations, walls are rather quickly built through miscommunication and misunderstanding. Many times, the wounded heart will erect a wall for heart protection and that wall may never come down, even though the other party humbles themselves and seeks reconciliation. I think Jesus came to tear down the walls we build around our hearts, more on that later. Walls are different than boundaries . When I think of a wall what comes to mind is a concrete block wall or a wood wall that separates one person's property from another for privacy. As a kid, I remember climbing over walls that separated our So. Calif. suburban yards to see who was swimming in the neighbors pool, with the hope that when they saw me they might invite me swimming. It was a major effort to scale that barrier and my efforts weren't always greeted with a warm welcome. The wall did what it was supposed to do, give the neighbors privacy and prevent me from entering their backyard world. People put up walls in relationships in the form of a masks. Mask wearing is all too common. The essence of mask wearing is hiddeness. For many different reasons, the wounded heart fashions a mask for protection.The saddest thing to me is that mask wearers never receive love. Their masks prevent them from receiving love that penetrates the heart. When you try to love a mask wearer and attempt to go deeper in relationship; they usually run to their closet full of masks and a wall is formed. How do you deal with this wall building in relationships? This is one of the areas where boundaries come into play. Boundaries are different. Here is what Dr. Harold L. Arnold, Jr. says about boundaries in relationships, he is talking specifically about marriage in this case, but I think his words are applicable for most relationships. Healthy Boundaries . Boundaries are an imaginary and internal line where your self ends and another's self begins. There are three types of boundaries : rigid (unhealthy because they are inflexible and disinterested in the perspectives of others); enmeshed (unhealthy because they are so weak that they cannot guarantee safety); and permeable (healthy because they are strong and flexible; able to accept a learning posture while restricting influences which are unsafe for the marriage). God-centered marriages work to maintain marriages with permeable boundaries . I love the word permeable in respect to a healthy boundary in relationships. A permeable membrane will allow certain molecules or ions to pass through by diffusion. Th at is for you science buffs. In human relationships I think trust is the key in increasing permeability t hus increasing the health of the relationship. Permeable boundaries are necessary in relationships. They help you maintain relationship and keep open the opportunity for another person to experience love, acceptance and g race. There are other boundaries that we need in our lives. More on that next time. Your thoughts and experiences?

These men, friends and co-laborers, finished The Great Adventure with me this May. This study is part three in a men's series titled, Mens Fraternity . We have been together three years on the journey, seeking God in the process of becoming men who; reject passivity, accept responsibility, lead courageously and expect God's greater reward.  We have grown as men, husbands, fathers and servants of the King. What a tremendous blessing to hang with these men over the years. The best is yet to come! 

My wife Monique coined this description for her experience of a week ago, "this has been an emotional butt-kicker". She was referring to a car accident our girls were in with our niece Amy. The picture to the left shows, Marti (Amy's mom) Monique, Ellie and Amy sitting in one of the E.R. rooms at UC Irvine Medical Center. They all mustered up smiles for th e camera, but inside they were pretty torn up and wasted. Carly couldn't conjure up a smile for the camera, as her eye was very sore, swollen shut, and needing stitches. We spent 12 hours in the ER last Saturday nig ht waiting for Carly to be treated. Ugh! That particular night, 17 trauma cases were came via ambulance to the E.R. Wow! Unfortunately this  meant Carly was put on the back burner and we waited a long long time for the ophthalmologist to finally stitch up her eyelid. It was quite an ordeal for all of us. God was with us throughout this experience. He brought an ambulance to the crash scene which  just happened to be driving by on the freeway. They stopped without ever having to be called. God's hand! God calmed Ellie's heart and prompted her to pray for her niece and sister in the midst of a somewhat chaotic scene. Carly was bleeding pretty profusely from her eye. My nephew Brian, who is currently a police academy cadet, arrived at the scene before any emergency vehicles and responded with care and wisdom. He ended up getting the girls released to him and driving them to the E.R. without need for an  ambulance.   Once admitted to the E.R., we were cared for by nurse Joy, who assessed the injuries quickly and gave attention to all our needs. She was in the midst of a wild evening with all those trauma victims coming to the hospital. Yet, she kept checking in on us and did the little things to comfort us.   Thanks to her help and presence of mind (God's guidance again) we endured the evening/next morning. Her persistence moved Carly into an operating room setting and anesthesia, when at one point it looked like her eyelid was going to be stitched up with just local numbing anesthetics to her eye. Wow! I would have been the primary assistant had this idea continued. Scary thought!  So...what is all this doing on the Rocket Men blog? I'm posting this here for a couple of reasons. Monique and I had just come from our Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage conference in Whittier. It went very well, many couples pressed the "Restart Button" in their marriage, asking forgiveness of each other, stepping into humility and grace.  Laugh Your Way does a beautiful job of presenting the differences between males and females. These differences were very evident in the E.R. Monique and I needed each other and specifically how God has made us to be complete in that moment with our girls. By understanding who Monique is as woman and also according to her life passions, I was able to compliment her in a very stressful time. She was able to help me provide the proper care and comfort for the girls. It was a beautiful dance between husband and wife.  As I write, our girls are healing and will be back to school after spring break. We are recovering from this "emotional butt-kicker" as parents. God is showing us again that life is precious and fragile. We are not in control, but thankfully He is and we can trust Him. As you turn and gaze at the Cross of Christ this week, I hope you will see beyond to the next day and LIFE! He offers you a LIFE of freedom in His grace, love, acceptance and forgiveness. 

I have been reflecting on this passage, Luke 11:35 (The Message)... "No one lights a lamp, then hides it in a drawer. It's put on a lamp stand so those entering the room have light to see where they are going. Your eye is a lamp, lighting up your whole body. If you live wide-eyed in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light . If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is and dank cellar. Keep your eyes wide open, your lamp burning , so you don't get musty and murky. Keep your life as well-lighted as your best-lighted room." Our men's study through Erwin McManus' book Wide Awake began Wed. March 18th and we are walking into discovering what it means to live lives fully alive, AWAKE. In the passage above, Jesus teaches us, as only He can do through metaphors and analogies, that living fully alive is like being a lamp.  When we live our lives transparently, the light of Christ is able to bust out all over others in our circle of influence. Why do we bend towards hiddenness, tucking ourselves neatly away in the inner drawers of our hearts? Come join us on Wed. mornings at 6:00 a.m. as together we continue the process of living fully alive in the Light .

I'm reading a very thought provoking book titled, Wide Awake by Erwin McManus and finding his call to living life Wide Awake is really what God calls us to as followers of Christ. In fact the Scriptures exhort us to live fully and completely human lives the way we were originally created in the garden. This is possible for all of us who follow Christ, for He is re-creating us, renewing our minds, transforming us as we dream and engage with Him in our daily lives. The apostle Paul references this wide awake living in Ephesians 5:8-18, The Message; see below: You groped your way through that murk once, but no longer. You're out in the open now. The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So no more stumbling around. Get on with it! The good, the right, the true—these are the actions appropriate for daylight hours. Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it. Don't waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness. Expose these things for the sham they are. It's a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ. Wake up from your sleep, Climb out of your coffins; Christ will show you the light! So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. In Men's Fraternity, The Great Adventure, we are rekindling our dreams as men. This has been a difficult exercise for me and for other men. Dreams, dreaming, hmmmm, I haven't done that for years. We are hearing the call to Wake Up. God wants to join us in our dreams. He wants us to dream big with Him. Have you stopped dreaming with God? Ask Him to help you dream again.

Merry Christmas! It has been two months since I've sat down at the computer to do some blogging. There have been several thoughts on my mind to write about but just haven't taken the time to sit down and journal on this blog. If I don't take the time, the thought goes off into space and gets lost for a time. Frustrating! Can you relate? This remembrance though will be etched in my mind for a long time. The etching carves deeper because my emotions were seriously stirred and emotions, when linked to life events, are the tools of memory makers. We are enjoying a White Christmas here in northwest Washington; the first one in a long time. As I write on Christmas Eve there is a sprinkling type rain falling, which is threatening the snow dusting which highlights the trees, but I suspect the white blanket of snow on the ground will stay through Christmas. Now for the surprise; yesterday afternoon, around 4 p.m., for the first time in many many years here in Friday Harbor, Christmas carolers came to our front porch. They were very mysterious because all of them were wearing ski masks. They came with loud boisterous voices, belting out familiar carols but I could not identify the faces behind the masks. There was laughter amongst the caroling and it definitely seemed that they knew me. Who could this be? My daughter-in-law Lindsey and son Damon, here from Arkansas, and a little boy Adolfo who we were are caring for were the only ones in the house with me. I looked and looked at each face but was completely stumped. Who are these people? I began to suspect they might be some of my son's old high school friends stopping by to say hello. But then, would they be caroling? The carolers continued to belt out the carols with laughter and joy. At about this same time, my wife Monique and her mother came in the back door to the house. We are all stupefied by the carolers and could not figure out who was behind the masks. Daughters Ellie and Carly were off sledding with friends so we didn't have their help in figuring out the mystery. Finally, this band of merriment began to take off their masks. Much to our surprise, the voice behind the deep HO! HO! HO! was my brother Tom and his family; wife Marti, daughter Amy and son Brian. Wow! We were all in joyous shock. Merry Christmas! they shouted and we all hugged and laughed for what seemed like hours later. What an incredible memory that has been carved in our hearts and minds. In my next blog...I'll share what makes this masked mystery even more amazing.

On Thursday Oct. 30th I flew out from Seattle to Little Rock, AR with a stop in Denver. My mission is to visit son Damon and his wife for a long weekend. On the leg of the journey from Denver to Little Rock, God showed up in the effervescence of my diet Coke . Really! In Reality, God was and is all around me, but He gave me a sign that I will never forget. Before I tell you what the sign was I must mention that for me to have a diet Coke is somewhat out of character. I don't usually drink diet Coke . I will occasionally have one with my friend Paul, who usually has quite a diet Coke stash in his refrigerator. That is about it as far as diet drinks go for me. As the stewardess came down the isle and poured classic Coke to most folks, I was really tempted to have the "real thing." My mind tossed back and forth between diet and real, diet and real, with an occasional, "just have water" thought thrown in to mix things up. Anyway, I said, " diet Coke please" when the stewardess posed the question, "what would you like to drink sir?" She set the plastic glass down on my tray table and as I went to pick up the glass someting incredible appeared in an ice cube. It was a perfect cross, the cross of Christ. The bubbles continued to fill the ice cracks with effervescence setting the cross a glow. It would not go away. I'd take a sip of diet Coke, set the glass down and there it was again, glowing against the backdrop of the carmel colored Coke. In our Wednesday morning men's group we are going through John Eldredge's book, Walking with God and learning about hearing God's voice, listening for His voice. The Cross in my Coke set me in immediate listening mode this afternoon. As I'm listening He is telling me to watch Him heal, watch Him reconcile, watch Him restore, it will happen all around me if I watch. He is also telling me to " watch out " there is a theif who wants to rob and destroy these God moments from me. So I will stand firm and resists, as He instructs me and put on the full armor He has given me. It is the way of Walking with God. What is He talking to you about today?

The Great Adventure is the third year of Men's Fraternity, a men's study designed to help men to grow in their walk with Jesus and to live out true manhood in out times today. Carly and I embarked on an adventure up this high wall during father/daughter weekend at Warm Beach Camp in September. We both stepped out and took a risk, knowing it was going to be challenging. Whew! We got a workout! The manhood adventure includes many challenges. The questions we will be tackling this year as men are; Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? I think every man comes up against these questions at various season of life. We are created for community and answers to our questions come to us as we journey together. This is going to be an exciting year. Please feel free to join us on Tues. evenings, 6:30 pm. Call 378-8435 for directions.

One of the joys of summer for me came with a ceremony we had with sons on Jackson Beach in Friday Harbor. We gathered together as dads to affirm our sons. It was a blessed evening, God orchestrated. One of the men in our group used his shop tools to craft a beautiful wooden sword. Men gathered around a beach fire in prayer and thanksgiving for their sons. Here, friend Dave Wolf, knights his son Brian with words of truth and affirmation. Dave created a beautiful manhood creed for his sons and they shared it together. When I think of discipleship, I will always remember this evening and the process started by these dads with their sons.

I love this passage in The Message, Hebrews 10:25 - "Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching." Psalm 10:17 - "You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry." NIV 1 Corinthians 14:3 - "But those who proclaim God's message speak to people and give them help, encouragement, and comfort." The Good News Bible Affirmation and encouragement appear to be from the voice of God in good times and in bad. I think affirmations are part of God's universal love language to His people and His people need to be speaking His voice to each other continuously in these times. A tool I have used that really helps in sharing Affirmations is one Leadership Catalyst has produced titled, Experiencing Affirmation. Go to: http://www.truefaced.com/ to purchase this fantastic tool to bless your family, small group, co-workers and friends. The affirmation story in Friday Harbor began on the beach, with a group of men circled up around a beach fire. We were talking about our journeys in raising sons. We felt the need to affirm them and weren't sure how to go about it. This led to practicing affirmations amongst ourselves. Each guy lifted up the other, taking turns sharing words of affirmation around the fire. What an unforgetable evening! From this night, a wave of affirmations spread to men as far away as Lopez Island.