Author: Tim

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Trusting That the Pieces Will Start Falling Into Place

When it comes to serving God, we all have different niches. Though not all niches benefit from a “go big or go home” attitude, I like the idea that if you’re not thinking so big that it scares you, you’re not giving God enough room to make something incredible happen.

Of course it’s easier to talk about these kinds of things than it is to do them. I’ve got a “bigger-than-me” undertaking going on, and I feel like giving periodic updates here will help keep me accountable and making forward progress. I also believe that being transparent with what’s going on, including some of the challenges I face, may help others that are struggling with getting the pursuit of their calling off the ground.

Back in February I shared that I felt called to write a series of seven fiction books that were each 40,000 to 50,000 words. That’s not a small task. That’s a bare minimum of 280,000 words. I’ve got some experience writing this blog, but I’ve never published a book before! I’ve never come close to writing something that big! I’m able to articulate concepts and principles, which worked well in academic papers, but that’s a totally different animal from creative writing. My academic pursuits are more in the sciences, rather than communications. By most accounts, I’m out of my depth…but since I feel like God’s called me to this goal, being out of my depth isn’t an excuse to skip it. One of the ways God is glorified most is in the success of His inadequate, imperfect, and unqualified followers.

Each person’s combination of spiritual gifts, resources, and interests is as unique as their fingerprints. I know that not everybody is called to be an author, but I believe each Christian is called to use their gifts, whatever they may be, for God’s glory. You may not identify with everything I’m about to cover here, but I’ll try to highlight a few things that may be helpful to those grappling with pursuit of a calling in their own lives that seems too big to take on.

The toughest part was definitely getting started. I think that holds true for most large endeavors. If you focus on how much you still have left to do, it gets overwhelming. The important part is to just get going. Before I started writing text, I sat down and drew out a rough plan for how the overall series would go. There were (and still are) lots of details that I don’t yet have figured out. The plan evolved a bit as I started mapping it out; the blueprint I’m using now is not the same as my first version. Overall, the most important thing was to just get going.

I noticed that for me, I’m still pretty wobbly on how some of the background or plot points are going to weave together. There are some sections of the stories where I know exactly what I want to have happen, though. Those are the ones I go with first, and if I use those as pillars for the construction of the rest of the story, it helps other pieces fall into place. If you can’t see the whole picture, focus on developing the stuff that you know will be part of the process.

I’m looking at coming up with seven individual stories that are all woven together into a larger one. Not only is that a lot of creative effort, it’s a lot of stuff to keep track of mentally. Sometimes it seems like there’s a hurricane happening inside my head. Inspiration for one or more of the stories hits at the strangest times. If I don’t write it down right away, there’s no guarantee it’s going to come back again. When you have the (mental clarity, vision, burst of creativity, focus, etc.) but can’t capitalize on it right then and there, capture what you need to capture in order to capitalize on it later.

I sketched out the blueprint for the series and then naturally started writing Book 1. A flurry of ideas kept flying around, though. I’d write down notes for something to include in a given book or to weave somewhere into the series. I started Book 2 before long because I either got in a rut or got bored with working on Book 1. During the whole time, though, the one I was most jazzed about was Book 5. Ideas kept coming and coming, and right now I have over 20 pages of ideas and notes for that one story. I stalled for as long as I could, but eventually I started writing Book 5. It’s out of sequence, yes, but if the goal is to get seven books done, does it matter which one gets done first? Making progress is making progress. Some may see it as putting the cart before the horse, but if you can see a method to the madness, don’t shut the door on doing things out of order.

The 40-50,000 word target was just that…a target. After giving this a shot, some individual books might be shorter and others may be way longer. What if Book 6 has a Volume I and Volume II? I don’t know…but there are some things I don’t need to have figured out right now. Don’t make “perfect” the enemy of “good.” Keep on doing your thing; deal with today’s problems today and deal with tomorrow’s problems tomorrow.

So where do I stand today with this project? Right now I’m more than 22,000 words into Book 1, 8-10,000 words into Book 2, and over 13,000 words into Book 5. I’m nowhere near being done, but you know what? That’s more than 40,000 words, and that’s more than 10% of the way into the low end of the goal. Something that once looked like a mammoth task now looks much more do-able.

Maybe the most significant thing I’m learning in this process is the peace, focus, and contentment that come from living in your calling. If this is truly what God put me on this earth to do, then I’m built for this. It’s kind of tough to describe; it’s not as though I lived in turmoil before this, but my mind feels more settled knowing what it’s supposed to be throwing its effort into. In my case, getting started on this thing was more of a relief, an outlet for that pent-up sense of unsettledness. It’s as if I’m a screwdriver that’s been used as a hammer or a wrench for as long as I can remember, and have recently been introduced to the way I’m supposed to be used.

Finally, I’m very blessed to have a strong faith in God. I believe with all my heart that God can do anything, but that doesn’t mean He’ll do the things I think He’ll do them or the way I think He should do them. This whole thing may be a spectacular failure that serves a purpose I can’t yet see. On the other hand, I may be thinking entirely too small. I happen to think that Book 5 would make a decent movie with a solid TV spinoff for a season or two, and a great video game. A Christian multimedia company wasn’t really in my plans when this train first pulled out of the station, but I’m not the one driving the train. I have to cling loosely to ideas and recognize that they’re Gods in the first place, not mine…I’m just trying to honor Him with my obedience. There are still plenty of things standing in the way. Finding the time and/or energy to keep writing, tracking down a publisher that will give me a chance, struggling with making the details line up in a way that makes sense…they’re all very real challenges that I’ll need to fight. I’m not alone, though. Like I said earlier…if I was truly called to this purpose, I’m custom built to overcome the challenges, especially if God is paving the way for me.

How about you? Are you still a square peg in a round hole that’s trying to figure out how to find their place? I’ll leave you with a link to an inspirational video I heard today. If you don’t have time to watch the whole thing, just watch the first few minutes, especially if you’re trying to figure out what your calling might be.

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Pastors: A Force Multiplier

I recently had the privilege of seeing a young pastor’s ordination.

For those that aren’t familiar with the term, it has to do with the roles that Christians play within the Body of Christ. While every Christ-follower possesses spiritual gifts and talents, there are some that are charged with a special kind of ministry.

Things like mowing an elderly widow’s lawn, feeding the poor, and other acts of service are obviously good things to do, but they’re things that don’t generally require a whole lot of involvement from the church leadership to accomplish. If you look a level or two higher, you’re looking at the people that are trying to enable others to perform the service God called them to perform. Everyone filled with the Holy Spirit can contribute to the Kingdom of God, but each congregation needs guidance from its church leadership. A calling to be a pastor or teacher in church comes with more accountability than most other callings.

Here are a few verses from the book of Ephesians. Take note of the roles it mentions and the purpose behind those roles:

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. – Ephesians 4:11-13

The people filling those roles are there for the purpose of equipping other Believers to go and do what they’ve been called to do. Because of the importance of those roles, they demand a higher standard of the people that want to fulfill them. James 3:1, for example, says Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. They’re dealing with a heavy responsibility, and it’s not one to be taken lightly.

An ordination, then, is a special time in a preacher’s career when others in the church leadership are essentially endorsing the person being ordained…saying “after getting to know this person’s character and views on Christian doctrine, we are willing to support their desire to enter into this role that bears an awesome responsibility.” I’ve got to imagine that it’s an incredibly humbling but also exciting time.

I fully recognize that these roles require an added level (or two) of scrutiny, and I think it’s important to ensure that candidates are fully aware of the gravity of what they’re undertaking. It reminded me, however, that those people who are ordained are not the ones charged with rolling up their sleeves and getting dirty; that’s our job. Believe me, church leaders have all kinds of stress and challenges with which they must contend, so they’re not getting off the hook easy by any means. It’s the rest of us that are to be Christ’s hands and feet. Our collective reach and social circles go much further than what the pastor’s does, so when church leaders help equip us, they are multiplying our collective reach further.

It struck me, though, that there may be some out there that feel they would benefit from some form of commissioning. Please understand that I carry no authority other than the fact that I’m a fellow Christian who believes in your ability to follow God’s calling (and would spur you on in doing so), but I am DEFINITELY willing to pray for you as you follow faithfully on the path with which God’s charged you. Let’s pray:

Dear Lord, You are holy and worthy to be praised! I thank you for the person reading these words right now. This reader is capable of being used greatly by You, to do things through You that they never thought possible or ever dared to hope for. Even those that are reading this and haven’t really thought about it lately, I pray that You’d awaken a fire and passion within them for something specific that You’d have them do for the glory of Your kingdom. You’ve charged us all with specific things You want us to do in this life with our gifts and resources; I ask that You’d grant patience to those that don’t yet know what those things are and encourage them until the time comes for You to reveal it to them. For those that are blessed enough to know Your purpose for their life, please help them to be relentless, even in the face of obstacles, discouragement, or no apparent progress. You will place the right people and things in our lives that will be there at just the right time; help us all to have the faith and boldness to jump when You need us to, even when we can’t see what’s on the other side. If this reader is a Christian, please give them the confidence to realize whose they are, to help them walk by faith and not by sight, and to know that the gates of Hell will not prevail against the Church. You haven’t given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind. Help this reader to live their lives assured of this principle, to realize that our time on Earth is short, and to live in light of eternity. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Also, a special “thank you” to all our veterans out there. Happy Veteran’s Day!

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Now THAT’S a Scary Congregation

Our church does some fun stuff. This past weekend it organized a Father/Son paintball outing at a paintball facility in the area. I took my son and we spent the day shooting at other guys.

I’m still recovering, and probably will be for a few more days. From the way my body feels, I guess I must’ve spent a lot of time in a crouch or something. Aside from getting hit, my quads scream at me every time I walk downhill or down stairs.

This was my son’s first time paintballing, and he had a good time. We’ve been laser tagging before, but this is simulated combat at another level.

We attend a church in northern Virginia. You know who lives and attends church in northern Virginia? Military dads. You know what military dads teach their kids for fun? Small-unit tactics. I have .68-caliber welts you wouldn’t believe, from both the 40+ crowd and the teenage demographic. One was so deep in my leg that it took a couple of days to start showing. Some of them are places you’d expect, like the chest and the top of the head, but others are in places you wouldn’t really expect, like in the back and ribs (not because I was running away, but because some of the Special Operations members of our congregation out-flanked me and I didn’t even know what was happening until it was too late to avoid the bruises).

For those of you that may not be familiar with paintball, not every paintball that hits you breaks open. If a paintball hits you but doesn’t break, you’re still in the game. There’s something of an honor system in that regard, so it’s easy to get hot under the collar if you think you hit someone but they’re not leaving the field. If they’re not walking off, you usually have to take their word that the paintball hadn’t broken open (and in that case you can keep shooting at them to try to get one to break on them).

No way around it…somebody got me this round

We probably played about a dozen matches that day. The very first one we played, I stuck near my son in the back until he could get a feel for what was happening. As members of our team began getting eliminated, I moved closer to the heavier shooting. Eventually I got shot right in the keister (just a flesh wound!). I put my hand up and covered my barrel, indicating I’d been eliminated, and walked off the field. Only after getting back to the safe zone did I discover that the paintball had not actually burst…I had walked off the field without actually needing to. I eliminated myself! In doing so, I left work undone and I left the team with one fewer member to help out.

There are lots of things in a Christian walk that will sideline people, either temporarily or permanently. Without question, there are things in life that will knock you off your feet and kick you when you’re down. Tragedy, pain, and loss are guarantees. The sad part is when Christians think they should still be sidelined when in reality the power of the Holy Spirit living in them means they’re very capable of doing much more than what they think they’re capable of. Their heads hang low instead of being held high. They live as victims when they should be living victoriously.

As a child of God, you bring something special to this world and to the family of God. If you know what that special something is, but you’re not following through on it, you’re essentially eliminating yourself from the fight. Please, hang in there! You’ve already got everything you need to start doing the work you were put here to do, and if the only reason you haven’t begun is because you haven’t yet chosen to do so, maybe it’s time to get off the sidelines.

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Band of Brothers (and Sisters)

I’m a big fan of the 2001 HBO miniseries “Band of Brothers.” It’s a 10-part drama based on an elite unit of Army paratroopers that saw action in some of the major battles and events of World War II.

Back in the 1940s it was a new concept to use paratroopers in warfare. These men endured some of the most miserable training conditions the Army had to offer, being conditioned to keep fighting despite not knowing when relief or resupply would come. They learned what it means to give “whatever it takes.”

During WWII, Hitler ordered a final, massive offensive in mid-December of 1944. German forces massed artillery, infantry, tanks, and just about anything else they could throw against Allied forces. Designed to break through the line of troops, wreak havoc, and seize the initiative, it caught the Allies by surprise.

The Germans moved so quickly that they surrounded an American-held town in Belgium called Bastogne. Before the road into Bastogne got cut off, regular American Army troops pulled out while paratroopers hastily moved in on foot to defend it. They lacked sufficient winter clothing, ammunition, and food, and were about to have their supply line cut by enemy forces.

The German thrust trapped a pocket of Americans and civilians in Bastogne

In the miniseries, a young armory Lieutenant arrived in a jeep carrying an assortment of badly needed ammunition just as the paratroopers headed into dangerous territory. As he and a few Bastogne-bound officers exchanged the little information they had, he said “The Panzer Division’s about to cut the road south. Looks like you guys are going to be surrounded.”

At that point Captain Dick Winters, a now-famous soldier and the main character in the series, responded “We’re paratroopers Lieutenant. We’re supposed to be surrounded.”

I don’t know if Winters actually made that statement in real life at that time, but it reflects the attitude the soldiers came to embrace.

It’s not much different than the attitude Christians should have. In the world, but not of it, we’re pilgrims in an unholy land (John 15:19). We’re hunted by a prowling adversary (1 Peter 5:8). We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).

Yeah. The pressure’s on. Evil lives on every side of you, and you’re charged with standing up to it and beating it back. Your life will not get easier if you become a Christian; in fact, it’s likely to become harder. Like the paratroopers in the forest around Bastogne, we’re to look after one another. We’re supposed to encourage one another, draw strength from one another, help each other up when we’re down, and bear one another’s burdens. That’s why it’s so important to have fellowship with other believers. Hang tough until the bitter end, even though it’s going to get rougher out there, because there’s hope:

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. – John 16:33

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Schools That get a Failing Grade

Boy, I’d really like to get away from politics and get back to telling stories about doing SERE stuff in the Air Force or jumping out of airplanes or something, but the world just seems to insist on going crazy.

It looks like it’s happening again. Another Virginia county’s school system is passing policy changes that will result in boys being authorized to use the girl’s restroom (and vice versa). Before you tune out on me though, hang in there just a bit longer.

You know, at some point you have to ask…since this fails the common sense test, what’s really going on here?

A little background first. Prince William County Schools Superintendent Dr. LaTanya McDade is citing safety as a reason to create an environment that physically endangers students. (Here’s my last post, which shows how well that idea works.) At a school board meeting earlier this month, she said “All Prince William County students have a fundamental right to access educational programs and facilities that are safe and supportive of their physical, emotional, social and academic needs…” She also said “It is our mission to ensure every school community is inclusive, appreciates diversity, students have a sense of belonging and are affirmed in their identity.”

Affirmation is that important, huh? Affirmation is supposed to be used when somebody does a good job at something. To the parents out there…if your kid comes home and tells you about some kind of destructive behavior they’re getting into, YOU are the one with more life experience and YOU are the one that can help guide them. You don’t need to let them figure everything out by themselves. I’m all for letting kids make their own mistakes at the smaller level so they learn about consequences and critical thinking, but I’d say that no-questions-asked affirmation isn’t always the way to go, you know? “Hey, Mom/Dad, look, Johnny from school gave me a cherry bomb and said I should light it and throw it into traffic!” “Oh, wow, that’s wonderful news! Here’s a lighter!”

Now, the school system has some legal basis for doing this. A lawsuit settled in the Virginia Supreme Court established that public schools cannot use gender identity to deny a transgender student the right to access the school’s programs and facilities consistent with the student’s gender identity. Whether you agree or disagree, the court is saying “hey, you need to provide every student an opportunity to use school programs regardless of what gender they claim to be.” The decision effectively made this the law in Virginia. That being the case, I’d expect more Virginia school systems to start heading this direction.

The “Common Sense Fail” comes in recognizing the status of a non-binary student but still forcing them into using a binary system. If you have an X and a Y chromosome but identify as something other than a male, you shouldn’t get to compete in girls’ sports. That same person gets to use the girl’s restroom because it makes them feel affirmed, yet there’s apparently no concern for the other girls who feel uncomfortable or afraid to be alone in the bathroom with that person.

To inject some common sense back into the debate, if you’re going to recognize an unlimited number of genders, that’s fine, but you’re going to need to provide separate bathroom facilities for each of them. You’re also going to need to have separate sports leagues for each of them. Prohibitively expensive? Yep. Wildly impractical to have a league that has only three athletes in the whole county? You betcha. Fairer and safer for the girls and boys in school? I think so.

It’s not about fairness though, is it? Nobody’s actually interested in solving this problem, they’re interested in exacerbating it. Our kids can’t even perform basic math proficiently. Meanwhile, China’s out there firing hypersonic missiles. Don’t worry, though…at least the U.S. has its first transgender four-star admiral. That leads me to the deeper question…what’s this really about? What’s the real reason this is happening? Like I said two posts ago, there’s opportunity in chaos, but who’s poised to take advantage? Those that are dividing are looking to seize something they don’t yet have, while those that are trying to unite are trying to make more opportunity available for everyone.

Another point to ponder. The Virginia Supreme Court has effectively legislated from the bench. The Court has decided what the law should mean. If you live in Virginia, the only way to alter this reality now is to elect politicians that will write laws that modify the current situation. If you’re legally registered to vote in Virginia, you have the opportunity to do exactly that in less than two weeks. Only two states are holding gubernatorial elections this November, and Virginia is one of them (New Jersey is the other). You have the chance to help choose who will make the laws over the next four years.

Lord Jesus, thank you so much that we can rest knowing You’ve got your hand on the wheel. I pray for protection for all those that will be affected by this policy change, for good people and common sense to prevail, and for God-fearing people to be elected, not just at the state and local level, but at high levels as well. Amen

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Saying This Could Only Happen in a Third-World Country Insults Third-World Countries

On a local Christian radio station here in Northern Virginia, a couple of the afternoon hosts play a game called “Bible or Not.” They have three short phrases that sound kind of wise or religious, and a listener calls in and tries to determine whether they’re from the Bible or from somewhere else.

Let’s play a similar game. I’ll tell you a true story, and you guess whether it’s from Soviet Russia, Communist China, or present-day America. The story itself is true; you’re just trying to guess where it took place.

Ready? Here we go.

A school in the country was adopting a controversial policy that upset many parents. Many of the parents feared the policy would allow students to be physically harmed, and protested the change. The people in charge wanted the policy anyway, though, and it was enacted despite the parents’ concerns.

The parents ended up being right. One student took advantage of the policy and committed a crime against another student. Not just a little crime, a particularly heinous, “put you away for a long time” crime.

The crime was largely kept quiet. The next time the school board had a public meeting, the victim’s father showed up, hoping to shine a light on how the policy change had enabled the crime. Someone at the meeting asked if there had been any problems related to the policy change. The school board leaders said “not to my knowledge.” Enraged, the father relayed what happened to his child. Another attendee at the meeting informed the father that she did not believe the child’s claims, going so far as to insult the child’s mental capacity.

At that point the argument heated up, and law enforcement tried to escort the man out of the meeting where he could calm down. Wanting to stay and shed more light on the crime, things quickly escalated from a heated argument to several officers restraining the father and putting him in handcuffs.

He was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, and found guilty of both charges. The court sentenced him to 10 days in jail, all of which was suspended, contingent on one year of good behavior. The top prosecutor involved in the case then pursued a fine and anger management training for the man. This seems excessive for a man that simply wanted to share how a controversial policy brought physical and emotional harm to his child.

This man’s name is Scott Smith. He lives in Loudon County, Virginia, where the public school system allows students to use whatever restroom they’d like. He alleges that his daughter was sexually assaulted in the girls’ bathroom by a boy wearing a skirt. The nature of the allegations is extremely graphic and violent. The school system apparently tried to cover up an incident where a girl was beaten and raped in a public school. At the very least, school administrators claimed no knowledge of it, suggesting incompetence of the highest degree. I don’t really blame the cops for arresting him (they never know the back story, they only see what’s happening in front of them), but it’s unsettling that a pro-leniency prosecutor chose this incident to make an example out of, apparently trying to silence someone to help preserve a controversial agenda.

The daughter’s assailant was moved to a different school, and has allegedly assaulted a second victim.

And now, Scott Smith is near the top of someone’s list of domestic terrorists. Citing the case of Scott Smith, among others, the National School Boards Association has requested help from the U.S. Department of Justice to prosecute parents that get rowdy at school board meetings while protesting controversial items.

Your right to free speech doesn’t disappear overnight. It’s taken away little bits at a time. Elections matter. If there isn’t a good candidate in your local race, maybe you should throw your hat in the ring.

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The Art of Strategic Subversion

Christian influence used to dominate American culture. When you take a look at where our country is now, you can’t help but wonder: “how did this happen?”

It’s actually very interesting, in a terribly sad and depressing kind of way. This is a tactic that’s been used regularly throughout history. I’ll explain it a little and then show a couple of examples that one country has used recently. This is something that’s been done by insurgent groups, multiple nations throughout the world, and even the US.

When you have an existing political or social order where one force or social norm dominates the landscape, and a minor force or social norm desires to gain an increase in power relative to the dominant one, one of the strategies available to the underdog is a process called Strategic Subversion.

Strategic Subversion is a four-step process that can upend societies, and I believe that in America it has both already been done, and is still ongoing. I don’t know if this is the intent, or merely a side effect, but I believe its current use in America is leading Americans away from Christianity and Judeo-Christian values. (To be clear, I believe Americans have the right to practice any religion they choose so long as it doesn’t harm or infringe on the rights of others, but it’s something else entirely when someone intentionally pursues the widespread undermining of a religious system.)

There are different names for the four steps, but Strategic Subversion follows this basic sequence: Preparation, Destabilization, Flashpoint, Restabilization.

In the Preparation phase, the aspiring entity builds a network of players that prepares to seize opportunity and consolidate power when the time is right. Think of it as prepositioning allies to pick up the most important pieces when the existing system weakens and breaks. During the summer of 2020’s crazy civil unrest, flyers started showing up in my neighborhood. They said something like “think what the police are doing is unfair? Text ‘prosecute’ to xxxxx.” Why would anyone want a bunch of people texting them? It’s not a scam and they don’t make money from those texts, but what they’re doing is building an army. They’re gathering a list of phone numbers of sympathetic individuals that they can feed cherry-picked information to, aiming to inflame the emotions of people and inciting them to some sort of mass action at a later date.

Synchronize Watches!

During Destabilization, the aspiring entity sows the seeds that will allow for the Flashpoint to occur. It might include pushing the boundaries of what’s acceptable for the sake of seeing where the dominant power draws a line. In a revolution, the lesser power might attack government institutions (physical attacks, cyber attacks, or any other means of overwhelming the institution’s ability to conduct normal operations) in an attempt to demonstrate the current power’s inability to effectively provide services (electricity, water, food, safety, security, or any other basic need) to the populace. A benign example would be a college prank where a large portion of the student body checks out the maximum allowable number of books from the school library over time, and then everybody returns them all during the same half hour on a prearranged date. The library’s staff would not be able to provide normal services because they’d simply be overwhelmed by all the incoming books. Now imagine the same concept, but on a much more serious level, like engaging in a large number of crimes in a short amount of time. The police simply cannot get to all of them in a timely manner.

The Flashpoint is the most crucial of the four steps. It’s an unmistakable crisis that essentially causes mass confusion among the general populace and sets the plan in motion. During the confusion, the prepositioned players execute their pre-assigned tasks, which could be something as simple as intentionally making a bad situation worse, or could be as bad as assassinating a key figure. This is the phase that moves quickly…the people in the know seem to miraculously seize power before the general public has even figured out what’s going on.

Restabilization is the consolidation of the new order. It’s the cementing of power that makes it difficult or impossible for the deposed power to mount a counterattack and reclaim what it lost. Assassinations, imprisonments, sweeping new laws, reports of sudden swings in public opinion (which may or may not be true)…these are the things that make it very difficult for remaining pockets of the old order to bounce back. If all goes according to plan, the aspiring power has now become the ruling power and most of the serious challenges to its authority are eliminated or minimized through various means.

One of the artificial islands in the South China Sea

China can provide two recent examples. Ten to 15 years ago, the South China Sea (SCS) was highly disputed territory…many nations in the area had claims to its waters simply by virtue of their close proximity. Plenty of nations are closer to the SCS than China, but China wanted to expand its territory for various reasons (natural resources, additional buffer space, control of one of the busiest shipping regions in the world, etc.). As fishing vessels from different nations continued getting into disputes with each other in the area, China started sending armed vessels to the area to protect its fishing vessels. Soon after, it began putting armed troops in ankle-deep water on shoals in the SCS to stake claims to maritime features. Fast forward to today, and it’s manufactured islands in the area that now include military airstrips, from which China intends to consolidate Chinese control over huge swaths of the SCS, something to which China would otherwise have no authoritative claim. International maritime courts have declared China has no right to territorial claims near these manufactured islands, but the nation largely ignored the ruling. Officially, this territory is not internationally recognized as Chinese territorial waters, but if everybody stays out of the area, that’s essentially the new reality. That’s why the United States still conducts “Freedom of Navigation” cruises through the SCS; we send US naval vessels through territory China claims as its own, but which the international community does not recognize. China of course raises a stink each time we do it, but Chinese leaders know they have no legal claim to the area. If nobody sails through the area, China’s vision becomes the new order.

A more current example involves Taiwan. If you’re not up to speed on this one, the quick and dirty version is that when Communists rose up against the government and took over China in the late 1940s, the deposed government fled to an island roughly 100 miles off the coast…Taiwan. Ever since then, mainland China has been under Communist rule while a Democratic version of the pre-Communist Chinese Government has remained in place on Taiwan. As China gained power, many in the international community navigated this sticky situation by acknowledging only one of the governments, the Communist People’s Republic of China on the mainland, as the rightful China. The Democratic government still communicates with the U.S., but if we set up an American embassy on Taiwan, China would view this action as tantamount to an act of war. The fact that China, with all its might, has for the past 70+ years been unable to reclaim Taiwan and abolish the Democratic upstart just off its coast, has been a national embarrassment to the government. China intends to reclaim Taiwan by force, if necessary, and we could all be surprised by how soon this occurs. During the Trump administration, China played things a little cooler with Taiwan and would only send a few planes every now and then into Taiwanese airspace. Now, though, during the administration of a president China perceives as weak, bogged down with foreign and domestic crises, and unable to demonstrate military force or resolve, China regularly violates Taiwanese airspace with larger and larger incursions. This past Monday, 56 Chinese aircraft entered Taiwan’s airspace without permission. China is clearly challenging the norm in preparation for the Flashpoint, when it seizes Taiwan by force, arrests or kills Taiwan’s key leaders, destroys or takes over the island’s defenses, and sets up a naval perimeter the U.S. Navy would be hard-pressed to breach. At that point it will be difficult, if not impossible, to fight and recover Taiwan (and still have pre-flashpoint Taiwanese leaders reclaim power). I don’t believe the plan was to do it this early, but China may choose to seize the initiative before Australia builds up the submarine assets we’ve heard so much about in the news recently (the deal the French weren’t happy about), at a time when the U.S. administration will be reluctant to commit the U.S. Navy to the crisis, and when America is embroiled in domestic challenges to the point where its citizens don’t care about what’s happening on the other side of the world.

I use China as an example, but it’s certainly not the only nation employing the tactic. Remember how this post started out: how did such a pro-Christian nation get to where we are now? Slowly and persistently. This happens inside our own borders, by those who wish to tear down the existing power structure. The next time you find yourself standing palms up with shrugged shoulders, mouth agape, asking “what is happening?”, you may find yourself in the tail end of a destabilization phase. Chaos is the goal, because in chaos lies the opportunity to make big changes. Take a look around and ask yourself “who’s doing the dividing, and who’s doing the uniting?” The people doing the dividing are likely players (at least pawns) in the aspiring power’s plan.

Here’s one of the main takeaways from this post. This strategy is most effective when the people in the dominant role (the position being undermined) are not being proactive. I’d guess most Americans just want to go to work, get paid, raise their families, and try to improve their situation. That’s wonderful, but it probably means that if they’re focused on that, they’re not out to change society. Other people are, though. Don’t be passive. When you see evil or those with ill intent, confront it and/or call it out.

I don’t believe we’re anywhere near the horror of the Holocaust, but I bring it up to make a point. The situation for the Jews in 1940s Germany started getting bad way before concentration camps. By the time they were forced to walk around with yellow stars pinned on their clothes, it was too late. Don’t be afraid to learn from history, to push back (while you’re still able to), and to start moving this country back toward becoming a God-fearing one.

God, it’s getting bad down here. It feels like the country has turned its back on You. I know there are other Christians out there, but I sure don’t hear them as much as I hear everyone else. Help us collectively turn back to you as a nation and help us point others to You in the process. Amen

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What Level of Talent are We Talking (Part 2)

In 2018 I felt called to do something very uncharacteristic. I felt like God was leading me to start blogging.

After wrestling with the idea for a little bit, I got a blog set up. At first I didn’t know what it was supposed to look like (I’m still figuring it out). It started out recounting adventures from my younger days with an added biblical tie-in, but has since evolved to include other things as well. This blog has been up and running for almost exactly three years now. This is post number 188.

DareGreatlyNow doesn’t have a huge following. It doesn’t even have a large following. Some entries have been read or shared hundreds of times, others less than 10. Sometimes I’m excited about a post I’m writing, other times writing is a chore.

It’s not easy. I usually spend a couple of hours a week writing new entries. After some days at work, I’d sure like to be doing something else. It’s a tricky thing…I initially felt God calling me to start this blog. I’ve had some personal experience writing regular updates on extraordinary or exciting events in the past whose list of recipients quickly ballooned to hundreds. Well I figured “it’ll be just like that!” Well, truth be told, it’s been nothing like that. The subscriber list has slowly grown over time, but even though I’ve received some feedback here and there, I’ll likely never know the degree to which God’s used these posts to work in someone’s life.

Despite all the negatives that go along with it, I can’t stop just yet. I definitely felt called to start it, but I haven’t yet felt called to quit doing it. Giving up might be easy, but quitting a calling wouldn’t reflect well upon me as someone that considers himself a dedicated Christ-follower, nor would it bring honor to my Savior, the one that put this task on my heart.

This past week I read some footnotes about one of Jesus’ famous parables that helped remind me of what I should do. In Matthew 25:14-30 Jesus tells the parable of the master entrusting three of his servants with large sums of his money before he departs on a trip. I’ve written before about this Bible story, but sometimes reading the same thing at different times in your life can help things hit home in different ways.

Most of us know the parable. The master charged the three servants with different amounts of money, according to their ability. The first two guys, entrusted with about 375 pounds of gold and 150 pounds of gold respectively, worked hard and doubled the amount of gold they oversaw. The third guy, in charge of roughly 75 pounds of gold, went out and hid it in the dirt, rather than put in the effort to turn it into something that benefited his master. When the master returns and links up with the three to get an update, He’s pleased with the first two guys, but he’s miffed at the third guy, who didn’t even put the gold in the bank where it could collect interest.

What I’d like to focus on here is the first two guys. Can you imagine being so diligent that you double the value of something just by being persistent? Earlier this week the price of gold was $1,750 per ounce. That price, times 16 ounces in a pound, times 375 or 150 pounds means that the first guy was entrusted with $10.5 million and the master put the second guy in charge of $4.2 million, and both of those guys earned a 100% return!

Here’s the part I want to focus on, though. The master was obviously pleased with their performance. For the guy that turned $10.5 million into $21 million, the master said “That’s great! I’ll put you in charge of more, but for now, come celebrate with me!” (“Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.”) Know what he said to the second guy? The guy that “only” turned $4.2 million into $8.4 million? He said the exact same thing.

Do you know what that means? It means that God’s looking for faithfulness in His servants as they perform the tasks with which He’s charged them. He’s looking for them to demonstrate consistent effort even when it’s not convenient, not just something that starts out with good intentions and then fizzles out after awhile. Faithfulness is one of the fruits of the Spirit that we’re all to demonstrate as our walk with Christ deepens.

Know what else it means? It means those same servants should perform those tasks with the full expectation that God will use their efforts to do something great for His kingdom. Not only that, but those servants should serve in the effort fully expecting they’ll one day be put in charge of something bigger. Being faithful in our callings prepares us for future callings.

So…do I believe the Church will collapse or the sky will fall if I stop writing entries for this blog? No, but if I stop prematurely, I believe that someone down the road (maybe me) will somehow get short-changed. The third servant in the parable was put in charge of about 2.1 million dollars. Think he got a second look the next time the master was going out of town?

Assuming I’m currently entrusted with this lowest-value task (the one-talent version, rather than the two- or five-talent version), instead of hiding it under a rock or burying it in the dirt, I’m going to put some effort into remaining faithful to the task, fully expecting to one day be entrusted with something bigger.

God charged me with a task. I don’t know what He wants to do with it, but here’s what I know: outcome is God’s responsibility, and obedience is my responsibility. That takes a lot of the pressure off me! I can’t possibly know what God’s got planned for this blog or why in the world He prompted me to start it, but that’s okay, because that information isn’t necessary in order for me to follow through on the assignment He’s given me.

Is there something you’ve felt called to do, but have given up on it? Please consider having another look. It could be your first step in God moving you along to something bigger.

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How Does He Bounce Back?

It’s been a rough few weeks for President Biden. Let’s take stock of the current political situation.

A stalled domestic agenda. The botched Afghanistan withdrawal. The first time ever that France recalled its ambassador to the US. Rising inflation. The crisis on the southern border (both the normal border crossers and now the Haitians huddling under the bridge in Texas). Trying to manage the optics of mandating vaccines for Americans while releasing unvaccinated illegal immigrants into the US. Even the press is starting to politely turn against him.

Many politicians view election results as the American public delivering mandates. That is, if there’s a large party swing after an election, it’s normally interpreted as the public saying “we want to go in the other direction,” and giving the new majority party license to do so. There’s a problem though. It’s one thing if your political party trounces the other; that outcome suggests the American public is willing to go along with your proposed agenda. However, in this case, this majority is one of the slimmest majorities in recent memory. In fact, the House majority is the narrowest it’s been in about 75 years. In the Senate, party lines are as close as they can possibly be; if a single Democratic senator disagrees, becomes incapacitated, or otherwise doesn’t show for a vote, Dems won’t have enough for even a simple majority, and that simple majority requires using the Vice President to break a tie. Despite this incredibly narrow margin, Democrats have approved and are pursuing highly controversial agenda items that would normally only be undertaken when holding significant majorities. (In the 2010 midterms, for example, after Democrats signed the controversial “Obamacare” into effect, President Obama admitted to the House taking a “shellacking” when they lost about 60 seats to Republicans.)

President Biden’s poll numbers are taking a beating. My sense is that it has to do with his identity crisis. Historically (prior to serving in his role as Vice President), Joe was pretty moderate. Why is it that he’s now gone full radical left? I’d guess it’s because, while he may have his personal political views, the people around him know how to persuade him to do what they want. Joe Biden is a likable guy, but he’s obviously not the one calling the shots. It seems he’s not permitted to engage in unscripted events, and he’s repeatedly made remarks about how he’s “not supposed to” interact with the audience or take questions. This is, like, puppet government stuff (think “Weekend at Bernie’s,” but set in the White House).

If I’m a democratic strategist, I’m looking at this situation and thinking that it’s probably best to wring everything possible out of President Biden (in terms of agenda), but then do my best to make sure someone else, maybe with a more moderate record, is the Democratic nominee running in 2024 (maybe Virginia Senator Mark Warner, if he can raise his profile between now and then).

The problem for Democrats…if Joe Biden leaves office for any reason during this term, Vice President Kamala Harris gets promoted to the big chair, and she’s not yet ready to carry the torch in a Presidential election. She might be ready by the time the election nears, but there’s still much work to be done. It took her a full three months to even visit the border after her boss put her in charge of the border crisis. That’s a fail, even if the border visit didn’t actually accomplish anything. She recently embarked on an official tour through Asia, which should give her some more experience with foreign policy. Time will tell if she’ll be groomed for the role of President.

Let’s say you’re a strategist working for the democratic “kingmakers.” You have President Joe Biden, a man with plummeting poll numbers, but you can pretty much get him to do whatever you want him to do. That benefit isn’t worth anything if he’s voted out of office, however. You’re almost definitely going to have a Republican-controlled House of Representatives after the midterm elections, and possibly a Republican-controlled Senate. What’s your call here? Do you go all in, trying to implement a Democratic wishlist that will get you voted out in the short term, but perhaps return you to office in the long term, or do you focus on trying to retain the White House even if it means tossing Biden (and possibly Harris) overboard in favor of a new ticket? Who do you have on the bench that can be used on the national stage?

Historically speaking, the President’s party loses House seats in midterm elections. (It’s just how it goes; it’s more of an anomaly when this does not happen, like when Republicans gained seats during the 2002 midterm elections…in the wake of 9/11 and the start of the conflict in Afghanistan.) My original prediction would have been that even though it’s predictable, President Biden will get saddled with the blame for losing the House and maybe the Senate, then in the midst of that blame game, the powers that be will demand a Democratic primary for the 2024 election, which he will not win. Judging by the way the press is openly questioning the White House, though, that plan may take too long.

I’m not saying that this part will happen, but it’s something to keep an eye on. There are four Republican House members that are planning to introduce articles of impeachment against President Biden in respect to the Afghanistan debacle and the catastrophe that’s happening on our southern border. They can introduce whatever they want, but it doesn’t mean it’s going to go anywhere. If we start seeing these articles get traction from Democrats, it won’t mean they believe there’s dereliction of duty going on; it will mean that they’ve wrung what they could from Biden and now it’s time to get rid of him in the hopes of having a better shot during the next election. It’s not the way the system should work, but it may be the way it gets used. Again, time will tell, but I don’t think Joe Biden will serve a full four years.

I don’t really like doing political posts here, but I feel it’s important to keep up with what your government is up to. The way I see it, this is more “political analysis” than posting political material.

A lot can happen between now and the next presidential election, and I expect that it will. I don’t believe that President Biden will run for re-election, but at this point I don’t know how that set of circumstances will unfold.

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Letting Go

Today’s post comes to us courtesy of a guest author, my wife! Enjoy!

On a vacation with my family I tried rock climbing for the first time. They had it set up with an automatic belay system… meaning there wasn’t an actual person spotting you if you fell, there was just the system.

I am not a fan of heights, but I also love adventures, so I geared up and was ready to give it a go. All harnessed in, I started to climb. They had someone there ready to point me to foot and hand holds if need be. They also told me to only climb part of the way up the first time and practice letting the belay system catch me so I could get used to it.

As I reached my halfway point, it was time to let go. This is where it got dicey for me. You see, I wanted to hang on to the wall, and feel the rope catch my weight BEFORE I let go. I wanted security, but no matter how much I tried to hold on to the wall and “sit” in my harness there was no feeling of security, only slack in the belay system. I was going to have to completely let go in order for it to engage and catch me. Some of you already see the tie-in here, ironic huh? I needed to let go in order to be caught. I had to trust the system would do what it was built to do. I couldn’t do it any other way. No matter how much I wanted to do it while still holding on, I couldn’t.  So, gritting my teeth I pushed off and let go (and fell splat, ha, just kidding), the rope caught as it should have and lowered me to the ground. I was able to keep going, climbing higher the next time. I even learned to kinda like it, and tried again the next day with Tim!

Isn’t this so us in our growing in our faith and trust in our Savior? God is continually, patiently working to build our faith. He knows each of us so well. We have little falls and nudges where we get to “try out” letting go before the really big ones come. During these times God shows He is faithful again and again. Our faith grows and so do the differing callings He places on our lives. There are bigger steps and leaps of faith, pushing us out of our comfort zone many times, and relying on our God’s strength in the midst of our weakness. God is always there to catch us and will never leave us or forsake us. He promises this!  (Hebrews 13:5) He is also completely honest with and tells us that we will have trouble and face trials (John 16:33), that we will be tested and tried and stretched. He is refining us, and I don’t know about you, but I think we tend to get lazy when all is well; it’s the trials, or even the scary callings or nudges from God that pulls us back to His arms. We always need Him…we’re just more aware of it in our flesh during the times of desperation, or in the face of our inadequacies.

So where are you? Are you on a mountain ready to conquer the world? Flying free? Don’t forget to lean into God and thank Him for the gifts He has given you. Remember to do all for the glory of God and point to Him and praise Him. Your gifts and talents come from your Maker. Don’t stop looking to Him. Build those disciplines and know your Bible so when life hits you hard you can keep your feet planted on your firm foundation, which is always Christ alone.

Or, maybe you are in a different phase: clinging to the wall, afraid to let go and trust, afraid to step out into the new and unknown? Maybe you’ve already let go…you’ve taken the leap and feel like you’re free falling and not getting caught at all? You are feeling battered and bruised, let down and confused at what has happened?  Some things that helped me during these times is looking back and remembering, just as God told the Israelites, to set up stones so they could remember and tell their children of His miracles and faithfulness (Joshua 4:4-7). We also should “set up stones.” We do this by recounting His awesome works, looking back at our life and taking account of His blessings and His gifts, writing down His past faithfulness to remind us in the present, looking for scriptures that encourage our heart and remind us of who our God is and all He did for us! Take your eyes off your circumstances and put them back on your great God. I heard someone recently say “He didn’t save us to then leave and abandon us to our trials all alone,” so even when it seems you are alone or don’t understand why you are going through what you are, cling to the fact that Your God died for you to save you, and He sent us His spirit to live in you, so once you are His you are never alone. Rest in the fact that our God doesn’t change, in an ever-changing culture of what is right and wrong our God is faithful and true, He beckons us to leap and trust and promises an eternity in Heaven with Him.

So yes, we will get bruised and battered in this life. We aren’t in Heaven yet, but as we climb may we keep our eyes fixed on our Savior and remember He is really the only trustworthy one that will never let us down. This fallen world will hurt and disappoint, give false promises, and lead us astray from what truly matters, but our God is always there. His death at the cross and His resurrection secured our place in Heaven if we only believe in Him as Savior. So come what may on this earth, when we are His, we are attached to the most amazing secure belay system imaginable, and our God will always catch us. He already has. Remember this life on earth is temporary, don’t get too attached or swept up in things that don’t really matter, the stuff we won’t take with us. Only the people around us matter. We have an eternity ahead of us! So be brave and live for a God that came down to save you. Love others well. Shine for Him and remember He is worth letting go for. Whatever it is God is telling you to do I dare you…go do it! It will be the best choice and ride of your life, because His plans are way better than ours. Always!

God bless you and thank you for taking the time to read.