Tag: don’t lose your cool

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34 Bible Verses About White Privilege

There’s been a lot of talk about “White Privilege” lately. It’s a controversial topic that seems to be gaining traction, even at major corporations. For those that are unfamiliar with the term, the basic premise is that on average, white folks have advantages in life (either subtle or obvious) that non-white folks do not have. Many definitions say that it’s a product of years of white-imposed racism.

To me, it sounds suspiciously like we’re being led to a place where it will become acceptable to start concluding “the only fair way to proceed from here is to implement Communist policies, where everyone is treated the same.” If you start hearing that, push back hard. There is NO political system that’s been responsible for more human suffering than Communism. If that’s the route things are going, the effect would be to reduce (not end) racism by making everyone miserable, but would come at the cost of intensified class warfare, denunciation or banishment of all political beliefs other than a standardized core of them, and a government takeover of most, if not all, private property.

Still, it’s an interesting thought prompt. If I had been born to the exact same parents, lived in the exact same house, and my parents had the exact same employment situation, but all of us were Asian or Hispanic instead of white, how would things be different?

The answer, of course, is impossible to know. Things would be different I’m sure, but I have no idea how or to what extent. At the end of the day, God made me the way I am, and I’m not about to start arguing with Him about it, so in my view it’s unrealistic for anyone to expect me to be sorry about it. Since He doesn’t make mistakes, the only thing about me I’m ashamed of is my sinful nature, and the cross took care of that for me.

The Bible actually speaks quite a bit about how to obtain privilege, but it uses another term. I’m sure you’ve heard it used many times before. We often hear athletes, the well-to-do, various experts, and people that live joyful lives say that they’ve been blessed. Those various blessings are privileges that not everyone possesses.

There are a ton of Bible verses about people being blessed. In this context, it usually means that God, in some way, rewards an obedient follower by bringing something positive to their life that wasn’t there before. With the exception of Solomon, we don’t normally get to pick what our blessings looks like (he chose wisdom). Sometimes it means wealth, but more often it’s something less tangible. It’s a blessing to have enough to eat every day. It’s a blessing to have a clear conscience and sleep well at night, or to have a peaceful home. Contentment is a huge blessing. Some people take their good health for granted, but it’s definitely something you miss if it’s taken away. Effective medical treatment, a steady job, a happy heart, a pregnancy after a struggle with infertility, running water, air conditioning…they’re all various types of blessings!

According to the Bible, there are numerous routes to receive blessings in your life. It’s no secret; it’s out there for anyone to read. I’ll give you a bunch right here. These actions usually come with consistent Christian living, and manifest themselves naturally when actively living that lifestyle. We’ll probably someday hear “Christian Privilege” used in a negative context meant to help marginalize Christian values, so I’ll refer positively to it instead as “Christ-Follower Privilege.” It’s available to everyone, regardless of skin color, and without reservation I encourage everyone reading this to pursue it. If you choose not to, well, okay, that’s your choice, but I think you’re giving up some great opportunities.

The name of this post was misleading; it should be “34 Bible Verses To Help Any Ethnicity Gain Privilege.” Notice that none of these verses mention anything about race, meaning they’re applicable to anyone. Without further ado, here they are:

Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. Psalm 119:2

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. Proverbs 16:3

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8

Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord. Proverbs 16:20

How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you. Psalm 31:19

Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 1 Peter 3:9

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” Malachi 3:10

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Matthew 5:9

His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ Matthew 25:21

The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for it. Proverbs 10:22

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers. Psalm 1:1

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:8

Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Joshua 1:8

You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:11

I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing. Ezekiel 34:26

The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace. Psalm 29:11

Observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go. 1 Kings 2:3

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance. Psalm 33:12

“If you do not listen, and if you do not resolve to honor my name,” says the Lord Almighty, “I will send a curse on you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not resolved to honor me.” Malachi 2:2

Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12

But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. James 1:25

Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Luke 6:22

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.” Mark 10:29-30

Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Psalm 32:1

Blessed is the one whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. Job 5:17

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Matthew 5:11

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A Whole Bunch of People Straight up Vanished – What Just Happened?!

This week’s post isn’t geared so much toward my regular readers as it is the people that have just witnessed an astonishing event, and who are absolutely freaking out right now. If a sizable portion of the human race has just flat out disappeared without a trace, and you’re still here, this post is meant for you.

Right off the bat, I can offer you hope, but it’s going to come with a hard dose of reality. I’m breaking this into two sections: what happened, and what you need to do now. You’re going to think what I’m saying is crazy, but crazy just became your new norm, friend, and the things I touch on can help you start to understand this new reality.

So what happened? I can’t put a number on it, but a ton of people around the whole world just up and disappeared, right in the middle of everyday life. Cars driving down the road suddenly had no drivers, and airplanes lost their pilots, which caused additional chaos, I’m sure. Despite what’s being reported, it wasn’t aliens and it wasn’t some weird new disease. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say the people that disappeared are Christians. That is, they believed and trusted in Jesus Christ. Sure, there are still some church-goers and religious people that didn’t disappear. Ask them why others are gone but they’re still here. If they can’t seem to articulate their thoughts, ask them about their relationship with Jesus Christ. Not their head knowledge, as in their knowledge of or about God, or the money they give or the things they do for the church; ask them about their relational/experiential knowledge…the relationship they have with God. Odds are that they didn’t have a meaningful one.

Here’s the quick and dirty: after Jesus left, the Church (capital “C”) started. Throughout the Bible’s New Testament, the Church is described as the thing preserving the world (the “salt and light”). The Church is what perpetuates society’s collective morality. Yeah, things progressively get less and less like the way God wanted humanity to act. Churches give in, get “woke,” and endorse things that God himself would not endorse. Morality becomes less black and white and becomes increasingly gray. There are some churches and some folks that stand up and try to point the way back to Biblical morality, but over time those voices get drowned out, silenced, or labeled “hateful.”

Eventually (this is the part you’ve witnessed), God says “That’s enough; the evil is too much. I don’t want it to corrupt my people any further, so I’m pulling them out of there.” I don’t know when He’s going to do it, but I know that none of the people who disappeared are perfect; they just chose to love Jesus and trust Him as their savior and are now with Him in Heaven.

So where does that leave you? Well, you’re heading for some very rough waters. As it turns out, the Church was the speed bump that slowed down the moral degeneration of the human race. Now that it’s gone, there’s nothing holding back society’s decay. It’s like defunding the police and trusting that everyone will just get along and live happily together without problems. Things are about to get more insane and deadly than you imagined could ever happen.

If it hasn’t already happened, there’s a guy about to come on the scene that’s the most articulate politician/leader you’ve ever seen. He’s going to seem like he’s got all the answers and people will thrust him to global leadership. It’s a meteoric rise. The Bible calls this man the Antichrist. Circumstances will be such that you are encouraged (and maybe in some cases forced) to worship him. He’s empowered by satanic forces and will be able to do amazing supernatural things, and will perform counterfeit versions of the actual miracles Jesus performed.

Very quickly, here are some other things that will happen: Crazy, unexplainable signs in the sky…sun, moon, sky, and stars will all act strangely (Revelation chapter 6, verses 12-14, along with Rev 8:12). Imagine peace in the Middle East. This guy will orchestrate a 7-year treaty with Israel that brings peace to the region. Halfway through, though, he’s going to break it for his own benefit, desecrating Jewish holy sites in the process (Daniel 9:27, although there’s a lot more reading to do in order to grasp this meaning). Also, you’ll be unable to buy or sell or otherwise conduct normal business without receiving a mark on your hand or forehead. I don’t know if it’s going to look like a bar code, a QR code, or something else, but odds are it will somehow have the number “666” associated with it. (Rev. 13:16-18) Additionally, even aside from the disappearances, there’s going to be widespread death on a massive scale (Rev 6:7-8). Interestingly, there are going to be two guys that show up in Jerusalem that, for three and a half years speak out against the way folks are living and the way the world is conducting itself, pointing the way to Jesus Christ. People are going to hate hearing the truths these two guys are spreading, and will even try to kill them in order to silence them. During this time, these two will be invincible, but at the end the Antichrist himself will kill them both and their bodies will be left in the street as people celebrate their death by giving gifts to one another. Three and a half days later, however, both men will come back to life in full view of everyone. God then calls them to Heaven, and the two men will leave after that. (Rev. 11:3-12)

Look there’s a whole lot that happens, and I just don’t have the space to go into it all. Here’s what you need to do:

  • Accept Christ as your Lord and Savior. You’re not perfect, but you don’t have to be. I realize that “accepting Christ as your Savior” sounds kind of wonky for someone who’s not accustomed to “churchy” language, so I’ll say it differently. Talk to God; pray this prayer: “Dear God, I need you. I’m humbly calling out to you. I’m tired of doing things my way; help me to start doing things your way. I invite you into my life to be my Lord and Savior; fill the emptiness in me with your Holy Spirit and make me whole. Lord help me to trust you, help me to love you, help me to live for you. Help me to understand your grace, your mercy, and your peace. Help me have the strength for what lies ahead. Thank you Lord, Amen.”
  • If it hasn’t already, it’s probably about to become illegal to possess a Bible. You’re going to need one, though, along with a place to stash it. The Bible is a very complex book, with lots of stuff that you’re probably not going to care about (so many lineages!), and you’ll need help understanding it. There are lots of different translations of the Bible, but the most important thing for you is to get one that you can follow and that is an actual translation (not paraphrased). If it says that Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully man, you’re probably on the right track. If you’ve never read the Bible before, start out in the New Testament. If you’re new to this, start with Matthew. (The books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are in the same group of books, and they cover a lot of the same material. Don’t read all four and wonder why they killed Jesus four times!) Some of the books of the Bible that will pertain the most to you (Revelation, Daniel, Ezekiel) are also some of the most difficult to understand, so it’s best to get either a study bible (with notes) or separate commentaries that can help provide explanations of what the text is saying. At this point you’re living in a time that’s past civility, so I’ll say this and you take it however you’d like: the homes and bookshelves of the people who disappeared are your best shot at obtaining the biblical resources that can help you the most, and those folks sure don’t need those resources anymore.
  • The Bible is your single best source for learning what you need to learn, but it can be very hard to understand. For a lot of people, sermons from pastors/priests or additional Bible study materials will help increase understanding of biblical scripture’s application. If you can obtain those resources, do it.
  • Find others like you. God empowers His followers with special talents called “spiritual gifts.” They could be things like teaching, faith, leadership, administration, or the gift of helps (this isn’t an exhaustive list). If you accept Christ, you’ll gain something that you can use to help other Christ-followers, and others will likewise be able to help you. The Bible says that wherever two or more are gathered in His name, He’s there (Matthew 18:20). Take comfort in that, help each other learn about Christ, and help each other survive. You would not believe what God can do when He wants to get something done, and you may very well see it up close.

There are very hard times ahead. You will personally understand desperation in a way I can only vaguely imagine in April of 2021. My hope is that this post will float around online long enough to reach the people that need it, starting to orient you in a time of unprecedented chaos.

I’m not out to con you. I can guarantee that I have nothing to gain by passing this information along. In fact, if I’m right about all this, I’m already gone. You, on the other hand, have everything to gain!

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. – 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

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It’s All Part of the Process

Last week I talked about reconciling the apparent scientific evidence we have of an earth that appears to be billions of years old with the 6,000-10,000-year estimate we derive from the Bible’s account.

This week, let’s talk a little about the process of creation itself.

For now, let’s assume the biblical account of creation is accurate. That is, God made the entire universe, including the earth and everything in it, in seven days. (As an aside, note that even though the work was completed in six days, God considered resting and recharging so important that He set the example of including it as part of the timeline. That’s not my main point, but it’s important, too!)

Why would God take seven whole days? If He’s infinitely powerful, why didn’t He just make it all instantly? He had the option of waving His arms across the emptiness and bringing everything into existence, yet He deliberately chose to break up the stages of Earth’s creation into distinct phases. Why?

I believe He did it as a way of illustrating to us, His followers, that His way of doing things usually occurs through using processes. Everything God does is a process. God could snap His fingers and affect major change instantaneously, but doing so foregoes the opportunity to make the journey.

In addition to a seven-day-long creation, here are some other examples of God taking longer than we might expect:

  • Leading the Israelites along the scenic route through the wilderness to get to the promised land (even before He announced they’d wander until the older generation perished)
  • Prophesying about the coming Messiah for hundreds of years before He showed up
  • Saying that He’s coming back for us “soon.” Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. Revelation 22:12

What are we to learn from this?

Well it seems to me that God’s telling us: “don’t be in a hurry to get to the next thing; live in the moment, because that’s where I’ve placed you. You may have noble intentions of things you want to do in the future, but don’t forget about living for me in the present. I’m giving you opportunities to be faithful in small things over time, and if you do well, I’ll give you opportunities to be faithful in bigger things.”

Living life at God’s pace instead of our own builds and hones our character. Remember that He knows exactly what choices we’ll make and what kind of person we’ll be in the future. Part of the sometimes glacial movement of God’s work in our lives is for our benefit, not God’s. As you accomplish tasks God sets before you, it grows your faith and deepens your trust in Him. As that trust grows, you become more willing to take bigger leaps of faith on His behalf…leaps that you would not have been willing to take if God had simply snapped His fingers and brought you to the level He wanted you to be after the long, hard journey. Skipping the journey means missing part of the experience that makes you…you.

If you’re going through an especially difficult time right now, just remember: God knows where He wants you to end up, but the route you would’ve chosen wasn’t going to get you there in the manner He wanted. It’s easy to think of surprises and unforeseen pivots as “detours.” The reality is that this was always the charted course, but sometime in the past we tried going in a different direction than God chose.  

There aren’t too many people that would plan their lives according to the way God does. That feared diagnosis, that pink slip, that broken relationship. Though it’s painful, please remember that all the difficult struggles in your life are part of the process God is using to shape you who He wants you to become.

Lord, sometimes there are no words to describe the feelings we have when life doesn’t go the way we expected. Please help us to have patience, to live in the here and now, and to see how to align our wills more closely with yours. Amen.

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Spies Like Us

Have you ever stopped to think that living for Christ can, in some ways, be compared to life as a spy?

No, not 007, with pen grenades and cars that shoot missiles from the headlights. James Bond movies can be fun to watch, but they’re not the most accurate depictions of what life as a real spy is like.

I’m sure there’s a lot of spying that happens today, but to me a lot of the interesting stuff happened during the Cold War. It just seemed like it was more interesting before you could hack everything through the internet. In some cases, there might be someone with access to very valuable information that feeds juicy tidbits back to their handler. You’d also have dramatic stories of Soviet pilots defecting with the latest fighter plane design.

In just about every case, you’ve got a human being that’s committing some level of treason against their country, and at least part of their mind is dwelling on the consequences they’ll face if they get caught. Some people are simply more given to worry, but excessive worry and the lifestyle of a spy are not compatible things. I can’t say that I’ve walked in their shoes or experienced the stress that they experience, but for many spies (or “assets”), there comes a point at which their life of ulcers and poor sleep gets to be too much, and they ask to be extracted or set free from the lifestyle they’re living.

That can be us as Christians. We’re simply passing through this world. “This rental’s not our home.” Working for God in the pursuit of bringing Him glory, we long for Heaven but we don’t know when we’ll get there.

Spies don’t work alone; the information or function they provide serves someone. That someone can be called many things: a spymaster, a handler, an asset manager (you might pause the next time you meet someone that describes themselves as an “asset manager”). That person’s role is to direct the spy what to do or what to report on.

When someone conducting espionage gets frayed nerves and tells their handler they’ve had enough and want to be “brought in from the cold,” the handler needs to weigh a few things. Can that asset be convinced to stay in place a little longer? How much longer will that asset be useful? Is it worth the risk of leaving them in place and being caught? Are they still motivated by the same factor that drove them to engage in espionage in the first place? The handler may need to pull out all the stops to convince the spy to stay in place and keep doing what they’re doing, and that may entail using stick, carrot, or both. After all, even if the handler is genuinely fond of their asset, the information will stop flowing if the asset leaves their post.

Ultimately, that spy lives their life in a way that reprioritizes someone else’s desires over their own. I think this is what Paul meant in Romans 12 when he wrote of our lives being a “living sacrifice.”

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2

Unlike an Old Testament sacrifice, where an animal’s life is taken in our place, we’re to present our lives and bodies as a “living sacrifice.” It’s a higher, more productive calling than a calling with a quick ending. It’s a life of service that spans years and in many cases multiple decades; compared with an ending on an altar, this kind of sacrifice can be much more taxing and take much more effort.

At one point or another, just about everybody has wished for the trials and difficult times in their lives to be over. Sometimes people even go so far as to pray for God to take them home before it gets any worse. While that would certainly take away the stress and shortcomings of what we have to endure in this imperfect world, it would severely restrict the amount of usefulness God can wring out of us in this life. In that regard, He’ll sometimes say “No, I need you where you are right now. Sit tight, keep doing what you’re doing, and I promise I’ll make it up to you later.” Like an actual spymaster, He may do this through reassurance, or He may do it by applying more leverage on you.

So here we are. We’re not home yet, but while we’re waiting for God to take us there (in His time, not ours), we’re to place God’s will above our own.

This next part is hard to hear; I wish I could look you in the eye and reach out and put my hand on your shoulder when I say this. The world will always hate Christ, and by extension it will always hate those that follow Him. If you’re a passionate and obedient Christ-follower, you will have your life of peace, prosperity, and fulfillment, but it’s probably not going to be here on Earth. So saddle up, grit your teeth, and dig in, being willing to endure difficulties and discomfort, because the part you’re waiting for won’t be until you’re finished here. It’s going to be worth it, though, so hang tough and let your Handler be the one to tell you what your role is and when it’s time to come in from the cold.

Next week’s post will have more on what it is that God wants you, specifically, to do in this life. Spoiler alert: I don’t know what your specific calling is, but I’ll talk about how to help you figure it out. If this is something that’s been on your mind, please spend the next week in prayer to help prepare you for it.

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Big Change is Afoot in Our Nation

I’m not sure of the best way to articulate this, but there’s something big happening in the way our government functions. I don’t mean to sound overly dramatic, and hopefully I’m wrong, but I’m not convinced it’s a good thing, and I don’t yet know what it will mean for those that openly follow Christ in our country.

A little in the way of background: for a long time in our nation, the person occupying the title of President of the United States has come from the political class. That is, they’ve served as a governor or senator before moving into the White House. The Washington insiders have their connections to one another, and have a “I’ll scratch your back if you make it worth my while” mentality. Neither side really places their constituents above the needs of the party, but when the party’s needs align with something their constituents are after, television cameras and reporters are invited to come in and cover it. Elected officials and career hobnobbers working in DC aren’t primarily there for “the good of the people,” they’re there for the perks.

Then in walks a president who’s not from the political class. He’s accustomed to the way things operate in the private sector: if you’re not doing it better than the next person, you’re losing. It’s one thing to think about applying that mentality to the government, but it’s another thing entirely to actually start moving in that direction. Have you ever been at a job when you get a new boss? He or she wants to take a tour…get the lay of the land…see what they’re working with. Well, the outgoing president more or less took that tour, and said “what’s behind this door?” The tour guide said something like “no, no, no, you don’t want to see what’s back there, Mr. President. Besides, we have a luncheon to get to.” But the President walked over and opened the door anyway. When he saw 300 copy machines in a room, and only seven pieces of paper, he said “what in the world is this?” It turns out that the brother-in-law of the college roommate of someone’s representative’s lobbyist owns a copy machine business, and somebody owed them a favor. The next day the news coverage wasn’t on the tremendous government waste, but on the fact that the president went against the wishes of a long-time, highly decorated tour guide who is from a different racial background than he is.

This story is made up, of course, but sort of shows where we’ve been for the past few years. This guy upends the apple cart. He says things that make sense to the average Jane/Joe, but it threatens the good thing that people in DC have going. That brings us to the past few days.

It’s becoming more and more evident that we don’t really have two political parties in DC; we mainly have one class of politicians that enjoy the power and perks that come with DC life. When this guy began threatening their gravy train, they sat up and took notice.

Now he’s the only president to be impeached twice. The first time was for a phone call where he was supposedly abusing his power by trying to take out a political opponent. The second time was for inciting a riot. Call me suspicious on this one, but the event where the president spoke was filmed; why aren’t his “beyond the shadow of a doubt” riot-inducing remarks being played non-stop on major news programs? Isn’t impeachment the top news story of the day? Also, why is it that rioters in Seattle can set fire to police stations (with cops inside), and rioters in Portland, Oregon can destroy, raze, and loot for months straight, but when the other side storms the Capitol for a few hours (which they should not have done, by the way), this is portrayed as the deadliest threat our nation has ever known?

All that is prologue. Here’s where the trouble comes.

Our nation’s leaders are not known for their calm, deliberate, and rational thinking. They whip up support for the things on their agenda, and the loudest voices (not the majority of constituents) more often than not get their way. Right now, what are the loudest voices calling for?

They want the president’s head on a platter, and they want anyone that supported him dismissed as a lunatic, danger to society, and stripped of their voice. There are many ways they’ll try to do this, and they’ll probably be successful at some of them (anyone here have a Parler account?). One of the first things they’re doing is a lightning-fast impeachment of the president. Keep in mind that Congress took eight months or so to agree on sending out $600 checks during the worst pandemic anyone can remember. Now they decided that, with less than two weeks left in his term, the president needed to be impeached again and removed from office. Why not just let him finish out his term, which now has less than a week to go? It seems to me that they’re doing it so he cannot run again for the office in the future. It would be one thing if it was his own party pushing nearly unanimously for impeachment, but it’s something else when the opposite party leads the charge. Using your power to take out your political enemy is, after all, what the president was impeached for (the first time around).

Here’s my concern. During times where emotions are running high, people follow leaders that have zeal. Well, someone is probably going to come up with the zealous idea that “since the president is a horrible person and a danger to society, the people that like him must therefore be horrible and a danger to our society, too. Many of the people that are his supporters also support religious values. Ergo, people that support religious values are dangerous.”

Of course it sounds far-fetched, especially since the freedom of religion is such a highly valued part of our country’s history. You can’t just stomp out churches! So what will happen is that churches will have to say the right things or avoid saying the wrong things in order to be granted certain privileges (like being tax-exempt organizations). If a sermon contains things that the state disapproves of, that becomes a problem for that particular church.

Change is coming. I ask today that you pray for Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Congress, the Senate, the Supreme Court, and the individual state governments. Pray that God would be near them all, and that He’d help the new administration govern in a way that honors Him, that they legislate in good faith, and that this nation is calmed while respecting the constitutional rights of all citizens.

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Are We Living in Revelation?

Do you believe that what the Bible says is true?

You might breeze past that question without even giving yourself a firm answer one way or the other. I’m not asking if you believe that parts of it are true; I’m asking if you believe the whole thing is true.

There are lots of different (some may say boring) parts of the Bible. There are some parts, though, that are mind-blowing when you examine them closely. The story of Creation, for example. When Moses wrote Genesis, though, there were a lot of details he glossed over or simply didn’t include. The advantage we have in our time is that we can look back through history and fill in some of the gaps using corroborating sources and our knowledge of science.

We don’t have that same advantage when we look at the other extreme of history’s timeline. The Bible has a lot to say about the times leading up to the end of this world (the “End Times”), but they’re written in such a way that it’s difficult to pinpoint times, places, and the specifics of how particular events might unfold. It’s not clear if there’s one major event that sets things off, or if there’s a straw that breaks the camel’s back, but we know that God eventually says “You know what? Enough is enough.”

There are several books in the Bible that discuss the End Times, but the most prominent is Revelation. It’s a crazy book. It’s full of vivid symbolism, along with sometimes vague information about how God will pull His faithful out of the world, satisfy His extensive wrath against sin, and contend with those that have opposed or rejected Him. There’s some scary stuff in there, and it can make you nauseous to see what’s in store for those that never accept Christ.

One of the interesting things to ponder is how the United States may play a role in the events described in Revelation. Right now I’d say that the United States is one of the most powerful nations on the planet. Twenty years ago our nation stood head and shoulders above everyone else. We’re still at or near the top, but much of our advantage in any given area (technology, military might, etc.) has eroded and China either has, or may soon, overtake us. Here’s the kicker: of the nations described in the Bible’s End Times writings, most of them appear to be Middle Eastern, European, and some nation that’s east of Israel. Translation: by the time we actually arrive in the End Times, the US will fall into the “all others” category.

Here’s where future prophecy meets current reality. How could a nation as powerful as the United States, the only country to put humans on the moon for over 50 years (using computers less powerful than your phone) descend so far into mediocrity as to not even be a footnote in the Bible’s “end of the world” account? Well, I guess the short answer is that a nation can’t expect to be blessed by God if it turns its back on Him.

The U.S. will have to fall very far from its high-water mark. How might that happen? I’ll give an example of A way; I’m not saying it will happen this way, but it can help illustrate things in a way that hits home. Keep in mind that tumultuous times will become a regular occurrence, and that the current craziness we’re living in may one day seem like “the good old days.”

The biggest way to kill America’s superpower status will be to cripple the country as an economic powerhouse. I’m not talking about shutting things down for Coronavirus…that blindsided everybody, so most nations are in the same boat there. I’m talking about tanking our economy in relation to the rest of the world.

Well, what’s the best way to bleed our economy to a point where we’re no longer a world leader? I’m not going to put a label on it, but I’ll describe it to you. Ever since World War II, we’ve tried to develop a global community of sorts; our economy was so powerful that we’d throw money at other nations just to keep them friendly with us. We shouldered the bulk of the costs for the UN and for NATO, and countless smaller international agreements. Over time, other nations began decreasing the levels of funding they committed to those same international efforts, but with a wink and a nod, they understood “that’s okay, the U.S. will pick up the tab.” For some reason, we did, and other nations liked that.

Then came Donald Trump. “Hey, you’re not living up to your commitments, and we’re left holding the check. Ain’t gonna happen anymore.” He embraced the idea that the American President should be an advocate for the citizens of the U.S. before he or she advocates for anyone else.

But he’s abrasive, not easily controlled, and doesn’t care about upsetting the status quo in Washington DC, which unleashed an untold amount of hate. There has been such a backlash against Donald Trump that his political opponents have never had more momentum for swinging back in the other direction as hard as possible. It doesn’t even matter what the policies are; if Trump supported it, the loudest critics want it to go, even if it made good sense. One of Trump’s hallmark policies is “America first,” doing things that will grow the American economy and generate opportunities for the people that live within our borders. It’s not anti-everyone else, it’s just taking care of our own house before looking around and seeing what we can do to help out the neighbors. He takes the view that the American President should do everything in their power to make the lives of Americans better. Those committed to swinging the pendulum back the other direction are willing to place the interests of the global community above American interests.

That brings us to next month, when it looks like Joe Biden (a likable career politician who’s in failing health and has demonstrated signs of mental decline) will be sworn in as President. Mr. Biden is generally moderate, but will be under a great deal of pressure to lean harder to the political left in order to satisfy the extreme wing of his party and undo President Trump’s executive orders and other actions.

Let’s assume for a moment that Mr. Biden (due to a resignation, due to being forced out via the 25th Amendment, or due to impeachment connected to his son’s business dealings), does not serve out his entire first term. In that case the Presidency falls to his Vice President, Kamala Harris (a freshman Senator who, in 2019 was ranked further left than any other sitting Senator based on the bills she supported). Ms. Harris ran in the Democratic primary for her own shot at the presidency, but her views were so extreme that she was not considered “electable.” Support never materialized and she dropped out before the first primary vote was even cast.

Well, even that might not be so bad, except for the fact that the same party already controls the House of Representatives and is within striking distance of taking over the Senate, pending the outcome of the Senatorial elections in Georgia early next month. We’ve had instances in the past where the same party has controlled the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives, but we’ve never had the same party control all three during a time when that party avoids condemning those tearing down monuments for the sake of trying to rewrite history, or when that party supports cries of “defund the police.” On top of all that, it seems like Communism…the world’s biggest political source of mediocrity and human suffering, and its gentler cousin Socialism…are gaining popularity in America. Never has the country been so close to endorsing anarchy, legislating hatred for our nation’s ideals, and intentionally taking a knee on America’s economic interests as it is right now.

You may think some of these sound nuts, but let me remind you that crazy things have occurred in the past, and maybe some of them could have been avoided if more people voiced their concerns. If America is to hasten its descent into has-been status, this would be one of the biggest opportunities in its history to hit the gas.

Thinking about our country in terms of a very weak nation (or several smaller nations) may be a difficult thing to do. I’m about to list some things that will probably happen on our way to that point. Keeping in mind the end result of America’s eventual placement in the “all others” category and general alignment with accepted global principles described in the Bible’s End Times writings, here are several other items to be on the lookout for:

  • Statehood for Puerto Rico and Washington, DC. This would create four new Senate seats that would make it nearly impossible for Democrats to lose the Senate, consolidating one-party rule, a very dangerous proposition. Political power in America should be won based on ideas, not based on an inability to lose.
  • Increasing the number of justices on the Supreme Court in order to negate the court’s current Conservative makeup (“packing” the court)
  • Declaring non-illnesses or non-medical items as “public health threats.” Declaring things like “gun violence” or “racism” as public health threats essentially creates a back door to impose restrictions on people without actually passing laws or having debate. By making such declarations, officials are empowered to make decrees or take actions they otherwise couldn’t, with no oversight.
  • The active undermining of Christianity and Judaism. These religions are exclusive in nature and hold as central pillars absolutes that the world rejects. The easiest way to begin stomping out the institutions that hold to these belief systems is to revoke the tax-exempt status of any church/synagogue that unapologetically preaches the ideas laid out in their respective holy books, choking the funding of those entities and reducing the power of their voice over time.
  • While I would agree that every life is important, it’s also important to understand that movements sometimes masquerade as something else. Seemingly endless throngs of people unhesitatingly threw their support behind the “Black Lives Matter” movement earlier this year, but I wonder how many of those people understand that the BLM activist group has Marxist roots. Now a woman named Cori Bush, a former BLM activist, won a House seat in Missouri. We’re about to have someone in Congress that shares common views with Marxists, and it’s because she was elected to that position.
  • In Communist nations, the State is all-powerful and takes the place of religion. This would require a massive change if it were to happen in America. There would have to be a sick twist where “the separation of church and state” is circumvented and the State actively takes on the responsibility of providing for the emotional and spiritual needs of citizens that religion normally provides. It calls for worship of the state. A leap of this magnitude would not happen quickly, so watch for movement in this direction over time. As a starting point, look for more government in your life, not less.
  • I say this half jokingly, but look for this blog post to be censored or removed. Bookmark it and check back every now and then. Set a calendar reminder for a year from now.
  • In the End Times, the city of Babylon will be rebuilt and will serve as the world capital. Babylon is in present-day Iraq, so keep an eye out for resources starting to gather in that region.

Please don’t misunderstand; I’m writing of a possible bridge scenario between where we are and where we’ll end up. I can’t tell you what will happen tomorrow, let alone what will happen in our government over the next few years. I don’t believe that voting for the Biden/Harris ticket or other Democratic candidates makes anyone a bad person. I believe the Bible is true in its entirety, and since I believe that, I’m looking at where the Bible says we’re going, and seeing how we might get there from here. Globalism would cause a reduction of America’s place in relation to the world’s other nations, and the leadership team that’s shaping up to take office next month is more “pro-globe” than “pro-America.” I don’t believe we’re living in the era described in Revelation just yet, but the scary part is that I’m able to see how the distance between now and then may be closed.

Some may be incensed that I would write these things. I completely respect your right to disagree with me, but I expect that you’d do the same for me without thought of intimidating or silencing me. If you do not respect my right to disagree with you, it’s only evidence to you that the overall attitude I’ve written about is already bearing fruit in your mind.

Speaking in practical terms, no superpower lasts forever. America is no different. I don’t know if it will have a quick fall, if it will take another few hundred years, or if it will zigzag back and forth between rising and falling power. What I know is that God has a plan, and if you are a Christian, regardless of whatever nationality you claim as your citizenship, He has purpose in mind when He thinks of you. He does not hope that you blindly stumble into your purpose. He prompts you. He places something on your heart. You hear something in a song or in a conversation with someone that ignites something within you, something that makes no sense at all intellectually, but it’s something that you can’t shake.

I encourage you to go down that road, because it’s the purpose God has for your life. We’re closer now than ever before to the days described in Revelation, and you live in this time, rather than at any other point in history, for a reason. It’s time to lean in.

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You Want To See Pandemonium?

Things are about to get a little crazy with the court battle over the election, and I just want to try to explain ahead of time what’s going on. This isn’t the type of post you’d normally find from me, but this information doesn’t seem to be getting a whole lot of news coverage, so I wanted to write something up to help give you a better idea of how you can be praying for the nation.

As we all know, Donald Trump has instigated numerous lawsuits to protest the election results. He hasn’t been very successful in the lawsuits alleging fraud, which constitute the bulk of the lawsuits that have been filed. Ultimately it’s easy to point out a lot of things that don’t quite make sense with the numbers, but it’s very hard to conclusively prove those abnormalities should result in a different election result.

Let me help illustrate what I mean. Any time there’s a national election, people go digging into the data to see what they should capitalize on for the next election. In this past election, Trump gained voters from just about every demographic compared to 2016. Nationwide, Joe Biden performed worse with minority voters than Hillary Clinton did in 2016 in every area except in the counties that contain Milwaukee Wisconsin, Detroit Michigan, Atlanta Georgia, and Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Okay, well that’s odd, even suspicious, but unless there’s some corresponding proof of illicit activity, it’s probably not going to be something that changes anything. Then you add in the fact that Joe Biden, a candidate that did almost no campaigning, got more votes than Barack Obama did in either of his presidential elections, even at the height of Obama-mania. Again, that’s something that raises eyebrows, but without more proof, it’s near impossible to overturn any results.

Well, now there’s something new afoot, and it’s something that has nothing to do with fraud. First we need some context. The U.S. Constitution lays out how the Electoral College system works. Interestingly, it doesn’t mandate elections as we know them. The Constitution says that each state will be allotted a certain amount of electoral votes based on its population, but the only real guidance it gives is to have the individual state legislatures write laws to determine how their respective states will award their electoral votes. (Think of a state legislature as that particular state’s version of Congress.)

Okay, well that sounds like a footnote we’ve probably forgotten from our high school Civics class. I think at this point all the states award their electoral votes based on the voting that takes place in their state, which keeps things simple enough. It’s one Federal election made up of 50+ smaller individual elections, and whoever gets to 270 electoral votes wins.

Now here’s where it gets interesting. Keep in mind that the U.S. Constitution grants the power to write election laws to the individual state legislatures. There are four states (Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan) which had late adjustments to their election law…but the laws were not changed by their states’ legislatures. They were changed by one of the executives (Governors, Secretaries of State, etc.) or by the state Supreme Courts. In other words, the election laws were changed illegally, and the elections in those states were carried out using the illegal instructions (the changes were mostly things that made it easier to cast votes without having to prove you’re eligible to vote, something that no party should endorse).

Now the state of Texas (later joined by over 15 additional states) brought a suit to the U.S. Supreme Court. That suit more or less points at those states and says “we want a ruling on what just happened, because if this is allowed to take place in any of our nation’s states, every election from here on out could have its rules changed by anyone and be a murky free-for-all.”

I’m not exactly sure of the legal terms here, but the Supreme Court is curious enough about this that it told the four states to respond with some additional information, and to do it by 3 pm today, December 10. The court is not obligated to take the case, but the information those four states provide will probably determine whether or not the court decides to hear it.

Where could this end up? That’s anybody’s guess. What you’ll likely hear on TV is that this is a waste of time, a publicity stunt, and is doomed to be a colossal failure. It’s always disconcerting to me when people describe complaints of unconstitutionality as a waste of time.

So here’s the deal. The Supreme Court, if it takes the case, will be willing to rule on the Constitutionality of the case, but it doesn’t want to be perceived as choosing sides in an election. What they will probably do instead is say “yeah, that’s definitely not how things should have gone.” Then the question will come up: “So…what happens to those four states’ electoral votes?” And the answer will come back: “Let the four states’ legislatures decide.”

Then it’s absolute panic time for like, everybody. There will be behind-the-scenes arm twisting for whoever controls those legislative bodies. There will be threats, bribes, and blackmail for many of the state representatives in those legislatures. Pray for them, because they’ll feel like the weight of the world is coming down on their shoulders. I have no idea what they’ll decide to do. If it was a close election in that state (most of them were), they might say “let’s split our electoral votes 50/50 and give half to each candidate.” Some might say “we’re giving all our votes to this guy” (meaning either Biden or Trump). If one candidate got 60% of the votes, maybe they’ll give him 60% of their electoral votes. They may totally pass the buck and say “You know what? We’re going to cobble together a do-over election.” I simply don’t know what will happen. Those are 62 electoral votes that will be dangling in an unprecedented situation, and everyone (lawyers, academics, talk show pundits, news anchors, Uncle Billy) is going to try to exert some kind of moral authority about what should happen when in reality, it’s completely up to the people in charge of those state legislatures, and nobody else.

During that whole time, the Trump team is going to try making a better case about the fraud they have evidence of. They’ll figure that they’ll be more successful at getting favorable decisions from the state legislatures if they make a compelling case in the court of public opinion. Since they don’t trust the major networks to provide coverage of their evidence, I’d look for a full-court press using any means possible to tilt public opinion in their favor.

If the Supreme Court takes this case, that scenario is where we’re likely headed. Is this crazy or what?!

Well, with that explanation, I ask that you spend continued time in prayer for our nation, because this could easily turn violent (not that I view the threat of violence as a reason to shy away, but by definition, when there’s violence, people get hurt or killed).

Stay safe, wash your hands, watch out for one another, and get on your knees!

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Is It the End or the Beginning of the Fight?

Hey everybody, quick post this morning.

With respect to the election, I ask that you all pray for our nation. Although Joe Biden appears to be on the cusp of reaching 270 electoral votes and winning the election, the Trump campaign has filed legal challenges to the elections in some of the states.

I’ll admit that I’m not very knowledgeable about the particulars of the legal challenges, but it brings up a scenario that could be very dangerous for our country. Let’s assume for a moment (this is just a “what if” scenario, I’m not saying that this will happen) that the Trump campaign’s legal challenges find fault in the way at least a few races were counted. Under this assumption, the wrongs would presumably be set right and the Trump campaign would rightfully benefit, and could conceivably result in Donald Trump raising his right hand on the next inauguration day.

The part that’s scary would be cause for concern regardless of who you voted for. If the Trump campaign’s legal challenges help uncover some sort of cheating or wrongdoing that ultimately lead to Trump reaching 270 votes, it’s easy to see that the legal system, headed by a Supreme Court that just recently had a controversial appointment, could be seen as a kangaroo court, even if it did everything properly. To the ill-informed observer, this would have the appearance of a crooked or corrupt system that can only be fought with violence. From there it’s easy to see how rioting would quickly spread across the country in a way we haven’t seen before, even though everything was done according to our Constitution and legal proceedings.

And so, even though the race appears to be near its completion, there is still the potential for a very tumultuous time ahead.

I ask again, please pray for our nation in the days and weeks ahead, because we’re going to need it.

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A New Spin on an Old Story

I’m pretty sure COVID is never mentioned in the Bible, but the book contains lessons we can apply to our current circumstances. I’m actually kind of surprised this hasn’t occurred to me before.

After centuries of God telling His people, the Israelites, that they need to straighten up (and centuries of them not doing it), He finally dropped the hammer on them. He warned them time and again, but they’d ignore or even kill the prophets. Once He had enough of it, He allowed the Persian Empire (Babylon) to raid Jerusalem and carry away most of the people as captives back to Babylon.

Many of the people refused to accept what was going on. They’d been brought up to believe that as Jews, God favored them. While true, that’s only part of the story. God selected the Jews to be His people, but warned them many times to follow His ways and pursue Him. By failing to do that corporately, over and over again, God finally had enough and allowed Babylon to serve as his instrument of judgment.

Still some chose not to believe what was happening. These people started giving ear to false prophets that popped up. One of them claimed (Jeremiah chapter 28, paraphrased) “Everybody, take heart! God will deliver us from this and we’ll be back home in Jerusalem inside of two years!” This message, though false, appealed to the people, so they believed it and threw their support behind prophets that proclaimed this message.

God, however, intended for these exiles to stay in Babylon for 70 years, and He didn’t hide His intent. Now, if you’re one of these people, living in a foreign land against your will, you’re going to live your life differently if you believe you’re only going to be there two years than if you believed you were probably going to spend the rest of your life there. Of course God wasn’t going to let this be the end of the Jews, but He works on His own timeline, not the one that people decide He should.

To help set the record straight, God had Jeremiah write them a letter. Paraphrasing from Jeremiah chapter 29, the prophet writes “look, everybody, you’re gonna be here for awhile. Build houses for yourself. Plant gardens and eat the stuff that grows in them. Get married to each other and have kids, and give those kids away in marriage. For now, this is your normal. No, it won’t always be like this, but that’s what it is for now.”

That’s our modern-day tie-in. The basic question here is “how many people have put off or canceled major life events because of the current circumstances?” Countless weddings have been postponed, untold numbers of students missed the opportunity to have a traditional in-person graduation ceremony, and it’s simply impossible to know how many other major trips or events have dropped or otherwise been put on hold.

The deeper question, and the one that has a more permanent impact, is “what God-honoring things have been put off or canceled because people decided that the world no longer met their definition of what the world should look like?” There are obvious things, like the cancellation of church services or outreach programs, but there have been varying degrees of success regarding the thing that have taken their place. For example, most churches this past summer probably either completely canceled or had a greatly scaled-back version of Vacation Bible School (VBS). Children are especially open to hearing about what Christ has done for them, and it’s important that Christians reach them. The challenge is addressing the same needs through different means, and the missed opportunities come when there’s no attempt to fill the gap.

That’s just an example. There are elementary-age needs, middle-school-aged needs, high-school-aged needs, needs for singles, for engaged or newlyweds, for men, for women, for families, for widows/widowers, for seniors, for professionals, for stay-at-home parents, and countless sub-groups of any of these demographics. The world needs you…whether it’s your creativity, your technological savvy, a spacious or special property you own, or a brand new idea that can be used to reach people in the name of Christ…this is your opportunity to step out in faith and make an eternal difference.

In this season of COVID, remember not to live like you’re still in Jerusalem. For the moment, we’re in Babylon, and we have to live out our Christianity and witness to non-believers within the parameters of our Babylonian environment. Build houses, plant gardens, and pursue long-term relationships. We may be here for awhile or we may not, but either way, we don’t have the option of letting the ministry opportunities stop. You might be the only thing that an important new undertaking is waiting for.

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Time To Get Back on the Horse

September is a gorgeous month for skydiving. The summer heat has lost its oppressive force, but you can still be comfortable either in shorts and a tee shirt or with a jumpsuit on top of that. It’s noticeably cooler up top when you get out of the plane, but it’s not cold enough to need gloves or extra layers yet.

Now, for those of you that don’t know me, I’m ordinarily a pretty laid back guy. If you see me lose my temper, something like, huge has probably happened. For some reason though, skydiving was a parallel universe for me. I was driven. I wanted badly to be good at freefall skills so I’d be able to turn formations deftly and be able to zip around the sky with other jumpers. When I tried learning certain maneuvers though, I’d try too hard, and I’d be more likely to lose my cool when something didn’t go the way I planned.

Goofing off with a buddy while waiting for our ride to altitude. It’s important to keep the mood light!

Early on I would jump out of the plane and my body tensed up. I’d go rigid not because I was nervous about plummeting toward the ground, but because I was overthinking the instructions and was too focused on trying to get it right. In freefall though, to get your body to do what you want it to do, you need to have your muscles very relaxed. Tensing your muscles causes all different kinds of problems for you. This wasn’t like kayaking, weightlifting, or skiing, where adrenaline or extra power can be a big help; this was an entirely new type of physical challenge…you had to stay chill when the wind is so loud you can’t even hear what someone six inches away from your face is screaming at you.

On one jump, I don’t even remember what happened…I just remember that even though I landed safely I was furious at myself for not getting the freefall objectives right. I mean like, livid. Before my canopy had even completely settled onto the grass, I ripped off my helmet and threw it on the ground, then started kicking it around for good measure. Oh, man, was I ticked! I was ready to get in my car and leave.

There was one instructor at the drop zone, Darlene, who really understood people and what makes them tick. She saw my little tantrum and talked with me about what happened on the jump. After our impromptu debrief she said something surprising. She told me that I needed to get one more jump in that day before I left.

It was surprising because on busy days you had to get in line to get a ride up to altitude; if people wanted to leave early, that was only good news for everyone else. I didn’t want any part of it, I was just feeling sour and wanted to take my ball and go home. She took a look at the schedule of remaining flights and found a way to get me another jump before I left that day. I jumped again, and it went much better than my helmet-kicker.

Darlene knew that if I left on the heels of a bad jump, it was quite possible that I might never come back. She understood that in order for me to flip the script in my own mind, I needed to walk out of there with success more fresh in my memory than failure. It didn’t need to be a stellar jump. It didn’t even need to be a great jump. It just had to be enough, in my mind, to crowd out the memory of a horrible jump.

It may not be skydiving, but you might be in the same boat today. You could be about to turn your back on the thing you thought you were meant to do.

Maybe you already walked away from it. You started walking and you didn’t even turn around to look back, because you want to convince yourself that this isn’t for you.

Well, even if you stepped away, what if you gave it another try? Do you have more to lose than you have to gain? It might just be worth another shot.