Love in our Heart? Ummm…

“God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” -Romans 5.5

For a load of other English translations: https://biblehub.com/romans/5-5.htm

To see the Greek via an interlinear with translation: https://biblehub.com/interlinear/romans/5-5.htm

From time to time I consider the reality and in my view, sad plight of those who discard, disagree or otherwise refuse faith in the Lord (Father, Son, Spirit) by claiming spirituality, metaphysics are simply non-existent. That is, they carry on with zero concept that God exists and if not from raw data cannot be proved, that it’s a wash to believe any of it.

Few will say so, some will give reason (literally “reason”, pure logic) as to a major “why” of blowing off anything in the realm of spiritual faith and of course this particular matter boils down to THEIR sense of reason and logic. When one is one’s own true god there is no room for another.

No wonder Paul gets tossed as he states and in part quotes from scripture “let God be found true, though every man [person] be found a liar, as it is written, “THAT THOU MIGHTEST BE JUSTIFIED IN THY WORDS, AND MIGHTEST PREVAIL WHEN THOU ART JUDGED.” -Romans 3.4

Note the caps that (NASB) denote a quote from the Old Testament.

The point is that people lie to themselves, to others and to God. Seeking to do away with a God Who judges in utter perfect judgment to Whom all of us will give account, I cannot but follow the logic of many wanting to do away with Him deeming their/our own “superior” judgment.

I know too much about myself, human nature, local, national and world history to believe in human judgment as perfect regarding humanity’s incredible record of flaws and indeed inhumane brutality.

Ok, so something that may be judged as flighty and useless as God’s love poured into our hearts (“What, that muscle pumping blood in my body??!”) by the… the… Holy SPIRIT -when one has decided the evidence in their own life and that of many others including professing Christians they’ve known well and the obvious horrors often perpetrated (note that word) BY people claiming to follow Jesus? Well, why would I believe in spiritual anything?

Only I would not be alive today but for His intervention, His love poured out into my heart/life from the very night He began to reveal Himself to me on many- MANY levels far beyond my ability to imagine and simply make it all up. My addictions were my multiple gods then, answering only to their King and Ruler: me.

I suggest human deity is the ultimate make-believe, the king of all myths, the thing many hold as ultimate truth and reality and I further believe this is core to escaping the dread of a perfect Judge with Whom all of us will ultimately face as per many, many scriptures throughout the Bible.

So of course various forms of textual criticism came into play (“Has GOD SAID” noted early in Genesis, no?) and certainly not all such critique is wrong, bad or mere folly. Sure. I’m ok with some of it. Some.

Yet like those among we followers of Jesus who hold as absolute truth our own personal convictions/doctrines/preferences in interpreting the Book and transmit such to others, does not the very same come from atheists and agnostics regularly? “THIS is where I stand and you aren’t going to move me.” So we have the “evangelists” of unbelief and their disciples just as we have false prophets among the Jews of the First Testament and professing Christians of the New… and throughout history it goes.

“Nothing new under the sun” comes to mind.

What OF this “love shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Ghost”?

It is a truth, an ongoing experience, a “not every moment feeling or deep persuasion” yet over fifty years of interaction with Him something I cannot deny in my life! It is that sense of intimacy with someOne OTHER than myself, Whom I cannot see but yes, sense, feel, recognize the fingerprints of, am fully convinced for a long list of reasons but in particular, by faith.

What atheist or agnostic is not dealing with, interacting in faith regarding what they believe and if convinced of, do not seek to live out in their life?

It doesn’t take a genius to recognize faith in one’s self is not faith in God.

There are several types of love- but the love of God poured out in our hearts by the Spirit which is given us is not something less, but something more and in the end the real love I sought and found in the most unexpected ways from my first moment of believing in Jesus and believing it was the risen Christ speaking to my innermost self- to this very moment of writing over 50 years since. It was a shock that I then believed. It has been my daily experience to interact with Him every day since.

When a living, live interaction with The Other happens over a lifetime it’s rather illogical, unintelligent and downright foolish to construct a reality that. isn’t. real.

The reality of God has plenty of hallmarks. So does the love of God. I will conclude by saying it seems to me THE way we each may experience THAT love, HIS LOVE… is by His Spirit. His love is beyond human love. In fact there is a truth that it is beyond our ability to comprehend in our own finite mind.

Spirit-to-spirit, God’s genuine love for you, me, us? Yes. It’s beyond mere human love and is transmitted differently as well.

As always, thanks for stopping by! -Glenn

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A Particular Cross Worth Bearing

Please read carefully, thoughtfully, bring to bear the Bible, logic and experience to what I’m writing and then after consideration, do as you believe integrity and conscience leads you -and yes, I will add moreso, as God the Father/Son/Spirit leads you in relationships with others.

First bullet points, then a bit of unpacking:

God is both inclusive and exclusive. He includes “whosoever will” and does not force relationship, salvation or maturing discipleship on anyone. He excludes those who choose to exclude Him. I am personally convinced from the Book and from life experience He does not cease from “knocking on the door” in anyone’s life and knows above all of us how, what and when to speak in such a way people must deal with His call for them (you, me, us) to repent, believe the Good News, follow Me (Jesus!). His deep love motivates all of this!

No human including myself has a copy of the Lamb’s Book of Life.

“You shall know them by their fruits” and “All will know you are My disciples by your love for one another” and “As you’ve done/not done it to the least of these My brothers and sisters you’ve done/not done it to Me.”

“Let everyone be fully persuaded in their own mind.”

“Now I have in part. Now we have in part. Now we see through a glass darkly, then we shall see face to face.” Then isn’t now. We live in the “not yet.”

“I am a friend to all those who fear/reverence/respect/honor You.”

I am convinced most anyone reading this will agree there are all kinds of people in the wide world and in the many churches and kinds of Christian gatherings. I am also sure nobody thinks any other human has some sort of divine right to violate their conscience. And yet, those who profess to follow the risen Christ are not always the most loving, kind, gracious people -even more at times with other professing Christians. Some are better, some worse in reflecting the Lord among un-believers or pre-believers.

Here’s the core point: with all I’ve said so far and for all the many reasons you might list to fully avoid people unlike you, not the kind of people you want your kids and grandkids to emulate, etc., etc., just how does one witness and actually walk in the grace of God among all others and practice being a genuine, credible witness of Jesus, His love as well as truth among ALL people?

“He eats with prostitutes and sinners!” Yes. Jesus indeed did that. His love and bent toward redemption was and is core to His being around them -and you and me -I mean BEFORE we followed Him and even NOW when many of us profess to know Him and want to please Him above all else.

So all or if even most of this being true, how do we square Paul’s admonition to the church at Corinth in 1 Corinthians chapter 5- particularly at the end of the chapter? He writes later encouraging them to take an erring brother back into the fold, but the writer of 1, 2 and 3 John emphasizes both truth and makes negative statements about an individual “who likes to be first”. There are a number of places in the New Testament where separating ourselves from habitual sin and indeed, those who continually practice it are rather clear. There ARE “sin lists” in the second Testament that lay out what habits to avoid and yes, people to avoid as well, at times professing Christians.

I’m trying to call our attention to the biblical as well as here-and-now tension that will not go away based on ANY matter of theology, doctrine, methodology, form of church or practice. It never has in history.

Where I personally stand is I will do my best to love, not force-feed anyone what I believe to be the truth in Jesus Himself, the truths He, Paul and the rest of both Testament writers lived, spoke and wrote, in fact gave their lives for. I do not think I or any other human has full knowledge, wisdom or perfect assessment of truth or for that matter, what the church must look like. All are flawed so nobody has perfect knowledge, wisdom or judgment all the time including me.

I further have and plan to continue having friendships with ALL KINDS of people, many of whom are according to scripture full-on habitual sinners heading for judgment by the Perfect God Who will indeed both include and exclude people as per all I read in Jesus’ words and the rest of the New and Old Testament.

We are each as individuals accountable to God for our gifts, fruit, loving or unloving others regardless of who they are or what they do. We are not called to agree with them in their every position or behavior but are commanded by Jesus to love them all and live out His command to love our neighbor as well as enemies –regardless.

Best as I understand Him and our place in the world, He never stops loving us though He disagrees with us in various areas daily. I want to be more like Him in that way! I work to do so regardless of the judgment of my various brothers and sisters in Christ.

I’ve sometimes written and said “Some of you will truly wonder, think I’m crazy or even dead wrong to befriend THAT person or THOSE people!” as well as continuing friendship with the person with such thoughts. I understand that and a fair number of reasons why people will sometimes think that way. So be it.

How can we help people move closer to Him if we have nothing to do with them? If you think you hear an evangelist/missionary writing here, you’re correct.

Do I consider myself too strong to fall? I do not!!! Am I concerned with stumbling less mature Christians? I truly am! Meanwhile how does one bring His love, truth and balance to people whom one has nothing to do with?

Is 100 percent agreement the price of friendship? Between humans it must not be.

Jesus regarding relationship to Himself said (John chapter 15) “13 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.” He goes on to state that He is telling His disciples these things to help them understand God’s true love and how to love one another. His LOVE and their walking in and sharing that love is the context.

My daily dose of believers of all shades of spiritual maturity and discipleship, un/pre-believers and backsliders has been common for many years. I don’t expect that to change anytime soon nor do I believe it’s God’s call or wish for me to dig a moat around some sort of personal castle.

Nobody owns the kingdom of God but the King of His eternal kingdom. Yet He welcomes “whosoever will” and finishes that statement with “let them come.”

To be very clear- this is not about any one issue as there are a number of lists of them mentioned by Jesus and throughout the texts of the Word of God.

As always, thanks for stopping by. -Glenn

Unaffordable Untenable Housing Issues

This is my perspective on affordable housing in a capitalistic society where those with the most money -by far- typically win elections.

Pols won’t “bite the hands that feed them” including corporate donors and monied peeps seeking to assert their will (more power, more financial gain) and policies that affect all. They affect the poor, widows, orphans, marginalized, black and brown and native American people most. Nothing new about any of this.

It seems to me these things laced together cause politicians who want to get elected or stay in office to throw “the least of these” under the bus -which keeps the wheels rolling.

The farmer-prophet Amos laid into Israel’s rulers and common business people on such a scenario, it’s that old of a reality many would rather not face or outright deny.

Are there exceptions? Of course there are.

When companies in LA county sell cheap, barely road-worthy rv’s to people who work in high-paid internet technology jobs, purchasing them due to sky-high rents and little or no caps on apartment or house rent charges (back to the pols and what I just stated above) unaffordable housing costs mean not only singles but couples and sometimes including kids are stuck for somewhere to live, hence cheap and moveable transport/homes on wheels. Plenty live in their car or van if they have one.

Now consider tent cities. Add mental and other biological illness issues, some sort of arrest record, no family to help or unwilling to suffer or perhaps literally pay for the individual’s needs, a small or due to some politicians, shrinking safety net and you have a soup none of my readers wants to eat.

“Get a job!” and wash our hands, end of discussion? I don’t think so and the large population of veterans are but one example of how carrying inner issues, in fact policies that have long maintained poverty and “sleeping rough” are as much on voter’s, governmental laws and policies as their sins and rebellions. So nobody reading this ever rebels and sins?!

I say this with zero malice, but some years ago a famous musician in speaking with young aspiring ones warned them how to be successful or they might end up like Resurrection Band doing soup kitchen ministry somewhere.

I honesty took it as a compliment.

The church, various help/service organizations both in and outside of faith-based organizations are blessed with volunteers who can help fill these gaps but the huge and seemingly ever-growing population of unhoused people need a different kind of soup than has often been available to them.

I’m thankful so many offer sermons and songs, an hour or two per week worth of spiritual instruction -but as I type there are people freezing in tents all around the nation (and other nations). How does one repent and believe the Gospel when one is dead?

The city of Chicago actually does a fair bit of very good work to alleviate the suffering among the poor and yet what I have said here still stands.

Jesus indeed said “The poor you shall always have with you…” and the second part of His statement concludes with “and you can do good to them WHENEVER YOU WANT TO.”

We have got to do more than pray. Advocating and voting with “the least of these” in mind/view along with practical help are all parts of the solution. Campaign and voting reform, laws that protect property owners and landlords AND affordable and low-income housing are essential.

This morning as I write it is 4f / between -15 and -16c in Chicago, wind out of the north.

I am so deeply blessed by my friends and volunteers who serve at Cornerstone Community Outreach.

https://ccolife.org/

CCO is blessed to be included as partners with the city in providing services for singles and families as well.

As always, thanks for stopping by. -Glenn

Motives and Success

I discovered something along the journey years ago. It’s that when I wonder what this or that person thinks of something to ask them. And also to not expect them to care or not care what I may think about it.

I don’t mean we shouldn’t care what other’s think, far from it! I’m saying getting other’s attention isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Being approved of by people is often quite different than be approved of by God.

People value you, value your opinion or may think “This’ll be a great argument, sparring match, I can rock this person and/or subject and come out on top. Maybe even gain allies… and a constituency for my writing, music, shows, film, photos, social media, blog sites or business.” This, dear reader, also applies to you and me!!

I also am not saying to never communicate what you think or what you’re doing or believe, rather that sometimes our motives are… shall I say, less than honest about sharing what, when, how and where we share.

I may be the odd person out but after years of recording, interviews, concerts and doing my best to fulfill requests of all sorts from a rather massive range and number of people (it comes with the territory and in my case, years and calling) I laugh (often out loud) at spam-emails and social media sites hyping me “Want to get more gigs? Want to sell more?! Want to expand your audience/clientele/reach? Link with us!”

How much is enough? Just how much is plenty enough and maybe to the extent of overwhelming ourselves?

Here’s a personal example-

I know more about a particular skill than I myself apply in the practical: For a number of reasons I rarely kick a ball these days but could have easily coached soccer (the real football) due to my love of the sport, studies, field experience and game attendance but was always limited in my technical/physical abilities. There were and are other priorities in my life much as I love the game.

More to the point I was never and do not now consider myself a great writer. Sometimes I read earlier and even current stuff I’ve published and cringe as I’m certain a load of truly excellent writers would also cringe having tried to engage with my work. BUT, when years of the same questions came from ever-growing numbers of people about music and music ministry I wrote “The Responsibility of The Christian Musician” which you can find at: https://theresponsibilityofthechristianmusician.wordpress.com/2020/08/04/example-post-3/ Meeting their needs when I was able to (can’t always do this for everyone at all times!!) was the priority.

Someone may have just thought “Hey, he’s doing what he just said he’s not interested in doing!” re. promotion. Not at all. It’s simply the best analogy at hand to express what I’m trying to say… not a genius piece of writing but an attempt to answer a LOT of folk’s questions about my understanding of what’s most important for a follower of Jesus in any sort of music ministry in terms of the core relationships with others, period.

So I didn’t thread that little book with a load of stories which of course I had years of by the time of writing. Everyone knows Jesus used stories and that narratives are the most effective go-to for communicating. I’ve now used a couple in this very post… so of course I get it!!

Note the importance of self-awareness including limited abilities and indeed flaws?

And yet… and still… the “add greater numbers” and “get ever-more attention” and “expand and climb ‘success mountain'” often puts one at odds with God and what I believe to be Bible (His Word, His will) values.

I understand the use of advertisement and online algorithms and do not think them each and all nothing but evil but there is the temptation to do things not because the Lord calls or the Spirit moves us to SERVE others via His fruit and gifts but rather more base and a rather Western capitalistic sense of values begin to churn in our decisions, stewardship of our time and efforts. It is THIS that I often think about when being hounded by adverts and business interests and even those in Christian ministry as per knocking on doors thinking we must do pretty much EVERYTHING we’re being asked to do when nobody but God Himself can, could or should! For that matter, He sometimes says “Wait, not yet” and in other times in effect tells us “No”!

Sometimes I think, even say out loud when I’m alone: “I don’t NEED more gigs, a larger crowd nor bigger barns to store the increase in.” I honestly don’t care and pretty well never have. I would be lying to say I never check online stats and unit sales – mind you, for me that’s about getting a sense of what people seem open to hearing in terms of the CONTENT OF WHAT I AM SAYING not with a view to increasing my “fan base”, numbers of sales or mere ego strokes. I often read through comments to get a sense of who people are, what they think, how they interact with issues to better help me consider what and how to bring content to the table -for their sake-.

God’s incredible grace and calling has provided that my wife and I are comfortable living a simple life with others who share general vision to the extent we don’t require what perhaps the average person in the Western world does in terms of status quo housing, finance and lifestyle props. Regardless, I’m convinced if your focus is Jesus and others (relationship – mission and relationship – mission) numbers can be less the focus.

So there you go, a bit of my internal philosophy -which may sound crazy and is rather alternative, counter-culture to the American Dream.

If people dig my chili, great. If not, also great. I bring to the table what I believe feeds those sheep the Shepherd sends me to. Ok, ok I know sheep don’t feast on chili… but hey… work with me here, ha!

As always, thanks for stopping by. -Glenn

Increase/Decrease

John the Baptist had a line I have always related to as it seemed he was losing ground to Jesus on some level of popularity. He simply said “He must increase and I must decrease”. I think it’s deeper than that but in context when asked about the crowds turning more and more to Him over John, that’s my basic takeaway.

It’s always the case of age, mistakes, often illness, individual or group desire that all and each of us who are somehow “known” in where ever our sphere of life, work, talent, gifts, friends and family takes us will at some point on at least some levels, decrease.

I’ve watched, heard and read of so many celebrities who were “in their day” a “big deal” having to face living in the margins. See, this is one of the blessings of living a quiet life, a lifestyle removed from public eye. If you have it don’t feel like you’ve missed anything!!

It’s also the grace of God that when one’s body begins to deteriorate if and as one has genuine loving relationships with others and most of all the Creator we will return to -even our decreasing brings a different sort of increase!

Eternal relationships, eternal life, mercy that triumphs over judgment… Alleluia!!!

John knew who he was. He had his times of doubt yet recognized Jesus as the promised, prophesied Messiah. He stood strong, sickly and sadly became a martyr in his quest to speak truth in love to a fallen Israel and a wicked king -and indeed Jesus increased.

The prophet knew himself to NOT be the King.

Eventually Jesus Himself decreased. Paul writes to the church at Philippi “He emptied Himself” and much more is stated about His sacrifice for us all, that sinful people would come to know the Father in love through Jesus.

Some of my readers are still quite young yet think “I’ve messed up so bad there’s no hope for me” while aged folks sometimes think “Life has passed me by. I had my chance and blew it.” Others figure their proverbial “ship” never came in and look at people around them, perhaps family or friends who seem to have “made it”.

Frankly- so what?! Comparing your self to others is rather useless and often either a matter of trashing self-talk or arrogant judgment you’re of greater value so ought to have the perks and accolades they somehow got. Either way none of us will be measured by others. We will stand before God without such a measurement.

I think the good and practical question is “Lord, what would YOU have me do?” and as it seems He puts whatever service needing doing as well as indicates gifts He gives each of us to serve, steward whatever time and life He gives us in pouring ourselves out. Let GOD HIMSELF take care of the measuring stick, the scales and the sense of value of our obeying Him to the best of our understanding.

It seems to me John’s life was tragically shortened -and the moment he stood before God He gained so much more than he’d lost it didn’t matter but rather all he experienced ultimately served to glorify the Lord and massively bless John for his sacrifice.

Eyes UP and OUT! Let’s move and serve with the time and gifts He gives and recognize losing our life for His sake and the sake of the Good News is precisely what followers, real disciples of Jesus do.

He must increase – I, we… must decrease. His glory is the only glory worth being concerned about.

As always, thanks for stopping by! -Glenn

Share The Road

Do you drive? Do you drive in a city, a large city? Have you had to learn how to do so without driving others on the road crazy -whether or not you’d like to leap out and give them a talking-to sometimes?!

See, driving means sharing the roadway. And being aware of the curb, sidewalks, pedestrians, e-bikes, motorcycles, large trucks, skateboarders, electric scooters and regular bikes too. Sometimes town or city, county or state work crews are out doing their job and you have to really slow down and take care.

In morning and evening people are out walking their dogs.

And on it goes.

There is real danger to yourself and those in your vehicle as well as those around you on streets, highways and back roads.

At night especially during the rut (deer mating season) and in wider bits of time one or more animals may be crossing “out of the blue” right in front of you! Coming back from a Canadian tour one afternoon Wendi and I began to count road-killed animals from Ontario through Michigan and into Illinois. If memory serves there were something like 60 and most looked recent. Night time driving can be an entire matter in itself.

Then there is the weather issue, things like thick fog, heavy rain or snow, ice and black ice on frozen roads, floods, bridges out or deeper-than passable dips on a road now filled with water, intense wind storms and so forth.

SHARE?

Like… “pay attention” to others and what’s going on around you? Yes.

YIELD?

Sometimes yielding is exactly what one must do to keep or make peace or we end up in pieces -or put others in harm’s way.

I’ve had several close calls on the road sometimes due to my own slack attention, sometimes other’s and sometimes both.

Now I ask you to consider this entire piece merely an allegory of life in the wide world and indeed, church world if you’re a professing follower of Jesus.

Then perhaps take time to do a Bible study of the phrase “one another” in the New Testament.

We aren’t on this road all by ourselves you know.

As always, thanks for stopping by! -Glenn

Mexican Snow -prose by gk

I’ve a number of links (right side and down the homepage here) and one will take you to my misc. arts page. Some will also take you to bits of verse/prose I’ve written as well. It’s snowing in Chicago this morning and somehow this piece came to mind, so here it is. I’ll probably add it to the gkarts.wordpress.com site at some point.

As always, thanks for stopping by. -Glenn

MEXICAN SNOW -glenn kaiser

Does it ever snow in Mexico?
Twelve states state it does
With climate, beaches, tourist reaches
Few Yankees ever know
On mountain peaks and sometimes cities
Towns and higher fields
Glistening powder lingers
As God’s hand brings the yield

And north of the border
We buy the other kind
While castigating brown-skinned people
Criminals and crime
As if our suited business gangs
Are holier than most
While north, south, east and west
It’s snowing coast to coast

The Hard Listen

If you’re not listening to those with whom you disagree, perhaps maybe even don’t like… you’re not listening.

Consider: every prophet whom God really, truly, actually sent to Israel and Judah brought words the very chosen people of God did not want to hear.

This is not to say every voice and word contains and delivers equal and full truth worthy of application in your or other’s lives, not at all. The issue is listening. It has been rightly said/written plenty that sometimes our “enemies” helped us more than our friends.

See, in getting (Book of Proverbs statements) knowledge, wisdom and understanding, well, these things all take big ears, time, often quite a long time indeed. Hearing, reading, watching, truly listening costs us patience we often don’t wish to apply. We sometimes shy away from study instead running to the “quick fix” as only hanging out with those who agree with us feels more comfortable, comforting.

Now- do I “buy” every rap coming my way? Am I to be in total agreement (sometimes it may seem -any- agreement?) with someone simply because they are created in God’s image and communicate? Of course not!! See, this is partly why I never expect people will always agree with me.

The humility factor looms so very large, the sense of us rather than only me and those I love, the reality nobody on this planet has full and complete understanding about anything as God Himself alone does all figures in to what I’m saying here.

If one’s mental health and well-being is such that breaks from folks and concepts that seem to just torment are needed, I truly get and agree with finding and creating space, distancing ourselves off and on. And yet our tribal and often bunker mentality, living in our emotions and sometimes stubborn-for-the-sake-of-stubborn attitudes torpedo our ability to listen and therefore rightly learn.

Does, did God Himself ever say anything we’d rather not hear?!

By the way, my own conviction of spiritual gifting and calling from Him (evangelist, general missionary service) has shaped my deep commitment to what I’m writing here. How do we love people if only shutting our hearts and ears to them? How do we “make room for one another” even within a local fellowship much less in the wide world unless we are willing to deal with these issues and people -gracefully- though perhaps at times in deep disagreement?

Things to consider along the path of a maturing disciple of Jesus.

As always, thanks for stopping by! -Glenn

70

Wow. Just amazed. God’s grace, provision, revelation of Jesus to me from 18 until today in 2023, His consistent love, decent enough health so far, incredible wife, kids and grandkids, friends, church family local and far beyond… I am truly thankful and amazed.

I honestly never thought I’d be on the planet this long. Addiction and a good many shall I say back in the day less-than-Jesus-honoring friends sharing with them vices that destroy… never ever imagined I’d be writing this all these years later.

He truly restored the years the locust had eaten in my life, grace pressed 100 times more blessings than I have ever earned, deserved or expected would come to me.

I suppose in part due to age and choices like diet, exercise, Bible study daily and a great deal of quiet-time prayer, reading a super-wide range of news, other’s thoughts on broad and multiple subjects, though I still love loud and intense music (and write and play it) the blues -all these play a part for me.

Sometimes complete quiet, stillness sitting with a book, a coffee or tea, outdoors or in, all bring me both continued challenge to grow. Young at heart I think, but hopefully a little wiser. God help me and those I somehow influence!

And PEACE. What a GIFT from the Prince of Peace!!!

Psalm 40.3 He gave me a new song to sing. It is a hymn of praise to our God. Many people will see what he has done and will worship him. They will put their trust in the Lord.

So that’s what I have today 🙂

No matter who you are or what you have done or what has been done to you- I truly wish you the same “peace that passes understanding”- it comes from God in Christ alone!

As always, thanks for stopping by, -Glenn