What kind of seeds are you sowing?

Gal. 6:7-8 -Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.  Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. (NIV)

What kind of seeds are you sowing? The seed results in the fruit we harvest. We spend too much time in other people backyard making judgment on what they are doing. We peep into others home, and think we have the right to give input as to how they should or should not live. However, woe be unto others if they try to give us input on our life or judge us; it does not work for us. But we planted those seeds, and found no problem with it, until it became our harvest. We do not escape the harvest of what we sowed in this life. The ugliness, negativity, and confusion we put out become a part of our world. And Peace becomes an elusive friend, paranoia a constant companion, and confusion the mentor you unknowingly sought out for guidance. Because we have let ourselves plant the seeds, we now reap the harvest, we do not desire. Yet, we cannot sow madness, and get goodness. You cannot sow lies, and hope for truth. We cannot sow pain, and live pain free. We cannot justify our actions thinking we can step between justice and mercy, to create grace for us. We are not God. We cannot glorify the right to do something with the wrong intentions, and then not expect to be crucified with the same measure. Are we so deceived by our own twisted logic and self-absorb self-promotion, we do not see how, we are deconstructing the very thing, we desire to build. All because of a fleeting emotional hurt that touched a nerve, and destroyed our focus. To the point, the focus is no longer on the future, but immediate gratification need that has no sustaining power or worth.

When our actions do not align with our words, plans, or profession of faith, we create a message for others to see call confusion. Because you know, only 7% of what we respond to in any exchange is the words, the rest is tone/inflection of the voice, and body language. So, I am asking you again, what seeds are you sowing? Sow the godly seeds you desire to come your way, even when no one else is, and in due time if you do not tire, you shall see and reap the glory promised in a cornucopia of blessing in diverse forms!

Their own recieved them not.....

John 1:11 - He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. (NIV) 

Came to my own, and my own received me not. But we wonder why, we don’t accept diversity in the body of Christ; it should not be a surprise. The question is – Why not? Is it because it was not part of what we know, understand, or have a frame of reference to comprehend? So, we discount it because it is different, instead of seeking God out for directions.  We seek consensus from man. Although man is the author of contradictions, confusion, disorder, and God is not the author of confusion and does everything in a divine order. However, because it does not fit in our limited concrete constructs, and the looming nebulous of authenticity we hold fast too, we shy away from it, or downright reject it. The investment of time that would usually result from our being open to it, is not forthcoming; we elect to ostracize instead. We fail to see how our choices; decisions made today have far reaching effects upon generations we shall never see, with consequences we cannot comprehend; just as our forefathers and mothers did. Souls are touched and changes in the butterfly effect of life, base on one choice made today.  Yet, we do not even consider the consequences of our choice, as we refuse to accept one of our own.  We forget just how powerful speech is. It can stir people to act, not act, to fall, move to tears of both sorrow or joy, and more importantly, inflict great pain that scars another for a lifetime, even after we are long gone in the body. 

Just because a difference, and that is their truth, and their authentic self lies there; we say, go away.  We refuse to accept them as legitimate or aligning with the word of God, even though they are living their truth.  Even though, we do not always align with the word of God, and we pick-n-choose when and what we will apply to our life. While holding steadfast to a standard of accountability for others, but we do not adhere to in this life. It is as if Christians have chosen as a mantra -  do what I say but not what I do. The irony is we would not accept the contradictory mindset from anyone. What a tangled weave of light and dark we create as we do not own, our own.  Mark Twain once said, - You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus. This I believe is the reason we do not receive our own because our faith focus,only encompasses the comfortable, familiar, usual, traditional, or what works for us. The sad thing is if Christ came back today, many of us religious folk would not accept Him either…smile…John 10:16 - I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.(NIV) For the course of paradigm shift, transformative move of His grace presence, come through and lies in the difference, not the similarities...

The Response is different.

Today this is going to be a little different. I am going to start off with an analogy that I read. It is about a shark and it natural adaptability. See a shark will adapt to its surroundings, no matter what size it should be, it never grows beyond it living environment. It will grow to maturity but not to it true size. For instance, if a shark is fully grown at 20 feet but it is a caught and put in a home aquarium, it will not reach its full maturity size but yet be fully grown. However, if it is remove and put into an area, no matter when, it will grow to its full maturity size. Yet, if it is left in the home aquarium, it will live out its life full grown on the molecular level, but not the physical level. Now why did I bring this up, well, lately there has been death around me. Not directly touching me, but it has touched people who I am connected too, and I realized as Christians the Father knows just what will grow our faith and help us to reach out full potential. Therefore, He puts us in the place, position at just the right time where we can grow our faith. Death does that for us, if we just stop and understand the process of God.  Now, it does not mean we do not grieve, feel sadden by the lost of the loved one; it’s just done differently. Like the shark we are able to adapt to the environment we are put in, when we are move to it. Even when we do not have the context or frame of reference to think it so, but the spirit does. This verse  Psalms 126:6 - Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves( bundles, stacks) with them. (NIV) because of what the Father knows best even when think we know better. 

For the tears other see as just sadness of what happened, it is clarity. Clarity is essential to our growth as we obey the voice of God and become the instrument of His hand, subject to will. For God knows, we have more impact with what we do, how we handle things, than what we say, any day. We look at the horrific or the unexpectedness of the lost, but God looks upon the work of His hands. His artistry, masterpiece He created, and how He is reconciling those remaining alive to Himself. Yet, the problem is man begins to try to understand the reason, and trace the hand of God, but that is not it. We are only to submit to the will of God, and trust the heart of the Father flawlessly perfect timing.  Knowing that the goodness and grace inspite of mistakes calls us home, and it is not too soon. How can I say this? How many of us know of people walking away from what should have killed or crippled them. God has a master-plan. So, when we are ‘Why God?’ remember Gen. 50:20 - You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives (NIV).   It will not ease the pain or the lost of the person, yet the response is different.

The analogy of the shark works for all things, and it helps us to understand life better as we reach each new level in this life.   

The civil rights movement of your life

Isaiah 43:18-19 - “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. (NIV)

The civil rights movement of your life

With many people struggling because of the recession which prompts other issues to appear. However, there are many people just struggling because of life from spiritual to personal to relational to career to just coming to peace with who we are. What I am talking about? The civil rights movement itself was about fundamental issues of freedom, respect, dignity, and economic and social equality. While the civil rights movement of your life is characterize with similar things – freedom to live your truth, fundamental respect we all desire (from self and others), and to own we have worth. Many are fighting to sustain. As we battle the old not working any longer for you, and to progressively move forward but not sure. One season has past, and much of what is connected to it is past its usefulness; yet we do not see it. Do not get me wrong there is an order for discarding - things, people, habits, and mindsets. However, I want you to know it is okay to say, I moved on and although I am appreciative of all I gained here, I am done here. It is okay, and I am okay for being done. We do not perceive the way because our fear of what societal and tradition norms dictate. But God tells us over and over again and we fail to believe – Phil. 1:6 -being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (NIV). So, never be uncomfortable being thankful but saying goodbye. Because some experiences that look like failure and disappointments are actually lessons learned for your future progression. This is just a glimpse of what is yet to come. And no, it has nothing to do lack but growth as the art of forgiveness is learned and science of faith embraced.

For too many times, we do not let go because it is difficult. We are not willing to let go what God has already said was over, or for it or them to be gone. We won't let go, so we struggle. We fail to see we have done this very thing our entire life sometimes unintentional, other intentional, while still other times it is part of our seamless unconscious habit. It seems to part of the natural progression we had no control over, thus it was accepted; but it is not. But what is required is a competence of God that allows us to move forward by trusting and obeying, even when it is one of the most difficult things we must do. Why!? He sees life in its totality, the beginning, the middle, the end, and knows our faults and weakness. He creates an individualize chronological timeline for each of our life.  We choose, the relationships with God, or relation- slips with man. The latter has a slippery slope void of absolute true promise guarantees, while the former is the direct opposite.  Going through, submitting, only way of going thru to get to with the least amount of mistakes.

So, if you don't have the best answer, then the right question to find your way always yields direction. But remember, you do not get to be offensive, be intrusive to others as you grow through this. Your civil rights movement for your life requires you to do so without violence, unforgiveness, or retaliation, and act in the defensive but the focus should be love because it draws…Choose this day, who you will serve….

The call of conscience--is the voice of God within us.

The call of conscience – the voice of God within each of us. It is the innate bearing within us all that tells us we have a spiritual destiny beyond the material world. It not just religious, but also spiritual destiny which encompasses the vastness of reality, no one really wants to entertain. We dapple, we play around the fringes of it, we test the waters from time to time, but drinking the kool-aid entirely is not for us. The question is why not? The answers lies in the same old thing why we don’t do – fear. We are fearful of what God states is actually true, it is haunts our day and lingers in our dreams. All because he makes what is paradoxical or contradiction into a paradigm shift of  congruency. He takes what is seen as no value or worthless, and grants grace beyond imagination. He takes what seems to be illogical and out of order as a dissonance cord to make the most melodies heart wrenching, soul awaking sound  that stays with us long after it is gone. He creates the reality we only dream about, like when the three Hebrews boys were put in the firey furnace but was not burn, not even a singe or the smell of smoke upon them all because they put faith above, not that it was absent, it wasn’t.  Or when Ruth decided to follow Naomi inspite of what they didn’t have, it was the urging of the religion she seen but not quite grasped, but was curious, and the spiritual tug inside her, made her decide to go with Naomi. This is the pursuit of a true peace, beauty and joy that only comes with examination and authenticity of self. A constant thing never relented on but the weight of it is neither overwhelming nor confusing. When the advice given to others, is also the advice taken by self, we find balance, peace and harmony within ourselves. One is able to be in that ‘zone’ where everything works no matter what happens. Things works, everyone present walks away energized, darkness removed, and axioms to live by from this point are solidified as part of our very foundation. The social influences and emotional drivers or catalysts no longer guides, directs or dictates to you. They are understood, the importance of them grasped but like King, Thoreau, C.S. Lewis, Lincoln, the voice of God within, provokes what is right to do, rather than what each has a right to do, for a bigger cause. Not that they, and others like them got it all right, all the time, they didn’t. Their pursuit and the answering of the call of conscience were only momentarily lapse in their character of the imperfect human they were while the pursuit was flawless. They all agreed with the decree of Christ, and went for it, releasing them from the competition for attention because it is not about me…wink…This may seem philosophical and unrealistic, but the question you we must all ask ourselves is this – Why is it?, no one is requiring perfection, only authentic faith to believe so that change can manifest in us….is that what we are suppose to be doing as a Christian anyway...smiling..

The reason, the season, a lifetime

The most effective way to do it, is to do it…Amelia Earhart

Ecc. 3:1 -There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven… (NIV)

Things like people come into our life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. This is something that comes to bear in my life every year around Spring time. See, I work in an institution of higher learning, and graduation is looming upon us. Students are about to leave a place where they have spent the last 4, 5, 6 years, or longer. Life is about change for them, and although, they worked for this thing called graduation and diploma. It also means walking away from loved ones and places where an investment of time, heart, and soul has been committed to during this time. This is hard, even though, they have prepared for it, saw it coming, and knew it was the inevitable. The reality of it hurts, and the struggles appear. Relationships change, perspective expands, and dreams fulfilled. Tears are shedded over this goal being achieved; some for the leaving and others for the fear of what is out there.  I have found myself having a conversation with students each year at this time that I call the ‘disorientation conversation.’ 

In these conversations, we discuss this struggle of letting go, and the transition from college adult to true adulthood. I explain how things and all people are not all meant to be with them forever; they are there for a season, reason, or a lifetime. This is a hard discussion to have as I see in their eyes the gravity of this weighing heavy on them. We speak about struggling to hold on, even though the more you work, it slips, and you see it slipping away. Although they see themselves changed, they are fight to keep everything and everyone as is. All because changes are upon them, and it is not wanted. We speak about moving forward with life, and how life has a natural rhythm that will not be ignore; no matter how we try.  If we just let the natural rhythm direct us, we would have fewer problems, hurts, and disappointments because it is, what it is…smiling…Yet, as I speak to them, teach them, I am taught because I too am seeking. I see how we as adults do the same thing in our life. We hold to some mindset, traditions and antiquated beliefs. We hold to these and lose our self, others, and opportunities because it does not fit in our dualist living. We want to be current, and still keep the traditions benefiting self, and rid ourselves of those that do not. The inconsistency is destructive not only to self but all that we touch. All because, we will not accept all was not meant to be with us for a lifetime. Some were only to get us through, others were there to help us address a moment, and while the rest is there for a lifetime. The reason, the season, a lifetime realizing what is which makes a world a difference and frees us to embrace current 21^st century perspective and beyond, while still understanding the importance of the past and keeping what can should be kept, and releasing the rest so growth can occur… Ecc. 8:6 -For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, though a man's misery weighs heavily upon him. (NIV)

How to move beyond what is ‘cultural’ for us…

How to move beyond what is ‘cultural’ for us….

Tolstoy puts it this way - Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. See you cannot really bring about change in others that is sustaining, distinctive, or legacy building without the awareness change begins with you, or you too will be changed by this experience. We have to do more than check the box of doing what is right, or making sure we have included all the right elements so no one feels unwanted. See, the cultural thing is the way of life for us. It is part of our unconscious, and we act upon it with a seamless effort in completing the task(s) at hand. It is like tying our shoes, or looking both ways before crossing the street, once you arrived at a certain comprehension. It is only when we are to be stretched, challenged do we find a problem. We have assumed all was well because things seem to be at peace but MLK states this - True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice. Many times we do not have justice as part of the cultural norms, rather we have this uncomfortableness that is our norm where no one is battling; we are grateful. So, anything disrupting this delicate balance we have worked hard to create frightens us. We shy away from it, and now what should be uncomfortable to us, is comfortable for us. We begin to make choices with the focus of showing others where they are wrong, or how much we know. This is done under the guise helping, but we are not. We begin to move things around hoping no one has caught on to the fact; we have not moved anything out. We just rearranged things but everything stayed and nothing new was added. Much like the child who doesn’t want to eat what is on his/her plate and moves the food around until it looks like something was eaten but nothing was. We have not quite grasped seeking a way to get around the issue, does not stop the issue of being an issue; it only creates adds to, and further divides us.  

What we need to move beyond our cultural safe haven, and move to a more expanded worldview. We must understand mull over Dr. King says here - On some positions, Cowardice asks the question, "Is it safe?" Expediency asks the question, "Is it politic?" And Vanity comes along and asks the question, "Is it popular?" But Conscience asks the question "Is it right?" And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must do it because Conscience tells him it is right – We must have a conscience awakening, an epiphany moment where we realize, we are not to sacrifice today for tomorrow, but there must be a sacrifice if we desire to have a better tomorrow. Where we see, understand the consequences of our choices do not discriminate and are color blind in impact. For we are all connected, and until we realize it is not about us, it is about GOD. For we can only move beyond our cultural boundaries by letting our truth speak, our humility enlighten, our faith guide us, and submit to our God, otherwise we shall be kept bounded culture that limits us.