It is not always easy to do. There are distractions and the mind seems to quickly veer off on the not-so-beneficial wild goose chases of fear and worry. But with God’s help, I am attempting to be even more intentional about practicing the wisdom which is contained in this passage of scripture:

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

I may have mis-read the situation

The colorful building in the photo is a hotel on Fort Myers Beach where I stayed for several days this past summer. I stopped by to say “hello” this afternoon because I realized they probably missed me, even though I neglected to make the bed when I left.

So, I was surprised and a little disappointed when I walked in to the main office laughing, high-fiving folks and kissing several babies, only to discover that no one knew who I was.

…Frankly, this non-recognition factor comes in handy when it’s time to make a getaway.

 My visit was brief.

 

I believe in free speech

 When I was a young man I remember a couple of stories (I think they were basically in the Christian media of that time) about angry Christian leaders organizing rallies in which they engaged in the burning of certain books and rock and roll record albums which they found to be offensive. Some of these Christian leaders believed the materials contained messages which were evil and destructive.

I also recall reading an editorial, at the time, in which a Christian writer (I no longer remember who the author was, this was more than 35 years ago) opined on the matter and explained that attempting to censor the books/albums was not only ineffective but it was, also, a flawed idea. The editorial writer basically explained that it was more honorable to talk about and debate the thoughts and ideas that were found to be offensive. He wrote words to this effect: Honestly engaging with the issues and carefully explaining why they are wrong is the better, wiser approach, rather than attempting to censor them through burning and banning.

I appreciated the thoughts of this Christian editorial writer and agreed with him. Even though I am a Christian, I disagreed with the censorship which was being attempted by certain Christian leaders.

I believe free speech is an important value which is worthy of protection.

That is why I also disagree with the censorship which is being attempted now by certain people and groups, including big tech social media platforms.

If people disagree with what is being expressed let them defeat what they understand to be weak, incorrect, offensive ideas/positions with logic, reason and truth.

Censorship does not defeat bad or false ideas, it pretends they do not exist. That works beautifully…until it doesn’t.

The people who were, on principle, against censorship those many years ago, should still, on principle, be against censorship today. Right? Or were they only principles until they were no longer necessary? If those principles have changed then they were not genuinely held principles, back then. They were tactics that were convenient for a particular moment in time.

Once censorship is accepted by large numbers of people, we are a short distance away from far more disturbing treatment of people who do not embrace what are considered the correct ideas and positions of those in power. I am hoping there are truths we stand for whether we are on the left or the right of the political spectrum.

A hike and a laugh at Ponce De Leon Park

 

Rachel's performance

That’s Rachel up on the platform. Her performance this afternoon was extraordinary…except for the 23 minute harmonica solo. Most people felt it went on a little too long. But when she returned to the stage for her encore, the crowd was electrified by her rendition of “Freebird.”

 

Stingy with the grace and mercy

 

The events of 1/6/21...Our hope is in Jesus

Here are a couple of thoughts specifically for my friends who are followers of Jesus (and live in the U.S.).

I love our country. I pray for our country. I want what’s best for our country. I pray for healing and unity in our country. I trust you do, too.

But as I have thought and prayed about the events in Washington D.C. today, I keep thinking about Jesus saying, “My kingdom is not of this world…” John 18:36

I want to stress it is my sincere desire that our country would thrive and be a place of fairness, goodness, liberty, peace, justice and opportunity, however, for followers of Jesus remember that we are citizens of another kingdom. Our ultimate hope is not in the United States.

Again, I love the United States. Please know, I am eager for it to flourish in a way that is beneficial for all. This is not a call to give up on our country. But our ultimate hope is not the United States. And it is certainly not in a political party.

Our ultimate hope is in Christ Jesus.

“…[T]he glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27

If you consider yourself to be a Christian and you look to the United States as your ultimate source of hope, then—respectfully and lovingly—you do not correctly understand what it means to be a Christian.

My dear brothers and sisters, let us be the ones who contribute to what is right, not what is wrong. Light is needed these days, let’s be agents of light.

Everything worked together beautifully

Nadia likes fishing.

I like wandering around annoying people by taking photos.

See how nicely the two have come together?

 

A summer day in Vermont?

 

Message: God is sufficient. Not: You are sufficient.

 

Encounter with an octopus?

 

Notice the floor upon which Nadia is standing? It is glass and allows restaurant patrons to see to the depths of the ocean below.

…Actually the water is not particularly deep at this point but it’s still a fun idea for the floor of a seaside restaurant. Right?

Interestingly about 4 seconds after I snapped this photo, the floor—which is very old and brittle—broke and Nadia crashed through to the water below.

On instinct and without even thinking, I dove in only to notice she had already been caught in the tentacles of a large octopus. These are not only very powerful and dangerous creatures but they are also incredibly vain, believing that having more arms greatly increases beauty.

Wrestling Nadia free with a series of punches, kicks and ju-jitsu moves was difficult because number one, the water slows down movement; number two, I was holding my breath; and number three we had already eaten a fairly starchy appetizer and I had not waited a full hour to get in the water. Don’t kid yourself, cramps are a tremendous challenge when fighting an octopus.

To be honest, for a few unsettling moments I wondered whether we might not prevail and the frightening beast would bring about our demise. But I was finally able to apply a particularly painful and effective arm bar on one of the tentacles and the great monster of the sea hurried away in humiliation, defeat and, what appeared to be, a slight degree of melancholy.

Nadia and I emerged from the waters to the joyful cheers of the restaurant staff and customers… although a few folks complained that this distraction had significantly slowed down their food orders. Most were genuinely happy for us, though.

I realize this story may seem incredible, outlandish and completely impossible. But my question is: Do you really believe I could make up something like this?

Helping others by giving assurance of God’s grace and mercy