Whose armor are you wearing?

In Ephesians 6:11, the  bible says put on the Armor of God. "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes."  The armor as outlined includes: truth, peace, faith, salvation and the Word of God and Prayer.  Romans 13:12:  "The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light."  So, how do we put these on?  It's a great visual - easily pictured in my mind.  Each day work towards living a life of truth, peace and faith.  Spend time in the Word of God and Go to Him in prayer. Make sense to me.  

Two years ago we spent 12 days in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; evangelizing of all things (not exactly my comfort-zone).  The theme of the mission trip, if there is such a thing, was the armor of God. We had gone with the intent of spending most of the time on the streets of the favelas run by drug traffickers.  With Gods unique sense of humor, He moved us to schools and after-school programs talking to kids, mostly about how to not end up as drug traffickers.  We had brought with us a toy costume of the armor of God.  [now it does beg the question WHY had we brought a kids costume when we anticipated talking to grownup drug lords, but anyway...]

As we spoke to the kids, we went thru the process of putting each piece of armor on one by one.  Once they were fully armored, we showed them how their back was still exposed and that is where God stood - He gives you armor to put on and covers your back.  And the only way to stay safe in the world they lived in, full of violence, drugs and evil, was to put on the armor of God and ask him to cover you.  Seems so simple.  But is that the only armor we put on.  And if we are wearing a different armor, is there room for God's armor?

In a message last night by Jeff Moors, he talked about Saul giving David his armor to put on before he went to fight Goliath.  David walked around and after a few minutes removed the armor.  He wasn't used to it, it wasn't his and quite possibly it didn't fit.  But the truth was David didn't need it, He had Gods armor and God covering him.

Where was this message when I was 20?  I spent a lot of years putting on armor that others handed me or that I randomly picked up thinking I should wear it.  I let others expectations, opinions, lifestyles and gifting create this weight that I willingly adorned and carried around.  I somehow thought that taking on others armor would be the protective covering I needed to succeed, or not be hurt; to prevent damage, mostly emotional, from being inflicted.  As long as I was more like this person or that person, has this character trait or skill or looked this way or that, then I'd be ok.  I wouldn't get damaged by this world.  But the armor never fit - it was someone else's.  Even today in my "maturity" I'll occasionally be tempted to pick up someone else's armor, just to try on for size.

But then I remember, the only armor I need is the one God gives me and asked me to put on, and once on, He provides protection.  He covers my back, fights the darkness and fills my soul.  Other people's armor is exactly that - theirs.  Mine is mine.  And God's is God's.  Quite simple when you think about it.  So are you wearing armor that is not yours?  And by wearing it, are you keeping yourself from fully embracing the Armor of God?

To bask or not to bask....

Sitting in a poolside lounger looking directly out to the Pacific Ocean, waves crashing, cool breeze - the perfect Southern California day.  Watching 15 Jordan leaders play beach volleyball while others surf and most likely some still sleep. The message last night centered around how each of us is uniquely wired with a specific skill set, emotional structure, perspective on life.  We have limitations and we have strengths coming together to make us perfect in Gods eyes. Consider this - your weaknesses make you as perfect as your strengths.  God wires us, God has a plan for us, God doesn't make mistakes.  I could end this thought right here. 

As we started our morning, we were told to ponder how much God loves us.  I sat and thought - yep, I got nothing.  Talking to Mick he said just look around, look at the sand, the waves, the sky - the beauty of what God provides to us.  Bask in it!  THAT'S how much God loves you.  Yep, I still got nothing.

Bask -  1.     to lie in or be exposed to a pleasant warmth: to bask in the sunshine.

             2.

   to  enjoy a pleasant situation:  He basked in royal favor

Ok I get that.  From a completely logical perspective.  But to settle into "basking" - not so much.  So if I don't "bask" or "revel" do I believe any less? Am I less obedient?  We stood and worshipped in the Ocean Beach One church last night.  It was hard not to ponder how the  Jordan team worshipped with open abandon.  Praising God,  hands raised, faces turned to the heavens, voices loud and clear.  Total abandon to God.  It was inspiring but I couldn't help but wonder:  if your praise is quiet, if your worship is reserved - does God appreciate it any less?

The British dictionary adds to the "bask" definition:   to flourish or feel secure under some benevolent influence or favorable condition. Now that I totally get.  To feel secure under a benevolent influence, I.e. God.   Secure.  If I looked for one word to describe how I feel about my relationship with God, it's secure.   Secure under a benevolent influence - love that.  

So back to wiring.  God has wired me to "bask" by being secure.  Others to "bask" by observation of the beauty He provides. And yet others to "bask" by worshipping in total abandon.  God made us, wired us and recognizes that each of us has our own form of basking in Him.  It doesn't matter how we do it, how we express ourselves ... only that we do. 

Where is God taking you?  Is He releasing you from one place, one station, one pattern and moving you to another?   I just came across the word "release" and was intrigued by it.  Release: 1.  to free from confinement, bondage, obligation, pain, etc.; let go.  2.  to free from anything that restrains, fastens, etc.:  to release a catapult.   Of course it doesn't have to be bad, release from a bad place.  It can just be good change or necessary endings. I think I took it as moving from one  station or pattern of growth to another.  Then again, how about that word catapult? 

Certainly, God occasionally catapults us to new stations.  I'm a relatively quick adapter, so I am all about the catapult - throw me in, get me muddy.  I'll figure it out.  But let's get it over with.  Slow releases are difficult for me.  But telling God to step it up a bit is never a very good idea.  I just like to know the full action plan right up front, all laid out.

So these days, it's about the whispers.  Are you hearing Gods whispers? His promptings?  Jeremiah 29:11 ... For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord....  Sometimes, we have to sit, quite, read, listen to hear His voice, his Words, His promptings, His whisper, His direction, His release.

Every day...
Slow
Breath
Quiet
Listen
Slow
Breath
Quiet
Listen
Every day....

So again, are you too busy trying to get to where Gods taking you, to hear where Gods taking you?

I RAN INTO THIS TODAY ... LOVED IT, SO THOUGHT I'D SHARE.

I’m sitting across from Brene Brown. Our legs, as she calls it, criss-cross-apple-sauce.

Me: What does it mean to you, to live a good life?

Brene: A good life happens when you stop and are grateful for the ordinary moments that so many of us just steamroll over to try to find those extraordinary moments. To me, my good life is soccer practice, and carpool line. And tuck-ins. And date night. That’s the good life for me. And knowing that it’s good. Acknowledging and stopping and saying that it’s good.

There’s a classic book by Richard Carlson called Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff…and It’s All Small Stuff.

What if instead thinking about the small stuff as something to be sweated, we found the grace in it’s existence? The seed of gratitude.

An invitation to learn. To connect. To release into ease. To allow your good life to unfold.

That’s the call. The invitation. The invocation.

How will you answer?

Change of Address?

Have you ever been driving down a freeway or road, maybe even heading home, lost in your thoughts and suddenly look up and realize you missed your exit?  Or traveled too far without paying attention and now you're lost?  It's interesting how we can travel along going in the right direction, everything seeming fine and suddenly look up and realize we're lost.  Sometimes it's not until the scenery changes that we notice we're in the wrong place.

I have an iPhone 5.  I use the map feature fairly often, love being able to see the little blue dot traveling along pinpointing my exact location. In the car this week, my friend said "Do you want directions?"  She then proceeded to hit a button, Siri came on to guide me to the building we were seeking.  I knew the map, I knew the blue dot - I didn't know Siri could talk me thru it!  I've since tried to get Siri to talk from the map feature, but she remains silent!  Yes for someone so technical, I have moments of being completely challenged.  Mostly because I never read instruction books.

Yesterday I watched Mick and our friend Jeremy assemble a curio cabinet in my living room floor. Mick tells Jeremy he's in charge of the directions and heads outside to gather tools.  Jeremy grumbles along reading the instructions, saying he hates reading instructions. In the process he says the most interesting thing ... "God's lucky I like him so much since the bibles actually an instruction book."

So I've been thinking about maps, directions, instruction books.  If we move our physical address, we have to get acquainted with our new surroundings - new grocery stores, new gas stations, new take out, where's the closest sushi or the best street tacos.  If our new home has CCRs or an alarm or we buy new furniture, we have to read instructions, contracts or directions to get settled in, to bypass errors, to keep from blundering.

But what if we change a different address? We have a new job, new relationship, new friend, new nemesis, new project, health issue, desire, study, class, crisis, etc etc.  Do we ask for direction?  Do we go to the instruction book? Do we look for the blue dot to see where we are and what is the correct route to take?

We are always on the move - changing this, changing that.  Seeking new levels of satisfaction - whether it's sushi or jobs, relationships or tacos.  We change addresses all the time.  God has one address, never changing.  He tells us where He is, where to find Him, gives us the instruction book.  Always available.  We just need to read the instruction book, follow His lead and keep our eye on the blue dot so we don't wander into an unfamiliar neighborhood.

31103 no more, no less.

I don't do New Years Resolutions but one thing I promised myself this year was to write more. In life past, I used to write a lot and I've found when I can get it out of my own head and onto paper it helps me to process and understand.  Sometimes it's no more than a letter to God, sometimes it's to one person or various people and sometimes I think it's something God puts in front of me to write. Often God speaks to me in themes.  Different people, different scenarios but same theme. Pictures lay out that repeat over and over with central theme to be analyzed, the be thought through, to be chewed on until understood.

This weeks theme:  We live in a society that stresses to us that we have choice.  Choice of the right brand of coffee made the way we want it ... 1/2 Caf, Full Foam, 3 Pumps, Soy Milk ....

Brewery's on every corner and certainly filling up semi-empty industrial parks with 36, 42, 99 choices of beer - so you can choose the best.

Go to a foreign country's grocery store for crackers and you may get one, two, three choices of crackers ... we have an aisles.

We don't even have enough dogs, so now we have intentional crossbreeds - cockerdoodles, beaglier, labradoodle, schnoodle and coming soon hybrids - makes me wonder if they run on electric instead of Dog Chow?

I think it all started with Burger King - Have it your way - so we can pretty much blame the fall of society on one hamburger chain, just sayin'

So choice.  And then there is God.  Don't like the bible?  Write your own.  Don't like "traditional" religion, start your own.  Like the bible, but not parts - pick and choose.   Even if you are a believer, a follower ... feel free to pick and choose.  Is that how it is?  Like the beers at a brewery - there are 66 books, 1189 Chapters and 31103 verses in the bible.  Surely we aren't meant to follow all of them?

In this society of free choice. In the era of be all all you can be - have it you're way, there are some things that we don't get choice.

If you are married - you are married every day, every minute, every place - it's not a pick and choose.
If you are a parent - you are a parent, every day, every place - you made the choice when you became a parent, you don't get to unchoose.
If you have a job, you are an employee and are there to serve the needs of the company.  You have a choice ... Don't like it?  Move on.  If you accept the paycheck, serve well, with all of your ability, with grace and with loyalty.
And if you are a follower of Christ, if you have given your life, you are a child of God and yes all 31103 verses apply to you - you don't get to choose.

I occasionally find myself disappointed in people.  I know we all fall short, but I find myself discouraged when I see people not even trying to stay on course. 31103 verses.

No you can't move in with your boyfriend. 31103
No you don't bad mouth your boss/company. 31103
No you don't omit the truth or even shave it a bit. 31103
No you don't gossip or back room talk.  31103

We all fall short but we have a great guidebook with 31103 verses to keep us straight. But it's all or nothing.  We don't necessarily get it our way, we do get it His way.

My rambling thoughts this week.

God Spare Life

Each place we travel I try to spend time paying attention to the culture, seeing the spirit of the people.  Many of the places we've been, China, Brazil and even Israel, the people live in such turmoil.  Their "spirits" seem in a constant state of anxiety. And although certainly God is present, as He is always present, you have to search deep to see the light.  In China, spirit was so void. It was as if the centuries of time, the culture, the empires have wiped away the peoples inner knowing, their ability to see the love of God, their ability to shine light.  In Brazil, there is a real, constant and palpable evil that threatens to distinguish the light the people struggle to hold on to.  But within the midst of darkness, there were bright shining lights. And even in Israel, the Holy Land, the turmoil and strife and need to hold on to traditions has somewhat replaced the personal God relationships with almost a political or structural religion, if there is such a thing.

So as we leave the Bahamas, as we leave Paradise Island - I stop to ponder where was God?  We didn't spend much time outside the hotel, a few trips out on the water ... a sunset cruise and an afternoon on Rose island.  We didn't tour the Island as we had hoped so didn't really experience what I would have hoped to see of the culture.  But all that said, again where was God?  Ah!  In the eyes of the people, in the hearts of the Bahamians.  There was a quiet grace, a genuine warmth that I saw over and over again.  There was a light that shined from within.  You didn't have to search deep, the light was shown to you.  Sitting on the plane now on our way to Atlanta, a young man named Jerrell is in the seat in front of me. He happens to work at the hotel we just left.  I told him I enjoyed the hotel and thought the service was great.  He said thank you and was genuinely proud of his workplace.  I then said I really liked the people who served us - that they were truly warm and genuine.  He replied with a huge smile and beamed, "Now you are speaking of the Bahamians, that is our culture - who we are."

There is a saying the Bahamians use - God Spare Life.  It basically means God willing, or with Gods blessings.  In the Bahamas, whenever they speak of the future, they tag on God Spare Life .... meaning if it's in God's will, this will occur.  God Spare Life.  Every day we are here because God spared life, our life.  He gave us another day to breathe, another day to live, another day to shine his light.  Today, God Spare Life - Today!

It makes me ponder, if today God Spare Life, what will I do with it?  He gave me a gift, he spared me today - why?  What does He expect me to do with this day?  Where will He use me?  Where can I show His light and to whom?

I've written before how Mick and I hold tight to the phrase On Belay.  This is a rope climbing term used between the climber and the person holding the safety tether.  Belay On/On Belay basically means I am trusting you are holding tight to the safety line and I am climbing on/risking the climb.  Every day I trust God is holding me tight.  I trust Him and move forward where he leads me knowing he has me so the risk is not to great.  He has the ropes. So now I think On Belay and God Spare Life.

You, God spared me this day, use me as you will. I trust you are holding the ropes.  Once again, On Belay

Another day in paradise - the island of course!

As life changes, our perspectives change - hopefully.  When I owned my bookstore, yes I owned a bookstore.  The very quick, no detail backstory.  When I was 19 and in college my mother opened a new age bookstore.  Over the years I was her wingman through a variety of adventures and challenges as she ran it.  When I was 35 she died and I took over the store as I believed it was her legacy and keeping it alive somehow .... well anyway.  I didn't realize until much later that my sister and I were actually her legacy, but that's another blog, another day.

In 1995, as I took over the bookstore, it grossed 107k.  In 2002, when I closed the store (actually God burnt it down, but that's also another story), it grossed just shy of 1M.  At the time, I was also partner in an import company, a consortium of three companies capturing three sectors of the marketplace which also did very well.  End - backstory.

Anyway, perspective.  Once again I am sitting on the 19th floor, in a resort hotel, drinking an $8 bottle of water.  A bottle we'd pay $3 for at home. In so many ways this is the life.  It's relaxing, restful and rejuvenating.  We are with friends - new and old.  The sights are peaceful and fill the senses. Warm tropical breezes, sea spray, hundreds of palm trees and at every turn a smiling onlooker waiting to serve you. There are yachts anchored that easily have more square footage than my house.  Everything is self-contained.  You can sleep, swim, bask by the multitude of pools, ride water slides, gamble in the casino, dance in the after-hour clubs, hang in the bars and on the way to the variety of restaurants stop in at any number of shops and kiosks to pick up a Rolex, diamond, emerald keepsake - or overpriced bottle of water.

Last night walking back from an extravagant sushi dinner, a friend said he looked at the yachts and thought wouldn't that be cool yet he also liked his "simple life."

The simple life. There have been times in my life that I was a lot closer to living the luxurious life.  Never a four-story yacht but certainly extravagance could be had without a lot of thought or planning.  I am 54 years old and couldn't begin to count the amount of money spent on extravagance, luxury, thrown on a whim, eaten, guzzled or gambled in some fashion or other. Don't get me wrong - no regrets.  Zero.  Just reflection of how perception changes.  How the things that bring peace, the things that fill my soul, the life that brings satiation changes.

I guess it comes down to we choose happiness.  I have said about marriage for years - a happy marriage is choice, love is choice.  Everyday you wake up and choose to love your spouse another day - this day.  Choose to make this day about him/her.  Same for life.  Everyday you wake up and choose happiness.  Choose to revel in the little things, the 'simple' things before you.  Whether your vantage point for the day is from the 19th floor of a resort hotel, from behind your desk, from watching your child at swim lessons or cleaning the house that God has blessed you with.  Revel in the simplicity.  Choose to be happy.  There is nothing wrong with striving for more.  Nothing wrong with success and a drive to be better - wanting to be the best.  But if waiting for another day, yearning for another season of life, always looking toward tomorrow robs you of the happiness and simplicity of today then you are missing Gods greatest blessing - that today God gave you breath and the opportunity to be happy this day.

Sitting in my tower wondering where's the beef?

For anyone in my generation, we well remember Clara Peller- the old lady from the Wendy's commercials ... "where's the beef?"  Well 31 days into 2014 and I can officially say "where's the beef" or the dairy for that matter?  Other than a little snuck cheese and the amazingly deliciousness called butter, it's gone from my diet.  So far, so good ... though truly a challenge.  I've given up meat for 2014!  And at least for the 1st 31 days, for the most part I've been Vegan.  And why you ask!  Well, why not?  After having gastric bypass in 2006 and losing close to 150lbs, I've struggled to come up with the right dietary combination for me.  After being mostly nauseous for 7 years, I need a change. Rumor is living on ritz crackers and peanut butter is not healthy, so I need other options.

During the summer, I grow a lot of my own food, as I am an avid gardener (when I have time and can stay focused).  I find my God time in the garden - see you knew I'd get God in this somehow. Anyway gardening, creating new recipes and watching people eat my food are my passions.  So a diet based on veggies, fruits and grains makes sense, at least for me.  Yes, yes, yes I still cook meat. My marriage is also my passion and I'd like to stay married. 

My other 2014 challenge is to write more, blog more.  I see God everywhere.  In the big, in the little. For me capturing those sightings in writing, freeze them into my memory.  Writing it, expressing it, sharing it helps me process what I see and what He is showing me on a daily basis.  Minute by minute He guides me, shows me, speaks to me.  Minute by minute He feeds into my life.  Writing it, helps me minute by minute to acknowledge Him and to be grateful.

Today I'm sitting on a balcony, 19 floors up overlooking the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas.  Today I see God.  Yesterday I sat poolside, it was a bit harder, maybe God likes balconies too. I almost want to make some cheesy comparison of Garden of Eden and those who ate the apple, and those who didn't!  Ha!  Yeah, too much.  But it's amazing to observe the beauty of Gods creation in two ways.  To the right, His pure creation - the crystal clear blue green sea as it washes up on stark white sand.   You never understand the color Azure until you see the Caribbean Sea.  Translucent shades of blue, green and aqua that shimmer with color. Something only God could envision first. To the left, a marina filled with catamarans, speedboats, yachts and massive cruise ships that to the naked eye rival the height of the hotels.  Something only man could envision but could only create thru God-given giftedness. Below me are pools of dolphins performing for spectators, a mile-long lazy river - bright blue inner tubes floating along, some empty, most full and the occasional double tube, huge pools of water each accompanied by rows and rows of lounge chairs kept company by guests soaking in the balmy weather and tropical breezes.  It's easy to see Gods amazing blessings that at times we are so busy enjoying, we forget to be grateful or even to throw out a wow! Thanks!

I sat poolside and tried to wrap my head around Gods creation, almost got it just as the guy in the translucent, or is that transparent, silvery blue speedo with the six-pack beer belly sauntered  by.  Whoops lost my God vision (and almost my lunch) and went back to people watching.

So today, 19 floors above the people, overlooking it all, it's easier to see God.  Of course eventually I have to come back out of my Caribbean pink tower.  If for no other reason than to find some vegetarian food to eat, as I try to get used to and embrace fruits and veggies.