Missing Important Moments...

Yesterday, I held my very first anniversary celebration for serving 35 years in ministry. I will hold only one more in 15 years... my 50th. I am not one for doing these kind of things because I am very private, shy about calling attention to anything I do and I do not ask or look for people to honor me whether it be a birthday, an anniversary, or life accomplishment. In fact, I try to avoid such events as much as possible. So if I host such an event its a deeply personal and an important moment for me. That's why if people blow off my invitation or do not respond to my invitation it's hard not to take it personal. There are times and moments in each of lives to tell people that they are important - not through facebook, an e-mail, or text mesage. Face to face or knowing how to communicate in a person's love language is an important way to let them know you care. Showing up at their funeral only communicates to the family you thought about them. The person is gone. How many times do we miss important moment in people's lives. if you miss the moment you can't go back and fix it by cheap excuses like "OH, I had to work." "Oh, I have another family obligation," "I'm sorry but my boss is having an appreciation day for me (at the last minute), and "Oh, I forgot." When you don't come, you make excuses, and blame other circumstances for not coming to an important moment in a person's life especially when you were given advanced notice - you tell them how much you valued them. Thank you for all those who were there for me last night. Thank you for all those who let me know you valued me. Thank you for letting me know that I am your friend. Thank you for letting know how much you care about me and not missing this important moment in my life. See you on my 50th.

The importance of Friends

Many years ago I lost a good friend. We had many good moments together. Times of laughter, times of sharing, times of working together, times of playing, times of deep meaningful conversation - all were good keys of friendship. Connections are everywhere: cell phones, the internet, Twitter, Facebook and texting to name but a few. You name it and we are connected to it. But what about more than a cyber-connection or a cold, faceless hyperlink on the internet? Friendships are hard to come by these days in a multi-tasking, fast paced world. So, how should you find friendship and, more importantly, how do you sustain a friendship once it starts?One of the key points to remember when making real friends is being real. An authentic person can sustain a relationship whether it is a friendly, work or romantic relationship. People that pretend to be someone they are not will eventually turn into their real selves and you will probably lose interest. You have to be able to recognize authenticity in others, as well. Some important values I have in keeping friendships are:

1. Loyality - staying with people through all their seasons and stuff in life

2. Honesty - don't lie. Be transparent

3. Define the rules of relationship. Don't assume or bring expectations.

4. Mutuality - everyone is equal. everyone is respected. everyone has a voice.

5. shut up and listen. Their words are more important than yours.

6. Its about them not you.

7. Love at all times.

8. fight about the subject. never fight about the fight.

9. accept disagreement

10. accept diversity.

11. Be real. Be yourself. Be authentic.

12. Go where you're celebrated... not where your tolerated.

13. Make privacy a component of self-sharing.

14. Don't talk about your friend behind their back.

15. Don't dig for dirt - except in yourself.

16. Don't be a member of the temple police force. Pay attention to your own sin.

17. Forgive. reconcile.

Relationship takes time, it takes self sharing, it is covenantal, and life giving.

OCCUPY TILL HE COMES!

Occupy Wall Street is a broad expression of frustration and even anger about big corporate profits, tax breaks for the rich, corporate lobbying in Congress, and bank bailouts at a time when the poor and middle class are losing ground in a generally sour economy. “It really speaks to everyone getting fed up and tired of these corporations taking every bit of money we’ve worked so hard for,” says Brandon German, a protest organizer with Right to the City, an alliance of community groups that helped organize an Occupy Wall Street rally in Boston on Friday. “People are fed up and mobilizing.”People are tired of business as usual. The Occupy movement is a deconstructionist expression that is anti-institutional whether it is expressed against corporations, government, church, educational systems. At heart is "Modernism" and all of its systemization and standardization devalues people. It is based in hierarchy. Modernity is based on societal standardization. uniformity vs. diversity. It's all about corporate ladders and based on the idea of servant/leader models. It kills the Christ within me - tempting me to climb and ascend to exalt myself rather than humbling and killing the self-life. It calls us to become God rather than letting Christ rule in our hearts. II Thessalonians 2:2-4 says "... Do not allow your minds to be quickly unsettled or disturbed or kept excited or alarmed, whether it be by some [pretended] revelation of [the] Spirit or some word or by letter [alledged to be] from us, to the effect that the Day Of Lord has [already] arrived and is here. Le no one deceive or beguile you in any way, for that day will not come except the apostasy comes (unless the predicted great falling away of those who have professed to be Christians has come), and the man of sin be revealed, who is doomed (of perdition), who opposes and exalts himself so proudly and insolent against and over all that is worshiped., [even to his actually] taking his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming that he himself is God."The "man of sin" is revealed in the temple (our body) through inter-actions of relationship in business, church-life, both corporate and institution life. It tempts us with position, power, greed, ambition, divisiveness, lusts, manipulation and the need to control people and situations around us. It causes us to become unsettled, disturbed, ambition, adrenaline rushes, escapism, and a need to become Lord, not only of our own lives but the lives of others. It works to tear down, the temple of God, that Jesus said he could rebuild through the work of the cross. This anti-Christ spirit has a need to be recognized, affirmed, and "worshipped" by others. It has a need to be seen as the "Great White Hope" which slaughtered the native populations from the day "the cross of Cape Henry was planted till the killing fields of cambodia." It's not alright when Americans are killed domestically or on foreign soil by weapons of mass destruction. It is, however, okay to use excessive force and demand in on those "weaker" than us in the name of democracy. Proverbs 24 says a "harlot" (those who sell themselves out for position, authority and wealth) is a deep pit, she is a robber who gathers faithless men." Question is "what are we willing to exchange for our lives?" Christ or position in the temple of our own minds.I have come to believe that Phil. 2:5-11 is still the way to go "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus..." he humbled himself (not exalted himself), made no reputation for himself (wouldn't be wonderful to be free of what other people think of you), became fully human (not spiritual, holy or pontificators of truth) who the hell know the truth. We batter around as though we have some great revelation. II Thess. 2:2 exhorts us not to become "Excited, or alarmed" by some (pretended) revelations, words, or the use of letters from the apostles that leads us to the belief that we are somehow going to miss the Lord. God is god and we are not! The only responsibility I have in life is to exhibit the fruits of solitude in Gal. 5:23 which includes "self control." vs. 26 exhorts us "Let us not become vainglorious and self-conceited, competitive, challenging, provoking and irritating one another, envying and being jealous of one another. Ghee, that's a word for the American Church Leadership (65 years of age and older) who try to keep modernism as the center piece of the Gospel. The only thing I am responsible for is to "Occupy till he comes" - hold onto my faith, my convictions, and values. I am not called to climb the corporate ladder, and be successful in the eyes of the temple police and anti-christ heirarchies that are entrenched in the institutional church world. I stand for liberty of conscience (post-modernism) and the right of free speech (not political correctness whether left or right). Just as the early Quakers valued being thrown in jail - you have every right to exclude me from your high satanic positions, and wickedness in high places... but I also have the right for political and religious dissent. I will occupy till Christ comes.He will end all injustice, deal with the wicked, and bring in everlasting righteousness - not manufactored "kingdoms of self, anti-christ spirits (Bishopricks), uniform dogmas, and demands for my allegiance to "an anti-Christ spirit" that seeks to kill Christ in the sanctuary of my heart! God kill the Queen! The King and tear down the castles of my heart. Let nothing but Christ Occupy The Street of my heart and life.