Dandelion Fluff

Have you ever looked at the life cycle of a dandelion? Those incredible yellow flowers, or weeds, which spring up all over the grass as soon as spring arrives. To some people, they look pretty. To others, they’re a menace to be weeded out and discarded forever. The first life of the dandelion consists of that little yellow flower that just seems to never go away.

Then, for those that do survive the first cycle of life, the dandelion suddenly and magically turns into nothing more than fluff. On the surface, this fluff looks very harmless. When a wind comes along, the fluff is blown away and the dandelion is never to be seen again.

At least for a season…

Impacting Your Environment

The dandelion fluff, which marks the end of a season, or life cycle, for the dandelion may look harmless. But, for those who really know what’s going on, the fluff is merely planting the harvest for the next crop of dandelions. The fluff goes to seed and lays dormant until the dandelion growing season hits once again.

From time to time it’s important for us to step back and see what’s going on in our life. A journal entry from Thomas Merton in June of 1960 says the following;

“To see better means we need to gain perspective. That sometimes means a withdrawal, or a stepping back from the machinery of life.”

Stepping back from the machinery of life…
Just let those words sink in for a moment.

All too often, the machinery of life adds to the chaos and noise of life as we navigate through this journey we call life. From time to time, we must step back so we can gain perspective on what’s going on around us. Or, sometimes we need to step back so we can gain perspective on what’s going on in our own lives. It’s during these times of reflection, these times of stepping back, that we truly gain the perspective we need to make sense of what’s going on around us.

In my final year of Seminary I took a class on the Historical Books from the Old Testament. Up until that time, I usually had little to no difficulty working on the various assignments pertaining to Bible study and Bible study methods. However, for some reason I had a block when it came to working through lessons found in the Old Testament historical books. All I saw was a collection of names, facts, and what I considered to be useless information.

However, one day that all changed as I sat in my Professor’s office lamenting the fact I didn’t see anything! He looked at me and said, “It’s because you’re too close to the material. You’re working too hard in trying to figure out what’s going on.” He then said, “Take off your glasses.” I told him if I did that, I would see nothing at all! He laughed and said, “Take off your glasses, hold them over your shoulder like you’re holding them up for God to use.”

The Professor then said something that totally changed the way I looked at not only the Scripture passage, but even the situation. The Professor said, “Now, ask God what He sees here.”

Wow! What a transformation of attitude in looking at something. I believe that’s what Merton touches on when he says we need to step away to get perspective. Sometimes it’s the stepping away, and even asking God to show us what He sees in a given situation, where truly find answers for the journey.

A Fellow Sojourner,
Dr. Rus

It’s another Friday and that means it’s another #followfriday on Twitter! This is a day when sometimes our Twitter streams get very noisy with people making suggestions of some of their favorite people they follow on Twitter. The idea is to recommend people who are worth following on Twitter.

Once again this week, instead of tossing a list of people into a 140 character tweet on Twitter, I’m following the advice of Steve Woodruff on a way to streamline #followfriday. If you’d like to read more about Steve’s suggestion you check out his blog entry entitled Improving #FollowFriday.

First off, if you aren’t on Twitter, you can head on over to the main Twitter website and set up an account. It’s really easy to set up a Twitter account.

#FollowFriday Suggestions For May 8/09

First off, here are some people that are a must follow. Well, okay, the list includes myself and my wife too.

• Follow me on Twitter - DrRus
• Follow my wife on Twitter - MyLovelyWife
• Swoodruff - Made this great Twitter suggestion

Today’s list of #FollowFriday suggestions is made up of people I interact with and have great discussions with. It’s also a little bit of link love here to. The list is made up of people who have give me #followfriday kudos not only today, but in the past. I figure anyone that shows up in my tweet stream on a regular basis and talks with me, and anyone who recommends me to as someone to follow, is worthy of mentioning here too!

• PJIII - Gave me kudos.
• PhotoMemories - Great photographer wonderful interaction.
• Hotsports - Makes me laugh and is a great cheerleader!
• k8dt - Singer and Domestic Goddess!
• ToddBrink - A great guy, who always has something funny to say.
• SweetNote - One of the most cheerful, and active Tweet people I know! Always has encouraging words too.
• Wolfmank - Great photographer in Rochester, NY area.
• molsonfl - A computer geek and part of the really early morning weekday crew.
• nelsonmaud - Blips great music throughout the day!
• hoopycat - His random tweets simply make me laugh.
• kwells2416 - My windy city friend who’s always encouraging.
• zwriter - A NASCAR mom and writes a great blog!
• bobhallam - Always a great encourager.
• brandonacox - If you’re looking for a source of great resources on-line, this is the guy to follow!
• ValerieStevens - What can I say, Valerie is just the best and a lot of fun!
• cindyscottday - Another person who’s part of the really early morning crew!
• Redwolves - Another Rochester, NY guy who likes to stir things up from time to time.
• pauley - Another part of the Rochester, NY crew!
• BrianNeudorff - If you’re looking for weather information, Brian is your guy!
• SkeeterHarris - Another Rochester dude, social media expert, and movie lover.
• CaribPop - My Florida friend who’s the best when it comes to helping people find jobs!
• trillian1117 - Alot of fun, and always interested in what you’re having for breakfast.
• cindyoyo - A great encourager for writers!

Happy #FollowFriday!
Dr. Rus

Friday on Twitter is known as #FollowFriday. In case you’re not aware of what Twitter is, let me give you a brief description before I go any further.

Twitter is a social networking site. Actually, it’s better known as a microblog because you’re limited to 140 characters per tweet. Instead of filling up this entire post with links scattered throughout, at the end of the post I will give all the links in one place. So, you can read this brief description here, without feeling the need to click on a link. But, you will want to do so later on at the end of this post.

I discovered Twitter a long time ago. I’m not really sure when I joined, but I know I was one of the early adopters. But then again, I usually like to try out new things as soon as they hit the Internet. I played around for a while, but wasn’t really sure what added value Twitter brought to my Internet use. However, as time went on, I started discovering some great new friends. It’s a social network for people to connect on many levels. While some use it solely as a marketing tool, there’s much more to it than that. As a matter of fact, while many marketers may have big numbers for followers, they seldom interact, and for me, I usually ignore their requests for me to follow them. I’m not interested in an endless stream of marketing information.

I’m looking for interaction.

So, how does one find interesting people to follow on Twitter? That’s where #FollowFriday comes in. Usually every Friday people simply tweet out a list of @people they’re following. In other words, it’s a recommendation from one person to follow another person. Over the past few weeks, #FollowFriday has resulted in a lot of noise as people simply send out endless lists of @friend suggestions. I’ve actually started ignoring many of them because I simply don’t have time to look over every suggested person.

What to do, what to do, what to do?

A New Way For #FollowFriday

Just how should we handle the noise of #FollowFriday on Twitter? That’s where this blog post comes in. It’s also where I need to introduce Steve Woodruff, also known as @swoodruff on Twitter. Earlier this week he made a suggestion to start giving not only more information about those we’re suggesting as good people to follow. But he also suggested writing a blog post too. You can read his full post on his StickyFigure blog at Improving Follow Friday. It’s well worth the read, and it’s also a great suggestion.

So, using Steve’s suggestion for Improving Follow Friday, I will start doing a blog post with my weekly suggestions. Along the way, I will also give Twitter user friendly suggestions too.

My #FollowFriday Suggestions for May 1/09

First off, if you don’t have a Twitter account and you’re reading this post, it’s really easy to set up an account. Simply head on over to the Twitter site and set up an account. It’s really easy, and before you know it, you’ll be having a blast interacting with people from all over the world.

• Set up an account on Twitter
• Follow me on Twitter - DrRus
• Follow my wife on Twitter - MyLovelyWife

My first suggestion for #FollowFriday

• Swoodruff - Made this great Twitter suggestion

In the coming weeks I will categorize my followfriday suggestions. This week, my followfriday suggestions fall into the category of People Who Make Me Laugh.

• SweetNote
• earthXplorer
• CindyScottDay
• BruceBrownNC
• Jinxie_G
• hotsports
• QuirkyChic
• MizFitOnline
• k8dt
• wsredneck
• ValerieStevens

And in the spirit of not wanting to leave out a few important people on this my first #followfriday Twitter list…

People I interact with on a daily basis…

• BrianNeudorff
• mom2twinsplus1
• millan
• RedWolves
• jeremyb
• wolfmank
• trillian1117
• Aerocles
• CaribPop
• BobHallam
• sammolsonkasey
• molsonfl

There you go! Happy Twitter following!
Dr. Rus

Have you noticed how a lot of business calendars these days have the first day of the week as Monday? Actually, calendars have been sliding that way for a while, but I’m beginning to notice it more and more these days. It’s like the entire world is shifting to the idea that the most important thing in life is getting up Monday morning and heading off to work.

But, this simply is not the case.

Job burnout and overall distaste for where one works at is at an all time high. Many people simply are not happy with their lives. Could it be a result of the fact that many are geared to think Monday is the first day of the week? If your mindset is one of work, work, work, then you may quickly discover the old cliche - “All work and no play makes Jack a very dull boy.”

The week starts on Sunday for a good reason.

Many still believe Sunday is a day of rest. It doesn’t matter if you’re a church-goer, or a non-church-goer. When the calendar starts on Sunday, signifying a day to sit back and relax, the work week goes smoother. We all need a day to rejuvinate and re-energize. Sunday, the first day of the week, sets the tone for the rest of the week.

But, as we find ourselves on another Sunday, we can also reflect on ways we will positively impact those around us in the coming week. There’s no way of knowing what exactly will take place, but as we ponder how we can positively impact our little portion of the world, maybe things will go a little smoother. During the past few weeks I’ve written much about hope on this blog. Many people are searching for hope. For some, we might be the only glimmer of hope and encouragement they might see. 

As you ponder the start of a new work week, why not ponder someone you can encourage along the way too.

A Fellow Sojourner,
Dr. Rus

Through the years the way we record our family history has changed. In the Old Testament the patriarch of the family always carried a staff. Of course the staff itself had many uses. It was a shepherd staff to keep the sheep in line. It was also a walking stick helping the young shepherd make his way through the rocky hillside. As the years moved along, the staff even took on more of a cane use instead of just a simple walking stick. Whatever the case may be, one thing was sure, the staff stayed with the patriarch throughout his life. 

But, the staff was far more than just a simple walking stick or cane. The staff also contained the geneology and history of that particular family. Etched along the patriarch’s staff were important events that took place in his life. Births, deaths, movements through time. All tracking and keeping a chronological order of the patriarch’s life.

The staff was how the Sojourner kept track of his journey as he made his way through life here on earth.

By Faith, Jacob Leaned On His Staff

“By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.”
Hebrews 11:21

We find Jacob’s life, his journey here on earth, drawing to a close in this passage. As he blesses his grandchildren, he’s also leaning on the top of his staff. He’s pondering his mark on this world. He’s pondering his family, and he’s remembering those most important to him in this journey we call life. He’s leaning on his staff, which contains the history of his family. I’m sure his staff was also passed along to his own son. Why? So the memory of the family will continue from generation to generation.

I started thinking about keeping track of our life earlier this morning as I spent some time on Twitter. It all started with s0mething I read on the social network site that said this was 80sphotoday weekend on Twitter. As I read more, I discovered the idea was to post a profile/avatar picture of yourself from the 1980’s. Wow! Now there’s a scary thought! But, I also figured it sounded like fun so I decided to dig around and find an old picture. 

Let #80sphotowknd #80sphotoday On Twitter Begin!

I dug around some old pictures and came across that one from the early 1980’s. Pretty scary hair! But, I do remember that time of my life well. It was the early 1980’s. I was looking forward to graduating, and also starting a career in radio. Little did I know what the future held, but I knew I was having fun and having a good time. I even looked like that when I met my wife! I’m thinking it was the hair that really impressed her. We were married in 1984, and by then, I was working at my third radio station. Time marched on, we had our first child, and then, it was time for another move. The journey this time took me back to college.

Of course things changed, and so did styles.

By the late 1980’s I was trying to look more like a grown up. Okay, the glasses are still really big, but the hair has changed. This time around instead of looking forward to being a radio star, this is a picture taken while I was leading a group of college students on a mission trip into Haiti. Another great time on my journey through life.

How Are You Tracking Your Journey?

We’re presented with many ways to track our journey these days. Some use journals, some use blogs, others use pictures. Whatever the case may be, one thing has not changed. Just like Jacob of old, we’re all looking for a way to keep track of our journey. My New Year’s resolution this year is to become much better at sending out birthday and anniversary cards. The passage of time has a way of rising an awareness that yes indeed, we are all mortal. We are all on a journey, and it’s important to acknowledge, and keep track of events, as we journey through this thing we call life.

It’s been great fun today going through some old pictures. I’ve also enjoyed getting a glimpse into the lives of some of my Twitter friends looking at their old pictures. It’s true, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Thanks to @erickbrockway You Can Enjoy The Fun Too!
80’sPictureDay Photo Bucket Display
80’sPictureDay You Tube Video

Then and Now

A few recent events have caused me to pay a little more attention to the passing of time. As I get older, I’m also coming to the realization that others around me are getting older too.  This year my wife and I will celebrate 25 years of marriage. My two brothers are 50 and over, my parents have been married more than 50 years, and I’m gaining speed on that number 50 as well!

Then, toss in on top of that the passing of good friends.

The Warren’s have been a fixture in the life of the Jeffrey’s for a long time. As a matter of fact, Duane and my Dad were school buddies. When my parents were married, Duane was Dad’s bestman. When Duane and Shirley were married, Dad was their bestman. Through the years we spent a lot of time together. Duane and Shirley have three kids, and Mom and Dad have three kids. We were also all about the same age. When Mom and Dad celebrated their 50th Anniversary a few years ago we were all together. It had been a long time since we were all in one place, so we took a picture of just the kids. (Well, with the exception of Scott. But I’ll have more on that a little later in this post.)

A few months ago, Shirley passed away, and that’s when Mom and Dad pulled out some old pictures. One picture caught my eye, and combined with the one from a few years ago, I ended up with a great Then and Now shot.

Now - From Left To Right
Me, Lance, (Scott), Chris
Girls - Debbie, Jill

Then - From Left to Right
Back - Lance, Debbie
Middle - Chris, Jill, Me
Front - Scott

I’m sure you may have noticed the picture of Scott in the Now picture is actually a picture of Dudley Do-Right. Scott couldn’t make it for my parents anniversary. But, since he’s an RCMP in Canada, I thought it appropriate to have my design guy put in a picture of Dudley Do-Right.

It’s pictures like the one above that help us to remember the passage of time. We are all on a journey. Many people come, and many people go. But the important people can be remembered through pictures.

How are you keeping track of your journey?

A Fellow Sojourner,
Dr. Rus

I’m not a big Pirates of the Caribbean movie fan. I liked the first one, hated the second one, and tolerated the third. Now with rumors of Johnny Depp signing up for a reprisal of his Captain Jack Sparrow character, I’m dreading the fourth installment of a Pirates movie. However, even though I don’t really like the movies, I’ve always been fascinated with Captain Jack’s compass.

Throughout the first movie Captain Jack is chastised because his compass doesn’t work. It never points North. Instead it spins around and goes in different directions. But never North. However, even though the compass never points North, Captain Jack always ends up where he wants to go. By the second movie we discover the secret of the malfunctioning compass. The compass may never point North, but it does point to something more important.

Captain Jack’s compass points “toward what the heart wants.”

Searching For Direction

Many today are searching for direction in life. A quick scan of the landscape can result in worried hearts and troubled spirits. The economy is sliding, the job market is declining, and the government appears to be in shambles. Bankruptcies are at an all time high, and now many business are lining up for government bailouts. Everyone wants a handout.

Then on top of the economic mess, everyone seems to have an opinion on just about everything. Spin doctors are a dime a dozen and they all declare they have the answers to all our problems. The left say they have the answers. The right say they have the answers. Those in the church even declare they have the answers. In this sea of voices and endless noise, it’s sometimes very hard to decipher which is the correct answer. How do we truly discern what is true and what is false?

My good friend Ken Davis recently wrote a post on his Lite Post - A Seriously Funny Guy blog entitled Just Do It. While Ken talked about committing to doing something and then following through, I was reminded of the importance of focus. As life seems to swirl out of control it’s important to check our bearings. Take a look at our compass and make sure we’re still heading in the direction we should be heading. We need to make sure we’re still heading toward what not only our heart wants, but where our heart should be yearning.

Hearing Through The Noise

People are searching for hope these days. I addressed this search in an earlier post entitled Write It Down & Make It Clear. In that post I encouraged us all to remember the words of Jeremiah who said “God’s plans are not to harm us, but to prosper us, giving us hope for the future.” Those are wonderful words. But, what do we need to do in order to make sure our compass is leading us in the right direction, toward that hope? It’s easy to turn to various commentaries on the Bible, and even the words of man, to discover how we should navigate through this world. However, many times the books and voices do little more than add to the noise of the culture.

With this in mind, where do we turn?

How about the few verses ahead of the wonderful promise of hope found in Jeremiah 29. It’s here we discover some very practical suggestions of how to make sure we’re heading in the right direction. The people of Jerusalem found themselves in the midst of turmoil exiled in Babylon. Far from home, when it looked like the odds were totally stacked against them, they were encouraged to do some very practical things.

• Build houses and settle down
• Plant gardens and eat what they produce
• Marry and have sons and daughters
• Find wives for the sons and give daughters in marriage
• Increase in number, do not decrease

They also received some spiritual suggestions, to ensure their compass was pointing at their hearts desire.

• Seek the peace and prosperity of the city you live in
• Pray for peace and prosperity because if the city, and nation, in which you live prospers, so will you
• Do not listen to the spin-doctors who spin lies for they do not know what they are talking about

Many of the spin doctors of the day are proclaiming doom and gloom. The so-called people in the know declaring doom and gloom are found both inside and outside the church. As we attempt to stay the course in the days ahead, we need to make sure we’re not listening to the doom and gloom spin-doctors. If we truly want to walk in hope, we need to stay clear of those who spin their lies saying all is doom and gloom.

As we stay the course moving forward with “Hope for the Future” we will do well to seek peace and prosperity for the city, and nation in which we live. As the city and nation prospers, so too will we.

A Fellow Sojourner,
Dr. Rus

What does Christmas mean to you?

It’s the time of year when there’s much activity. Many people run from place to place trying to find the perfect gift. Others run from place to place trying to see everyone they’ve neglected to see during the past 11 months of the year. Still others simply become overwhelmed with the thought of the Christmas season. I know that last one is hard to believe. But, many people really don’t like this time of year because they’re simply overwhelmed by all the activity.

When I think of Christmas, I think of family. As a kid we would all head off to the Christmas Eve Candle Light Service. Then it would be home with some friends popping over for a quick snack. Later in the evening, just before it was time to go to bed, our parents would allow us to open one present. It was a wet our appetite type thing so we would hopefully not try to get up at 1 o’clock in the morning on Christmas Day.

It was great fun, and I have many great memories of childhood Christmas celebrations. Christmas Day would find us up and moving, usually early, to spend time with the immediate family. Then it would be off for a larger family gathering with relatives.

A Time For Church Tradition

For many today, the thought of church tradition is totally foreign. The sad thing is, for many inside the church, the thought of tradition is foreign too. I know this is a peak time for church attendance. But, I’ve never felt comfortable as a Pastor to build a bunch of hype around a few days of the year in the hopes that the pews might be filled for just one Sunday out of the year.

Isn’t a life of faith supposed to be just that?
A life of faith, not just a day of faith?

While I’m all for new faces in the congregation and I love it when people start attending on a regular basis, I also find something missing hyping one season of the year. When people attend church, should they not find us the same way the other Sunday’s of the year too? Church should always be a welcoming community of faith, encouraging others to grow and move forward in positive ways as we journey through life.

Aside from the family memories listed above, I also have two vivid church memories too.

The first revolves around the Advent Candles. An important aspect of a life of faith during this time of year as we remember an entire month heading up to the birth of Christ, not just one day. For years, whether we’ve found ourselves as Pastors of a traditional church, or a contemporary church, the Advent Candles have always been an important part of our Christmas Services. Each Sunday we light a Candle and describe the meaning of each candle.

• The First Advent Candle - the candle of prophecy and hope. The birth of Christ was foretold and promised by the prophets and the words were fulfilled with His birth some 2,000 years ago. The candle of hope as we’re reminded that it’s in Christ we find hope.
• The Second Advent Candle - the candle of the way. As believers we find encouragement in this journey we call life knowing that with Christ, He illuminates the path and the way for us to go. It’s a simple message of hope.
• The Third Advent Candle - the candle of joy. This candle represents the only lasting joy to be found in life on earth is through Christ. All other joy is fleeting.
• The Fourth Advent Candle - the candle of peace. This candle reminds us that Jesus came to the earth to bring peace, both in the world, and in people’s hearts.
• The Fifth Advent Candle - the Christ candle, or Christmas candle. The fifth, and center candle in the Advent candles, represents Christ Himself who was born. He is the Prince of Peace.

Through the many Advent seasons I’ve preached, I’ve always been amazed at the number of people who tell me they’ve never heard of the candles. For me, the candles aren’t only a church tradition, but they are also a family tradition. I can’t imagine my journey of faith without the reminder during this time of year of what the birth of Christ really means. This year has been exciting as we’ve used one family to light each candle. A family with triplets who are now 4. This year, they’re not only excited about Santa Claus, but they’re also excited about the Hope and the Message of the Season.

Remember I said earlier there are two things I remember about my childhood church experience? The first are found in the Advent Candles. The second is found in a yearly gathering of the church family for a special Christmas program. The kids were always involved with the singing of carols. Then after a wonderful children’s program, it was time for lunch. Hotdogs and other Christmas goodies. This is what I remember about the community of faith. The family of faith coming together to celebrate with a meal.

Today, we will do the same at Fresh-Wind. We will gather and sing some carols, then we will have a time of sharing a meal together. Maybe I’ll even sing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. You see I also remember the very loving Sunday School teachers who allowed me to sing that song, every year at Christmas time. It was always a joy to sing my favorite Christmas song, with my parents, and sometimes my grandparents, sitting out in the church hall, smiling from ear to ear.

A Fellow Sojourner,
Dr. Rus

How many times do I have to yell, “Help! Murder! Police!” before you come to the rescue?

We’ve all heard the phrase, and maybe used it from time to time, “There’s never a cop around when you need one.” There are times when we wonder if anyone is hearing our cry for help. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about crime, or simply addressing a family or personal crisis. Sometimes many feel all alone. A friend of mine wrote a song a number of years ago called Lonely In A Crowd. It’s an alarming song about how many people wander this earth, feeling lonely in a crowd.

Have you ever felt like that? Lonely in a crowd?

Surrounded By Injustice

Sometimes we think we’re the only ones feeling betrayed and scorned. Sometimes we think the whole world is against us and no one else cares, or even understands. While these are real emotions, and I’m not making light of them at all, when we begin to realize we’re not alone, then we do begin seeing light at the end of the tunnel. It’s really the age old question - When the going gets tough, where will go?

People are searching for a message of hope these days. President-elect Obama’s main platform was one of hope. Will he deliver hope? Time will tell. But, I can tell you one thing, the government’s form of hope, no matter who’s in power, ultimately does not bring fulfillment. The government’s concept of hope seems to be bailouts, taxing the rich, and getting involved in every aspect of life. The government’s concept of hope will fall short in the end. The government is already broke, and turning on the money-making-machine and handing out billions of dollars, will fall short.

However, even in the midst of where we are now, we do have much to be thankful for. I believe for the first time in a long time people are starting to search for a true message of hope. The question is, where will they find that answer?

It’s A Simple Unadorned Message

The Sunday after the 9-11 terrorist attack in New York City, church attendance skyrocketed. Why? Because people were searching for some kind of hope. Now, as we find ourselves a number of years removed from that attack, church attendance is actually lower than it was before the 9-11 attacks. How did this happen? I believe it’s because when people went to church to find the message of hope, they left wanting. The church has become irrelevant in its search for relevancy. Could it be in it’s attempt to become hip and trendy, the church has lost touch with the simple message of hope?

As we find ourselves in the midst of another Christmas season I’m reminded that one of the four candles many churches light during this time represents the fact that some 2,000 years ago a man named John the Baptist declared a very simple message. In The Message translation, Eugene Peterson translates the words of Matthew 3 saying;

“His message was simple and austere.”

Webster’s translates austere as markedly simple and unadorned. Could it be many have made the simple message of hope, brain surgery? It was the prophet Habakkuk who wondered where God was when the nation of Israel found itself scattered to the ends of the earth exiled in Babylon. It was Habakkuk who said, “How many times need I need to yell help before you respond.” The response was concise — “Write the message of hope down, make it clear, and make it simple so others will understand it.”

As we find ourselves wondering what’s going on around us, the message of hope really is quite simple — “His plans are not to harm us, but to prosper us, giving us hope for the future.”

A Fellow Sojourner,
Dr. Rus

It’s been a while since I’ve taken part in one Brody’s Positive Post Tuesday events, but I just couldn’t let another slip by. As we approach Thanksgiving, there’s much to be thankful for. Yes, even in the midst of turmoil, we do have much to be thankful for. Actually, because of the situation many find themselves in today, this could be one of the most important Thanksgiving times ever. This year, the best medicine for everyone to take could very well be an attitude of thankfulness as we find ourselves heading into another Thanksgiving season.

As part of my radio gig, I also host a talk show called The Live Line. From time to time I come across a guest that really stands out in the crowd.

One such guest is Mike Robbins, author of Focus on the Good Stuff. 

Mike has an amazing story. He was drafted out of high school by the New York Yankees. But, instead of heading to the Yankees organization, he decided to attend college and pitch at Stanford University where he pitched in the College World Series. After college, he went on to play for the Kansas City Royals for three seasons. When it looked like he had everything going for him, Mike suffered a career ending arm injury.

Faced with the decision of what to do, Mike decided to turn what looked like a bad situation, into a positive situation, by looking for the good stuff.

I thoroughly enjoy talking with Mike on the air. He’s so positive, and he’s always an encouragement to my listeners. Yesterday we talked about Thanksgiving. Many in the nation are stressed out these days. Yes, there’s the crush of the economy, and for many, there’s just the crush of everyday life. How can we begin to change our outlook, when things look so grim around us. The answer — Take small steps toward changing our attitude by being thankful for for the good stuff going on around us. During the interview with Mike he outlined three reminders and three action ideas that provide a great starting point for our journey toward thankfulness as a culture and a way of life. If you can’t wrap your mind around the thought of being thankful every day, at least take the small step and activate these steps for this Thanksgiving.

Reminders…

1. Be grateful - focus on the good stuff and count your blessings.
2. Acknowledge teh people around you - let the people in your life know what you appreciate about them.
3. Appreciate yourself - pat yourself on the back and focus on what you are doing well.

When it comes to elections, people can get really crazy. It seems this election cycle is no different. If anything, in this never-ending-presidential-election cycle we find ourselves in, the lines have been drawn even deeper in the sand. Never before have I seen two candidates further divide a nation, or result in a nation of undecideds, as we have before us today. Tomorrow thousands of people will head to the polls to cast their vote not only for State leaders, but also for Congressional leaders, Senate leaders, and yes, the next President of the United States.

I’ve been fascinated with the rhetoric on both sides of the aisle. Not only in the political realm, but also in the church realm. It’s really hard to find balance anywhere, and I must admit, that’s sad, especially when thinking of the church side.

I’m amazed at the number of emails I’ve received from church groups telling me ‘how’ to pray.

Avoid The Controlling Prayer

“Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation.“

Those were words of instruction from Paul, to his student Timothy, (1 Timothy 2:1-2, The Message). Take note, Paul was not telling Timothy what to pray, he simply instructed him to pray for the leaders and governments to rule well. There’s nothing in there saying to pray for one particular party or person. It’s actually quite the opposite. We are simply instructed to pray for whoever the leader might be, regardless of their political stripe. Why are we encouraged to pray for our leaders? So we can quietly live our lives.

With that in mind, what should we do with the various emails we receive telling us why we should pray for one candidate or the other? With tongue in check I usually say - That’s why God invented the delete button on the keyboard. - While I saw that partially as a joke, there’s also great truth in the statement. Some of the emails I’ve received have been downright rude and outlandish when trying to push one political agenda over another. In all honesty, I do hit the delete button. I’ve even hit the delete button on some emails arriving in my in-box from well established and well recognized ministries which should simply know better.

What should our response be as we journey through this thing we call life?

We need to simply pray for those in leadership. We need to at all costs avoid what are known as controlling prayers. What is a controlling prayer you ask? Simply put, a controlling prayer is any prayer declaring that God wants one person or another person to win the election. Again, as already noted above, we are simply instructed to pray for those in leadership. We are not instructed to pray one person in or out of office.

With that in mind, someone did send me an incredible prayer which falls into the category of simply praying for those in leadership. As we approach yet another election day, this prayer might do well to be on all of our minds, and lips.

A Prayer For the Election
By John Piper

Father in heaven, as we approach this election on Tuesday, I pray

1) That your people will vote,

2) and that they will vote with a sense of thankfulness for a democratic system that at least partially holds in check the folly and evil in all our hearts so that power which corrupts so readily is not given to one group or person too easily.

3) That we would know and live the meaning of
* Being in the world, but not of it.
* Doing politics as though not doing them.
* Being on the earth, yet having our lives hidden with Christ in God.
* Rendering to Caesar the things that are Caesars, and to God the things that are God’s.

4) That we would discern what truths and values should advance by being made law and which should advance only by the leavening of honest influence.

5) That your people would see what love and justice and far-seeing wisdom demand in regard to the issues of education, business and industry, health care, marriage and family, abortion, welfare, energy, government and taxes, military, terrorism, international relations, and every challenge that we will face in the years to come.

6) And above all, that we will treasure Jesus Christ, and tell everyone of his sovereignty and supremacy over all nations, and that long after America is a footnote to the future world, he will reign with his people from every tribe and tongue and nation.

Keep us faithful to Christ’s all important Word, and may we turn to it every day for light in these dark times.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

A Fellow Sojourner,
Dr. Rus