Present Moment, Forget Domani

There's an old popular song entitled "Forget Domani" (click post title above). Domani is Italian for tomorrow. From a life-living point of view, 'forget tomorrow' has some merit when you think about it. Spiritually speaking, living in the present moment and surrendering to God in all things is a 'forgetting about tomorrow' kind of attitude. If we seek God in our lives in all things and in every moment, tomorrow takes care of itself.

As I think more about 'forget tomorrow'; images, metaphors and the like start popping into my mind. Is it safe to say that we really only live in the present moment? Does God have a clock He goes by, or is that just a human invention? Can we imagine that all of 'Creation' is just functioning in the present moment? Was Einstein on target with his Theory of Relativity?

Humans and animals can't live in the past or in the future. Living is always a "now" thing. Yes, as humans we can make plans for the future, but nothing is guaranteed. We can look at the past for experience to help us in the present and future, but all of that takes place in the "now". If we make bad choices in the "now", our future is affected, but the determining action is now. Sometimes we get away with something in a natural world sense, but not in God's sense.

This 'Present Moment' way of thinking can help us see our lives as they relate to eternal life. Think of the present moment as a line that runs through the center of eternity/creation. Our present moment living and the living of those before and after us is a tiny space in the greater scheme of things. Imagine spirits coming out of this eternity, being born and living in a constant present moment life-line until they die in a human sense. And then, just as they came to a natural life as a spirit of eternity, they leave this present moment living as a spirit going back into eternal life as a spirit.

If we can accept this present moment way of living, our whole outlook on life is influenced positively. In our moments we ask for, receive and appreciate the love and grace of our Eternal Father who is waiting for our joyful return to His Greater Presence for Eternity. AMEN.

Accepting & Using The Strength God Gives Us

In today's fast pace living we have come to want quick service and quick fixes in our lives. We hardly have time to ponder our needs before we get impatient about their fulfillment. Our time schedule for things in our lives is way ahead of God's timing. In relationships we want instant love and gratification. In our actions we want immediate success, praise and thanksgiving.

In all of this we tend to leave out the Lord. We're too busy and frustrated to take time to invite Him into our situations in life. Surely our quick decisions and actions will get faster results than waiting for God to get involved! He is very busy dealing with all of us humans, you know. And that's in addition to managing His whole creation second by second. He doesn't have time to mess with me. If things get any worse, I'll give Him a shout.

Faith and patience in the Lord at all times and in all things is what we must achieve in our lives. We must put our worldly pressures on hold and let God do his work for us. Then we can do our part under better control and get a good result and acceptance. Isaiah says, "but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31


I experienced this in my brain tumor removal surgery and the months of recovery. I was blessed to have felt God's presence in all of the chaos surrounding my surgery. After that 10-hour surgery, 2-weeks in intensive care and a 30-day stay, I was released from the hospital. I was 50-lbs. lighter and had recovered from pneumonia and multiple blood clots. I faithfully and patiently continued my life, not knowing exactly what it would be like. Not knowing what disability I might have to deal with. Eleven months after my surgery, I hiked to the highest peak in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, Mt. Elbert (14,433-ft), with my brother and a neighbor friend.

Our "quickness" should be in turning to God. When we do that first, he prepares our spirit so we have faith and patience. The quick expectation we should seek is a faith in God's comfort, peace, and grace in our affliction. David sang to the Lord, "On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul. Psalm 138:3

Things That Lie Above (click here for photo info)

In many old primitive cultures, ascents to the tops of major mountain peaks were not made by people, even though it was possible. Those high peaks were thought to be where God(s) lived and were forbidden to humans. If only we could look up today with our binoculars and see our God on the mountaintop. Or maybe, since we imagine God as creator of the universe and beyond, we will one day be able to see God somewhere out in the Universe with one of our fast-improving telescopes fixed to a rocket.

God saved me a mountain climb and lots of rocket fuel when he visited me in the hospital during my brain surgery some years ago. His presence through His Spirit was so powerful that He convinced me that He did exist and that I would spend my time in His Kingdom for eternity. As we live out our lives here on His Planet Earth gift to us, we don't need telescopes or binoculars to connect with Him. He is at our side in every moment that we live. We must be sure that we turn our attention to Him in every moment, so we don't miss an opportunity for a blessing in all aspects of our lives.

Making Today A Good Ole Day!

A preserved historical place along with a knowledge of the activity among those who lived there touch us in a special way and challenge our thoughts about eternal life. Looking at this present day photo of the General Store and Post Office in St. Elmo, Colorado, (click on posting title for more history) we think about the lives of those who lived and worked here along America's Continental Divide. The town was founded in 1880 as a base for gold and silver mining. It reached a population of 2000 people before becoming a "ghost town" in the 1920's.

The buildings that have been preserved in St. Elmo, help us to identify with those who have gone before as we ponder what their lives were like and if their spirits are with our creator God as we hope that ours will be. All of history and preserved historic sites affect us and challenge us in this way. What will our legacy be? What will the future generations say about us? What will we do in our time that sets a standard for those who follow and shows our love for the Lord? Will the interest of future generations be in what we stood for or just what our buildings looked like? We have a good example in St. Paul the Apostle whose life in the Lord exploded throughout the World. His persistence in spreading the Gospel in spite of the road blocks changed the world. As he said, "..........So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with the weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong." II Corinthians 12:9-10 NRSV

On The Edge Of Good And Evil

Good and Evil are sometimes so close that we have a hard time knowing what to do in life. We can only seek and trust God to show us the way to go. A close friend's daughter is on a missionary visit to an African country. Obviously, she is exposed to many things she is not used to seeing in America. On her blog (click on this posting title above) she tells about little children with bowls or containers being all around the markets and other public places begging. The containers are used to hold the money they beg for on behalf of Islamic leaders and teachers to whom their parents have given them. The leaders exist on this money collected and if a child comes back to them with no money, they are severely beaten and not fed. My friend's daughter choses to give money to each child that asks. Her goodness overcomes the evil, in that the children will be saved from beatings and starvation. So it is in our lives in this World. We are constantly challenged as to how to react to things around us. We are in conflict to judge or not to judge, complain or not complain, help or not help, forgive or not forgive, sin or not sin, give or not give. This human predicament is only resolved through a close relationship with God in our daily living. He will guide us if we allow him to do so. This is our ultimate choice: to trust Him or not trust Him.

COACH GOD

In reading quotes from Thomas Merton recently (click on title above to view), I was reminded of the simple fact that God is inside of me in my spirit. As my creator, he is intimately with me and interested in me. He loves me as a work that he intentionally created. The "free will" that He gave me upon my creation allows Him to stay on the sideline while I play the game of life. Like most sideline coaches He runs out on the field sometimes in enthusiasm or dismay. I must learn to understand His joy and His dismay and react properly to both. As He continues to coach me through His Spirit like a worldly coach, I must seek to understand what He envisions for me in the game of my life. For me to reach my potential is important to God, my coach. He sent His Son to help me know the rules of the life game and the way it should be played. If I ignore the fact that I can't play the game without His coaching, then I am alone and out of my league. There will be no championships. Unlike our worldly coaches, God resides in us and leaving the locker room doesn't separate us from Him. God is a package deal in that He is also our Cheerleader.

All Ears For The Holy Spirit In Our Believing

In Acts 19:1-7 we follow Paul on a journey to Ephesus. There he found some disciples and he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?" They said, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit". As the conversation went on, the disciples said that they had been baptized by John. Paul explained that John had baptized them into repentance and to believe in the one who was to come after him. When Paul later baptized them in the name of Jesus, the Holy Spirit came upon them.

We have much in common with these disciples, even though most of us have heard of the Holy Spirit. Living our lives in Christ is difficult for us as we try to connect with how he would want us to live. Our calling seems so obvious, but we have a hard time living into it. When we are baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, we get a special gift in the Holy Spirit. Unlike most gifts, however, we're not sure what to do with it.

That's when we need to remember that in order to benefit from the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we must surrender our control in all things and trust in the wonderful communication gift we have with the Lord, through the Spirit. The Lord will guide us through His Spirit, but we must learn to listen for this communication with all of our senses. The more we can do this, the better our life in Christ.

Don't Go It Alone -- Seek Christian Community

We underestimate our value to each other. We search for a relationship with God and don't understand why He doesn't seem to answer. We don't think that these folks around us can be of any use in our lives. Many are annoying and opinionated. Many just don't appeal to us and don't seem to have anything in common with us. Even the folks we are drawn to seem a little superficial and we are afraid to open a deeper relationship with them.

Those who have placed themselves in Christian Community know the blessings received when things go wrong in their lives. God continues to use each of us to bless others when we turn to Him and recognize our role. God does His work, but we have to do our work in order for things to jell.

Christian Community is a means of raising the spiritual experience and connectedness of individuals and groups of individuals. Community is one of the ways of living that helps us in seeking God in our lives, and in so doing allowing God to use each of us to communicate His Love, Grace and Will to His Children.

Covering Our Negatives With Positives

The Bible is full of instructions on how we should live our lives in a good and just way. One of many examples is in Leviticus 19:11: "You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; and you shall not lie to one another. And you shall not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God. I am the Lord."

In a recent Bible study and reflection, I was reminded of a way that we can deal with all the negatives that come out of our sinful nature. I have accidentally used this method to overcome anger, dissatisfaction, criticism and other afflictions in the past, but I have not thought of it in such a broad and intentional way. The more I have tried to abandon to God in every aspect of my life, the more I have been able to use positives to overcome negatives in my life.

We should approach every moment in our lives as a wonderful gift from God, no matter what is going on at any given time. It all begins with compassion for or forgiveness of the another person. We must be abundant in love if we hate or are angry. We must acknowledge another's needs when we are full of selfishness. We must look for the good in the people we dislike. There is a family story credited to my Great Grandmother that is a good example of positivity: There was a man that was considered an odd-ball troublemaker in my great grandmother's small town. The fellow had recently died and my grandmother was at a gathering with some town friends discussing the life of this fellow. After listening to all the negative talk about this fellow and his life, my great grandmother spoke up with her thoughts. She said, " You know, he was a good whistler." We need to look for the "good whistler" in everyone and everything.

Choosing Where To Put Down Our Roots

"Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious and it does not cease to bear fruit." (Jeremiah 17: 7-8) One would think that everyone knows when they make a choice in life that is bad. Our farmers know when and how to plant. Yet, our prisons are overflowing, society and politics corrupt, marriages and families are breaking apart. Why do we keep putting our roots down in the desert? We know there is no hope of bearing fruit in the desert soil, but we keep trying to control the uncontrollable. Our history is full of stories concerning bad choices; poor human planting places. We just can't trust in the Lord in all things. It's like playing the lottery with a one in a million chance when we decide to test the dry soil one more time. What is it about our minds that allows us to continue to repeat bad planting times and places? Jeremiah goes on to say in 17: 9-10. "The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse--who can understand it? I the Lord test the mind and search the heart, to give to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings."

Things To Think About

"For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace" Romans 6:14 +++ Sometimes it is helpful to keep asking ourselves the same questions over and over. It's so easy to let the world distract us from what we should be focusing on. When this happens we lose the opportunities for God's Grace. Questions: Do I have a sense of urgency about getting right with God? Do I think that there is always time to fix things and make me right? Do I feel that I can ultimately control things on my own? Do I think that God is such a great Father that He'll put up with me for awhile and give me some time to get it right? Do I think that I'm guaranteed life and will live a long time? Do I have a sense of accountability to God? Do I underestimate my worth to God in this life? Have I lost my Spiritual self-esteem? Do I act like this is my last day in this life? How much am I willing to gamble that I will live a long time and can put off seeking God in my life? If I choose to leave God out of my daily life, what am I missing? Is it better to trust God than to trust myself with my life? How do I get God more into my daily life? Is it as simple as surrendering to Him in all things; then waiting and watching for His leadership in my life through His Grace?

Gift Bashing

In this gift of life we see the negativity that captures us. We wonder why the love that we are capable of, doesn't get practiced as we ply this gracious life, both you and me. Our need to control this gift is sure; to this we cannot seem to die.

The self-centeredness we fight both day and night is a pattern, one that seems to be our plight and the consequences we do reap, that ultimately come to pass. The actions we so freely take, and leave so many lost in our wake, are always nasty in their toll.

This right we exercise is so precise; that we find it so easy to be cruel. Forgiveness and love are not to be found; for we are not looking for a way, to bless a brother or a sister in our lives. Instead we seek to find a point of disagreement; that we can make another pay a price.

We deliver pain without a thought about it. That we're a gift to each other we've forgot. The lessons are there, we've read and seen. If we'd only remember the things that we've been taught; our need for each other we must brightly see.

And in each other things will come to be. These things of life that keep us bound eternal, do bless us through the stumbling blocks of life. And then you can see the Christ in me and I in thee.

When Life is a Blur...............

I recently retrieved my digital camera from the cabinet where it is stored so I could assist a friend in getting a personal photo that was required for a position that she was applying for. It's a great camera that has performed well for several years. As I was putting it into use, I found that the display was blacking out and when I took a few pictures, they were very blurred and distorted. I ended up having to send the camera to the factory for replacement of a faulty part. Hopefully, in a few weeks I'll have my camera back and be able to take the wonderful pictures like it has captured in the past. As I viewed the blurred photos, it was fun to try and figure out just what those blurred images looked like in their distorted state. The first thought I had about one photo was "The 3 Wise Men Come To New York City". After coming up with a few more ideas about what those distortions had come to look like, I began relating this faulty camera blur situation to life.

As we live our lives in this world, we utilize all the wonderful senses that God has given us to negotiate our actions and observe the world around us. Every now and then our camera lens breaks down and our world starts to look different to us. This is when we are separated from God and become helpless to save ourselves. We rely on our own ability to control, but to no avail. Matthew Chapter 6, verses 22-23, helps us understand this separation from our Lord in saying, "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!" In seeking a constant relationship with God, we can guard against the "faulty lens" problem. Abandoning to God in all that we do, makes our pictures of life look great and allows us to be used to help others.