Artie Sposaro

Like most kids, my kids are ambivalent about their impending return to school. One day they are excited and chatty about it, the next whiny and disappointed. During my school years I loved the summer, but being the nerd that I was (still am), I also enjoyed going back to school. Of course, I didn’t enjoy everything about it. Back to school meant navigating JC Penny Outlet to purchase “husky” size pants and tennis shoes that had just gone out of style. Also, I didn’t look forward to the anxiety related to fitting in with others in a new grade level. Nonetheless, this was trumped by the anticipation of new discoveries; new teachers, new classes, and new knowledge.

Learning is crucial. It’s vital for success no matter how you define success. The most important thing we can become is a lifelong learner. So, it’s back to school, forever. This may mean reorienting our approach to life and may sound daunting. Don’t fret. It’s also energizing. A curious life equips us to live well in a world where information is doubling faster than ever and will continue to do so.

Fortunately, we all like to learn though we may not recognize it. Humans are learners. We adapt intentionally as well as instinctually. Learning brings joy. I don’t mean that the dreadful discovery of a serious illness brings us happiness. I mean learning something new from an interesting article, a class, a friend, a song, a coach, a teacher, a book, or a television show. Learning brings us pleasure, especially when we implement what we’ve learned and it improves our life or the lives of others.

For lifelong learners school is always in session and the subjects run the gamut. Despite our season of life there is plenty to learn. Ongoing learning makes us better parents, grandparents, spouses, siblings, friends, employees, employers, coworkers, students, professionals, and people.

Learners are open. They incessantly seek to understand or know something or someone better. They seek first to understand rather than be understood. Learners withhold judgment. They are inquisitive and compassionate. They want to know the story behind the person and the story behind the story. They desire to understand the inner workings of practically everything.

It’s easy to see how this learner lifestyle integrates with our faith. To patiently listen, understand, learn continually, and withhold judgment is the way of one who walks closely with God. Walking with God is an ongoing dynamic learning process. People of faith are meant to spend their lives learning (and doing) what it means to love God, others, and themselves with all they are and possess.

God desires to teach us throughout every season and circumstance of our life. Not long before his crucifixion, Jesus tells his followers that when he goes away the Father will send the Holy Spirit to remind them of him and teach them all things. I believe God uses virtually anything as a mouthpiece…God is God after all. We have the incredible benefit of continually learning from God.

God constantly invites us into new discoveries. Sure, some of these discoveries are painful at first, but as we move through them wholeness results. Ultimately, learning as a lifestyle leads us back around to joy.

So, embrace your inner nerd. As the kids head back to school let it remind us to do the same. Go back to school listening and looking for every divine learning opportunity that life offers, and teach others to do the same.

(This post was originally published in the Henry County Times, July 2010)

by MultiCurious

We are reminded this time of year about the freedoms we so easily take for granted, and the many men and women still standing in harm’s way for the purpose of securing a future of freedom for Americans and others. Just last week I traded emails with a chaplain friend of mine in Afghanistan whose battalion recently lost several soldiers. This is always sobering.

Freedom is not to be taken lightly. At its core, freedom provides the power to choose without undue internal or external restraint, persecution, oppression, or hindrance.
I believe faith brings freedom more fullness. But how and where do freedom and faith integrate? I’m sure if I asked around I would get numerous answers to this question. Freedom is embedded in our spiritual DNA. It is fundamental to faith. God means to set us free from our inherent waywardness and the wiles of any spiritual oppressor. This release creates the opportunity for us to make new and different choices.

New Testament writer Paul explains that our grace-given freedom is not to be abused by gratifying hedonistic appetites but to be used to serve one another in love. Related to faith and freedom, he also writes that everything is permissible but not all things are beneficial or edify. Our actions don’t happen in a vacuum.

Freedom gives divine expression when we live interdependently to the benefit and edification of our self and those around us. Authentic freedom exists somewhere between independence and dependence – interdependence. The prefix inter means between, among, together, mutually, or reciprocally. We may live as we please, but to experience the fullness of freedom we must live dependent upon God and in genuine community with others. We need God, others,and our independence.

Primarily, freedom looses its balance in two directions; independence and codependence. One is the way of destructive pride and the other of needy self-loathing.

The whole mishap with Adam and Eve in the Genesis garden was about independence. Essentially the serpent asks, “Do you want more freedom?” The forbidden tree would make them as free as God. To the contrary, it turned out to mean isolation, bondage, and their downfall.

The same goes for us. Total freedom is not total independence. If we go it alone eventually we fall. When we shut everyone out, including God, we imprison ourselves.

Freedom also falls when we have an unhealthy dependence upon God and others. When we view ourselves as utterly hopeless and incompetent we harbor misguided expectations. We become codependent. Addicted to others, we expect them to define us and make choices for us. However, when they do we often feel trapped, oppressed, controlled and victimized.

We are meant to lead our lives freely in the presence and guidance of God with the support of family and friends. No person is an island and a life addicted to others is not a life at all.

An interdependent freedom that serves others in love to their benefit and edification applies beyond an individual’s liberty. It relates to families, communities, states, and even nations. I believe this brand of freedom represents the essence of America. Sure, she does her fair share of selfish activity, but she has also extended herself for the benefit and development of others since her infancy.

When you celebrate July 4^th this year take time to thank God and others you depend upon, some of whom you will never know. Remember, freedom’s dependence makes you free.

(This article was published in The Henry County Times, June 30, 2010)

by Aziot @ deviantart

Along with roughly ten percent of all Americans, I have been looking for a job. Early on it’s easy to be optimistic. We often view it as an opportunity for bigger and better things despite it being a daunting task. We dig around and find some job opportunities that generate genuine excitement within us. We apply, apply and apply…then wait, wait, and wait. Time passes and for some reason or another those opportunities don’t pan out. It can be so disheartening.

We keep on keeping on a little worse for the wear. However, after another extended round or two of ‘apply and wait’ we may find ourselves on the brink of severe disappointment if not depression. We easily slide into a funk.

Beyond job searching, this cycle can happen with life in general. Whether we are dealing with difficult relationships at home or work, bad habits, addictions, general economic strife, persecution, severe illness, or loss. We spiral down to the point of questioning everything; our identity, value, abilities, intelligence, strength or lack there of, others…and God.

We lose heart.

The ‘heart’ I am referring to is the central organ of our soul. It serves as the seat for our deepest thoughts, desires, emotions, affections, intentions, etc. This complex mixture creates the unique you-ness that is you. Living from your heart means living from your authentic self. So, to lose heart is to lose one’s self, and that is tragic.

In the recent remake of Alice in Wonderland The Mad Hatter says something to Alice upon her entrance into Wonderland that suits this situation. He says, “You were much muchier last time I saw you, you’ve lost your muchness.” In the context of our heart, when we lose heart we lose our muchness, the weight of who we are. We no longer act as ourselves.

Maybe this is why the Bible says so much about our heart. The writers used the term ‘heart’ in some form over eight hundred times. Much of this heart talk has to do with guarding our heart from all sorts of trouble, including losing our heart. Summing it up, the Bible advises that we fight for our heart and the hearts of others.

So, how do we keep heart? – Hope.

We fight for our hearts with hope. Keeping heart means keeping hope. Simply defined, hope is confident expectation. Keeping heart means confidently expecting God’s presence when we sense our heart is slipping or is long gone. We hope to experience God in the midst of our heartache or heart attack. We hope to grasp a smidgen of redemptive purpose or catch a glimpse of eternal perspective. We hope for a refreshing shower in God’s grace…daily would be nice.

More practically, we hope for divine guidance in order to continually realign our priorities. Remember, wherever your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Maybe we have put our hope in something that simply cannot deliver. Misaligned priorities knock our heart out of rhythm.

Hope helps our heart regain its rhythm.

If hope is confident expectation, then what is it that we expect? …God?  Yes. More specifically we expect God’s love. We so badly need to know that we are loved despite the state of our lives or hearts. God’s perfect love drives away fear leaving us with real peace. Our ruthless trust in God’s love buoys our sinking hearts to peacefully roll with the waves no matter how high they become. Tenacious hope leads us into God’s love and restores our hearts.

Hang in there. Keep heart. The world needs your muchness.

The week before last the whole global economy and stranded air passengers groaned as time and millions, if not billions of dollars were lost.

And why?  - wind. Yes, wind.

Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano was branded the sole scapegoat while an invisible force caught little blame. Were it not for the wind the volcano could have blasted its ash high into the atmosphere for months without inconveniencing masses of humanity and the global economy. A powerful pointed current of wind pushed the volcano’s ash a thousand miles south smothering northern Europe. Had there been no wind or a northward gust nudging the ash into the arctic we would have seen a few news photos, pulled a tongue muscle while trying to pronounce the volcano’s name, and moved on with our lives.

Wind is powerful. It changes things. It certainly has in the past few weeks. Besides wind energy moving ash over a thousand miles, think about recent tornados, past hurricanes, the winds producing renewable energy everyday via giant windmills, or the daily gusts that direct the surface currents of the ocean. Wind energy moves us and practically everything else.

On the heels of the volcanic ash happenings I traveled to Bulgaria to teach a conference. The trip came very close to being cancelled. In fact, my flight from Paris, France to Sofia, Bulgaria was one of the first flights after service resumed. Ironically, the topic of this conference was wind energy. I spoke about being moved by wind energy in daily life…the wind energy that is God’s Spirit.

The word ‘spirit’ in original language of the New Testament Scriptures is pneuma [new-ma], meaning wind or breath. So, by wind energy I mean God-energy. The Spirit is the personal breath of God. Jesus promised his friends that he would send them a Spirit to comfort, counsel, guide, teach, and empower them. This wind of God moves us internally and externally providing what we need when we need it to carry out one central mission – love. This wind energy means to empower in us a deeper genuine love for God, others, and self.

Like the ash-blowing wind, God’s wind is often unexpected, powerful, and enduring. It serves various purposes in our daily lives. God-wind at our backs moves us forward even when we don’t want to move or think it’s impossible to do so. Other times when we are stuck, God provides a forceful back-wind to free us forward.

Crosswinds redirect us. These side winds provide us with a needed push and/or guidance to change course. They can catch us off guard, causing us to stumble before regaining our composure and balance. Oftentimes we need this kind of jolt to convince us to change our direction.

Wind in our face may serve several purposes. First, it may be the resistance we need to grow. In this case, pushing through a headwind produces character. Second, a gentle breeze on our face serves as a refreshing reminder of God’s loving presence. Finally, a strong wind in our face may serve to turn us around. Once we turn 180 degrees, the same wind provides the energy that is essential for moving forward.

Paul, one of the primary writers of the New Testament, encourages us to fully surrender to God’s wind energy when he writes, “since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives (Galatians 5:25, NLT).” Embrace and enjoy the opportunity to be moved by God’s wind energy in every part of your life.

(This article was originally published in April 2010 in the Henry County Times)

Nothing is more powerful and beautiful than resurrection. Life after death in any form captivates us, and rightly so. Jesus’ resurrection, celebrated this past Sunday, serves as the centerpiece and crux of Christianity. Jesus’ resurrection brought with it the promise of new life and a new way of life with God. Without it Christianity would be lifeless at best or worse, non-existent. Resurrection means new life, and we all need new life.

At some level, we all long for ‘Jesus-like’ life-giving resurrection.  We hope for vibrant life, peace, and freedom. We need second, third, and fourth chances. We desire that the broken down things in our lives be restored. Resurrection makes way for all of this and more.

But there is a serious bother with resurrection – death. Death always precedes resurrection. It’s death that leads to new life…what a bothersome paradox. Death stinks, literally and figuratively. Nobody likes to face it or even think about it. We certainly don’t invite it or hope for it. But unfortunately, there is no resurrection life without it.

Any lasting impact or bearing of fruit in our lives begins with the bother of death. If we want change, our lives to be meaningful, or our influence to go beyond ourselves, then death is essential. In leading the way Jesus said, “unless a kernel of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies it bears much fruit.” Total selfless surrender leads to life.

What exactly needs to be put to death? – in short, everything that’s run amuck within us. For the sake of brevity and practicality, two things in particular need to be surrendered; synthetic life and festering wounds. Searching ourselves regarding a couple related questions will move us along the road to resurrection. First, how have we manufactured life for ourselves? Selfishly, apart from God we may have created a false self and lifestyle to go with it…and even built walls and a moat to protect it. We need to bury this counterfeit life altogether.

Second, do we have festering wounds? Deep-seated wounds like abuse, neglect, shame and reactions to them like addiction, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, fear, withdrawal, and overindulgence eat away at our quality of life. These infections must be rooted out, cleaned, and healed for us to experience a life to the fullest. Easier said than done.

Putting something to death in our lives means letting it go completely, whatever it is. We surrender and admit our brokenness, our inability to ‘get it right.’ As we let go, God’s grace empowers our willful demise. Our surrender and brokenness sets us free to rise up and walk toward something new – resurrection. With new legs we amble into new life.

Make no mistake, death hurts. We avoid it for good reason. Truly letting go of a way of being or doing is nothing short of death. However, death can’t match the power and beauty of life-giving resurrection. Once experiencing new life we see that we what were experiencing before it was little more than death we called life.

So, don’t let the bother of death get you down. God is always perfectly present in our death(s) and resurrection(s). Remember Lazarus? He was so dead when Jesus showed up that he reeked! Come to find out, Jesus intentionally hesitated so that God’s resurrection power and beauty would be evident in the new life of Lazarus. The same goes for us.

God is in the resurrection business. Like Lazarus, your situation may reek. But resurrection is coming with its power and beauty. Count on it.

(This article was originally published in April 2010 in the Henry County Times)

by rockmyworld2, deviantart

Recently at a dinner party I had a long conversation with someone who, until that conversation, was merely an acquaintance. During our conversation he genuinely shared about his life, where he had been and where he sees himself going. I reciprocated. By the end of the evening I had a new friend.

At some level we all crave authentic story. Our addiction to true stories not only fuels a desire for authentic conversation but for ‘reality’ television, based on a true story movies or novels, documentaries, biographies, etc.

Authentic conversations no only feel great; they are an integral part of being a healthy human. In these conversations there is no posturing, hiding, posing, or one-upping. When we tell it real we share the unvarnished version of our current reality; the good, the bad, and the ugly and someone else reciprocates. Just to be clear, telling it real does not mean we tell someone off, give them a piece of our mind, act rudely, inconsiderate, or slanderous. It’s means we talk reflectively, honestly, and with humble vulnerability.

During intense authentic conversations we offer and receive constructive insights that lead to real change. We say and hear things like, “you’re so gifted, don’t give up, I’m so glad I know you, you have really helped me, you’re really doing well keep it up, I’m a better person because of you, I’m standing with you no matter what, you inspire me, I love you…or you have to stop this destructive behavior, give up on that, that relationship is unhealthy, it’s time to forgive them, apply yourself, you are hurting others, you’re bitter, you are pushing me away.”

Sharing in this way leads to real connection, and we all long for real connection. Real connection is powerful because it goes beyond mutual respect, freely sharing, or simply being heard. We experience solidarity and acceptance. Unity and acceptance are powerful forces. We’re without a good reason to obnoxiously prove our adequacy and defend our particular positions, beliefs, or politics when we are assured of our acceptance and know that someone stands with us.

Authentic conversation serves as a safe place for us to face reality and deal with it rather than deny it or gloss it over. This brand of dialogue has the power to better define differences while drawing people together. We hear another’s perspective, offer ours, and entertain change. Solidarity and acceptance breed honesty and transformation not only in one-on-one conversations but also in groups. They lay and maintain the groundwork for healthy relationships.

Ultimately, solidarity and acceptance begin with God. God offers us both unconditionally. Telling it real can becomes a way of life when we accept these gifts. All to often in our life and conversations with God we hide or pose. If we deem ourselves alone and inadequate why would we tell it real? How could we? It’s rational for us to cover up, exaggerate, posture, and fabricate. Our charade is equivalent to sporting the latest version Adam and Eve’s fig leaves.

We must accept that God stands with us and accepts us as we are and will be, whatever happens. Accepting God’s solidarity and acceptance sets us free to honestly face God, others, and ourselves. Ironically, this unconditional acceptance inspires real and lasting transformation. We gain the courage face our darkness and the darkness in others and deal with it graciously. We no longer have reason to hide, posture, pose, or one-up. We can tell it real without hesitation. Living this way makes us contagious to those seeking authenticity and repulsive to the pretenders. I can live with that.

(This article was published in March in the Henry County Times)

Well it’s February, how are those resolutions going?

Some of us have pushed through the thirty-day barrier for lifestyle change. We may have finally broken through to the other side regarding some nagging habits in our lives. To the contrary, most of us saw our resolutions fade out in January like TV shows on NBC. We’ll check back with you successful resolution-keepers in another month. Not to be entirely pessimistic, but the odds are not in your favor.

So, you can tell I am not a big fan of New Year’s resolutions. I wholeheartedly believe in transformation toward healthy living in all facets of our lives. I do believe it’s possible, even worthy of our undivided attention.  I’ve spent much of my life helping people do just that – change.

Sadly, New Year’s resolutions often operate in a dangerous paradigm. They are ritualistic; make a vow/define a goal, follow the rules, and try really hard…harder than last time. Inherently, resolutions, like rituals don’t allow much grace, flexibility, improvisation, or forgiveness. Typically their rigidity doesn’t account for the human element – us. We don’t live well under vows like, “No longer will I eat chocolate past 7pm, ever…until I die.” Or, “I will go to the gym every day at 5:45AM…even on Christmas Day.” Or, “No more waffle fries, I’m going cold turkey.” This resolution-ary ritualistic approach sets us up for failure. A ritualistic grunt-it-out approach leads to an endless cycle of stress, guilt, and shame without lasting change.

Our passionate desire for change is commendable, necessary, even God-given. It’s our approach that needs adjustment. Resolutions lack rhythm and grace. Real change requires graceful rhythm. Grace is a loaded word that would take volumes to unpack. In its simplest form in the context of daily life change, grace is divine empowerment. It’s inner strength beyond any will power we can muster. It is the ‘Christ in us’ of Christianity at work.

Officially, rhythm is a repeating pattern of   beats, accents, themes, etc. Think of music, waves, movies, design, etc. You’ve heard a lyric-less elevator song that sounded familiar. After a moment you recognize the song. This is Elvis….as elevator music! (Sorry it’s come to this Elvis). You recognized the rhythm of the song, it’s repeating pattern of notes or tones.

The manner in which this repeating occurs is often left to who or what creates and sustains the rhythm. Rhythm can be easily adjusted, twisted, stripped down or made full. It can be slowed down or sped up. We can mix it with other rhythms creating poly-rhythms or cross-rhythms. Also, rhythm allows for personal improvisation like we hear in jazz music. Rhythm and grace make great partners. Most of us sorely need more rhythm and grace in our lives.

If we really want change, lasting change, we have to approach life with rhythmic grace rather than ritualistic grunting. This means we trade our resolutions for grace-filled rhythms by determining and establishing healthy rhythms then trusting God in and through us to sustain them. We find our groove and dive into it each day. We give ourselves fully to our “new” rhythms but remain flexible, handling ourselves with care.

This approach calls for us to ruthlessly accept and forgive ourselves regularly in order to break the cycle of guilt, shame, and failure. We will surely miss a beat now and again. Our healthy rhythms don’t end when we lose the beat or completely drop out of tune. We can always re-attune in a single moment by stopping, taking a deep breath, remembering our rhythm, and reentering it. Over the long haul, regularly consider your rhythms, make needed adjustments, and move to your groove. And your beat goes on.

Piper’s message brought up another heavy question in me that he didn’t address – he didn’t have time. What about suffering (oppression, injustice, and hate therein) related to glory, worship, and joy? It is the age-old question…Why does our glory-loving, joy-spewing redemptive God allow such intense suffering throughout the globe…throughout history? How could this be a part of glory, worship, and joy? Many of us have wrestled for a long time with this. I certainly don’t have any cut and dried answers, so I’ll pitch at you the best I’ve got.

by Vladm

I know that my friends who have suffered much are the most genuine people I know. Any posing was shattered by suffering. Nonsensical materialism, politics, dogmas, etc. are gone with the wind. They recognize life is too short to play games. Many of them have truly experienced God in the midst of their deepest darkest pain. Brokenness brought them to surrender. Despite, or because of intense grappling with God, they’ve made peace with God. They don’t take God or joy for granted.

This whole idea speaks to the mystery of God… Put bluntly, God’s glory “strategy” is beyond our capacity to grasp. I am convinced that really understanding how suffering nestles into God’s glory, our worship, and joy is an eternal matter. We’ve got to get past our obsessive need to determine what glorifies God and what does not – what is “good” and what is not. Even from our minuscule perspective we’ve seen suffering turn to glory and joy in a month, a year, five, or ten years.  Our inability to get our heads or hearts around God’s glory doesn’t mean check out and stop asking why, stop fighting injustice or oppression, or stop wrestling in general. It means we accept suffering as a part of the human condition…and fight like mad to trust and worship God despite it. We look for God and God’s glory in the midst of the suffering we see or experience…and stay open for an absurd outcome – joy.

Surrender is essential. In a very real sense, surrender is worship, Surrender is letting go of our human-centered God-centeredness and entering God-centered God-centeredness. We release the illusion of control and put down the (ink-less) pen we’ve been using to write our own story. In doing so, we make room for God-given joy.

We are all part of God’s grand narrative. Our human lives are but a short meaningful paragraph in the story. I can know that no matter what I see, hear, or suffer, it all mysteriously envelops into God’s glory now and forever. Real joy doesn’t come from us being a big somebody who doesn’t suffer; it comes from worshiping God (whose glory hinged upon his suffering and death) despite what we suffer.

I just heard John Piper speak here in Atlanta. It’s was such good stuff that it’s worth me attempting to regurgitate his main point(s) with a little of my own commentary. He addressed a question that I have personally wrestled with for a long time, “Is God an Egomaniac?” Seriously, think about it…What kind of gall does it take to demand that we love God/Jesus more than parents, spouse, kids, etc? God wants constant worship, all the glory to himself. How could a perfect God with perfect character need constant praise? This sounds like a codependent whiner. Piper noted that this question long hindered C.S. Lewis from embracing the Christian faith…and today hinders plenty of people.

Piper exposed false God-centeredness. We embrace God-centeredness as long as God uses our God-centeredness to make us a somebody. Are we are truly happy with the fact that God is all about getting glory for himself? Are we motivated to bring glory to God even if God were to not make us celebrated among our fellow humans?

Piper explained that God is passionate about God’s glory – in the beginning, in the middle, and to the end. Mysteriously, when God glorifies himself and we join in, we are full of joy. Our joy cannot be separated from God’s glory. The foundation of our salvation is God bringing glory to himself through unspeakable sacrifice. We were forgiven for His Name’s sake – God’s glory. Instead of egomania it’s divine altruism. So, we have a reason to be giddy about God passionately glorifying himself.

It’s is not about us…that’s the beauty. We are able to rest in the power of a God who glorifies himself. We are part something much much bigger. Anytime we truly catch a glimpse of God, God’s greatness, bigness, grace, and indescribable beauty…we see God’s glory and it is only natural for us to worship God. In doing so, we experience joy, real joy. In those moments we (almost) grasp the mystery of our total acceptance. We come full circle – we start out blind, blurred at best wrestling to make our life work (for God), then we catch a glance of this graceful God. Even this glimpse melts our heart bringing us to worship. God is glorified and we are full of joy.

I experienced this very thing just before Piper spoke. The David Crowder band played. They were spot on and literally thousands of people were singing in unison. I was really moved sensing God’s bigness, love, and unbelievable grace. It was so natural to worship God. I wanted to worship God more than anything (and not stop to hear John Piper). No doubt, a deep sense of joy filled my soul.

timing

by SmotheredColours

when will potential become inertia?

marathon anticipation needs a finish line

waiting for the Wind

my faith does well to bear such purgatory

days hurry by when you’re not sure what you want to do with your life…

feeling far from it

pondering  leads to spinning wheels and a muddier soul

fearing the next leg of the journey will be toward nothing, but another leg

Christ, my contentment,

carry me on.