Sex and Lies

Laura Sessions Stepp, author of Unhooked, examines how teenage girls and young adult collegiate women pursue sex and delay love. She concludes that girls are the losers in this game. She does not soften the vocabulary, that's often raw and blunt, as she records girls and young women detailing their experience where "hooking up" ranges from just kissing to intercourse and everything in between.


Let me first say what every girl should know. Guys will gladly allow them to take charge in this chess match. To lead. Make the first move. Set the pace. And every other cliche, as long as they get what they want... sex. Why inform her she's been bamboozled? Can we be honest? This a great gig for guys. 

Hooking Up was a paradigm every girl, who was interviewed for the book, had believed they had created to engage in a sexual chess match. Their goal was to usurp the power from guys. They were now the pursuer, not the guy. The irony in that is every female eventually confessed that the casual sex, that defined their new aggressive culture, wasn't fulfilling, emotionally or physically. 

Why continue?  One, they truly believe they're too busy to invest in a serious long term relationship and their circle of girlfriends had replaced the deep intimate supportive relationship with the opposite sex. Two, peer pressure from those friends is a huge factor, if not the primary force, why they engaged in giving away what should be highly valued and precious.    

Most of the girls believed The Lie that they were in control and pulled the strings, when in reality, they removed the one part of the game guys hated. Hated. Loathed...which was the approach. Guys are willing to do almost anything to avoid approaching a girl, much less risk being rejected by a girl. Guys would rather not wade into that territory.  

The most vulnerable moment for a guy is right after he asks a girl out. All of that control has been surrendered to her. There is no escaping it, there aren't any loopholes, or fine print. Few things are worse than being rejected by a girl... a girl he likes. A girl that makes him look twice and get nervous. A girl that he's wanted to know, but was too afraid to approach. It's that girl he actually wants to impress and  a "no" from her can be a crushing, life changing event. 

Guys are happy, even giddy, to stand against the wall, watch the competition unfold between girls for their attention. The reality is girls haven’t gained anything, power or otherwise, when they now pursue guys with the expectation of sex set in advance.

Here is a tip, guys aren't picky. They will have sex with just about anyone. If he's not her first choice, so what? Not even her second, third, fourth... if I may, so what? Big deal. The outcome is all that matters. If the girl feels better because, she believes she's choosing the guy to sleep with and that's different than allowing just any guy to sleep with her, so be it. 

The outcome is the same (SEX). The guy's night ends as he wanted (HAVING SEX). He's happy and satisfied (GOT SEX). Again, let me stress, the best part (SEX), the sweet spot (SEX), the fruit (SEX) with no labor happened without the worst part, fear of rejection, and being removed from the game. He gets the same reward, without the risk.

In fact, in this culture, the girl assumes all of the risk. The risk of pregnancy, disease, sexual assault, and the emotional toll it levies. Guilt. Regret. Shame. Low self esteem.  Destructive behavior. Poor academic performance. The list goes on. Girls from the book confessed to being treated for STDs, being a victim of a sexual assault, and some were raped. Scars were left. Baggage now exists for the spouse to be named later to sift through and deal with.  

Most young women would love to have a guy be so interested in them, to "like them enough" to ask them out. Have dinner. See a movie. Anything other than "Netflix and chill" with an alcohol induced romp kicker to close out the night.  

What happens when men finally come of age and exert their natural instinct to be the pursuer? To be the aggressor? How does the girl respond? The expectations of a generation of possible mates has been established... wait and she'll come to me.

Females have grossly misjudged the male persona. They have ingrained in men that girls do not expect any kind of real commitment, and need very little effort, if any at all. 

Casual sex. 
Friends with benefits. 
No strings attached.

If a woman declines, fine... he will simply lean against the wall and wait for the next one, because he's learned a yes is easy to get.

What about the young women who, against peer pressure and societal expectations, demand respect, hold fast, wait, do not compromise for any reason, for any boy? They who believe what God says is good? Who trusts God's Word and believe she is worth waiting for?  Certainly not in movies or TV.

But, make no mistake, those girls win in love. Those girls will be blessed with a perfect guy who will be willing to pursue her, to commit to her, adore and cherish her, dote on her, love her, respect her, and encourage her to be her true self. It is that girl who will be blessed with the husband of her dreams. He will be the father of her children. He will be a man who will honor the privilege God bestowed upon him as the head of their household. He will lead. He will protect. He will provide. 

And, the sex will be what God intended.  What God designed. Intimate. Passionate. Physically and emotional fulfilling. All encompassing. Her cup will overflow. 

That's what should be celebrated. That's what should be written about, but isn't. 

That is, until now.

Duck Dynasty, GLAAD, WestBoro Baptist Church

GLAAD Releases “Most Unwanted” List Of Homophobic Talking Heads

GLAAD: Time to scrutinize anti-gay pundits' media appearances

GLAAD Launches Project to Warn TV Producers About Extremist Guests

Homophobic, Anti-Gay, Extremist...  are GLAAD labels for those organizations and people who oppose gay marriage and/or quote God's Word on homosexuality.

The irony in all of this... it seems GLAAD, A&E, Cracker Barrel, MSM, and the Westboro Baptist folks all agree that "GOD hates fags".

God does not hate homosexuals... He hates SIN and homosexuality, per God's Word, is SIN. God has clearly stated that He doesn't hate the sinner.

Idols

Idols make us feel important [and thus] can consume us. Idols make us feel, as long as we worship them, that we stand above the crowd. Idols promise us the ability to rise above ourselves. [They] give us a larger identity, allowing us to define ourselves through the group. Idols tell us nothing else matters except ourselves and the idol. 

Sacrifice gives us life. Sacrifice for others gives life and makes community possible; it frees us from idols. We must accept such sacrifice is hard and lonely. Only the small mundane acts of kindness for neighbors and friends and family [have the power] to save us. Mothers and fathers, who have put their careers on hold, know this power, however hard it is to lose the identity and status that come with work. Those who stop to care for the sick or disabled know this.

There is no shortage of lives ruined by idols. Sacrifice for idols leaves us hollow and empty. And if we do not let go, idols lead to a life so devoid of meaning that only slavish devotion to the idol keeps us from facing the emptiness. Those who spend their final years waiting forlornly for a call from children they never bothered to know because they were busy building careers, must peer into the empty face of the idol they worshiped. Idols, when they finish with us, discard us.

from Losing Moses on The Freeway

Who Do Christians Really Worship?

This post is about words and the authority people give to words. Words like the N-word and the F-word. Words like retard and mongoloid. Fat. Ugly. Stupid. Words used to purposely demean and insult and devalue people. And yet, too many people allow these negative, unloving words define them.

This post has been in the making for a while. God knocked. I finally answered. This topic and I have been constant companions, amigos, partners ever since. So, with much reservation and hesitation, here goes nothing or it could end up being something, either way, you might want to hold your nose.

When I write the "F-word", do you mentally say the word? Does the letter "F" and a hyphen transform an offensive cuss word into a more palatable, less offensive word? Does the word magically become socially acceptable? Does the definition change? What about its derivatives such as: freakin', friggin', fen, and so on? Better than the original or just as offensive?  

Does using the letter 'N' and a hyphen seem less racist. less rude and offensive than the word it represents? Is saying or writing 'the N-word' really kinder and gentler? The thought is the same, isn't it? Regardless of the form used, the thought still communicates the same derogatory, injurious insult. Any illusion the hyphen changes everything is just that, an illusion. Or am I mistaken? How many readers, who just read those hyphenated words mentally said the words? 

The current definition for 'the N-word' from Dictionary.com:
1. a black person
2. a member of any dark skinned people
3. person of race regarded as contemptible, inferior, ignorant.
4. a victim of prejudice as suffered by blacks.

How did a word derived from the Latin "negar" and originally used to describe the color black come to describe and define an entire race and its culture. One word. Millions of people. When did that happen? Who let that happen? Who has the authority to give it so much power? Things that make me go hmmm.  

I have a daughter with Down Syndrome. The school system recently reclassified her from MR (mentally retarded) to CD (cognitively delayed) and yet her IQ is 58. For generations, people like her were labeled "mongoloid" which became "mentally retarded". All of those words communicate she will never be of "normal and average" intelligence. Is "retard" easier to digest than "stupid"? What about "cognitively delayed" vs "monogloid"?. Is one kinder and gentler?

The thing is, anyone can call my daughter "a retard" to which she'll ignore them because that word has no power to define her and has no influence in how she views herself. That word is a paper tiger in her world... powerless. She will tell anyone who will take the time and listen to her that she is "cute, curious, funny, a good hopper, a good juggler, a good speller, a great colorer, a baker, a good 'karate-girl'... I could write ten thousand words how she defines herself - in the most positive of ways using the most positive words.

If a teenage boy insults a young, smart, funny, kind, generous, beautiful teenage girl, why would she allow those words, his words, to define her, especially when she isn't? Why does she take ownership of those words?

The TRUTH: all derogatory words, words that hurt, injure, debase, belittle, and devalue others are lies. They are LIES proffered by the father of lies. Knowing the Truth exposes the lies. If Christians know the Truth, then why do we tend to believe the lie rather than the Truth? 

Satan's lies are powerful only because we believe them. Satan tells horrible debilitating lies to people about themselves. If you let him, Satan will define you, first and foremost, as unworthy of God's love. He says you aren't loved because you are unlovable. He whispers, "God hates you because you stray from Him and stumble and sin. God hates sinners and liars and you are a sinner and a liar." He will even highlight where God says so in the Bible. He will rinse and repeat.  

How many people claim Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior? How many Christians tithe when they sit and listen on Sundays? Attend Bible study. Volunteer. Believe God's Word to be inerrant. And yet, do they really believe God loves them AND forgives them AND hears their prayers? Do they really believe God has good plans for them, plans to give them a future and a hope?

Despite having God's Word and the Truth at their disposal, Christians let the lies live and breathe. They permit the lies to define them despite the Holy Spirit interpreting and intervening on their behalf. The lies live and breathe and grow because Christians feed them. They water them. They nurture them.

Dare I say they love them?

How else do lies dominate the Truth? God tells those who reads His Word they are worthy because He says so. They are worthy of His mercy and forgiveness and love. God says He loves them and will answer their prayers. He will come down to be with them in their time of trouble. He says He will never forsake them. He says He knows them, knows their every thought, knows every hair on their head, and it was Him who knit our bones together while we were in the womb. He has given them a special name only known by Him.

And yet, despite God's Word, the lies grow in strength and number. Why are the bad things easier to believe than the good things? Why do so many choose to believe what Satan says? Is it because so many people, including those who call Jesus Christ their Savior, worship Satan and his lies over God's Word? They must or why would the lies, told by the father of lies, define them and not the Truth. Am I wrong?

Have a good and godly evening. 

Boston

I thought I would respond to a question I received about the Boston tragedy, bombing, evil act, terrorism, or you can use another description you think best represents what occurred... 
 

The question was about Islam versus Christian terrorists. This is not a post condemning Islam or Muslims. I do not have sufficient knowledge to comment on their faith. However, I do believe, I can comment coherently about Jesus Christ.

I'll offer that people who rape, rob, pillage, plunder, and kill in the name of Jesus Christ are misguided in their belief. Christians make mistakes, sometimes horrible mistakes in the name of Jesus Christ. I have yet to hear Christian leadership advocate or condone evil acts. If an evil act or terror was committed in the name of Jesus Christ, especially today, I speculate Christian leaders would defend Jesus Christ (not that Jesus needs defending) by publicly condemning said evil acts.   

When Christ followers struggle and fail to follow His commands, our feebleness and humanity does not endanger our salvation. Christians act selfishly far too often than they sacrifice. Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters." However, it seems Christians spend a great deal of energy trying to prove Jesus wrong that we can indeed have both "the things of God" and "the things of this world". And yet, Jesus pursues you because He loves you. He pursues you because He knows you. Jesus pursues you because He is serious about you. He died for you.

Jesus does not advocate violence as witnessed when He healed the ear Peter cut off or when He begged for our Father to forgive those who crucified Him. Jesus commands His followers to forgive their enemies. To pray for their enemies. To love those who hate them.

From Romans 12:14-21...

Bless those who persecute you. Don't curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don't be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all. Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. Instead, "If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads. Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Humility precedes the acceptance of Jesus Christ as your Savior. Pride keeps you from the love, mercy, forgiveness, and salvation Jesus Christ offers. You are saved by faith, by believing in your heart that Jesus Christ died a criminal's death, was raised from the dead, ascended to the right hand of God, and will come again to judge the world bringing a new Heaven and new earth.

I acknowledge, as a Christ follower, that my words and my behavior do not always honor and glorify Jesus Christ as my Savior. Have a good and godly day. 

Pro Life is Pro Life... well sometimes

A quick thought... abortion.  Why is this issue become political noise?  Abortion is at best, a side dish, the fruit cup of a meal, for this election or any election.  Only during the election cycle is abortion a national topic for discussion.  Why is that?  I don’t know but I'm fascinated how easily abortion is leveraged, from a cornucopia of other topics, to evoke an emotional response from voters.  Are Christian and Pro Life supporters so easily deceived to chose a candidate based on this one issue?

I am curious what God thinks about Christians who oppose abortion but condone military drone strikes targeting terrorist.  The reason I ask is a Stanford-NYU study shows how many innocent civilians… men, women, and children are killed by US drone strikes.  Is there a difference between the two methods used to end a life?  Is one more honorable than the other. 

I am curious why Mitt Romney, who says Jesus Christ is his Lord and Savior, supports drone strikes and plans to continue the US policy if elected president.  How does one reconcile the two? 

How does a Christian vote for POTUS when the Mormon candidate thinks life is precious depending on the method of murder?  As for President Obama, how does a Christian vote for a candidate that clearly does not value life while in the womb?

Consume

James 4:3 has opened my eyes a little wider. My world is a little more sharp... more detailed. Due to enduring the sexual harassment complaint my wife filed, I have no patience for dishonesty and lies. I especially have zero tolerance when I lie to myself about myself.

James 4:3 is the secret to prospering under God’s authority. My opinion is that all unanswered prayers (and thus life's pursuits) are rooted in sin... pride and pleasure are two of the biggest sins we cloak as God’s Will. We cloak such pursuits to protect ourselves, to convince ourselves that what we do IS FOR GOD and IS TO GLORIFY GOD when what we do is pursue personal ambition and individual glory.

One truth I know about God… God will not reward His followers for sinful behavior. God will not reward and bless people for taking the wrong path. God will not reward deeds done out of selfish ambition, especially selfish ambition cloaked in His name.

James 4:3 says we don't receive (answered prayers) because we want to consume what we get upon out lust... waste God's blessings only on what brings us pleasure.  Pleasure fades, pleasure is temporary, pleasure doesn't stick around. James 4:3 refers to our need to consume... consume to fill the emptiness... leaving nothing behind of value.

Pleasure takes many forms. It's difficult to know if a pursuit is rooted in selfish ambition and pride for the sole purpose of pleasure. It was difficult, at least for me.

Device of Satan

The 7 things God hates:

1. Haughty eyes.
2. A lying tongue.
3. Hands that kill the innocent blood.
4. A heart that plots evil (wicked schemes).
5. Feet that are quick to rush into evil.
6. A false witness who pours out lies.
7. A person who sows discord in a family.

Most Americans believe an American citizen has the duty to exercise their right to vote. The obligation to cast a ballot is so revered that not doing so is simply unpatriotic. If fact, some suggest, one forfeits their right to engage in any form of dissension against the current political structure if one does not vote.

Should obedient, loving, forgiving Christ followers participate in a corrupt pagan political system?

Do Christians give their tacit approval of an ungodly process when they actively support political candidates?

Luke 20:24-25 and Romans 13:1-7 are cited to explain how God expects us to obey our government officials. Does God ask His followers - His children - to following laws regardless of what those laws ask of us? No, especially if we are expected to partake in an ungodly activity or belong to a group that exhibits traits that aren't of God. He says to pay taxes and honor government officials, for they are His servants.

Taxes are mandatory and criminally punishable if they are not. In the same manner, God says disobedience toward government officials is disobedience toward God. But, a distinct difference exists between engaging in an illegal activity and abstaining from ungodly activity and sin. Voting is an individual choice. A failure to vote is neither illegal nor disobedient to government officials. Choosing not to vote does in no way dishonor God.

The current political system encourages and rewards dishonesty, greed, selfish ambition, deceitfulness, and other ungodly characteristics. It’s a system that serves and worships mammon. The last presidential campaign spent $2.5 billion on two men... men who have proven they will compromise their integrity for a fleeting chance to be the President (6 billion total spent on all candidates).

How many Christ followers would support a charity that exhibited the same values? Would they volunteer for an organization that exhibited the same behavior? What Bible believing Christian would condone lying from a school teacher, an athletic coach, or your spouse? How many Christian households would allow their children to make promises and then repeatedly break those promises?

Does it signal that we, as a Christian community, aid and abet Satan, the father of lies? It is Lucifer who bamboozled one third of the angels to reject God and join his team. If angels, in the presence of God their creator, can be led astray, then how much more easily is man led astray?

We, as a Christian community, need to have the integrity to recognize and define ungodly behavior as such instead of rationalizing with common clichés:

• We have to choose the lesser of two evils.
• Make lemonade.    
• I don’t vote – I don't have a right to voice my opinion.
• Every vote counts.
• We get the government we deserve if we don't participate.

Don't be fooled, alternatives exist. Ungodly behavior, in any form, dishonors God.

Condone Corruption?

How do Christ Followers participate in a corrupt political system?  Should we participate?  This year, the cost of both presidential campaigns will surpass $2 billion.  That's $2 billion to create and market a presidential candidate as something palatable.   

Per Chris Hedges...

Obama is not in charge. Romney would not be in charge. Politicians are the public face of corporate power. They are corporate employees. Their personal narratives, their promises, their rhetoric and their idiosyncrasies are meaningless. And that, perhaps, is why the cost of the two presidential campaigns is estimated to reach an obscene $2.5 billion. The corporate state does not produce a product that is different. It produces brands that are different. And brands cost a lot of money to sell.

You can dismiss those of us who will in protest vote for a third-party candidate and invest our time and energy in acts of civil disobedience. You can pride yourself on being practical. You can swallow the false argument of the lesser of two evils. But ask yourself, once this nightmare starts kicking in, who the real sucker is.

LINK

Satan's Lie

Retirement has to be a 401k or some other tax deferred account invested in mutual funds or bonds. I'm 42 and no longer have a 401k (cashed out, paid penalty, well worth it). 

The 401k or taxed deferred retirement benefits the financial industry and no one else, or at least that is how I see it.  Why do people save money their whole life only to die with hundreds of thousands of dollars to their name... now the account owner does not get to witness the joy that money brings from helping people, the joy of making a difference or changing a life. 

My kids are now my 401k. I tell them they are my retirement. My wife and I invest heavily in our children. Always have. We teach them to think. To listen. To observe. Ask questions. To form an educated opinion. We teach them to take risks. To lead an interesting life choosing the experience because money follows experience. Chasing money leads to a boring life. We teach them to lead an interesting life.

My community is my 401k. We teach our kids to value their community. To invest in their community. We teach them our family is their most important community. We teach them to give to their community because when disaster strikes, it will be your local community who will come to help, not your government officials.

God or Mammon 2

Mark Twain said, "If voting made any difference, they wouldn't let us do it."

Our 16yr old daughter, who has recently decided she doesn’t like the name Piper, which is fine because it's not her real name, asked if she could vote for me this November.  This arrangement took shape after she asked who I wanted to be POTUS. I explained I wished there was a viable alternative to the two candidates. As the campaigns have rolled along, I have decided to opt out for many reasons, but greed is the biggest. The money spent [on campaigns] is obscene and reeks of Satan's influence and corruption. 

So, she will drive us to our polling place, we will walk in together, I will surrender my John Hancock, flash my DL with my ridiculously handsome mug shot. She will enter the booth, alone, and she has permission to do her thing, thumbs up, thumbs down, go to town, have a ball, and knock herself out.  I realize the hypocrisy of opting out but allowing, and even condoning, my daughter's  participation in a process I just described as corrupt and influenced by Satan.  I'll have to revisit that one at a later date.  

She's excited to vote Josh Mandel (R) for OH Senate and I believe she will cast a vote for President Obama. A Republican and a Democrat... she may be on to something. Shifting the paradigm? It is refreshing she hasn't been tainted by the Red vs Blue rhetoric. At this young age, political party seems to be a non-factor.

For starters, $14 million has been collectively spent by both candidates for the Ohio Senate seat. Another $11 million is at the ready. Both candidates will likely spend $25 million, minimum, in an attempt to win one senate seat. What, if any, value did that bring to the our community? $25 million. POOF. Gone.   

President Obama and Mitt Romney respond, “$25 million won’t buy you $24 million.”  Our 2012 presidential candidates spent $2.0 billion.  $336 million gone.  A whole bunch more will be consumed like straw and hay.

But, the 2008 presidential campaigns laugh at 2012. Not one of those regular, everyday laughs, but one of those doubled over on the floor, stomach knotted, choking, tears running down a beet red face, I think I might die laughs that take ten minutes for your breath to return.  

In Little League, it's called the 10 Run Mercy Rule. 2008 spending of scissored kicked 2012 in the back of the head. According to the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics, a record $2.4 billion was been spent during the 2008 presidential election. 

She, our daughter, hasn't realized politics is about money, not ideas.  It's about money, not people.  That money has strings.  Long leashes.  A long standing quid pro quo contract.  An eye for an eye.  Dare I say compensation for a future favor?  It's God or mammon, at least from my perspective, because Satan controls the world's systems and the political system might be his most powerful.

As for midterm elections, I have our son, who will be 14 then, possibly vote or our middle child, our daughter who happens to have Down Syndrome, who will be 17.   Plenty of time to decide.   

The Big Swindle

I enjoy good writing. Good writing should linger with the reader. Today, James Altucher wrote something that has lingered. I admire his transparency. He is a regular read for me.  

He explains he is tired of trying to please others. He explains how he's finished donning his daily disguise to beg for his piece of the pie. He sees people, as well as himself, struggling to find significance and success to hopefully gain some sort of fulfillment from this world. He's done with lies and feeling ashamed 'the real [him]' might not be enough and someone might sneer.

I wonder if this is Satan? Is this the consequence of history's biggest swindle?  Remember way back when, when Satan stood toe to toe with God and convinced one third of the angels in Heaven to choose him. I'm curious what he said to get those angels to believe he [Lucifer] was the future? What strategy did he use? How many lies did he have to tell? In spite of my ignorance what actually occurred, I'm confident that those present witnessed a great show, possibly Satan's best performance ever, in Heaven that day. Should we expect anything less when Lucifer spins his web down here? 

With only their idols of fame, folly, pride, ambition, authority, riches, pleasure seeking, and whatnot… can mere men resist Lucifer? Can they be expected to turn and flee him when so many angels failed to do the same? His time tested Greatest Show in Heaven has been refined and upgraded. He has had time to refine his message and polish the presentation. It is now The Greatest Show on Earth and he stands, center ring, promoting his miracle elixirs. He knows men are fertile soil. He spreads his seeds and waits.  

Most men wouldn't recognize Satan if they shook hands with him. Men know not of his plans, his purpose, his power, or the depth of his deception. They know not the depth of his devotion. Satan smiles when mere men adopt his thoughts as their own. When his beliefs become their beliefs and his fight becomes their fight. That smile widens when they choose his way and believe it's their way. They ignorantly carry Satan's torch because those men get the glory and the honor, or so they believe.  

The Bible warns us to be sober and vigilant because the devil prowls for prey to devour. Satan disguises himself as an angel of light and presents a path that seems right but will lead to death. He will steal your joy if you let him. He will ruin your life if you let him. He will separate you from Jesus Christ. Convince you to reject God. And if that doesn't work, he will lie and get you to believe you are unworthy of God's love. Just look at the bad stuff in your life and in this world. The pain. Sickness. Death. How does a loving God let that happen to his children? Satan will tell you He doesn't. Good things happen to those people God loves. God is good to his children. So, you must be unworthy. You must not be His child. 

Lies are his expertise; his medium. He's dedicated to his craft. He prowls all day, every day. No lunch or holidays. No sick days. Works overtime. You won't find him camped in his hammock one lazy cloudless afternoon reading a novel sipping his favorite black berry iced tea. Make no mistake, Satan is a seven-day-guy. He can't wait for Monday to roll around. He's too excited at the harvest. He is always working and his hands are always dirty.

Below highlights only one strategy how Satan easily enlists people to do his bidding.  Can evil look like this?  

I don’t want to wear disguises anymore. If I don’t have anything to say, I won’t say it. I’m not going to sell anything anymore but the truth. I’m not going to spend money on things that were disguised as things they aren’t (is coca cola “the real thing” for instance?) I’m not going to be friends with people wearing disguises. I’m not going to live in a place that’s just a disguise to hide some insecurity. I’m not going to be angry at people struggling with their own disguises. And what are my disguises today:

1. Angry thoughts from events that took place years ago?
2. Thoughts of “I could’ve done X, Y, or Z ?” in the distant past.
3. Worries of the future?
4. Reactions to what people say about me?
5. Feelings like “I have to respond to just this one comment!”

I think back to all the disguises I’ve worn. I’ve been a master of disguise. Hiding big lies, small lies, white lies, black lies. All of our misery comes from wanting at all costs to remain Tom, Dick, and Jane. Normal.  The real ME must never be seen or I will be laughed at, sneered at, abandoned, and Poverty will wipe itself with the last microbes that are left of me. I get scared.

Most of Peter Parker’s stress was that he had to hide his Spiderman identity. This body of ours, this disguise, is in constant revolt against the abominable scam of having to endure. We don’t need to do that anymore. When you take the disguises off, the superficial feelings of failure, of anger, of sadness that society has programmed into us… when you just peel the past off and refuse to worry about the future, you become the superhero you were meant to be. The first person you save is yourself.

Have a good and godly day.

Funny thing happened

... on the way to outrageous success and wealth and power.  Those goals withered on the vine and replaced.  I am currently in the middle monumental life change.  A paradigm shift.  My daily routine I have know for a decade is obsolete.  My rut gone.  Uncomfortable.  Lost.  No direction.

God has doggedly pursued me for a few years… not to save me, not to chastise me, but to get me to realize my talent… to give up my current ambition or my career.  To simply stop right now.  Immediately.  I am puzzled because I have never pursued a normal career.  In fact, I don’t consider what I do as a career.  what I have done is invest a great deal of resources to develop a specific skill.  I have worked long to refine that skill.  Clients now pay me to perform that skill.  I was in bliss because I was fortunate to earn money doing what I loved.  I couldn't wait for Monday morning.  Despite all of my effort and dedication I lived in the middle of the curve.

For almost a year I knew, deep down where only God visits, I would never achieve my goals.  But, regardless of the evidence before me, all of the unanswered prayers, the obstacles, the emotional pain, the failures... I buckled down, dedicated more time, studied, extended my hours, and plowed along carving my path.  I thought if I included God in my ambition, worked hard, and didn't give up He would see to my success.  God was my lottery ticket.  I finally conceded my desire and motivation may not honor God.  The time and money and resources I invested may not be what God wants.  I sacrificed, therefore I promise my family sacrificed.  My children were ignored at times.  I read voraciously.  Studied continuously.  Both good and worthy.  

I finally listened and now leave with memories of fifteen hour days and experience.  The skill I developed and refined...  I managed investment portfolios and retirement accounts.  I was once a fully licensed Financial Advisor and soon learned life insurance products, annuities, 529 plans, mutual funds, and other financial minutia did not excite me.  I focused solely stocks and bonds and eventually just stocks.  

I believe now, as I did then, people need sound, honest, godly investment advice free from any conflicts of interest, such as kickbacks or 12b1 fees.  God spoke to me through His Word.  My wife, especially my wife.  Failure.  TV.  Books.  My children.  And other professional traders and investors.  However, the biggest influence on my decision I should move on was mediocrity.  The one outcome I can’t stomach is mediocrity.  It's just enough success to keep you engaged in the game and yet no real success is ever sustained. 

The one avenue, the one method God spoke to me, not listed above is prayer.  Oh, I prayed.  I prayed for others.  I prayed for wisdom.  I prayed to be a great manager, a great trader, a great investor so... wait... hold on... so He, God could financially bless my clients… and of course me.  I prayed hard and long.  Those prayers were packed full of goodness with a chewy caramel center.  I listened in every area except...  How God wanted to financially support my family... His family?  His children.  

That makes me as a hypocrite.  That makes me a liar, even if I only lied to myself.  That makes me a person who held and worshiped idols.  It also left me in need of a Savior.  In need of a God who doggedly pursued me until I stopped forging my own way and slowed down.  Now removed, now less worried, I see my path would have destroyed my life.  God or mammon?  God or mammon?  I disguised mammon, redefined mammon, and confused mammon as good and worthy and godly.  Oh how dark life gets when what I think is light is darkness.  

It’s impossible, yes impossible, to listen to God if you are too busy doing or too busy talking.  I was both.  The nudge started years ago with:   

1. That movie was really close to being a great message about Christ but...  
2. That song is really close to sending a great message about what Jesus could do, but…   
3. Stand By Me, good movie but not appropriate for an adolescent boy.

I would pray and ask God to give my daughter something to watch that is well written, well done, and well acted and yet glorified Him.  The same premise applied to music for my son.  God asked what are you going to do about that.  I argued as Moses argued, “I can’t" and then proceeded to offer evidence to support my opinion... "no time", "not one lick of musical talent or ability", "I'm a math guy, not a arts and craft guy".  The only other time God asked that question, that same question, was when He asked me what I was going to do about my two year old son.

My talent, as best I can hear God, is being creative, more specifically writing.  I am not an artist.  I have no musical talent whatsoever.  I write for Christ.  My first attempt was this blog.  It is however, uncomfortable because it’s vulnerable… uncomfortable to leave the old way and move forward to the unknown… vulnerable sharing thoughts and opinions and dreams.  

I have previously posted Jay Bakker's question.  I now have my answer to... “Why do I get out of bed and why should anyone care?”  I got out of bed to serve mammon.  Not many people cared.  That is the real paradigm shift in my story. 

Have a good and godly day.   

The Serpent

Psalm 1 instructs us, "... to meditate on His word day and night."  

From Genesis, Chapter 3:

The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her.

Many Christians speculate real genuine love is a choice.  We can choose to love or we choose not to love.  We also choose who we love.  Real genuine love cannot exist without a choice... or so I have heard.  Christians speculate, repeatedly, that God doesn't want us to be robots, which is why He has given us the free will to accept or reject Him.  It's popular in the Christian community.  

So I ask, where did the assumption start that Christians would love God less, or not at all, if Satan wasn't roaming to and fro?  I ask, who said if God was our only choice that we wouldn't or couldn't choose to love Him, genuinely love Him?  If God was the only option, the question I ask is why wouldn't I love Him?  Why wouldn't I obey Him?  Why wouldn't I want to please Him, worship Him, and honor Him?  

I haven't been able to reconcile that God, my God, designed a world filled with evil and sin because His first choice, Eden, didn't work out as He hoped.  The popular reason or explanation for this world and its evil goes something like this... 

He, meaning God, really wanted to provide a better place but it just didn't work out... you know, that fellow Lucifer sinned because he wanted to be a tough guy.

Am I to believe God tried to create something good but wasn't aware of the evil and sin that would play a critical role in His creation?  Am I to believe God didn't know Lucifer, His first perfect creation, would sin?  Am I to believe Lucifer's disobedience was not planned for?  Am I to believe God didn't foresee that Lucifer would rally a third of the angels to oppose God?  Am I to believe God is winging it, making it up as He goes, or pencil whipping His way through the day?    

Most Christians would say yes, that God wanted us to stay in the garden.  But, Lucifer wanted to be God and thus we find ourselves waiting for Christ to return.  Therefore, I am now presented with a God that CANNOT or WILL NOT intervene on our behalf.  It's a God sized dilemma that leaves a God who... 

1. Lacks the love and compassion to intervene (will not do anything).
2. Lacks the power and ability to intervene (cannot do anything, wants to but can't).

Is the knowledge of good and evil is a prerequisite to be formed into the image of God?  Is that knowledge necessary for us to choose to love God, to choose to follow and obey Him, to choose to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior? 

I am, however, most intrigued by what happens to the serpent if Eve passes the test?  If she doesn't eat the fruit and flicks the ole serpent on its nose and says, "Get goin', kid!"  Where does he go?  Does he crawl away never to be heard from again?  Does the serpent change his ways and confess, "Man, I know.  I was pretty crazy back in the day.  What was I thinking?"  If Eve doesn't eat of the fruit, then might Adam eat it?  Or might one of their children eat of the fruit? 

Or, is another option available?  Just maybe God intended the world to be a mess.  Not for all eternity, just for now, temporarily, and for His purpose. 

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts. 

Isaiah 55: 8-9

1. Would a God who lacks the compassion and love to intervene be worthy of our love and worship?  
2. Just because some do not see Him intervene in a certain manner and by a certain time, does that indicate He doesn't intervene at all?  
3. Would a God who lacks the power and authority to control His creation be worthy of our love and worship? 
4. Can LOVE exist if there is nothing to oppose it?

It’s Carl Jung who said, "There are as many nights as days, and the one is just as long as the other in the year's course.  Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word 'happy' would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness."

Have a good and godly day.

Monet

Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.  2 Corinthians 2:11

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walking about, seeking whom he may devour.  1 Peter 5:8

There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in (or leads to) death.  Proverbs 14:12

Claude Monet founded French impressionist art and in May 2008, one of his paintings sold for a record $41,481,000 at auction.  Seven weeks later, June 24, a new record was set when Water Lily Pond went for $80,400,000.  

I mention Monet because, the thing I notice is Monet paintings looked great from a distance but are a mess up close.  The Monet label began slowly, applied to just a few subjects.  It's a Monet or That's a Monet quickly became a regular opinion.  Monet was mi amigo.  I used it to describe everything I didn't like or didn't meet my expectations.  Anything and everything could be a Monet... cars, food, movies.  

I don't enjoy the Superbowl because it's almost always a Monet.  High expectation, enormous hype, the halftime extravaganza, and yet the game almost always disappoints.  Movies get the Monet tag frequently.  The trailers get people to pony up $10-$13, but too many end up just average or worse.  Monet "stuff" makes you believe something great, something fun, or something extraordinary is on the way until the personal experience begins.  What does this have to do with God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, or Satan?  Good question.

I ask, how many Christians stop to realize that Satan is real, that he is part of this world, that he is involved in the church, and that he will engage Christians in a personal and aggressive manner?  The Holy Spirit equips us to live for Jesus Christ and the devil Satan is God’s ultimate opponent… His adversary.  God is light… Satan is darkness;  God is truth… Satan in the father of lies; God is love… Satan is evil.

Satan is a reality.  Satan isn’t preoccupied.  You won't find him parked in front of a TV on a snow day.  He isn’t tapping combinations of X + R1 mesmerized by Assassin’s Creed or Call of Duty for hours that consume your time and energy.  Satan doesn’t send 4000 text messages a month.  He isn't consumed with learning everything about the next great entertainer.  The devil is committed to confusing you, distracting you, and derailing your relationship with Christ. If you have a relationship with Jesus Christ, his sole purpose is to destroy your testimony

As God is for you, Satan is against you.  Satan is your ultimate enemy too.  The Bible never underestimates his power and clearly outlines his intentions.  The curious thing about Satan is... he is good at what he does, exceptionally good.  The father of lies has a knack for promoting sin and evil as benign and good (pleasure versus joy again).  Sin, evil, and his vices look good, sometimes indescribably good, at a distance but they’re actually a mess once you get close.  Two common examples, cliches, that get mentioned often in student ministries: alcohol and promiscuity.   

Satan promotes alcohol as fun and games.  Look at the commercial, just look at everyone smiling, laughing, connecting... who wouldn't want that experience?  It makes everything better.  In fact, alcohol makes you better, more likeable.  Alcohol is harmless, especially in moderation.  Hey, Jesus turned water into wine (John 2).  BUT... Satan conveniently leaves out the person lying in their own vomit after having one too many.  Waking up with no memory of the previous night isn't included.  He fails to mention it is habit forming, so if you drink enough of it you more likely than not need it to function... you become addicted.  You cannot stop the very act that is destroying your life.  His line... it's all good, it's all fun and games.  He is "the father of lies" for a reason. 

Promiscuity, causal sex?  Same strategy.  He says it’s no big deal.  It's all good too, it's blissful, wonderful, and intimate because that's what is portrayed on the cinema screen, on the cable show, and in books.  Take a look at the romance novel section next time you visit a bookstore.  The cover is always a very beautiful thing. why wait for marriage when you are in love now and committed.   Sex strengthens relationships.  No harm, no foul.  But, Satan will not explain sex changes you.  He will never reveal the emotional carnage of guilt, rejection, loneliness, regret, and so much more when the girl realizes he lied ans things suddenly aren't eorking out.  He will never highlight the excruciating wait after peeing on a pregnancy test.  The devil will not let you know it’s actually a huge deal, HUGE. 

If nothing else, remember this one thing... the Bible does not depict Satan as a hideous monster with fangs.  He doesn't have cute little horns or a pitchfork.  That would be far too easy to reject him; too easy to turn around and run from him.  Who would look at a hideous monster and think I want to hang with him?  The Bible says Satan was the most beautiful being God created.  Are you aware Satan and his demons have the power to cloak themselves as “ministers of righteousness”?  

He and his demons are far more likely to coax you into thinking God doesn't see me or God is mad at me or God hates me.  Then, they will change into whoever you need them to be.  They will offer you what you feel you want.  Satan wants you to join his team.  He is the master deceiver of the universe.  He is the Monet of the Bible.

Have a good and godly day.

Satan looks like?

I have been thinking about this question for a while.  I have been told Christians should never think too much about Satan.  We should only acknowledge Satan exists and move on... anything beyond that is blasphemous.  The theory is (as I have been told), if we spend too much time on Satan then by default we aren't spending time with God.  If we aren't spending time with God then how do we become godly.  I understand their fear of focusing on Satan. 

Why do we not study Satan?  

Generals study their adversary.

Coaches study their opponent.

Why treat Satan any differently?

The reality is most people wouldn’t recognize Satan if they shook hands with him.  They know not his appearance; they know not his doctrines; they know not his character; they know not his plan; they know not his influence; they know not his deception.  Satan is the most powerful of the fallen angels. 

Ezekiel describes Satan like this... "You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.  You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you.  You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you.  You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings." Ezekiel 28:11-18

Ezekiel uses the King of Tyre to describe Satan before the fall of man in Genesis3 and we learn:

1. He was full of wisdom and beauty 
2. He was perfect. 
3. He was in the Garden of Eden before the fall. 
4. He was the anointed covering cherub. 
5. His heart was lifted up (pride) because of his beauty. 

In Jude 1:9 we read Satan is so powerful that Michael the Archangel left battling Satan to the Lord.  "... [Michael] did not dare bring slanderous accusation against him but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"

Satan's mission is to oppose God.  Satan is to lie to us.  Satan is to deceive us.  Satan is to distract us... to create so much clutter and noise that we are incapable of knowing what is true.  He will promote false doctrine in the name of God. You and I are the spoils of Satan's work and effort.  The Bible says he will search for us and devour us.  We are the dust that Satan is to eat.  The following scriptures show Satan's character and purpose. 

“One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them.  The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the LORD, “From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.” Job 1:7

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith…" 1Peter 5:8-9

"Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life."" Genesis 3:14

"By the sweat of your [Adam’s] brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." Genesis 3:19

Why do girls

Paul talks about conduct befitting our calling which is why I'm curious where the boundary of discernment stops and judgment begins. 

Last night I was stunned to see pictures, posted online, of a teenage girl I know at a high school football game.She was wearing black volleyball spandex shorts and a camisole that was a little too short. She had painted the school name on the back of the shorts that matched the body paint on her face, arms, legs, and midriff. You couldn't miss her.  Everything about her screamed,"look at me."  The reason I was stunned... I know her father.

The outfit wasn't just a poor decision or a lapse of judgment. No other student, in the student section, came close to such an outfit, or more fittingly, the lack thereof. My question is why she thought attending a football game dressed for a slumber party was a good choice? Where were her friends, who were appropriately dressed, saying whoa, put something on? There is a difference between good attention and bad attention. I will speculate her attire and behavior didn't draw too much honorable attention or respect. I suspect the effect may be a little different than she hoped.

I hope Samantha realizes, as soon as possible, how much more she has to offer than skin. Her intelligence, sense of humor, talent, compassion, and other attributes are far more valuable. It is those qualities that will have a positive impact in this world. It is those attributes that will attract a gentleman. Someone, hopefully her mother or female mentor, explains her physical attributes are to be saved for the one person who will value her as a person first, who will honor and respect her, and who will commit to her.

.

Proverbs says that a reputation is more valuable than silver and gold. The Bible also addresses the almost impossible task of regaining one's reputation once it is lost.

I now pray she will understand God made her, designed her for a specific purpose that ascribes immeasurable worth to her simply because she is a child of God.

Have a good and godly day.