God promises in His word that He will make all things new.....

 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. Revelations 21

No matter what your circumstances might be today, there is always something to be thankful. Oh, it seems when we're  wrestling with our emotions, perhaps over the loss of a loved one, or a career you had, or death of your spouse, it is hard to find something to be thankful about.  

Our adult Sunday school class just concluded a video series by John Eldredge ' All Things New: Heaven, Earth, and the Restoration of Everything You Love'  This book is about our future home, heaven, and the new earth.  Between the Randy Alcorn 'Heaven' and this one, I began to have this vision of my future home- this is a good thing because the more we can visualize our future home as the place where Jesus went to prepare a place for us, the more joy our lives will become in the throes of our pain and suffering.

As we watched this series, my mind began reflecting on the awesomeness of God. 

When God created man and woman, He made the brain to consists of 2 hemispheres. The left side is, of course, the cognitive brain while the right side is the creative side.  When we're not grieving, the two hemispheres function like clockwork- it does the things God design our brain to do.  But, I can tell you when we are suffering the loss of someone we've loved, our cognitive side doesn't function the way we would like it to. Quite literally, it shuts down.This is why we become so overwhelmed with our emotions when a loss occurs where we're not able to think straight or make the day-to-day decisions we're so used to making before our loss.

When our family entered the intensity of our grief, this was a period where each of us would have 'dreams' of our loved one running and jumping and laughing in the very place we will all be when it is our turn to make the transition to heaven. I remember my 12-year-old son running up to me to tell me the dream he had of Maria, or the dream my wife had seen her daughter or the dream I often had of Maria running through the meadow to climb trees and hang out with her heavenly friends in the tree house they made!  I remember hearing the birds chirping and the animals grazing.

When God made the human brain, he knew exactly what he was doing! While we may not be able to read a book in the beginning of our grief, we are given the capacity to dream- to see in our wildest imagination all things new John Eldredge reveals in his book.

So, do not be afraid of your emotions and attempt to shut them down by working too much, numbing it with drugs or alcohol- for it is in those emotions that healing will happen.  

Through Jesus Christ, we have the hope of this new heaven and the new earth, and it is through Jesus that healing from your pain of loss will come- using both the creative and cognitive side of your brain.

For everyone who desires to read this informative book by John Eldredge, here is the link-
https://www.amazon.com/All-Things-New-Restoration-Everything-ebook/dp/B01MXKBNMI

At any given moment, we must all be ready to mourn

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1 Peter 1:3


Last night, Linda and I attended an all staff, 80's-90's student body reunion at her former school. She spent more than 20 years at this school and still had friends working there.  While she walked around catching up on conversations with those she hadn't seen in a while, I walked over to the pictures of staff taken in 1986 and saw the picture of Linda along with all of the other 'younger me's. I saw the school's former athletic director who died the same year we lost Maria in 2007.  I overheard my wife sharing with one co-worker how awful 2007 when that same year she lost her dad just 5 months after Maria.

I, of course, enjoyed briefing staff all the things God was bestowing on my life since the tragic loss! I shared with them the grief group facilitating I've been doing and how I had just begun facilitating a new 13-week Griefshare group at my church.  I shared my grief mentoring venture with those just now entering the throes of this painful journey.  Why?  Because I wanted people to know that when we stay the course of our grieving by leaning into all of the emotions of our loss, instead of denying those emotions, God will give us a new normal filled with joy, happiness and a new passion for serving Him.

Our God is truly an awesome God who desires to walk with anyone suffering the loss of a loved one. When we grieve, it is because of the love relationship we had with the person who died. The only way we can avoid grieving is to hole up in a cave somewhere and avoid all contact with humanity- but that would not be the way I would want to live.

As I read my Bible, I'm reminded over and over that when we have Jesus in our lives our loved one goes to be with Jesus in heaven. For all that it is worth, I recommend that you read 'Heaven' a book written by Randy Alcorn.  Heaven is a scholarly book that will give you a picture of the place we will all spend eternity when we die. http://www.lifeway.com/Product/heaven-P001235774

I could tell that my wife loved catching up on old times with former staff and students!  Our God is indeed an awesome God!

In only a few short hours I will be meeting with a small group of guys we refer to as 'Yawn Patrol'

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. Matthew 7

If I were to come up with a life theme for the past several weeks it would be a lack of guardrails leads men their greatest fall.  Let me explain.

It was in the 80's when I finished my graduate degree and began working for an organization helping people overcome their barriers that I saw myself lacking spiritual accountability. As I entered the workforce I knew I needed to subject myself to a small group of like-minded men to be held accountable and to hold others accountable for spiritual life decisions. 

But I wasn't outgoing enough to find that brand of men's accountability.

I decided to call the church office and make an appointment with Pastor Lester Nelson to seek help for this spiritual malaise.  It wasn't long before I was introduced to another Christian man who was willing to meet with me to do a one-to-one discipleship program referred to as the Timothy program. He was much older and was much further on his Christian journey than I was.

Through this Spiritual mentoring program of reciting bible verses, doing the lessons from the book and praying together, I learned that what I was experiencing in this world isn't unusual. I learned also the need to always surround myself with Christian accountability. 

It is not easy to subject oneself to accountability for the Bible makes reference to that notion through John 3:19- This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

From that simple one-to-one discipleship, I found another group of Christian men through the Navigator 2:7 program- a group of guys pursuing work they were trained to pursue. We met each week for a time of fellowship, bible verse memory, talking about our quiet times, and sharing our burdens with one another.

As I look at the world around me, I see damaged men laying on the side of the road, discarded as useless, because 'they loved the deeds of darkness more than they loved the light.'

Flash forward many years, after the loss of my daughter, I would soon learn that the men I had been meeting with would have their own share of tragedies- some with losses I had never heard before until my loss occurred.

Over the course of my life, I've heard many say they're doing just fine and have no time for God. I'm reminded through this verse in Matthew of the importance of building a good spiritual foundation:“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.'

The damaged and discarded men and woman laying on the side of the road didn't have to be that way if only they had taken better precautions and built their Spiritual foundation on the Rock.

 No matter where you are on this journey called life, you can always build a better foundation, one that will stand the test of future storms. 

Our future generations are depending on us to make the right decisions in life.

EJI Memorial

And he said to them, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him, and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.Acts 10:28

Over the course of many decades, there has been a system of silence that has prevented our nation from healing from its pain.  In Montgomery, Alabama there are 100's of monuments dedicated to the remembrance of the Confederacy, but few that honor the families who lost members at the hands of the lynch mobs. 

Just in Alabama alone, 326 African-American's were lynched in the past 73 years.  

In the state of Mississippi, there have been a total of 581 lynchings of African-American men.  Yet, we wouldn't know it because of the lack of monuments to remind us of that reality. 

Yet, all throughout the south, we would rather celebrate the Confederate flag as a source of pride while forgetting the pain that flag represented to thousands of families of the African-American race.

 Behind that flag are African-American families who have lost loved ones at the hands of the lynch mobs- some of whom celebrate the Confederacy as a source of pride. The summer my wife and I toured the Civil rights museum and as we read about the darker side of the Confederacy, I literally got sick to my stomach thinking about the sin of racism hiding behind the flag.  I felt the same emotion as I walked through the Holocaust museum with my headphones plugged in wondering if the person, who's card I was holding in my hand would be the one who would live or die.

I know when I see this memorial, my heart will be heavy with many tears falling down my cheeks.

  For others who never saw the impact of these lynchings, this memorial will help them to confront this wretched racism and help them heal from the haunting images of what white supremacists did to these men and in some cases boys.

This memorial has the potential of healing our nation for it would place a face on those who suffered and died in this manner, and for once force us to confront the evils of racism- something that God certainly doesn't look at with pride.  

When it opens, I for one will be there to see and experience the emotions of it.

Dedicated to all who fear....

Fear is a Liar
by Zach Williams

When he told you-you're not good enough

When he told you-you're not right

Then he told you-you're not strong enough

To put up a good fight

When he told you-you're not worthy

When he told you-you're not loved

When he told you-you're not beautiful

That you’ll never be enough

Fear he is a liar

He will take your breath

Stop you in your steps

Fear he is a liar

He will rob your rest

Steal your happiness

Cast your fear in the fire

'Cause fear he is a liar

When he told you were troubled

You’ll forever be alone

When he told you-you should run away

You’ll never find a home

When he told you you were dirty

And you should be ashamed

When he told you-you could be the one

That grace could never change

Fear he is a liar

He will take your breath

Stop you in your steps

Fear he…

Like the snow that just fell, all of my wrongs of this life have been washed clean!

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Isaiah 1:18

As I looked out the window I could see blowing snow covering the ground. Once the snow started falling, it wouldn't quit until 5" covered the ground.

By lunchtime when I had to bring two packages to be mailed the traffic was already slow with drivers inching along, making their usual short trips into much longer ordeals. When I returned to the office, I started thinking ahead to the time I would need to shovel my driveway, path to the front door and clear my deck for the family dog and realized I really needed to leave work earlier than usual just to get home.

My mind began canvassing the landscape of white snow while reflecting God's sacrifice of his son, Jesus, so that we all may be 'white as snow' and all of our earthly sins erased.  

Pretend for a moment that you had a checkered past with things you're no longer proud of in your life. 

You walk into God's courtroom wearing jailhouse clothing while in handcuffs holding onto your papers that describe everything you did in life. Your court-appointed attorney had just finished 'coaching' you how you should act and what you should say when the God calls you to approach the bench. 

 For the first time in your life, you're scared because you're not sure how you are going to explain all of these things you're not proud of in your life 

Soon, there is a voice, " all rise for the Honorable Judge".  Your heart rate is rising while beads of sweat are pouring down your forehead when your court-appointed attorney nudges you it was time to stand.  The bailiff reads the charges written in the papers you carry before handing them to God.  God asks you, "how do you plead?"

Then, like a scene from one of those lawyer shows you remember watching, as a kid, you see a figure you soon recognize as Jesus- the one you received to when you were just 5 with your grandma. He approaches you and stands by your side.

Jesus knew your checkered past and he knew your trouble background when you were angry over your parent's divorce and when you tragically lose a family member.  Jesus slips the papers you are holding onto his hand and states, "not guilty your honor- my blood I shed covers all of his wrongs."  

God looks at the papers you were holding and instructs the bailiff to shred them.  Jesus, the one you received into your heart when you were just 5 gives you a huge bear hug and announce that you have been set free from the burden of your guilt.

As I look at the landscape of white fluffy snow, I was reminded that all of my wrongs, everything I ever thought, said or done,  have been washed clean because of what Jesus did on the cross for me.  He took the blows so I could stand blameless in front of God!

Now, that is good news!

If you're a Vikings fan, it's time to pick our hearts from the floor after the sound beating by the Eagles of the East

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

I readily admit thinking that this WAS going to be the year the Vikings would win the Super Bowl- especially after the Minneapolis Miracle catch in the final seconds of the game that sent shockwaves through New Orleans with many of their fans tossing large flat screen televisions off their balconies- while the same time gave Minnesotan's something to talk about in the week ahead besides the distressing headlines.

  For one week, most of us were able to put the ills of our lives on hold because we had our Vikings to cheer on. For one week, we were supreme in the eyes of our Packer work colleagues- gloating how good our team was in comparison to theirs which have already turned the lights off at Lambeau field and gone home to be closet Viking fans.

For one week, we were able to deflect the troubles of the world, rejuvenating those 'feel good' hormones in our bodies.  For one week, we forgot the fake news and those negative political posts that rear their ugly heads each time the computer comes on.

It was good while it lasted, but deep down inside I knew this to had to end-either in February with a Super Bowl win or loss, or as it turned out with a sound beating from a very good Philadelphia football team.

I started thinking 'what if people could get as excited about Jesus as we get excited cheering on a local sports team?  What if all our Churches filled up Sunday after Sunday with so many people there would have to be a call for more volunteers to fill the ranks to teach the children in the Sunday school classes?  

What if people who are hurting turn to the support groups in those churches instead of drinking their sorrows away?

While sports can be a great entertainment tool to help us deflect the worries of the world, it too is only a temporary panacea.  Just as it says in John 3:16, ' For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life, I'm reminded again of the profound importance this has on our lives. 

 Football is temporary, but God's free gift of eternal life is forever. Just as the Vikings were a gift to us this season, God offers us a gift that is freely given, but you have to accept that gift by asking Jesus into your life by confessing there is nothing you can do in this life to earn God's gift of eternal life.

Finally, just as our Viking's made us feel good for the moment, it is our faith in Jesus that helps us heal for the long term- all the way to the day we step into heaven breathing the delightful air while enjoying our new heavenly bodies in a place where there will be no more suffering.

Thank you Minnesota Vikings for giving us something to cheer about!

Changes to our immediate world can upset grieving people which is why I remind myself just as it states in Hebrews 13:8 'Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever'

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. James 13:8

As much as I value change and forward motion, I'm also insecure.  The loss of a child or spouse/parent often upsets the order of what we're used to having in life.  

We automatically assume that everyone will live to a ripe old age before succumbing to the ills of life and die. Never in my wildest dreams did I envision that one of my children wouldn't make it out of childhood alive! 

 But when she died, I had feelings of abandonment that surfaced- often at times when sleep was much needed. Like everyone else, I had hopes that my kids would be the ones who would bury their dad. It's the order of things we become accustomed to in life. It's what it's supposed to be.

 However, life doesn't always go the way we think it ought to go. Just take a look at the day's headlines and you will see that children die every day.  Behind those headlines are a group of shocked and bewildered parents wondering why it happened. In their mind, it isn't what was suppose to be. 

Which is why most of us search for things to be the same- our security is linked just knowing that others will be there in our lives- and when they're not we become a momentary bowl of mush. 

A recent example of this was when I found out that our Church's music director announced God's calling to be a teaching candidate at a different church. I readily admit when I heard the news, my world momentarily crumbled. My thoughts were ' this music director' knew when we were a family of four and the more people who leave us the fewer people will know that we once had a daughter. (You can fill in the blank with your deceased loved one's name and the impact will be the same.)  

While people may come and go in your life, I've learned that my Savior and Lord, Jesus, remains the same yesterday, today and forever just as Hebrews 13:8 reminds us.

As I continue to journey to life trusting God with every step, I'm often surprised by His blessings.

The emotions of losing our music director may ebb and flow a little while, but when the new person puts on the former directors 'shoes'  we will quickly learn to adapt to this new style of leadership. 

As I reflect on my life, I remind my self that being around godly people in the place of worship every week is more valuable to me even if I have to contend with those occasional lows when someone decides to listen to God's heart and candidate at a different church. 

In the end, change is good for all of us- it makes us strong and forces us to lean on Him who is the same yesterday, today and forever.

We must never discredit the stories of those effected by the racial tensions of the deep south

30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

A few years ago,  Linda and I toured Selma, Alabama the place most people remember as 'bloody Sunday because of the sheer brutality of that time period. 

 Just think for a moment you were one of those young people on the receiving end of police brutality in Selma, Alabama.  You feel the billy clubs forced into your back and the hand of the brutal officer pushing you away from the door of the building you're trying to go into just so you could do your civic business.  

Think for a moment what it would be like if you were on the taunting end of the racial epithets and anything else to remind you of your standing in the community? Think for a moment seeing a 'cross burning' in the yard of your friend, or worse watching their house burn down at the hands of the KKK or attending a funeral service of a child killed because of those racial atrocities?

This was what it was like growing up in the south, a place where many still struggle with nightmares to this day because of what happened to them.  The events of Selma have become known as the 'black eye' of the south- something that we should never be proud of, nor should we-not ever.

Which is why it really bothers me when some of our political leaders try to make light of those racial tensions with flippant comments to constituents in their communities.

 There were real human beings on the receiving end of the police and political brutality. 

There were people so traumatized by the events of that era that to this day they have nightmares and flashbacks. 

Just as I learned from growing up in St. Louis Park, Minnesota the home to the largest number of holocaust survivors, we must learn to listen to those impacted by those civil rights events.  We must validate who they are as human beings and ask our Lord what we can learn from their stories. We must learn to walk in their shoes.

After all, wasn't that what Jesus did in his short stay on earth?  Didn't he try to understand the Samaritan woman, or the man who was blind from birth, or the person with leprosy, or anyone who felt ostracized by the Roman community because they didn't fit the mold? 

Let us never forget that a greater preponderance of immigrants who come to America become successful, with some starting multinational corporations employing 100's of thousands of men and woman.

If we truly want to be a follower of Jesus, we must have compassion for people while treating them as equals to yourself.

If we truly want to be a follower of Jesus, we must learn to listen and validate other peoples stories without casting judgment. 

The events of that bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama were real and we must never forget the impact those events had on the lives of those impacted by them.

A picture, they say, is worth a thousand words.........grieving through pictures

18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8:18

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I remember years ago watching our wedding video and being filled with tears of happiness at all the people who came to enjoy our special day. As time went on, watching that same video brought tears of sadness as we watch row after row of friends who were no longer with us in this life. 

Those photo albums were the same way. It's very common for families recovering from the loss of a loved one to avoid looking at the pictures of their loved one.  

Precious moments captured during happier times sit in a closed box or photo album because it conjures too many painful emotions to look at them.  

So they sit and gather dust, in the back of the closet hoping there would be a day where those photo albums could be brought out into the light to be viewed again.  This is not an easy task for anyone suffering from the loss of a loved one.

 Yet, at some point in one's grief journey, we have to find a way to look at those pictures. 

 When you can sit on the couch with your surviving loved ones, looking at those pictures will force you to confront those feeling inside you.Whatever emotion you are feeling looking at those pictures will help you face your grief head-on. 

So many of us after our loss become like a hamster on a spinning wheel going around and around with no place to go. 

One man, I spoke to following the loss of his 5-year-old son from complications of surgery said he was working too many hours because his home was filled with triggers of his son- toys and his son's clothing scattered everywhere.  I understood where this man was coming from because I and others like me were at the same point in our grief.

There is a danger of not confronting your grief emotions.

 As one goes through a long period of avoidance, there is a tendency to look toward destructive methods to help you cope. Methods like alcohol and drug abuse may help you feel good at the moment, but in time if those habits continue they will be the diabolical poison that destroys the body.  

Many professionals who work in Chemical dependency treatment centers will acknowledge that a good number of people enter treatment because of unresolved grief issues. The ones in those programs are the lucky ones. There are many still who wind up in our court and penal systems, and if they aren't in prison, others will continue down a never-ending staircase of despair with some dying a tragic death.  

The good news is that Jesus desires to help you confront those intensifying emotions of loss.

As you travel this journey, remember that the decision to attend Church isn't dependent on how you're feeling from Sunday to Sunday.  Our emotions rise and fall like the Dow Jones Industrials and simply cannot be trusted with decisions like do I or don't I worship God.

As I worship my Savior Jesus, I  looked at those sitting in the pews around me differently. Before my loss, I saw them as people enjoying the good times of life, striving for success and continual happiness, but after my loss, I saw them like me needing a Savior to heal them-  I no longer saw the church as a tropical resort, but a hospital for the sick.

Our God is truly an awesome God who desires to help you look at those wonderful pictures of your loved one!

Chinese Christian megachurch destroyed, leaders arrested

WORLD 468733213

Chinese authorities demolish well-known evangelical church

By GERRY SHIH Associated Press

JANUARY 11, 2018 — 8:20PM

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BEIJING — Authorities in northern China's coal country have demolished a well-known Christian mega-church, underscoring long-standing tensions between religious groups and the officially atheistic Communist Party.

Witnesses and overseas activists say paramilitary People's Armed Police forces used excavators and dynamite on Tuesday to destroy the Golden Lampstand Church in the city of Linfen in Shanxi province.

ChinaAid, a U.S.-based Christian advocacy group, said local authorities planted explosives in an underground worship hall to demolish the building, which was built with nearly $3 million in contributions from local worshippers in one of China's poorest regions.

The church, with a congregation of more than 50,000, has long clashed with the government. Hundreds of police and hired thugs smashed the church and seized Bibles in an earlier crackdown in 2009 that ended with church leaders receiving long prison sentences.

At the time, church leaders were charged with illegally occupying farmland and disturbing traffic order by getting together, according to state media.

There are an estimated 60 million Christians in China, many of whom worship in independent congregations like the Golden Lampstand. Millions of Christians, Buddhists and Muslims also worship in state-sanctioned assemblies.

But the surging popularity of non-state-approved churches has raised the ire of authorities, wary of any threats to the party's rigid political and social control.

Freedom of religion is guaranteed under China's constitution, so local authorities are often seen as using technicalities to attack unregistered churches. Charges of land or building violations and disturbing the peace are among the most common.

The state-run Global Times newspaper, citing an unidentified local official, reported Wednesday the official reason for the demolition was that it did not hold the necessary permits.

Religious groups must register with local religious affairs authorities under Chinese law, the report said. The church was illegally constructed nearly a decade ago in violation of building codes, it said.

Pictures distributed by ChinaAid showed the church's steeple and cross toppled in a large pile of rubble.

A pastor at a nearby church, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he saw large numbers of paramilitary police on Tuesday blanketing the area around the church, which was being taken apart by heavy machinery.

He later heard, but did not witness, a loud explosion, the pastor said.

The Golden Lampstand Church was built by husband and wife evangelists Wang Xiaoguang and Yang Rongli as a permanent home for their followers.

The couple had been preaching around Linfen since 1992, establishing congregations in improvised spaces such as factory dormitories and greenhouses.

While authorities did not block the church's construction, they later cracked down, and the couple and other church leaders were sent to prison.