Author: sagmoe

How’s your day going? Are you having a good day or have things not gone so well? Are you on top of the world with this bright sunny day (at least where I am is sunny) or are you in the trenches of defeat knowing that everyone seems to be against you? We all tend to walk somewhere in between these two emotions. It’s easy for us to flip and flop and if we do this too easily and often it can become very unhealthy.

In our culture today, it seems that there are a lot of people that feel persecuted. For some people, it’s easy to get bent out of shape if you don’t agree with everything they think, say, or do. For others, there is a sense of entitlement towards a lifestyle or career and for others, it seems that nothing can bother them or take them off their game.  As a society, It seems that no matter where you go, someone, is having trouble with being persecuted and feeling defeated.

Just a few weeks ago, we sat and watched the famous Notre Dame Cathedral burn we think of the momentous tragedy this is. I admit my feelings were a bit conflicted as I thought what a loss of a building but it also makes me think about the church. Some feel that as this building burns they have lost a sense of identity. For others, they are only thinking of what a loss in architecture and art. Ask yourself this, what happens to the church when the church burns down? Does it just end? Is it over for the people of Paris as they will now have no place to worship?

Jesus has told us that we are the church and we must not confuse what fire can do to a building it can never do to the real church. We do lament the burning of a great building and the history that comes along with it but a fire can never burn down the church. 

As we live our lives, we will deal with people at home, at work, at play, and everywhere else we go. Let’s try to do good in all we do and know that there will be times when our lives may be on fire. As it can be a tragedy but it will all the more be a blessing when we strive to do what God wants us to do. If you are persecuted for that then you are in great company. Like the Apostle Paul, the 12 Disciples of Jesus, and countless others across the pages of history.

God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. (Mt 5:10)

As we continue to walk through the Beatitudes, the next one is this “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. (Mt 5:9)

I will admit that today this is NOT the piece of scripture I want to focus on. Why do you ask? Because I’m in a bad mood. Two weeks ago I was sitting on the beach at South Padre, playing with my dog in the ocean. And today I’m watching the icicles fall off our RV. All I hear in my head is “come back to South Dakota, it will be fun” they said…..BIG FREAKING LIARS!!

Another thing that happened today is that Joan and I were walking our dogs this morning and when we get back to the RV we unhook our black lab to let him back into the RV. Just as I do, a friend drives up and Dexter goes to say hi. There is no problem with this they know each other and like one another. It’s all good…..right? Well not exactly. The guy in the little golf cart just happens to be going by and stops to say “hey, the dog has to be on a leash” Seriously, he’s off for 3 seconds to go back inside and this pin head’s only goal in life is to stop and make me think I just took a shot at the president or something. (I will admit that the thought of a gun may have flashed through my mind for a moment) not really but it did capture my thought process for quite a while. Why you may ask. Well, I’ll tell you why. I like to do things right. I really do like to follow the rules. In fact, it is a core value of mine (to have things in order) and I didn’t like the fact that this guy didn’t take any reasonable thought to what was going on in the situation. Not to mention we are on the edge of the RV park and the nearest RV is about 40 yards away with a foot of snow on the ground. My mind was racing to the idea that this is no big deal, back off. It’s not like we just let our dogs run unchecked!!! And besides, I’m a good guy!

Have you ever had a day like that? Is it possible that this is exactly why Jesus found it so important to make sure we know this? I think it is. In our culture of today this is more important than ever. It doesn’t matter if you are in Texas or South Dakota or anywhere in between, people are living on the edge. We are living on the edge of our finances, we live on the edge or our marriages, and we really live on the edge of our emotions some times. Don’t believe me, turn on the tv and watch the news sometime.

Our lives will be significantly better if we follow the principles that Jesus gave us in his Word and this is one of them, work for peace. He doesn’t say live a peaceful life or go in peace. He says “work” for peace. He’s telling me…I mean us, that we should keep our emotions in check and work for peace. I can easily think that this guy doesn’t know who I am or what I’m thinking and how dare he intrude upon my life. Or, I can take Jesus’ perspective and work for peace in my own emotions and actions. I don’t know this guy but I do know that Jesus created him and loves him and therefore I have to too. It’s always hard when we don’t want to but it is even more important to in these cases. Granted, not everyone will want to work for peace but that does not make it ok for me or you not work for it. I want to be a child of God and Jesus has given me the key to unlock my hard heart. “Work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.” Besides, if you don’t work for peace who will?

I truly hope you have a peaceful day and a great weekend!!

As we follow along with the beatitudes that Jesus spoke to us we have come to this one found in Matthew’s Gospel 5:8 “God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.”

So to see God, and experience the blessing of God we should then change the way we act. When I see this and think about it my first impression can be to just make sure I act right. But what does act right mean?

Today I would like to do a little Bible study and see if it will help guide us to an answer. In the book of Galations Paul writes this 5:16-18 “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.”

Paul is helping us understand that there are only two forces that can guide our lives or better yet inspire us in all that we do. We will driven to act out what our hearts give us for inspriation. Our hearts are filled and guided by one of two camps. We will be inspired by either our sinful nature that we were given by the sin of Adam or we will be inspired by the promptings of God as in the Holy Spirit.

All of our actions, whether we are conscious of it or not, come from our heart. You may have noticed by now that when you try to just gut it out and make good choices it usually doesnt last very long. Trying to just do good things all the time is like having an open box of girl scout cookies laying on the table. At some point you are going to have one. The real fact is you will end up having the whole box and not just one. I know this becasue a friend told me about it.

Let’s get back to the top. To see God is a blessing brought on by a pure heart and a pure heart is brought on by listening to the Holy Spirit and blessings to us and others will show up in the form of goodness. The goodness that can only come from God and will be washed over us and we will in turn wash it over others. So if you want to do good, pay attention first to what and who you are listening to. When I was younger my mother would remind me “garbage in, garbage out.” and she was right.

So far we have seen the beatittudes play out in the fruit of the Spirit in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and now goodness. In essence, as we sit at the table of life, let’s grab for a carrot instead of that box of girl scout cookies and see how that changes our lives, relationships, and jobs.

Have a great day and pay attention to goodness. It will change your life!

As we look at the beatitudes in the Bible, this time we are going to take a look at mercy. Everyone knows what mercy is right?? So my question today is this. If everyone knows about mercy, why is it so elusive today? Jesus, in his sermon on the mount, said this “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. (Matt. 5:7 NIV)

I have to be honest here and tell you that this blog has not been for you. It’s been for me. A place I could put down some thoughts, fears, excitement, and a snapshot of life. Those of you that have left me comments and/or likes are very kind. But to be honest there have been times in my life, and maybe you can relate, where all I do is go from one “like” to another hoping it will be enough to get me through the day, week, or month.

Chasing after the “like” has been a bigger part of my life than I relly care to admit, esipacally since leaving the contracting world. Going from owning and running two successful business (what successful means can be debated) to being a pastor. Some people think (I really should say me), being a pastor means you give up everything. This includes things like money, prominence, opinions, and everything else that can have to do with self-respect. We as pastors do this so as to not get in the way or putting barriers between people and God. It really is a knoble calling. The problem comes when anyone does this, especially pastors, it will lead to quickly burning out.

While the idea is right, putting others ahead of yourself, sometimes how we go about it is wrong. For me, I found myself in a pattern of thinking that I was being asked to go from business leader to a sheep being led to the slaughter. You know, just like Jesus did. A very knoble purpose of being sacrificed by and for God. What I didn’t realize was that the position of sacrifical lamb was already taken and was only ment for the Son of God. When you find yourself at that point it is truly like looking off the edge of a cliff.

What I have found instead, is that only when we become broken to ourselves can God really start to build. We pastors find that this preaches very well and really easy to others but we really don’t like to hear it for ourselves very often. But this is where you truly find the mercy of God.

This past year for me has been one of true testing. Not the kind of testing we see in most of our lives. Like a testing of trials and decisions but rather a testing of sabbath and listening. Because I am such a superior student what takes most people a few weeks only has taken me about nine months.

So what have I learned? I have learned that no matter who you are or what you think you may be ready for, you’re not. The crushing. It’s the crushing that you’re not ready for. The crushing of dreams, the crushing of relationships, the crushing of career. All these things can and will be crushed by God if that’s what it takes to refine one of his children. That is where true mercy can be found.

Mercy is found when you come to the end of you and you recognize that this is precisely where God begins. God will not compete for leader in your life but his mercy is there when you are crushed and looking for a Savior. When you get to this point you start to see the pain and crushing that others are going through too. It is at this end that mercy for others will start to shine and bloom in your mind and life.

When we start to see the need to build others up instead of tearing them down we will understand mercy. That is when we too will see the mercy of God in our lives. Thanks be to God, the creator of heaven and earth and the one who is truly merciful.

Have a great day and be merciful to others!!

The last couple of weeks have been interesting at best. When you go from riding motorcycles and golfing in Texas to a winter retreat in Billings Montana it is quite a shock to the system. 70’s on the one hand and when I woke up this morning it is a balmy -9 degrees Fahrenheit. In spending this year traveling around the country and getting to reset my mind I have been reminded of how diverse our country is. From the Rocky Mountains of Yellowstone, Glacier, and into Canada. To the hill country of Texas and even the sandy beaches of the south Texas coast I am fascinated with it all.

The thousands of different people we have encountered along the way, have reminded me that even though we are different and individual we still all have one thing in common. We are all striving after something.

As I have been reading Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, I have been trying to look at it with a different perspective. At first, and in the last few posts, I had been taking an if-then approach to the beatitudes. If you are poor in spirit, if you mourn, if you are meek then you will get the kingdom of heaven or comfort or things of this nature. What I am learning and becoming more impressed upon is this. We need to shift from an if-then type of thinking to an examination of what is most important in life. In this shift of thought, we are still granted all of the things that Jesus promises in the beatitudes, it’s just a different mindset as to what we are chasing after. If you are just chasing after a better life now, you might be encouraged to act in false humility. You may be looking to mourn so you might be comforted or meek so as to try and gain all that earth has to offer. That’s not really what Jesus is trying to get across here. Living life this way is all about focusing on me and my happiness. What I want to help us shift is who or what should be the focus of our actions.

This time we take a look at “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Matt 5:6 NIV

What are you hungry for? Ok, I’m writing this at breakfast time so that’s probably not the right question. In life what are you hungry for? What is it that helps you get out of bed in the morning? Why do you have the relationships you have? Why did you take the job you have? Why do you go to or avoid church?

We all are hungry for something and are trying to squeeze everything we can out of it but sometimes we don’t recognize what that is. Some people try to do as little as possible and they work very hard at it. Some, try to do as much as they can to succeed in work, money, relationships and they are also working very heard to gain it.

This may or may not make sense but the results of what Jesus is talking about here is really what kind of impact is happening from an eternal perspective. We should grieve about injustice or mourn for those who are hurting but the shift comes from what the outcome will be. Alright, hang with me here for just a bit. This shift is a spiritual shift. Going from what will I get to who am I focusing on. In an if-then focus or I want the result, therefore, I will do the action to get the desired result. When we shift to thinking from a godly perspective we are focused on both the here now and the what’s later, we will focus on what it will take to make sure that everyone has a chance to hear the Good News of the Gospel and not only spend eternity in Heaven but will have the proper perspective of what life on earth will look like and where we will place our hope. The results of the beatitudes are the same but one will only give satisfaction here on earth and the other will grant happiness for eternity.

So love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength and you will then gain all that the beatitudes have to offer. Thirst for the righteousness of God and you will be filled with all you can imagine and more. Yes, it is an if-then thing but just keep the if in the right perspective.

Have a great day!!

We have survived Valentines Day and are now wondering what is to come next? In my mind, once you get to Presidents Day weekend spring has to be right around the corner. And does it even matter? I think that depends on where you are living at the time. In Texas, I have no problem with winter. It’s been anywhere from the 50’s to the 80’s like it is today.

That’s enough about Spring it will be here soon enough and then we can start complaining about the heat instead of the cold. Complaining, that’s an interesting word in our culture today. For some, they complain because they don’t seem to have enough or they complain that someone else has too much. Have you been complaining lately? Do you know someone who has? I’m sure we can all point a finger at someone like that but be careful if you do that and you are standing in front of a mirror.

As we continue our journey from here to there and we are looking at what Jesus was talking about in his sermon on the mount and how Paul seemed to pull together with its proof of how we know if we are thinking and acting. We are looking at nine things that Jesus said that if we follow we will be able to experience Heaven here on Earth.

So far we have looked at what it means to gain the Kingdom of Heaven and therefore experience true love. and be comforted in order to know what true joy is all about. Today, let’s take a look at what it takes to inherit the earth. You already know that in order for you to inherit something it has to be left to you by your father or mother. (or some rich uncle you never knew about…..) So what does it take to inherit the earth and do I really want it? The answer is, of course, you want it, we all want it in some form or fashion or another and to some degree or other. Some want more and some a little less but if we are truly honest with ourselves we all want to have something but is meekness what we are striving for?

Jesus tells us that people are blessed when they are meek because they are going to inherit the earth. Paul later tells us that if we are willing to make the journey from here to there we will also then have peace. You know you want peace. As with all things, you can’t have one without the other. You and I see people every day who think they are going to rule the world and in order to do so, they will step on anything and anyone to get there. You also know that you don’t really want to hang with them or be with them because there is no room for you. If you really look close to their lives you will also know that no matter who they are if they are looking to rule this world they don’t know the meaning of the word peace. I don’t care if your Buffet, Trump, Obama, or Gates. If you are put into a position of power and are not willing to lead with God’s plan for your life you will never experience peace. We also would rather hang with someone and follow someone who is meek rather than me first. In the end, it always works that way.

Do you know how to have true peace? The first step is to know who can give you peace, true peace. To start with you will need to know one person. That person is Jesus Christ. The first step to peace is a relationship with Jesus and then the next step is yours. Step two, is meekness, truly knowing what it means to be meek, not the fake stuff we throw around like a cheap toy. Hey look at me I’m meek. (by the way if you say that you’re not meek or humble)

M J Wilkins has this to say about being meek “The domineering, the aggressive, the harsh, and the tyrannical are often those who attempt to dominate the earth and establish their own little kingdoms. But Jesus says that it is the “gentle” who will inherit the earth, harking back to the psalmist who encourages those who have been treated harshly by evildoers (Ps. 37:9, 11)“For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.” And “But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.”

Don’t confuse meekness with weakness. To be meek will take much more strength than it does to try and dominate. To be gentle implies a great deal of restraint. You and I both know if you turn on the TV or even have a conversation with a friend it doesn’t take long to realize that no one really knows how to be gentle anymore. What do you think would happen if our government in Washington DC would talk and act with a level of restraint and gentleness? What about in your own family? What would it look like if we didn’t all just always say what we think or feel or know? Instead, what if we both listened more than we talked and we thought a little more than we spoke? But that’s only part of it. The real proof comes through an internal heart of being gentle (or meek). When you live this way you will know true peace.

Through my time in studying these topics, I have been looking into the resource of the NIV Application Commentary and thought they said it well in explaining about being meek and inheriting the earth. ““Jesus exemplifies best what it means to be gentle. It takes tremendous strength to bring others into God’s will, but when that strength is coupled with a selfless nonassertiveness, it produces a gentle person who can patiently endure much to bring about God’s purposes for his people. Such gentle persons “will inherit the earth.” Jesus assumes this gentle posture as he preaches good news, proclaims freedom, and announces the arrival of the Lord’s favor, and blessed are those who do not take offence at his gentle messianic ministry. Ultimately this points to the reign of Christ on this earth, but even now Jesus’ disciples have entered into their spiritual inheritance.”

To wrap up today we need to know this: Meekness (or being gentle in all things) = inherit the earth. The byproduct of this kind of life is peace. The biggest secret to this life is to trust that what God has planned for you is both the right thing and enough. Today I am asking you to take a step back and evaluate what you are doing and why you are doing it. Whose kingdom are you trying to build……yours or God’s? Try God’s and see what kind of peace shows up

Next stop on the journey from here to there: Being hungry in order to be full

So I am entering the tenth month of a year experiment. At least that’s what I am telling myself. That way I don’t feel weird about the time I have taken off. In this time away I have experienced a plethora of experiences, places, people, cultures, thoughts, and feelings.

We (Joan and I) have had some great views, great conversations, and great kids join us along the way. My truck tells me that we have driven over 28,000 miles since we hooked up to the 5th wheel and took off. Of course, all of that is not pulling the RV but in all the places we have been and things we have done. From spending the early summer exploring Yellowstone, Glacier Nat. Park, the Rockies of Canada and back again it is a trip I will never forget. We spent the rest of summer driving back and forth to Madison, SD to get our house ready and sold. In the fall we spent time at the farm bringing in the late harvest of corn and then once it threatened us with a major snow storm we headed south to the warmth of Texas.

We have been from here to there and back again in our travels and it is clear to me that our lives are the same way. We all have traveled in our lives. Some of those travels take us miles away from what we call home and some of those travels take us back and forth to work each day. You see it doesn’t really matter how many miles you put on your truck or bike or shoes. What really matters is how you progress as a person. Just as your physical life will go from here to there so goes your spiritual life.

It is my desire that each one of you know the beautiful saving grace that comes only from Jesus Christ. A grace that will save your soul for all of eternity. We all grow and move in our spiritual lives, the only question is which way will you go?

Over the next several posts I would like to take you on a journey from here to there. A journey that will show you when you take what Jesus shares with us from his message from the mount (The Sermon On the Mount). This is the starting point of transformation and Paul then shows us the destination of that journey. It is through love, grace, learning, and determination that we walk this journey of life. So let’s head out!

Our Starting point is found in the Gospel of Matthew in the 5th Chapter. Jesus is talking to a large group of people and starts his message with what has been labeled the Beatitudes. Matthew 5:3-11

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

You will notice a blessing for each thing that we may experience in life and then what God will bring to us if we choose to follow his way of life. But the real question many people ask is “How do I know if I am living it right so as to receive the result of the blessing?” A great question indeed, and I believe there is an answer. That answer is found in the book Paul wrote to the Galatians.

Paul in Galatians 5 gives us a set of 9 reactions we will have if we are living our lives correctly. the list of 9 is this: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. You may have heard this before as the fruit of the spirit. So as we journey from here to there we must start and end with what Jesus has told us and the proof in the pudding so to speak will show up through the fruit of the spirit.

Let’s take a look at the first one on the list. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” 

What does it mean to be poor in spirit? Michael Wilkins explains it this way “The “poor” are those who have encountered unfortunate circumstances from an economic point of view, but also persons who are spiritually and emotionally oppressed, disillusioned, and in need of God’s help. Those who have experienced the harsh side of life in which deprivation and hunger are their regular lot have no resources of their own to make anything of their lives. This also includes those who recognize that they can produce no spiritual or religious self-help before God. They are spiritually bankrupt.  We hear this in the psalmist as he cries out in Psalm 40:17. “Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay.””

So in essence, all of us are or have been poor in spirit. When we realize our need for God and choose to do life God’s way God tells us we will gain the kingdom of heaven. If we are gaining the kingdom of heaven how do we know if we are “gaining” on it? The proof is Love.

When it comes to love, there is no amount of work that you can do to earn your love. Love comes from a byproduct of the soul. In your journey of life, you will either live in love or you won’t. There is no third direction. When your focus is on God and the ultimate life in Heaven for eternity, this life here on Earth can have a whole different outlook. No longer will money, status, health, and personal satisfaction be our main goal in life. As we journey from here to there we will see the love that God has for us and in turn that love of God will be expressed in your life and everything you do.

Understand your need for God + Love in your heart and life for God and others = The Kingdom of Heaven

Next time we will explore how you can be comforted.

Have a GREAT day and love those around you!! – Bryan

I don’t know why and I can’t really explain it but I just had the phrase “Be excellent to each other!” go through my mind. For those of you over the age of thirty, you will recognize this iconic quote from the movies of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventures. Now I will agree that these are probably the dumbest movies ever made. (And that’s why I would watch them) But if you look into the characters and what the movie was about you can start to catch some great principles of the Bible and to live life by.

Now just relax, I’m not going to start saying that Hollywood is a great place to find Biblical principles because it’s not. But I will say this, even Hollywood can not escape the natural principles of life that were originally instituted by God, no matter how hard they try. Let’s be honest, Bill and Ted got the expression from what we might know as the Golden Rule. The Golden Rule is the principle of treating others as one’s self would wish to be treated. The Chinese philosopher Confucius (551–479 b.c.) stated it negatively, “Do not do unto others what you would not want others to do unto you!” Jesus in turn, was not quoting Confucius but rather was giving us a summary of the Old Testament and what God wants us to do with the New Testament in one line. “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Mt 7:1-2) At the center of this is a simple principle that Jesus gave to us. Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself. You can find this is Mt 22: 37-40.

Another line from the movies is this, “Ted, you and I have witnessed many things, but nothing as bodacious as what just happened. Besides, we told ourselves to listen to this guy.” I can totally see the story of Jesus and the disciples being made by a Bill and Ted remake with this quote in the story, Bill and Ted go back in time and meet up with themselves and tell them to listen to someone they have just met. How awesome… I mean How totally tubular of a story would that make if Peter and John were standing there when they met Jesus and a voice told them to listen to this guy! O wait, it happened when Jesus was baptized by John and God opened the heavens, a dove descended and He told them that this was His son with whom he is pleased with and that we should listen to him. Ok ok, that’s enough quotes from Bill and Ted for now but let’s think about these two things for just a moment.

One, BE EXCELLENT TO EACH OTHER. Some people think that this means to just put up with whatever happens and keep the peace. Others think that this means to never have an agenda or set of thoughts and in doing so you will never be offended and can always be excellent with one another. Neither one is true and both ideals take a defensive posture. The statement to “be excellent to each other” or “do unto others as they do to you”, needs to be flipped into an offensive posture. Now pay attention here. We are not to offend and therefore be offensive but instead, we are to bring this attitude to others instead of just reacting to them and therefore we are on the offense, not the defense. Hang with me here, in the NIV Commentary by Mike Wilkins he says this “In other words, to fall into a pattern of life in which we judge others is to show that we are not true members of the kingdom of heaven. Absolute judgment is a categorical pronouncement of the guilt of another person as though this is the final word on a matter. At fault is a person who makes himself and his way of doing things and his opinion the absolute standard. He or she has usurped the place of God because only God can judge in this way.” So instead of judging try getting to know someone. Have a meal or a cup of coffee with them and really get to know them without thinking of all the ways they are screwing up and instead encourage them through how you live your life FOR God and not Against God. See what kind of a difference can be made when someone starts to have a hope in a prefurred future that includes doing life God’s way for a change.

Second, YOU AND I HAVE WITNESSED MANY THINGS, BUT NOTHING AS BODACIOUS AS WHAT JUST HAPPENED can and should take us back to the beginning. Our story as a human race does not really start at Genesis 3 but back at Genesis 1. We can not forget that before the first sin and all of the world as we know it went off the rails there was a creation. A beautiful and loving creator started everything with good. You, me, everyone else all came from a loving God that wants to have a relationship with you and I. And in all of this God wants for us to be excellent to each other and to him. That’s it. It’s not about a big set of rules. Although they do come into play to help us and not hurt us. Following God’s rules will help you stay out of some sticky situations and bad relationships but rules are not all that life is about. It is about living, living toward something and not just trying to get away from something. Spoiler alert… that something you’re looking for is God. Start today in chasing after how God wants you to live (you can find this in the Bible and also adding to that your ETHOS) and just start today. A farmer friend of mine tells me that the only way you can plant in a straight line is to look forward and not behind. Give it a try and see what happens.

In taking this year away I have had some of the most excellent adventures. From getting to see some of the most beautiful and interesting things our country has to offer to also have some of the most unexpected conversations I have ever had. I have been learning, filling in blanks of past mistakes and misunderstandings so as to learn from them and try not to repeat them, and dreaming of a preferred vision and future as God lays it out in front of me. Thanks for listening!

Now go Be Excellent To Each Other!