That someone you are passing is made in God's image.

Take Time to say, "Hi."

Some of the news recently reminds me of my daily exercise walk. Besides that, I figure it's about time for an update on the pavement pounders. Kathy and I have walked on the route from the Yigo (jee-go) Fire Station to the "X," where the road is blocked, for over a year now.  At 3.2 miles/walk, I figure we've put in over 600 miles.  There are two rules that Kathy and I maintain as we walk. We walk fast, and we greet everyone we meet. We meet some famous and glamorous folk who, like us, are out for some exercise in the morning. Famous or not we speak to all of them. Unlike us, Sean Penn is a runner. We see him a couple of times a week. He has never introduced himself, but as I look at him through my sweat impaired eyes, as he is running one way and I am walking the other, I'm sure it is him. Even though he generally wears a hoodie, the nose is a giveaway. He's exactly what you would expect.  He always looks like he's puzzling through some deep existential crisis. He never smiles, but on occasion, he breaks his runners-high trance long enough to grunt a reply to our greeting. I'm not holding my breath for an invitation to his gated villa surrounded by Guamian jungle and few hundred guards. I've never heard anyone say anything about Penn living here. No doubt it's because he has sworn them to secrecy. Some of you are under the mistaken notion that Mr. Miyagi, Noriyuki "Pat" Morita is dead. No, he's alive and walking, and looking pretty good I might add. I always resist greeting him with "Wax on. Wax off," but he looks to me like he is still into catching flies. Though I resist the line from the movie, we always tell him hello. He is as friendly as he used to be in the movies. It's not as hard for him to blend in as it is for poor Sean. A Hafa Adai tee-shirt is all it takes for Miyagi-san to blend in with the island's Asian culture. There are a bunch of other regular greetees that I don't know as well. There is a guy who is either an Asian stock trader or a spy. I figure he has a hidden earphone he is listening to. He doesn't have time for us; he's either saving the world or becoming its richest man, so I understand. It's always a pleasure to see the world's best-dressed walker, bright, perky, hair well-groomed, and perfectly color coordinated. She, her less colorful companion, and the man they drag along, always return our greeting. Those we know well, some even by name, we begin to greet when we are about ten yards apart. That way we can have time for a brief exchange. For some, like Lily and Hector, an older couple who stroll along like they wouldn't mind spending all day on the little dead-end road, we'll often stop and chat for fifteen or twenty seconds. Two things are true about all our companions. None of the walkers pass us, and we greet them all, even the Asian sage, no doubt a descendant of Confucius, who is even less talkative than Sean. Recently the news has been full of reports that President Trump said some unfortunate things about some of the people in the world. He and his spokesmen deny it. Me? I'm following the lead of Penn and the Sage. Whether he said what others say he said or not, is beside my point. The news gives us opportunity to ask: Why should we show respect and kindness to everyone we meet on life's walk? Some don't return our kindness, some even treat us badly, though we treat them well. James confronts his far-flung congregation, folk who had met more than their share of ill-treatment, with a basic reality. James 3:9–10 (NASB95) With [the tongue] we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God;  from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. The Apostle Paul says that our speech should be that which builds up, not tears down. Why? Because people are created in God's image. They should be treated as such. The next time I walk down that road in Yigo, indeed, wherever I walk for the rest of my days, I will never meet a human being who is not worthy of respect and kindness, because everyone I meet is a bearer of the image of the God of the universe.  It's STTA.

A False Alarm and a Real Lesson

"Where could I turn but to the Lord?"

My friend, Liann Stae, lives in Hawaii. She gave me permission to share her thoughts about this morning's false alarm, warning of missile attack. It’s amazing how God is speaking to me this morning. Hawaii awoke to very alarming news. The official warning was that a bomb was heading our way...many people panicked, even stores were getting ready to close, and some did CLOSE as soon as they heard the news. To many, including me, it all seemed real... That is exactly how real Gods calling is for us all. I opened up my phone to do my daily devotion, and the first thing that came up was this verse from Ephesians 5:14 which states, “...Awake O Sleeper and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” This verse sounds so much, like when Jesus told Lazarus to rise, and Lazarus obeyed the command and walked out of his tomb. Are we seeing our calling from Christ, to be as real as the frightened Hawaiians saw the threat of a nuclear attack, which turned out to be a mistake by the way. Thank the Lord! Because for sure, we were not all ready at all for this. Question is, are we gonna OBEY God’s calling? And do what wakeful people do in the face of danger? This is an awakening for many and a reminder to others...JESUS thank you for this reminder!  If I had been in Hawaii, I would have sought to get my family to safety and would have done everything I could to see that neighbors and loved ones would have a chance to survive the disaster that appeared to be coming from the sky. I claim to believe in the reality of heaven, hell, and eternity. I believe that Jesus deserves to be worshipped in every nation and language on earth. Am I willing to give that reality the priority it deserves in my life? Thanks, Liann for giving us . . . STTA (Something To Think About). Liann is a 2017 graduate of  Pacific Islands University, where Kathy and I are privileged to serve. She works as a teacher's aide in Hawaii, and was just accepted into a Masters in Counseling program at Liberty University. If you'd like to find out you can help give a good, Biblically based education to more people like Liann, click here.

Christmas, The Virgin Birth

Not, "Did you get What you wanted for Christmas, But, "Did you Learn something from Christmas?

Even before it had taken place, people struggled to accept the miracle of the Virgin Birth of Christ.   The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son. . . .  Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:30-34, emphasis added)   We all know where babies come from. It's what twelve-year-old boys snicker about, fathers of teen girls worry about, and what makes it, when it is done right, such a wonderful concept. Women don't get pregnant without the involvement of a man. During Jesus earthly life, His enemies used this as an insult. You can see the sneer on the faces of the Pharisees when "They said to Him, 'We were not born of fornication'" (John 8:41). Down through the centuries, the sneering and ridicule have continued. It hasn't taken the Lord by surprise. Kathy and I received news that some friends of ours just had the first Baby born in 2018 in Wellington New Zealand. As I look at Oksana's picture, I am struck with the miracle of any birth. The same God Who sovereignly oversees his universe so that the meeting of ovum and sperm brings a new and unique life into existence is well capable of providing the genetic material needed for a new life, without the involvement of a man. Having said that, though, there is no getting around (and I'm not trying to get around it) the fact that God chose to bring His unique son into this world in a unique way. From the get-go it is clear that what we consider miraculous is just a day at the office for our great God. Part of the angel's reply to Mary was, "[N]othing will be impossible with God." Restoring a sin-cursed creation, bringing people dead in sin to life--everlasting life--in Christ, and calling out a people who will be God's special people are tasks that require supernatural power. God made known, even in the conception of His Son as a human, that the Trinity is up for the task. "A virgin will conceive." is not merely an arcane point of doctrine for Theologians to argue about in their towers of ivory. It is a reality that makes clear the fact that our Savior comes with supernatural power to accomplish that which is clearly beyond us. This Christmas I learned that God is able. It's STTA (Something To Think About).  If you'd like to read some stuff that a Theologian friend of mine wrote about the Virgin Birth, click here. By the way, I've been to Jim's house, and He's been a guest in my home on Guam. He doesn't even have an ivory tower, though he has been known to argue.