Faith based marriage is a great institution. Marriage is about the future not my rights.

It seems a tragedy that some seem willing to give up clear principles of living and healthy relationships for a transitory approval of others.

No matter one’s religious background, family has been a foundation principle of our nation. That is one issue on which the president seemed to have a solid footing. His announcement stumps me. I don’t know how to rectify it.

The problem is a people in a nation that have lost attachment to principles that build healthy communities. When our focus is all about us instead of serving our families and friends and community, we begin calling right wrong and wrong right.

It is not my position to judge another’s life decisions and private actions. They answer to God alone. There is plenty of room for all of us to err in our living and still be productive and reasonably happy in this life.

It is certainly important to promote what is solid principle that works.

Family exists for the next generation. When we get focused so much on ourselves that this institution of community stability focuses on our rights and needs, family becomes a contract convenience.

Go ahead and have a contract. Form a legal partnership or llc and call it what you want. Create a new legal relationship status. But don’t confuse it with marriage or a family.

Given the nature of this outreach to all politicians, I don’t weigh in on political issues. This is not political. Marriage and family are a faith based institution adopted by the civil society.

This quite likely will open the doors of definition to multiple partners in a civil marriage. Maybe the people of faith need to step away from the civil institution and focus on the faith institution as they have become greatly separate in definition and community impact.

In Mexico, you are first married by the state and then married by the church. In the US, we still have faith anointed marriages accepted by the state instead of the other way around.

The people of God need to take their message of hope for healthy living to the streets of our nation and begin a revival of sensible and sustainable lifestyles.

Friendship

Being an active friend is wisdom. It allows needful interchange at crucial moments. Most of us will only have a few true friends in our lifetime. Treasure them. Balance with them. It is a kingly stature to cultivate good friendship in considerate manner. -Phil Larson

Do I really believe? Does it move my actions?

A friend noted that leadership for them comes when they see a leader more engaged in the cause than the followers.  Yes, leadership is example.

Over the last few years, I seem to have been less involved in promoting good fathering than in the prior years.  The implementation of government programs as an outcropping of a positive move of the executive branch seemed good.  It caused a rest in my soul.

Shame on me.  Shame on the church.

Government fathering is impotent.  Thanks for the boost and publicity.  But, God the Father is God the Father and His ways are higher than our ways.

The addictive elixir of government support is fatal.  Sure, I love the “faith based” initiatives.  Let’s make sure they are faith based and not government based.  Let’s make sure government is asking for help on all levels that include thought leadership, action leadership, mental and emotional positioning with faith as the lead and government as the servant.  Otherwise, we have moved to a government based faith and violated our own constitution.

Okay, so let’s get back to fathering, church.

Let’s move back into the lead.

My email is too full of government run and government mandated and government initiated fathering with no pursuit from faith initiators.

I don’t know what I am going to do, but I am going to do something.  We’ve reached a sickened point.  Fathering is a heart of God. The government should respect that.  They should fear that.  They should be screaming for separation of church and state. When they are not, we are in trouble of a state church.

Consider Your Options

Over the last few weeks, our team at work has been pounding out campaigns for clients.  Local non-profits need donor solicitation.  Sales driven businesses with complicated sales cycles need technology acceleration to assist lead development.  National software companies need event promotion and market recognition.  Agencies need to make clear notification of privacy options.  Sports teams need fan connection.  World-wide service organizations need communications among distributed operations.  Insurance companies need sales collateral specific to state and product on demand and customized to point of connection at 100 places on the same day every day.  All of these are different and common.

Communication has options.  Integration of mobile, home website, specific microsite, personalized microsite, social online, letters, postcards, event promotional pieces, custom packaging, leave behinds, buckslips, maps, business cards, banners, posters, remittance inserts, and other options is no small feat.  Cross media options must be selected and prepared with care and perfection.  Marketing the right message means options.

Communication has specificity.  There is a message and a storyline that emanates from a the people in a company.  All of that collateral must provide a single clear call to be effective.  The people in the company need to know the message and the media must deliver the message.

Communication has response.  Our slippery attention span needs immediate and concise alternatives.  Can I call you?  Email you?  Go to your homesite? Connect via my phone/tab/notebook/desktop/laptop? Visit a personal site?  Get in and get out?  Chat?  Find a person when I need them?  I need alternative ways to fit where I am at the moment.

Communication has follow through.  One of the greatest frustrations is to watch a sales or service team locked into old methods and unable to respond to open and ready buyers or interested volunteers or needful and ready reactors.  Hustle, hustle, hustle….

Just a few thoughts this morning as I head to the next ready company.  They are sports/entertainment based.  What will be that adventure?  How can we help them engage the fans?  Entertain the event attendees?  Communicate from the players to their followers?  Whew… it is fun and challenging.

Please excuse me for not writing sooner

After several weeks of praying for legislators in several states, these notes came in this week. Healing, peace, comfort, changed legislative results. Prayer should be effective and make changes.

Below are excerpts from notes received this week:

Please excuse me for not writing sooner. I want you to know how much I appreciate your prayers – I’ve read them all and it is a blessing.

Thank you so much

Thanks, again, Phil, for your many prayers. They certainly helped make our recently-concluded session far less confrontational than previous ones. God bless you for your thoughtfulness

a month ago, my wife and I had a deep conversation. I confessed some wounds of my past, she prayed over healing for me and confirmed her love. Since then……I have had a freedom I have never known before. So, thank you so much for praying…..I believe they are having deep influence

Thank you Phil for your prayer.

Your prayers continue to encourage me

It’s amazing how appropriate and needed your prayers are. Thank you so very much

This prayer resonates with the Sixth Step work I am doing in ,,,,,, Anonymous currently. It also fits nicely with the reflection I will be offering at my church this Sunday (the first Sunday in Lent).
Whatever spiritual path is your own, may the journey from winter to spring bring you many insights and much joy.

Thanks again for all the prayers and support. I have great news—the Lord has healed my cancer and I am in full remission. Just wanted to pass along that huge Amen to you.

Thanks. Your prayers and encouragements have sustained and blessed me.

Flat Out Fun

Exodus 23:5 If you see the donkey (car,truck) of one who hates you lying [helpless] under his load,(dead or with a flat) you shall refrain from leaving the man to cope with it alone; you shall help him to release the animal.(fix it and get down the road)

Flat Out Fun : After spending a few hours in a public facility, I returned to find a flat on my truck. Ram pickups are big trucks. That wheel looked imposing. My casual business dress felt restricting. Really glad I did not put on that white shirt this morning.
Immediately I set to work. Rain was coming. Lightening was threatening. Finally I figured all the needs out, dropped the spare, jacked the truck, changed the tire, put everything back and climbed in to drive home. The rain spit on me as I replaced the jack under the seat. Whew! I laughed and thanked God for muscles for the moment.

All the while, people were coming to their cars, beeping to unlock, and driving past me on the ground under the truck, by the wheel, lifting the big ol tire, and doing the deed. Where was that great security crew I saw driving around all this time? No one asked to help or even offered an encouraging word. Many passed and looked the other way.

There must be a way to make time for others. I’m sure every person felt I had the situation under control. Between me and Jesus, we did.

I laughed and had a good time and thanked God the rain held off and I was able to do what needed done. Honestly, it was fun.

Quizzical
That verse in Exodus used to be common practice in our nation. I grew up picking up hitchhikers and changing tires on the side of the road for others. In our age of cell phones and hurry-up, we seem to have lost time for others. I am just as guilty as any. The moral center of our nation is skewed a different direction. I don’t have a solution, but I certainly see the issue. Somehow, we need to get back to some easy to understand scriptural guidelines of civil responsibility and common neighborliness. What an opportunity for the Christians in our nation to show the effect of reading that book with effective behaviors.

Prayer:
Father, we could sure use some help in our courage and consideration of others. What has entered our cultural soul that enables us to walk by friend and fellow citizen and not offer our time and selves? What has happened to so busy us that we leave others to fend for themselves. Father, we need your intervention. Our view has been skewed. Our understanding has been shifted to self and hurry. Father, I am guilty. I have passed others on the road and not offered help. Cure our hearts. Bring us to a simple living of simple scriptural principles.

Be Contented, Friend

“Never be discouraged if you don’t do too well – or over elated when you make a good play. Simply do the best you have in you again on the next down.” Bud Wilkinson writing to his son, Jay. In the same letter…. “Character, kindness, and thoughtfulness toward other people, and an unselfish attitude of service to others are the qualities which make a man.” in the book Dear Jay, Love Dad.

Matthew 6:34 So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow or the next decision or the next moment, for tomorrow and the next moment will have worries and anxieties of their own. Sufficient for each day and moment is its own trouble.

An element of success is the ability to be in the moment, focused on the moment, and not overly concerned about what cannot be controlled. Giving our best to the moment and decision and day brings good results over time and great results in our character.

Father, let Friend see success in the moments.

Let me see success in my moments.

Allow Friend to find contentment in giving the best to the decisions and days met this week.

Open a window of refreshing enjoyment of the journey this week for us.

Bless and do not hold back, Father.

You are good to all and Your tender, loving kindness covers all Your works.

A beautiful prayer from a friend .. Vic Rios Zartuche

Padre, Incomodanos, No dejes que nos acostumbremos a este mundo!!, Incomodanos!, Déjanos ser espejos tuyos!, Ser como tú. Sin pecado, Llenos de luz y de tu gloria, El mundo te necesita Dios!, Avivanos!, Ayudanos a tocar más corazones!, Por que por ti fuimos, somos y seremos!, Venceremos a tu lado Cristo!. Si Dios es con nosotros nada podrá pararnos, Si Dios es con nosotros, ¿Quien nos podrá detener?

Musings

The beauty of our world is the intricate design of God underlying the visible surface. How purposeful is His handiwork. How powerful is His creation.

The Greening of Life

Getting to Watch

Yes, this year, I get to watch the grass poke up. It happens in such a short time frame. Winter subsides and Spring engages. Dates do not matter. Weather patterns and alignments of planets and sun and moon matter. They are ready. The wood is ready. The animals are ready.

Bright blue bird and stark red jay flew through the land. They are ready. Goose honked in chorus headed for more northerly climes.

The dogwood and plum and pear are the first to leave winter and spring leaf. This year, I fenced around them to protect young shoots from hungry deer. Sorry, guys and gals. You did not leave anything for me last year. Animals only share in cartoons.

There is my favorite tufted titmouse. An odd name for a pretty songbird.

Springing My Soul
This time is about me coming alive also. Winter has been hard. Many deaths and sicknesses and tramas have hit over the years. This one was stout. Friends are suffering. That strains me in my late and early prayers.

Work in the community has been tough. There are changes. Old war horses have given up vision and are headed out to pasture. Gaps in the wall are not good. They did not train adequate replacement. They did not instill vision in another generation. Not good. Work in the community and culture will struggle.

New business is taking every thought I can think. Turning the double nickel, I am pressed to reinvent myself and everything I do. Entrepreneurs should be young of body, soul, and mind. That is not an age thing. It is a Spring thing.

Isaiah said it best. Young men will lack and suffer hunger. The lion will struggle. Those that get a postiive expectation of good and grace of the Lord will never be like that. They will walk and not faint. They will run and not be weary. They will mount up with wings as eagles. They will be strong and verdant even in their old chrononlogical age according to another writer. Let me at em.