You’re Looking to be Loved, Aren’t You?

I sometimes think “why am I spending time writing and why on earth am I posting my writing out there for random people to read?” There are much smarter people who already have proven that people do want to hear their thoughts. They are much more articulate than I am, have a much more diverse background, and already have a platform from which to share. I, on the other hand, just resigned the main platform that I could potentially share from. I doubt that platform will open to me again. I have started and stopped my blog enough times that even if I once had readers, they’re gone now. I appreciate my wife and my mom reading what I write, but let’s face it, they’re kind of obligated because of the nature of the loving relationship we have. So you can go to https://mosaicla.online.church/ on the even hours today and hear the talk that has inspired my words. I am not looking to be loved through my blog, just heard. I am writing because maybe the processing I have done on the subjects I am writing about will connect with you in a way that Erwin McManus will not. Maybe because of the loving relationship you and I have, your thoughts will be impacted by my thoughts in a unique way. Maybe you will decide that because you know me, you can pass on my words to someone else you know and they might resonate with the ideas and concepts that you want them to think about. But I’m going to continue to think and process and write even if no one is reading it.

This week I was reading about suicide in America. You may not know that it is the number one cause of death among gay and lesbian youth. Between 20 – 30 percent of LGBTQ people abuse substances, including alcohol, compared to 5 – 10 % of the general population. Those who are LGBTQ are 2 – 3 times more likely to be bullied. This is a group of men and women in our society in 21^st century America that is struggling to find answers to the question they have. It is not the only group in America searching for answers. It’s not being singled out from any other group for any reason other than it came to my attention this week.

The truth is, in our world today, many people are searching to make sense of their existence and their interaction with the world they live in; with the environment that they exist in; with their surroundings, and the people that are within their sphere of existence. The LGBTQ community is just one example of a group in our society that is struggling to find the answers to the same questions everyone is asking. The statistics are staggering. They are appalling and they are troublesome for me, as a Christ-follower.  Talk to almost anyone and they will tell you that they either have searched or are searching for meaning to their life. Most are trying to make some order out of what they perceive as chaos around and within them. It is interesting that many of those people decided that they can create the scenarios that bring perceived order; that they can design a truth that fits their narrative and thus exist in a realm that keeps them in the center and allows for their ultimate freedom to decided and choose anything they want to be their reality. Isn’t that what a myth is? These same people searching to make order out of perceived chaos will seldom consider that the universe itself is designed by someone who has that same desire for order. Seldom will they consider that they were designed to desire order by someone who also desires order. People think that somehow a great void and nothingness all of a sudden made one change and that change was the right change that perpetuated more right change and now here we are in a universe and a world and a sphere of existence that is the complete opposite of void and nothingness. So even though they are now wanting to create change in their existence, the entire existence of the universe could not be ordered by someone or something who desired to creatively change their existence.

I come to this topic with a bit of a bias that I want to acknowledge before I go any further. I was raised in a Christian home. My family heritage is generations of Christians, God-fearing men and women who left religions and political persecution in the Ukraine and other places prior to that, to find freedom in the United States. Having come to the conclusion at age 11 that Christianity provided the framework for me in answering these questions, like you, I have continued to struggle with the questions that I present in this blog. A framework doesn’t mean that every question is answered completely once and for all. Every question has nuance. Every answer does as well. You will likely sense my confidence in the framework through which I experience life. I want to humbly offer these thoughts in light and in spite of that.

“Why?” You may have never thought about the fact that it is one of the first things toddlers around the entire planet ask. Every little tiny human being wants to know why. Every parent and caregiver has literally fielded thousands of “why” questions from children who can hardly form a sentence, let alone comprehend the universe. Yet we all want to know why. Before trying to figure out why we have all tried to figure out something else without even knowing it. Before we have a capacity for language, before we have the ability to exert much of our free will, before we are actually cognitive enough to comprehend this in our minds, we have the need and desire to be loved. Research shows that the growth of at least one part of the infant brain is completely dependent upon the love, emotional warmth, and responsiveness shown to him or her by those in the infant’s environment.

As I was reading this week I was struck by the idea that the key question for all of us is “do you love me and will you always love me?” Whether it is asked directly or not by someone it is felt across gender lines, across sexual orientation lines, across nationality and cultural lines. Every human being wants to know that they are loved. This fact cannot be denied. Most every individual then wants to find meaning to their life. Meaning comes from knowing we are loved and by attempting to answer the “why” question. Neuroscience research supports the premise that the brain is actually primed for such things. Religion has typically been the vehicle to put a framework around such needs. It’s interesting that every culture has some sort of “religion” associated with it. Ara Norenzayan, Ph.D., a psychologist at the Univ. of British Columbia and co-author of Cognitive Science (Vol.30. No.3, 2006), says that “Religion is one of the big ways that human societies have hit on as a solution to induce unrelated individuals to be nice to each other.” He goes on to say that people become more charitable to one another by promoting belief in a supernatural agent; a “spirit” or “god.”

I find it interesting, though, that among all religions in the world, Christianity seems to be so quickly and easily excused by so many who are searching for love and searching to answer the questions of life and existence, and interested in exerting their free will. Even more interesting is the fact that in every world religion a person must “achieve” their connection with god by the nature of their actions. The much reach towards an aloof god. They must do the right things in order to get to achieve peace, happiness (nirvana), reincarnation, harmony with the universe, salvation, heaven, etc. Everything is dependent on their path to enlightenment, so to speak. You may not know this, but Christianity is the only religion (which I propose is not a religion at all) where God says we cannot and will not achieve salvation, thus He provides us the way to salvation in the most loving act one can ever comprehend, the offering of His one and only Son.

Christianity, a relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ, answers both questions that are fundamental to all humans from the beginning of their very existence; “Am I loved?” and “why?” I know that I am loved because the Creator of the Universe provided the way for a relationship with Him, the way for being a part of His Kingdom, and did so because He loves me. Jesus cries out to us, essentially saying, as Erwin McManus pointed out in his talk today, that “nobody is coming for you” from these other religions. These other gods are not offering you the answers because you are not really loved by them.

Now I am not naïve to think that these are the only questions you desire to have answered. I’ve also had enough experience in life to know that some of you think you know all the answers and are right, contrary to what anyone else wants to tell you. Even others of you think that if others think differently than you do, you have to be sure that they know how wrong they are. These things are actually a natural tendency of some people. Love does not always come naturally. Even though it is the very essence of our Creator, it doesn’t always come naturally to us. That is a conversation for another time, except to say that navigating the answer to the questions about being loved and understanding the why of existence is a difficult journey to navigate. What I want to humbly ask you to think about today are these questions foundational questions: 1) If I have such a desire to make order out of what feels like chaos, why would it make sense that my very existence is not designed by someone or something full of order? 2) If someone did design me, does that someone love me? 3) If that someone leaves it completely up to me to achieve the goal of life, is that love? 4) Isn’t it more love for that someone to tell me that I have been given everything I need for this life and the next because I am loved?

Friends, I am confident of this: God, the Creator of the Universe has given Jesus Christ, His only Son, so that you can have life and have it abundantly. There are not steps to achieving the life He has called you to. You simply have to believe it. It is not a far-fetched myth or fairy tale. The Encyclopedia Britannica says about myths “…there is no attempt to justify mythic narratives or even to render them plausible.” The same publication says of Fairy tales, “wonder tale involving marvelous elements and occurrences, though not necessarily about fairies.” They are stories rooted in folklore and art. The Christian message is a message that has withstood the test of time. It has the backing of archeologists, scientists, historians, and theologians around the world. The evidence is overwhelming. The precepts are trustworthy and true. You don’t have to take my word for it. The Case for Christ by the New York Times Bestselling Author Lee Strobel will lay out this journalist’s personal investigation of the evidence for Jesus. The Case for A Creator, and The Case for Faith by the same author will offer evidence that all points to the God of the Bible. Evidence That Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell is another great resource that will help you look into what I have proposed in this blog.

“Do you love me and will you always love me?” - When asked what side of a moral issue like the issue of LGBTQ, someone for whom I have great respect paused a moment and said “LOVE.” That is what I want to be known for. As for God, let’s allow Him to speak for Himself: 1 John 4:10 The Passion Translation “This is love: He loved us long before we loved him. It was his love, not ours. He proved it by sending his Son to be the pleasing sacrificial offering to take away our sins.”

“Why?” Like any parent would say, I can’t begin to answer all of your “why” questions. To answer the question of why He sent His Son, again, He can speak for Himself: John 3:16 The Passion Translation 16 For this is how much God loved the world—he gave his one and only, unique Son as a gift. So now everyone who believes in him will never perish but experience everlasting life.

I’m always interested and willing to make this a dialog. If you would like to interact publically in the comments section, we can do so. I’m happy to take it offline using my email address, which you can find in my bio.

As always, thanks for reading.

Perspective for Today…and Maybe Tomorrow

2020. I need to circle back to this topic again. So many people are still reflecting on 2020 and resolving about 2021. I, for one, am about done looking backward. I have told you that 2020 has been one of the best years of my life. 2021 is going to be even better. If it is not going to be one of the best years of your life, friend, you’re doing it wrong. Could it be that you have been living UNDER the circumstances? Could it be that your perspective is that life brings problems? How about you join me in not living UNDER the circumstance but OVER or ABOVE the circumstances in 2021. How about you join me in the perspective that I do not have problems, I have opportunities. I used to think that was silly. If someone would say that to me, and they have, in my mind I would think “they have never walked in my shoes.” But you know what, I now realize they had better sandals to walk in, and they were walking on solid ground.

Music speaks. Not every Christian song is full of scripture, but well-written songs of any genre are full of truth. “I am chosen, not forsaken. I am who You say I am. You are for me, not against me. I am who You say I am. (Who You Say I Am)” This is truth. Believing this truth will take you ABOVE the circumstance. This truth will help you see opportunities and will help make this year great.

I have recently been on a “western” kick. I have been watching some old and lots of newer westerns. I really enjoyed the series with Pierce Brosnan called “The Son.”. I watched “True Grit” from 2010. It is a remake of a John Wayne classic, which I don’t remember seeing. Maybe that’s why I really liked this one. Maybe it’s just good. “Back to the Future Part III” is on a Top 25 list and I watched it. Silly and fun.

The modern western I have enjoyed the most is the Netflix series “Longmire.” The series is based on the “Longmire Mystery” series by New York Times Bestselling Author Craig Johnson. The setting is a fictional town in a fictional county in Wyoming. It is loosely based on the northern Wyoming town of Buffalo. Johnson resides just outside of Buffalo. The series is actually filmed in New Mexico. In its 6 seasons, Longmire provides great entertainment as well as prompts thoughts regarding lots of moral 
issues. Now I am reading the novels. After reading the first one, I am half-way into the second and

enjoying them as much as the TV series. In an email exchange I recently had with the author, he informed me that he doesn’t feel that allowing his personal beliefs to crowd into this platform is fair to the readers. He would rather let the character’s actions “speak louder than any words.”

That leads me to ask myself “do my actions speak louder than any words?” Do my actions exhibit the belief that I am above my circumstance because I submit my life and my will over to the care of God? Do my actions convey to others the perspective that what some see as problems I choose to see as opportunities? If my actions do portray such personal beliefs, then, like Walt Longmire, I should even be able to poke fun at circumstances and problems. As Craig Johnson said to me “If God didn’t have a sense of humor, he certainly wouldn’t have created us…”

“You split the sea so I could walk right through it. My fears were drowned in perfect love…I am a child of God! (No Longer Slaves)” Every obstacle, every problem, every turbulent sea before you is an opportunity for God to show up. The sea that was supposed to be a problem becomes God’s perfect love drowning your fears and floating you above the circumstances. When you can see that for yourself, it’s a great day. Put together a string of great days and it becomes a great year.

If you’re reading this and it is resonating with you, you are on your way to a great 2021. I challenge you to take this perspective with you today. When you wake up tomorrow, have this perspective. I know you can do that tomorrow. Don’t worry about next week or next month. Just tomorrow. If you need help with this perspective, email me, text me, call me.

Thanks for reading,

Who You Say I Am – Hillsong Worship

No Longer Slaves – Jonathan David and Melissa Helser

 

Recovering from…

Have you ever been to the end of yourself? Have you ever said to yourself “I really don’t have what it takes”? Have you ever felt like the power you need to take one more step, to do one more thing, to live one more day is beyond your grasp? Did you know that the Bible is written by a number of people who experienced the same exact thing as you and me?

Growing up in a Christian home, connected to an ancestral line of Christians, and immersed in a community and culture of Christians was not enough to keep me from feeling that I was powerless. But feeling it and admitting it are two different things. So the answer to the feeling was to keep trying, in my own strength, because I didn’t have the courage to do anything else. 

I personally acknowledged a relationship with Christ in August of 1978 at age 11. As I gained an understanding of what a relationship with Christ really was, I rededicated my life to Christ in March of 1983 at age 16. After graduating from my Christian High School I attended a Christian College and grew in my knowledge of Christ and Christianity. I went on to be the worship leader at several churches and help people come into the presence of God in very real ways.

Thousands of years ago, Asaph was the head of worship and choir director in the time of King David and King Solomon. 12 of the Old Testament Psalms are attributed to him.  He was a prophet and a poet. In Psalms 73 we also learn that “…my faith was almost gone…” (Ps. 73:2 GNT). Here is a man who wrote more of the Bible than many of the other writers. Here is a man who led God’s people in worship in the very presence of the Ark of the Covenant and the Temple itself. Here is a man who facilitated worship for David, “a man after God’s own heart.” Yet he nearly missed seeing the goodness of God.

Psalm 73 goes on to list lots of reasons Asaph experienced this. I have my own reasons for experiencing this. You have your own reasons if you have experienced or are experiencing this. Some of you have come to this place because of the terrible and unfortunate things that have happened to you. For others of us, we have chosen to be victims of our own sinful choices. Regardless, many of us have “…lost confidence…” in the power of God to bring us back to a centered life, a sane life, a life in the care and control of God Himself. Whether we admit it or not, if we are really, truly honest with ourselves, we have begun looking at others and their circumstances and, like Asaph, become jealous. Or we have made sinful choices that have led to where we are today. In either case, we have failed to honestly look at ourselves. In either case, many of us have ended up in a very low place of nearly losing our faith.

Most people reach that bottom point of life where they have had enough. While I thought I had been there before, after the hills on this journey, the valleys seemed to get even deeper. The “hill country” had taken its toll on me because the valleys were too low. It is comforting to know that in my experience I was in the company of David’s worship leader.

Today I am happy to say that I am now recovering from being a victim. Listen to what Asaph says;

“I was so stupid. I was senseless and ignorant, acting like a brute beast before You, Lord. Yet, in spite of all this, You comfort me by Your counsel; You draw me closer to You. You lead me with Your secret wisdom. And following You brings me into Your brightness and glory! Whom have I in heaven but You? You’re all I want! No one on earth means as much to me as You. Lord, so many times I fail; I fall into disgrace. But when I trust in You, I have a strong and glorious presence protecting and anointing me. Forever You’re all I need! Those who abandon the worship of God will perish. The false and unfaithful will be silenced, never heard from again. But I’ll keep coming closer and closer to You, Lord Yahweh, for Your name is good to me. I’ll keep telling the world of Your awesome works, my faithful and glorious God (Psalm 73:22-28 TPT).

How does one “recover?” I will lay it out simply here. If you would like more insights, I would encourage you to respond to this post; take that first step of acknowledging that you are in this place, the same place Asaph and I have been in. So, that is the first step; to ADMIT that you do not have any power and that you cannot manage your life, as hard as you have tried.

The second step is to ACKNOWLEDGE once and for all that God is the only one that has the power you are looking for to bring your life back to center. Some of you have known that for a long time. Isn’t it time to finally accept that?

That brings me to the third step; AGREE right now, once and for all, to give up your will to God. Truly giving your life to God means actually letting Him influence every single part of who you are and what you do. Truly giving your life to God means never taking it back again. Truly giving your life to God means doing so one moment at a time.

“Recovery” is not a term that applies only to the alcoholic or the drug addict. There are a variety of hurts, habits, and hang-ups that we need to recover from. Yesterday I began recovering from a long, unhealthy relationship with food. It is the most recent of several things I have been recovering from. I have admitted I am powerless over my relationship with food. I have acknowledged that God can bring me to a place of healthy habits related to food. I have agreed that once and for all, I am giving up my will about food and letting God be involved in the changes that I am making. Like Asaph, I can say “…when I trust in You, I have a strong and glorious presence protecting and anointing me (Psalm 73:26 TPT).

If you would like to hear more insight into Psalm 73, I would invite you to find this message, "Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose" by Erwin McManus. Today you can find it at mosaic.org/live. This week’s service and this message play on the even hours through 8:00 pm tonight. Otherwise, you will find this message at https://mosaic.org/MESSAGES, YouTube, or anywhere you get your podcasts.

I would love to hear from you if this post resonated with you in any way. If you have questions, I'm happy to interact with you personally.

As always, thanks for reading.

Playlist to start 2021

Do you need a new playlist for January 2021? I don’t know what your tastes are so I’ll give you a playlist of my eclectic interests. Maybe something will speak to you. If so, go out and listen to more of that artist and let me know what you think.

It's All Right - Jon Batiste - Soul (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Start Right Here - Casting Crowns - Start Right Here

I See Fire - Ed Sheeran - The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Let Them See You - JJ Weeks Band - All Over The World

Prayed For You - Matt Stell - Everywhere But On

Who Can Do Anything - Triumphant Quartet - The High, The Low, and Everything In Between

Great I Am - Phillips, Craig, and Dean - Breathe In

Joy - Triumphant Quarte - Yes

High Fly (Didn’t I wait?) - The Rough & Tumble - Howling Back at the Wounded Dog

Hold Us Together - H.E.R. - Safety (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

 

 

What is the future that you are going to create in 2021?

The new year is an artificial dividing line between the old and the new. There isn't really anything magic about Jan. 1 as opposed to Dec. 31. Yet we look at it as a major delineation between the past and the future. For a great focusing talk about a future and a hope for 2021 based on Is. 61:1-6, go to Finding Freedom - Mosaic. Erwin McManus encourages us to consider the question “What is the future that you are going to create in 2021?” Many of you like the practice of “New Year’s Resolutions.” As followers of Christ, maybe it is time to turn our focus from all to the devastation of the past and become agents of hope in this new year. The challenge is huge. We've seen that even today. 

If you have interest in my reflections on this great passage of scripture and Erwin’s powerful thoughts, continue reading. Otherwise, I’m not offended if you keep scrolling.

In the Passion Translation of Isaiah 61:2 the writer says that he is announcing “a new season of Yahweh’s grace.” The Christmas season of celebration that has just wrapped up is the remembrance of the birth of the Messiah, who was tasked by His Father, God Himself, to lead in the efforts to do all the things outlined in Isaiah 61:1-6. As true Christ-followers, we understand that we are called to embrace the mission of the Messiah and, as verse 6 reminds us, be His Priests, Servants, “ministers of our God (NIV).”

I was moved and motivated when Erwin pointed out this reality about what is happening right around us. Drive around your town, your city, and look at all the businesses that are closed down, all the buildings that are boarded up, and realize that behind every vacant business are lives that have been dramatically impacted. It caused me to realize, once again, that the response of far too many in the church is to complain about having to wear a mask and bemoan their personal freedom being infringed upon. I often wonder what we are actually doing with that freedom.

Here is what I see that we as Christ-followers have been appointed to do by God; Proclaim good news to the poor (those without good news); Bind up (administer healing to) the brokenhearted; Proclaim freedom for the captives (literal and figurative); Release the prisoners from darkness (again literal and figurative); Proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God; Comfort all who mourn; Provide for those who grieve; Bestow crowns of beauty instead of ashes, oil of joy instead of mourning, garments of praise instead of a spirit of despair; Rebuild the ruins and restore the places devastated; Renew the ruined cities that have been devastated.

So much of what we are called to do is contingent on the grace with which we do them and the attitudes we convey to be of real value. I’m particularly struck with verse 3 in The Passion Translation where it says “to give them a beautiful bouquet in the place of ashes, the oil of bliss instead of tears, and the mantle of joyous praise instead of the spirit of heaviness.” What message are my words transmitting when I speak to others? What attitudes of my heart are revealed when I speak? How do my words and actions show others who I am and Who’s I am?

As I reflect on this passage and the encouragement of Erwin’s talk, one more question comes to mind. What or who is the solution to the tragedies of 2020? Is it a government system created by man? Is it any political party or dynamic leader? Is. 6 tells us it is not. In fact, the Jews of the time were wrongly expecting a political Messiah to fix what they thought was a political problem. Jesus, the Messiah, identified the problem to be personal, not political. He calls us to be part of the solution; to be the “strangers…foreigners…priests…ministers,” that help others with their needs.

As I move into the new year, I have been prepared by the trials of 2020 to do the things God is calling me to do in 2021. One of the greatest Presidents in the history of America, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was prepared to meet the needs of a hurting country of people partly because of his deeply rooted faith in Christ and partly because of the trials he had personally experienced in his life. I feel like I can say the same thing and I look forward to how that plays out in 2021.

Thanks for reading.

 

 Clouds Collect and Disperse Moisture and Trees Lie Where They Fall

Well here we are, 2021, and I’m excited to have this new label so there can be a fresh, new perspective on this thing we call life. I’m grateful that you have taken the time to consider my perspective on life. I hope that you will think about what I share in this post and my future entries; forgetting anything that has no value and incorporating anything that resonates in your spirit. Don’t forget to leave a comment or 2.

Many people I talk to are trying to recover from 2020. The clever, yet profound meme I saw recently said “This year will be the first time that hindsight will actually be 2020.” I want to challenge you and say that hindsight will not be true and clear if you have the mentality that you are a victim. These well-meaning men and women, even Christians, have this overwhelming victim mentality about 2020. For nearly 9 months they have wallowed in the effects of this global pandemic. They have constantly lamented every part of quarantine. They have continually mourned every change and loss of 1^st world freedoms. They have fought over their rights to do what they want to do and not be told otherwise. Without even realizing it, they have appeared selfish, self-seeking, sometimes lost. Might I say, they have not been the “light” they have been called to be. We are all hoping to recover from the pandemic, but that recovery period has not arrived yet.

For me, 2020 has been a year of recovery. Like each of you, I have been on a path of processing all that COVID-19 has brought. I have learned that we are not all in the same boat, but in the same ocean. But unlike some of you, I have had the opportunity to use 2020 to recover from being a victim of my own choices in life. Rather than letting 2020 be defined as one of the most negative years of my 53 years of life, 2020 is already defined as one of the best years of my life. Very little hindsight is needed for me to realize this. For the first time in forever, I have cemented myself in the ideal that I am NOT a victim.

If you are like me, you could easily look at your place in life and resent where you are, blaming it on anything and anyone but yourself. You may identify that your unhappiness was a result of someone else’s actions, lack of actions, or something completely intangible. As I looked at my life, this truth became evident; my own choices brought me to the lowest point. Any bit of unhappiness was of my own doing. Any bit of fear and anxiety was rooted in my own actions or reactions. Any bit of loneliness resulted from the steps I took on my journey.

Years ago my dad told me that if I “wait for the perfect time, that time will never come.” How we get to that time where we have the courage to take action may be different for each of us. That time for me was 2020. Ecc. 11:3-6 tells us that what we take in and store we will release. As a victim, I was storing and releasing toxic rain; not always, not everywhere, but far too often. 2020 offered me the opportunity to decidedly change what I was filling myself with and thus changing what I was giving back to the world around me.

Verse 3 goes on to tell us that where we are in this life is where we have fallen in this life. Some of us have caused ourselves to lie in the wrong place because we have been cutting and chipping away at the wrong parts of ourselves. But we cannot blame anyone but ourselves. If we just watch, with a victim mentality, what is happening in our lives, we will never become who we desire to become or who we were created to be. Verse 4 is really what my dad was saying all those years ago.

Recovering from being a victim takes action. The author of Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a season for lament (Ecc. 3:4). But it is only a season. Some of you refuse to decide that it is now the season for healing, for building, for dancing, for recovering from being a victim. Would you make 2021 the year that you actively decided that while you feel like the victim and life seems out of control, God has the power to restore you? Would you make 2021 the year to allow Christ to fill you? Would you allow Him to chip away at the parts of you that need removing and set you toward a direction of healing? Just as the author of Ecclesiastes tells us, I have experienced the profit, the reward, the gifts of recovering from being a victim of my own actions.

Happy New Year!

I Got a Virus...

Well, it's the end of 2020, the year of the COVID-19 pandemic. What have I taken away from this year? The idea that I should re-start my blog. Of all things, I have come to realize that I have a voice and I would like to be heard. It's come on like a viral infection I can't seem to get rid of. A few people have actually encouraged me to spread my infection. So here goes it.

Oh, I have taken a lot more from 2020 than that. Those of you who say 2020 has been the worst year in recent memory, I would say I feel for you. But I have to admit that 2020 may have been the best year of my life. I have so much to be grateful for, so much to be thankful for, so much to encourage you with.

In the days and weeks to come, I invite you to join me on a new journey. I will lead and explore and you will see if my findings have any value to you for your path. I would love to know that you were along for the adventure. You can leave your reflections if you would like, but you don't have to. I hope what I have to share brings something good to your life. If not, feel free to move along.

It's not my purpose to tell you about all of that in this first post since 20XX. Let's be honest, you might be the only human being reading the re-birth of my seldom read blog of the past. My purpose here is to let you know that I'm going to let my voice be heard. I'm going to speak more honestly and more openly than I ever have before. I'm likely to shock a few of you. I may make some of you mad. However, I honestly hope I make all of you think about some things you may not have thought about before.