Today’s song comes from a group that I discovered in another bargain bin. Anytime you take a chance on an unknown artist, it’s either boom or bust. Yet, since it usually costs 99 cents to download a song onto your computer or phone, I don’t mind spending a dollar to see what I can uncover. Of the 14 songs on the This Too Shall Pass album by the Fold, I Believe You is my favorite.
Jesus said to him, Because you have seen Me, Thomas, do you now believe (trust, have faith)? Blessed and happy and[c]to be envied are those who have never seen Me and yet have believed and adhered to and trusted and relied on Me, John 20:29.
The Fold is an American indie rock band fromChicago, Illinois. While I lived in Chicago for a couple of years after getting married, the Fold didn’t form until 2002, long after Leanne and I moved to Delaware. I Believe You uses a similar style found in modern spontaneous worship montages. The initial pop rock melody transitions into a slower Spirit filled song before ending with the original beat. I hope you enjoy the Fold.
While anxiety is less intense than fear, stress tends to be a more sustained emotional response than phobias. Although human beings may be threatened by overreaching and power-hungry individuals, inner demons are often your own worst enemy. Anyone who has ever experienced an anxiety attack, know the overwhelming feeling you endure and how it can interfere with your daily life.
Now who is there to hurt you if you are [d]zealous followers of that which is good? – 1 Peter 3:13
Since my days at Hanby Junior High School in Wilmington, Delaware, I’ve turned to music to find comfort and hope. Whenever I was sad, I’d listen to Air Supply or Chicago which made me even more depressed. Perhaps this empty feeling eventually drew me to only listen to Christian music. While in college, a friend introduced me to punk rock and a group called the Altar Boys. The emptiness I once experienced was replaced by a quiet confidence thanks to the song “When I’m with God.”
But even in case you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, [you are] blessed (happy, to be envied). Do not dread or be afraid of their threats, nor be disturbed [by their opposition], 1 Peter 3:14.
No matter how big, tall or old you may be, there is always someone faster, stronger and smarter. Despite all of the new threats that you may experience, a personal relationship with Jesus Christ has eased many of my anxieties in life. Like the words of one of Jesus’ disciples in the passage above, who is there to hurt you if you are passionately following the Lord? No one likes hardships, persecution or trials, but when I’m with God my fears tend to fade away. Place your hope in Jesus today, Romans 10:9-11.
The response known as fear starts in the region of the brain called the amygdala. This unpleasant emotion is often intense as individuals perceive and or recognize a dangerous threat. Depending upon the degree of fear that you encounter, physiological changes may produce behavioral reactions that conceive phobias. One of Jesus’ disciples suggests that reaching a certain level of faith allows Christians to be undisturbed by fear.
Let him turn away from wickedness and shun it, and let him do right. Let him search for peace (harmony; undisturbedness from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts) and seek it eagerly. [Do not merely desire peaceful relations with God, with your fellowmen, and with yourself, but pursue, go after them!] – 1 Peter 3:11
As a child growing up in Delaware, I’d had many strange encounters with snakes. I’ve had snakes slither in between my feet while cutting the grass, fall from trees right in front of me and stop right next to me while swimming in a creek. These experiences conceived a reoccurring dream while in college. Similar to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, the snake in my nightmare is coiled up before instantly launching toward me to strike and bit me
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control, 2 Timothy 1:7.
This phobia of snakes haunted me throughout my childhood. That is until a conversation in college opened my eyes to the meaning of this dream. The snake was symbolic of the Devil whom I spent a lifetime running away from in fear like a coward. The Holy Spirit was calling me to confront this fear with the knowledge of the promise in the passage above. When Christians begin to pray for and claim a spirit of power, love and self-discipline, you will eventually become undisturbed by fear.
The first artist to appear twice on SANS is Steve Wiggins. However, this time Steve isn’t alone, serving as the lead singer of Big Tent Revival. Since I’ve spent a majority of my life in the state of Delaware, I live in between two famous locations where revivals were held. Pike Creek and St. Georges each contained naturally amphitheater’s where preachers like George Whitfield led outdoor big tent meetings.
For the wages which sin pays is death, but the [bountiful] free gift of God is eternal life through (in union with) Jesus Christ our Lord, Romans 6:23.
These big tent revivals during the first great awakening led to the creation of the Methodist Church. Named after John and Charles Wesley who were methodical in their Bible Study and prayers. As for today’s song, I could have chosen a few from Big Tent Revival’s Open All Nite Album. Yet, the lyrics of the Best Thing in Life comes right out of scripture. A free gift for all to receive.
If you are old enough, everyone has the favorite time of their lives. For me this was 1993 as I ventured west from Delaware to Minnesota to attend a youth ministry trade school. This 7-week intensive training program transformed my life and gave me an inner confidence that I could do anything. The friendships that I made along the way were a blessing. When my initial interview at a church in Rapid City, South Dakota didn’t go well, I spent a semester teaching at a boarding school in West Virginia.
O give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name, make known His doings among the peoples! 2 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; meditate on and talk of all His marvelous deeds and devoutly praise them, Psalm 105:1-2.
Little did I know that teaching Communications and Poetry would ignite a desire to write. I created an album entitled A Simple Confession with 12 songs and wrote a book of poems. Before the year was over, I was offered a full-time youth ministry position in Indiana and met Leanne, my wife at a national convention. Before leaving Minnesota, I came across an obscure band named Shadow Wings. After listening closely, I discovered Pat Benatar is a lead vocalist on the Carry On Album. While the attached link isn’t the greatest, I wanted to introduce you to the song Carry On by Shadow Wings.
In my earliest years as a child living in New Jersey, divorce wasn’t even part of my vocabulary. After moving to Delaware, I was introduced to this term when one of my friends mom got divorced twice. During my teenage years, it was still uncommon to enter a home where parents were divorced. Yet, as I entered high school, more and more adults began to give up on failing marriages.
Let marriage be held in honor (esteemed worthy, precious, of great price, and especially dear) in all things. And thus let the marriage bed be undefiled (kept undishonored); for God will judge and punish the unchaste [all guilty of sexual vice] and adulterous, Hebrews 13:4.
Perhaps this trend was encouraged by popular shows like Mash which regularly showed members of the Army cheating on their spouses. Distance and loneliness was seen as an acceptable reason for breaking marriage vows. At some point in the 1980’s, affairs, flings and one night stands aired weekly on major network television. Once cable arrived, temptation and sexual fantasies trampled this once sacred vow.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life]. 22 He who finds a [true] wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord, Proverbs 18:21-22.
This Bible may be considered an old fashion book with values that no longer applies to modern day life. Yet, King Solomon makes an interesting observation in the passage above. The words you speak, the people you hang around and the beliefs that are formed will shape your destiny. These self fulfilled prophecies will either produce healthy or failed marriages. May this blog persuade you to hold marriage as an honorable and sacred tradition.
When my parents moved to Delaware in 1976, a local Catholic Church about a half mile away was about to break ground. By the 1980’s, we moved from St. Mary Magdalene Church on Concord Pike to Holy Child. This was the church that introduced my family to the concept of a midnight mass. When my father was transferred to Ohio, another local church had an even better tradition. From 10-11 pm, Christmas carols were sung and the church service ended at 12 mid-night Christmas morning.
Who owe their birth neither to [c]bloods nor to the will of the flesh [that of physical impulse] nor to the will of man [that of a natural father], but to God. [They are born of God!] 14 And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth, John 1:13-14.
After years of worshiping Santa and presents, I discovered the reason for this spiritual holiday. When the church bell struck 12 am Christmas morning, the sound of this bell announced the dawn of a new day. Strike after strike, 12 total times, helped me to begin to make room for Jesus as a young adult. As my parents drove home from this annual mass, the words of O Holy Night struck a cord with my soul. These 2 hours each Christmas Eve helped me make the 25th of December a Holy Christmas.
John testified about Him and cried out, This was He of Whom I said, He Who comes after me has priority over me, for He was before me. [He takes rank above me, for He existed before I did. He has advanced before me, because He is my Chief.] 16 For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift, John 1:15-16.
Now as a parent, I haven’t passed on this tradition with my children. Instead we celebrate my sister Cindy’s birthday, play games around a table and watch Elf. Not quite the spiritual experience that I was forced to attend and raised with. Yet, there is time to write a new story. Time to reflect upon the meaning of this day of Emmanuel, God with us starting as an infant who would go on to become a Savior. Therefore, as this holy night arrives, set your heart and mind and things above to worship Jesus.
A recent Progressive Insurance Ad Campaign uses Dr. Rick to help customers attempt to un-become like their parents. Somewhere in all of our childhoods, parents and or guardians have ingrained within you certain habits. Subsequently, the things your parents did with you like fishing and gardening are passed on to share with your own children. For me, it’s planting my own garden.
He who observes the wind [and waits for all conditions to be favorable] will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. 5 As you know not what is the way of the wind, or how the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a pregnant woman, even so you know not the work of God, Who does all, Ecclesiastes 11:4-5.
Since I don’t like as many fruits and vegetables as my parents, I usually limit my garden to basil, peas, peppers, and tomatoes. One year I pre-planted several seeds in a greenhouse kit that I received for Christmas. Unfortunately, one cold spring wind damaged and destroyed everything that I worked on for months. I learned a valuable lesson this night about planting for the future.
In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening withhold not your hands, for you know not which shall prosper, whether this or that, or whether both alike will be good, Ecclesiastes 11:6.
Based upon today’s passage, King Solomon understood the highs and lows of gardening. Some years certain plants keep giving over and over again. Yet, when the soil, timing and temperature is off, the time you invested yields absolutely nothing. This spring will be my last garden in Delaware before I move to South Carolina in the summer of 2022. When that day arrives, it will be another learning process as I plant for the future in a warmer climate.
When I first moved to Delaware back in the late 1970’s, most of my neighbors displayed southern hospitality. As the shy new kid on the block with a severe stuttering problem, this was the best scenario I could ask for. A girl across the street named Jeanette was the vocal leader of Tonbridge Drive, sharing her house with everyone her age. Mrs. Kerth brought her loving personality from Louisiana often saying, “make yourself at home.”
Through skillful and godly Wisdom is a house (a life, a home, a family) built, and by understanding it is established [on a sound and good foundation], 4 And by knowledge shall its chambers [of every area] be filled with all precious and pleasant riches, Proverbs 24:3-4.
Over the next decade, my parents became close friends with the Kerth’s, often eating together in the summer months. While Jeanette’s mom was busy cooking inside or her father was grilling out back, I was engaged in or playing a competitive game with other teenagers. Looking back, I didn’t realize how special this neighborhood would become and shape me as a human being. Yet, when Mrs. Kerth rang the dinner bell, everyone dropped what they were doing to run toward the hose to wash up for dinner.
A wise man is strong and[a]is better than a strong man, and a man of knowledge increases and strengthens his power; Proverbs 24:5.
As my wife and I prepare to become empty nesters in the summer of 2022, we have decided to downsize. Subsequently, sometime after June we will be making South Carolina our new home. Fortunately, we have made a few visits to our new neighborhood and look forward to developing relationships with the people we’ve already met. Perhaps, sometime in the near future we can both pay it forward by encouraging neighbors to make themselves at home like the example Mrs. Kerth set decades ago.
The first organized sport that I played after moving to Delaware was basketball. Unlike baseball which is more of an individual sport when you’re batting, I learned that you needed all five players on the court to be on the same page. If someone forgot their position and role, the play our coach called didn’t work. During a timeout, I can remember one of the coaches asking, “are you able to do this?”
And Abel brought of the firstborn of his flock and of the fat portions. And the Lord had respect and regard for Abel and for his offering, 5 But for [a]Cain and his offering He had no respect or regard. So Cain was exceedingly angry and indignant, and he looked sad and depressed, Genesis 4:4-5.
According to Moses, Able was the second child born on earth to Adam and Eve. While his older brother Cain followed in his father’s footsteps as a farmer, Able decided to become a shepherd. Perhaps Cain was pressured by dad to carry on the family business. Whatever the reason, Abel seemed to delight in his new trade. This contentment inside of Able made Cain envious and jealous.
[Prompted, actuated] by faith Abel brought God a better and more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, because of which it was testified of him that he was righteous [that he was upright and in right standing with God], and God bore witness by accepting and acknowledging his gifts. And though he died, yet [through the incident] he is still speaking, Hebrews 11:4.
This internal struggle forced God to intervene in Genesis 4:5-7. Apparently, God approached Cain and spoke to him about what was going on. Commenting about his depressed appearance, God asks an open-ended question. “Are you able to master the sinful thoughts crouching at the front door of your soul?” This question is repeated every time human beings are confronted by a tempting situation today. The next time you find yourself in a similar state as Cain, are you able to overcome sinful desires?
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