While I'm Thinking About It

An interview with Brandon about the ins and outs of his "All In" walk with God.

Following the lead of another minister I read about, I challenged the congregation to 21 days of no murmuring, complaining, or argumentative interactions. It sounds extreme, but the Apostle Paul said believers should not be doing it at all, much less for 21 days (Philippians 2:14-15). What does it say about me when I say that I trust God, but complain like a teenager told to clean his room when the weather, traffic, meal, etc. do not measure up to my expectations? It says that I do not trust God's decisions in this matter. If I do not trust Him in these little things, do I really trust God at all? If I am to "shine as bright lights in darkness" as believers should, I must stop acting like the people dwelling in darkness! Being "All In" encompasses ALL nooks and crannies of life. "Do all things without murmurings and disputings. That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world" (Phil. 2:14-15 ESV).

In the dynamics of this unusual election cycle in the US there are celebrity types threatening a move if this person or that person is elected as the next POTUS. That kind of drama has become common place among the spoiled, brat-like dregs of society (even if they are in showbiz) we have birthed and reared over the past few decades. Those threats, whether or not they are carried out, are little more than the rants of people who have begun believing the press releases put out by their own publicists. The knee-jerk reactions that I find troubling are the "believers" who are saying they just will not vote this cycle. While I have no interest in dissuading you if you feel that God expects you to sit this one out, I can't help remembering a teacher I had in the 1970's. He had returned from mission work in Italy (I think) a couple of years earlier. While there, he had worked in the campaign for a communist politician during an election cycle. You can imagine the reaction from red-blooded, redneck Texans he receive

"People aren’t born with the innate ability to do what they need to do. Everyone needs training. Training is not a once and done kind of thing. Training takes place day in and day out." - a quote from Charlene Notgrass and her blog (It is worth your time to subscribe - http://notgrass.com/dailyencouragement/your-childs-personal-trainer). Many people these days seem to think that they are designed to "get along" on their own intuitions, premonitions, or some other kind of self-contained "-tion" without relying on others input, instructions, or wisdom. NOT TRUE. One of the more difficult challenges for me, personally, is that as an "All In" disciple of Jesus, I am to be open to healthy influences from others. "Open" does not, of course mean that whatever is suggested I assume God sent me. I must "try the spirits" (so to speak), but I am to be open AND discerning. One of the more deceptive "voices" I hear with regularity is my own! It is sooo "not in man ...to direct his own steps" (Jeremiah 10:23) that t

Human health is an interesting thing. Like the old expression: "Here today...Gone tomorrow," the illusion of physical or mental health can change dramatically in only a moment. In the same day recently, I learned of an automobile wreck involving my nephew and his family, my daughter-in-law's mother's blood clot and subsequent leg amputation, and my brother's medical event that appeared to have been either a mild stroke or a mild seizure. All of these people had plans for that day as well as those to come, which had to be modified. While all survived, they are all changed. A stark reminder that our physical lives really are a wisp of smoke in the wind (James 4:14). It is easy to forget that God is involved and not on vacation when such events take place in our lives. We may be confused about what exactly is being accomplished for good (Romans 8:28), but the thing about being an "All In" disciple is that I trust God even with especially with things uncomfortable and inconvenient. His "good" may require difficu

Sometimes it is not easy to know what to do, even as an "All In" disciple. The principles are clear: Everything I do is to be focused upon God's Will and His Purposes;My interactions with other people are always to be focused on the best interests of the other person(s).But it is not always easy to balance the best interests of others. As a parent, do I punish or immediately release the stress on the child? It is a judgement call. It is certainly easier on the parent and child to release, but is that in the best interest of the child in the long term? After all, wisdom is birthed in "pain," whether physical or emotional. Do I cheat my child the opportunity for wisdom because it is easier for me, the parent? The same question arises in holding adults accountable for wrongs, whether lies, thefts, or assaults. When to show grace... before accountability... or after? It requires judgement, and your judgement and mine will not always be the same. What is ultimately important is not that you and I agree on each si

It is reported that flags were armies' identifiers before technology changed that reality. During the American Civil War the flags of both North and South were often so similar that troops sometimes attacked men on their own side! We can become so caught up in our enthusiasms (whether nationalism, political parties, food preferences... well it could be anything) that we end up destroying something with which we actually agree. In moments of stress, whether induced by excitement, fear, or pain, we must slow down and listen. We must listen, not only for the voice of others, but mainly for the voice of God. After all, we are not our own but the Master's. At least we are if we are fully committed, "All In." James 1:19 - "Be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath." photo credit: Themagesprek Van nu tot 2020 bij de Informatie Parade Rotterdamsebaan via photopin (license)

This is a tough one because so many are passionate about their politics. I too, have strong opinions about some issues, BUT... since I am God's servant and not my own... Wow, what a pivotal perspective: God's servant and not my own. As God's servant, I will stand for faith, justice, and mercy (among other things) but must keep a strong focus on God's will and purposes, and the best interests of others. I have watched strong opinions that cross the line into personal defamation and belittling. That is not good no matter who is doing it. Excepting God Himself, Jesus, there has not been a human, politician or not, that was all he/she should be. Nor has there ever been (including now) anyone operating with God's full wisdom in pointing to THE one who was God's choice to rule, without God revealing His choice to that prophet. Since I am "All In" as God's servant I will not have my voice for God be muffled by differences in political opinion. I may state mine, but I will also honor others to do the same. I will vot

As a youngster I loved to fly kites. By the time I was 12 or 13 I had become an accomplished builder of the same. I recall kites 5-6 feet tall with scraps of bed linens as the surface, heavily starched to provide more wind resistance for lift. We even flew lesser kites, attached to the main line to lift the sag. We flew with heavy twine and it needed the lift once the kite was 30-50 yards out. Getting the kite up and out so far was not the thrill or main challenge. I was in Central Texas where the wind blows most of the time anyway. The real thrill was to reverse the process and land the entire collection of kites and line without any of the kites touching the ground. Retrieving them to hand was a huge ego boost and claim to superiority in my little world of 12-13 year old kite aficionados. As God's "All In" servant, I can still be easily drawn to such a focus on completion that I miss God's re-assignment. "We are through with that, Wayne. There is something else I need you to do now," He may whisper. Someti

I admit that I am slow to change my metaphors. I automatically think in terms I grew up using. I recently, trying to compliment a waitress for her prompt service said, "You are faster than a speeding bullet. How are you with tall buildings?" The young woman looked at me like I had one eyeball in the center of my forehead, even though she smiled. When I explained the reference to "Superman," she just shrugged her shoulders and politely excused herself. She did not "know" Superman. She was too young to have spent time reading his comics, besides, how many people read comics today? I suspect fewer still read Superman. I was using American English like she spoke, but it was still a different language. Being "All In" requires that I adapt as best I can to the modern vernacular and points of reference. After all, my task is to represent the Master. The Apostle Paul captured the concept when he wrote: "I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some" (1 Corinthians 9:22). More to the poin

"Capturing every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5) sounds overly optimistic, if not impractical... or does it? Living for a purpose begins with our thought processes. Since we are expected to live for God's purposes and the best interests of others, it must begin in our thoughts. Our perspective, goals, decisions are birthed and processed as thoughts. James 1:13-15 makes it painfully clear that living for ourselves also begins in our minds. "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. To avoid that "death" James predicted, every thought must be Jesus'. Otherwise it is impossible to be "All In" as His follower. Jesus does give His disciples "rest" (Matthew 11:28). That is not the same as "time off." If we are "All In" then we a

This is an "All In" Interview with a mother of 4 who has struggled in her life but has been, for the past year, All IN.

I've known Christians with their day planners so full that they could not get from one appointment to the next on time. I've seen evidence on social media that some wear "righteous" busyness as a twisted form of evidence of their spirituality. Is there no end to religious agendas and church programs that, no matter their intent, steal more and more time away from availability? Have we reached a point where God has to call and leave a message for call back in order to schedule an appointment? Imagine the priest and the Levite passing by the man who had been beaten and left for dead in Jesus' story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10). Jesus did not let us in on their excuses like He did in the story of the invited dinner guests in Luke 14, but they were clearly preoccupied with something, even if it was the fear of missing out on "work" if they became unclean. They were not available for an assignment that God had scheduled for them. Whatever the details, their agendas were already full of their own plans for the d

There are few things that elicit as rapid a response as chugging a mouth full of spoiled milk. Some people can smell the putrification without opening the container. Some do not have the ability to detect the condition by smell. One thing is for certain, spoiled milk usually still looks like unspoiled milk. The long term impact of misjudging milk, while unpleasant, isn't serious for most. The long term impact of other misjudgments are often more dire. Are the car tires safe? Are the propane tank fittings properly secured? Is my mentor really looking out for my best interests? While the questions above are centered on other things and other people, the same questions really should be directed inwardly. Am I really God's person? Am I God's person no matter the cost, inconvenience, or immediate consequence? Posturing and pretending to be God's impacts eternity, both mine and those gullible to the point of following my lead. Hence the warning: "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know tha

I have a few people in my life who seem to operate from anger. Most conversations are complaining, accusatory, assaultive, argumentative, …or leave the impression that they are on the edge of one of those. Being around these people is like being around a dog that is snippy, you just can not relax and let your guard down. I nearly always come away from those encounters exhausted. About the time I've had enough and... did you notice that? When I said, "I've had enough..." I had shifted the focus. I mean, I was not really focusing on God's purposes or their best interests, but on my own discomfort and frustration. That is so easy for me to do. I may need to distance myself until they settle down ("Warn a quarrelsome person once or twice, but then be done with him. It’s obvious that such a person is out of line, rebellious against God." Titus 3: 10 MSG), but my focus is not supposed to shift away from the other person's best interest to myself. I struggle with that, do you? Being "All In" as a discip

Driving in early morning traffic in the big city is not a new experience for me, but it is something that I now only participate in occasionally. It is stop and go, this lane that lane, switch and twitch, relax and tense up. While traveling with a friend to an early morning appointment in our “Big City” I was reminded of Isaiah's words: "Crying Peace, Peace, where there is no peace." Our situation wasn't the same context, but the words seemed to fit. My friend was driving and tends to be edgy on a “good” day. This wasn't one of those “good” days. I assured him several times that all was well, that there was plenty of time, and that he should just relax. His assessment was different. He knew (intellectually) that I was right, BUT... it just didn't feel that way to him. He could not relax. Have you ever been there? Jesus' disciples were when they finally got the message that Jesus was actually leaving. The brethren from Ephesus felt that way when they realized they were never

I read that it is possible to become psychologically addicted to being angry. Assuming it is true, how would that happen? Several years ago Cindy and I worked with juvenile males that would have been felons if they had been eighteen, so we are not taking about nice boys. But underneath their rough exterior, most of them were still just boys. Most had grown up in environments where their adult role models were not able to be respected (respectable). The young men had, therefor, followed the behavior of others that were poor models. It seems that every emotion they experienced (other than pleasure) was pretty much processed the same. Anger was the response to nearly every negative emotion. They felt as if they had no security, always feeling threatened. They felt alone, even when they were surrounded by their own gang buddies. Maybe that is how it happens to everyone: feeling alone and threatened, processing every emotional response as anger. It does not have to be the way. For the "All In" disciple Jesus promi

This is an "All In" Interview with Jim Rogers.

A friend who can rival Erma Bombeck with the accounts of life at her house recently told of her nine year old daughter's observation about her string of snow days at school. Her account picks up as mother and daughter were driving to a local store. Mom said: "I can't believe you're out of school again- the roads are perfect; God sure has been answering y'all's prayers about not going to school for some reason." Daughter's response: "Yeah He is; isn't it great? Of course I'm sure He hated school too when He was a kid." While perfectly predictable and acceptable in the immature, imagining God in our image is a real problem. The ancient Greeks and Romans did that and amassed a collection of vindictive, self-absorbed gods. In an interview with an older man, he told me that he had grown weary of trying to make God into his own image and had, years ago, decided to take God for who He is. It makes a huge difference. Paul, in his letter to the Roman church, predicted that God's wrath was in store for people who, alth