Feel Good, Feeling...

The first letter written by Paul to the Thessalonians instructs us to lift one another up in spirit. 

"Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (Biblegateway 2015 NKJV)

The spirit may be lifted in a number of ways, and the imperfect Christian had his spirit lifted in a couple of ways this past week. 

From current and former players and students, to your own children, or your employer it's good to know you're appreciated. 

As a friend it's great to hear, "It was great seeing you," or "I hope to see you again soon!"

Hearing, "You know out of all of my coaches, I had the most fun on your team," is a true blessing! If the imperfect one only teaches them one thing he hopes that the first understanding is respect. Respect for self and others, then understanding how that respect and self discipline leads to success, which in turn leads to fun.  Which leads the imperfect one to think as a child first...

As a child it's great to hear, "You've matured into a great man, I know your mother is proud of you!" 

As a parent it's great to hear, "... you're a great daddy!" It's the best coming from your child, but it's also uplifting hearing it from a parent that you look up to. Therefore, the imperfect Christian would like to take time to thank the parents that take time for an imperfect papa. The imperfect one would also like to thank his baby (who's no longer a baby), and his grown children for loving an imperfect papa enough to not just tell him, but eager enough to show him as well, and he loves you all back, beyond measure! 

The imperfect one ran into all of these people last week, and some today. Now his endeavor is to see the One that he celebrates today in remembrance of ultimate love. His endeavor is to hear that One say, "Well done my good and faithful servant." 

Thanks for the inspiration, you all know who you are. 

Until the next one... 

Peace, blessings, and joy... 

That real PB&J!

Where'd You Go?

A single mother walks the ridge line alone. The sun is dropping, and preparing to set in hues of oranges, and reds. The night sky follows the sun until it pushes it out of sight. The sun is out of sight, but it's not forgotten, it's just not seen anymore in this day. 

"I have gone astray like a lost sheep; Seek Your servant, For I do not forget Your commandments." Psalm 119:176 (NKJV Biblegateway 2015)

She walks alone and watches the sunset, and she misses it as it gets darker. She knows that for this day, that for this season that the sun is gone. However, she knows that tomorrow brings a new sunrise. There's the possibility that the sunset reminds her of a few things. She may be missing her child(ren), or the touch of her father's gentle caress against her cheek. She may miss her lovers embrace, and be lonely, but she knows that tomorrow is a new day. The commandment of the rising sun is like that of the commanded rising of the Son, there will be another rising of power. She too, must rise for her sake, and the sake of her loved ones. 

A mother/father is missing her/his child today. A lover is missing his/her helper, and earthly provider today. A child is missing his/her father today. Where are we? Are we helping to ease that pain? Are we His hands, and feet?

Some of those missing are not there by choice. The decision was made, and the absence stings. 

Some of those missing are gone by divine choice. 

The thought of hearing his/her laugh. The stories you can no longer share. It's painful to have to accept that kind of absence. 

You drive down a stretch of highway and think to yourself, "Remember when you sang that song about Snoopy, and we laughed until we cried?!" 

Then you think, "They used to sit in the seat right next to me, sat in my lap from time to time, and now I do not have that opportunity. You do remember, but the one you shared that with is gone. You can't tease them over Thanksgiving dinner about the time they sang that silly song, or when they farted at your in-laws house and blamed it on the dog. They are now just memories. So in my cutting up, let me turn back to seriousness to close, and encourage you not to be selfish, and please do not embrace recklessness, or carelessness. Share with all of your loved ones that you can. Share with blood family, and inherited, or blended family, because we are not promised one day to the next. However, as you are blessed to see another day, rejoice and be glad in it, and share that joy! 

On the flip side, you may have a loved one that needs a break from you. Go share with another loved one. Even a lapdog desires a break from you from time to time, so spread the love!  Whatever you do, and with whatever LOVED one; share, and make lasting memories that you can be thankful for. 

Peace, blessings, and joy... that real PB&J 

Reading Old Love Letters

Photo Courtesy of Israels DSS Collections

"Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught. And the Jews marveled, saying, 'How does this Man know letters, having never studied?'" John 7:14&15 (NKJV)

Sometimes you just have to R.O.L.L. (read old love letters) with it. What if... someone had read or written a copy of the ultimate love letter to Curt Cobain? Would Courtney Love Cobain be a widow right now? 

What if an authoritative figure had read the love letter himself, would he have been so compassionless to have said, I won't lose sleep over them, I'd tell them to go ahead, I mean if someone's going to truly kill themselves you can't stop them, they'll eventually find a way.

What if that's his child one day? Does that restless night come then?

Curt was sincere, and Curt found a way. 

I don't ever want pretend to care or just say that I do. I want to be blessed to help, or blessed to never cause anyone else pain.

Lord let me be sincere, before someone else is sincere in showing that they realize that others were not. Amen. 

Love is just a word until someone shows up and gives it meaning. ~Paulo Coelho 

Missing a spirit of compassion may cost you dearly one day. Don't forget to be kind, loving, and understanding. It may help save a loved one, one day. Something's are worth missing a few hours sleep over. 

Peace, Blessings, and Joy... One last real PB&J.   

Statistically Speaking

Photo courtesy Apple Inc.

Statistically Speaking:

What if you could bet your life on something? What would it take to make you wager? What would be a great enough gain to make you take the bet? If you're smart you don't gamble, but you especially don't gamble when it comes down to your life. So let's look at the compliment of that. Let's say that there is only one way to preserve your life, and that is to take the wager. Would you be more apt to bet if that was the circumstance?

The imperfect one likes to consider himself a critical thinker, but he also enjoys simplifying. So in simple, but critical thinking, here's my conclusion on believing in something greater than myself.

If the imperfect Christian doesn't believe in God, and there wasn't a God then he's ok.
If the imperfect Christian doesn't believe in God, and there is a God, then he's not ok.

If the imperfect Christian believes in God, and there was no God, he's still ok. (Even lived a good life helping others).
If the imperfect Christian believes in God, and GOD is, then he's more than ok!

Therefore, 3 outta 4, or 75% (that's really 100%), are odds that the imperfect Christian will put his money/life on. The imperfect Christian is not the greatest statistician in the land, but he is smart enough to take the better odds, and 75-100% out class 25-0% any day.

Peace, Blessings, and Joy... that real PB&J.

What Are The Odds?

Image courtesy of The Spider 

What are the odds that you're holding your title with dignity? 

Dignity means told hold something honorably, or show a standard of worth. 

Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which The Lord your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12 NKJV). 

Honor, dignity, respect, what do they mean to you as a child of God? What do these words have in common? They reflect worth, and admiration, they place value. 

• Respect: a feeling of admiring someone or something that is good, valuable, important, etc.

Respect is not fear, it's admiration. 

In the fight game, people call fear a healthy respect. However, fear is totally different from respect. 

In the fight game a fighter respects another fighters skill and deems them worthy of competing against. They respect one another by being aware of each others strengths and understanding the value of having the opportunity to accept the challenge. If one fighter comes out slow or timid, turning his or her back immediately before one strike has landed and appears as though they are afraid of getting hurt, then most likely that fighter is afraid. If a person issues a challenge then backs down, that's a symbol of fear. 

Do your kids cower as you walk past them? Do they duck or cry when you approach them? The imperfect one would hope not. 

Do you crouch or cry at the sight of your parents approaching? Again the imperfect one would hope not. 

Some of you have heard the old cluché, "Just wait til your father gets home!" 

If there was respect in that home, mama wouldn't have to wait for daddy to get home, or for a replacement dad to show up, the children would do as they were supposed to, and be obedient. The same holds true for us all (regardless of age) concerning God. 

When we as children act out, or commit a deviant act towards our parents or act ungodly away from church then we are disrespectful. What's the worry? Dad is not physically there, so what's the worry?

The truth in respect, is that a child wouldn't fear corporal punishment more than the fear of losing self worth and value, because they tried to lessen the value of their parents. 

Respect is a Middle English term taken from the Latin word, respectus, which derived from respicere, meaning to look back in regard to (re+specere) to look -- more... spy. 

Remember that children's song, "O' Be Careful?" 

They don't spy or waste time watching them out of fear. They, the children, watch because they admire that adult, their parent(s). 

The imperfect one admires the innocence and beauty of an 8 month old baby. The imperfect one understands that the 8 month old is dependent on an adult to meet his/her needs. That 8 month old has the respect of the imperfect Christian. The imperfect Christian is not the least bit afraid of that child, but admires that child and respects it. 

The imperfect Christian respects a person seasoned with 80 years. The imperfect Christian admires the experience and survival skills of this person, whether male or female. Again, the imperfect one is not afraid of this person, but admires this person. 

There is value in human life. The imperfect Christian understands the value of life. When others do not see the value in others then they are disrespectful. The imperfect Christian encourages all to have a "self-respect" that would outshine the disrespectful actions of others. Honor your parents, but more so, honor your God, so that you may be honorable in your own right, honorable in the sight of of others, honorable in His sight. 

Until the blessing of a new dawn...

Until the return of Christ Jesus...

Peace, blessings, and joy... 

That real PB&J!

Exodus 20:16

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2014/12/12/what-was-fake-on-the-internet-this-week-kitten-killing-christmas-trees-and-malia-obamas-pregnancy/

http://www.snopes.com/media/notnews/maliaobamapregnant.asp

Little, Malia Obama is pregnant y'all, and it has to be true because Fox News or someone that really loves our first family and posing as Fox News said it. With that news, I have some news of my own.

Ok, the imperfect Christian has a confession to make:

I, the imperfect Christian, am related to the first family. Yes, I said it. The imperfect Christian is a family member to the first family. The imperfect one did not desire the publicity, but he is a relative. The imperfect Christian's last name is dutch/German, but Pres. Van Buren makes that okay, because there is not one Muslim in all of Germany, or Holland, and if there were, they would not be so bold as to move to the United States of America and run for President. Well with the new immigration law (that for the record the imperfect Christian does not agree with) maybe they might consider the move now. Even consider moving and inviting die hard conservative Dick Cheney's daughter to their same sex partnership ceremony? Who knows?

To switch gears the imperfect one has been attending Christian churches for years now, but all the while no one has once thought of making him show his birth certificate to run for a church office, or pronounce 22 million and a half times that he is indeed, a Christian. Pardon, an imperfect Christian.

While I am making such a bold move and confessing openly, I would also like to confess the inspiring of Ronald Reagan. I told Ronnie that I once lied about not knowing what or where the putrid smell in my best friends desk was coming from. When in fact I had left hard boiled eggs in his desk, that stayed there for approximately 2 weeks. Needless to say they became a bit righteous. Oh the kicker to this story, is that the eggs were left behind while my friend was out on medical leave, and during Easter break. What a pal huh? I was blessed, and honored to share this story with my old cowboy pal, Mr. Ronald Reagan. Ronnie was so inspired by my getting away with the Great Easter Egg Fiasco, that he told the world that he was unaware of the Iran-Contra scandal. That he had no idea arms were being traded (sold) for hostages.

http://www.brown.edu/Research/Understanding_the_Iran_Contra_Affair/timeline-hearings.php

I would also like to confess being the first person to use the phrase, "Stay thirsty my friends!" I first said this to the Bush twins in 2001. Hey, they told me that they were 21! I don't drink XX (Dos Equis), but if I did... it wouldn't be with these two. No matter how pretty they are!

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/washington/2001-05-31-bushdaughters.htm

And the moral of today's story is:

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Exodus 20:16 (KJV)
Aloe Green could you take us out please? "I paid for every heart that I ever stole, I believed every lie that I ever told...

The lyrics are inverted but you feel me right?

It's Not The Title You Hold, But How You Hold The Title

Image Courtesy of Great Lakes Voice 

Lance Armstrong was crowned Tour De France Champion for a record seven times until he was stripped of his titles. He held the most prestigious title in the bicycling world until the discovery of his cheating. He held the title seven times temporally and wrongfully. Sadly enough he could have possibly won without cheating, and rather than being noted he would be noted as the biggest let down in cycling's history, he would have been recorded arguably as one of the greatest cyclist of all time. 

We all hold a title of some sort; World Champion, friend, Branch Manager, General Manager, Supervisor of Whatever You Do, so on, and so forth... 

The title that I am personally most thankful for, however, is:

MIC, or aka Most Imperfect Christian. 

The Most Imperfect Christian title assures me that I'm still a child of the ultimate crown holder, that I am a child capable of forgiving, capable of being forgiven, and a child of the undisputed King of kings, Lord of lords (I Timothy 6:15&16), and Most High (Acts 7:48). Therefore, I am a crown holder by being an heir to the King. 

How should we (as His children), hold our crowns? We'll share that in the next one. Until then:

Peace, blessings, and joy... That real PB&J