Will You, or Won't You? (October 30, 2025)

 “Common sense if not faith, and faith is not common sense…Nothing Jesus Christ ever said is common sense, it is revelation sense, and it reaches the shores where common sense fails” (Chambers 859).

In the middle of “it” (whatever it is), our brains are typically in problem-solving mode - trying to figure out a plan so we can “pivot” as necessary. We have thought it all and determined a logical course of action to take, we put the plan in motion and have faith that it will work out.

But that’s not real faith. That’s common sense with a layer of hope smeared on top.

Real faith requires belief - like the all-in, 100% kind - even when, and especially when, the step forward defies common sense. Common sense is not bad, not at all. It’s very useful in order to not only keep us alive; but it is also useful for managing a productive life. But common sense IS a man-made concept. We are using our God-given abilities to think, connect, hypothesize, analyze, and so forth, to progress.

But the thing about TRUE FAITH is that it is faith beyond our control. Beyond reason. Beyond logic. And far beyond whatever “good plan” we conjure.

If you’re me, you are undoubtedly feeling a little defensive, possibly a little skeptical, and more than likely pugnacious at the thought. “Give me an example,” you may be demanding. I know I would. More than likely, I would also be the first in line to say something argumentative like, “What about jumping out of an airplane with no parachute. Will you just have ‘faith’ that you will live?”

The answer to the first demand is sure, I can give you example. So can any reflective person. That’s the beautiful thing about true faith. You get a “two-fer” out of it. For the person who subscribes to true faith, which includes incredible patience, God DOES answer prayer, in His own time, and in His own way. And for the reflective, Godly person, s/he will concede that the way God answered that prayer was far better than the any plan the person originally conjured. The challenge for that person is then to share - to testify - what happened and how it ended, highlighting God’s supernatural, beyond-human-comprehension intervention. For the person hearing the story, s/he is given a clear example that true faith is real. Through the story, a seed is planted in the skeptic’s heart. And at that point, it is out of the storyteller’s hands, and God takes over.

The answer to the question is “maybe, but not likely.” I would counter with, “Why would God ever ask you do so such a thing?” He might, if it will serve His purposes or Kingdom work, but in my experience, God does His finest work in the small, almost imperceptible, but life-changing ways. For example, when a thought pops into one’s head to give someone a call or send a message, that is a prompting. As a response, we may make up all sorts of excuses: I can’t right now; I’m in the middle of this or I haven’t talk to him/her in a long time; they might think it’s weird for me to reach out or worst of all, I don’t even like that person; why would I message him/her? [Enter should shrugging here].

The moment of true faith has arrived. The prompting defies logic and common sense. Will you or won’t you?

And that’s how it works. The more one listens to the promptings, the greater the faith, and the more we see the bread crumb trail as to how God weaves all the loose ends together.

And the more stories - testimonies - we are able to share with others. True faith yields more in the world than common sense ever will. And that’s the bottom line: Will you or won’t you?

Chambers, Oswald. The Complete Works of Oswald Chambers.RBC Ministries: Grand Rapids, MI. 2000. 859.

A GenX at the Mad Tea Party (October 28, 2025)

 Tonight, my bewildered GenX self feels like Alice in Wonderland.

I do not understand problem-avoiding vs. problem-solving.

I do not understand blaming and shaming vs. personal responsibility.

I do not understand giving up vs. getting after it, powering through to solve it or figure it out.

I do not understand the land of short cuts, where other people and technology replace thinking and hard work.

I do not understand why and how data is more valued than the struggle. Yeah, it more time-consuming, but ultimately, the finished product is more superior and satisfying.

When did the world get so noisy? Why does everyone and everything have to move so fast? When did people start thinking the worst of each other instead of the best?

I’m just a GenXer, wide-eyed and trying to drink the Kool-Aid at the Mad Tea Party called life. Some days, it’s a little tough to choke it down.

For the Love (October 28, 2025)

 A while back, I came across a freelance piece on Swedish Death Cleaning. If you’re not familiar, it’s a process of decluttering your home and possessions to simplify your life and spare loved ones the burden of sorting through your belongings after you die. Basically, you’re taking on your perspective of your kids (or whoever has to clean out your crap) in deciding what to toss and keep after you turn toes up.

So, I, and since he is married to me, and Mike started doing this. This past week, I went through my hutch and got rid of all the glassware that we a) got for our wedding, that we b) have never used, and c) have moved three times. As a stereotypical whole, Gen Z is regarded as the minimalist generation - toss, toss, toss - so I knew that glassware would not be high on our kids’ list to keep.

But.

Among other things (e.g. the Precious Moments cake topper from our wedding), I kept the tea cups and saucers that made the perilous journey in a trunk as ancestors sailed toward a new life in a new country, Great Grandma’s silverware [in the box], and Mike’s cowboy cup.

Today, Mike and I started burning wooden crap in the shed, and as I stared at the fire, I started thinking about Fanny.

Fanny is my (I assume) first dolly. Back in the day, Fanny and I were best buds. In fact, I tattoed her by drawing all over her face and arms. I guess that means she’s mine for life? After Fanny was put away for more “big girl” aspirations, she endured long hours in a cardboard box in the attic, where she expanded and contracted according to the temperature in the attic. In short, Fanny is looking her age - she has lost hair, and she is wrinkly and shrunken in the most unattractive way.

But she is Fanny. And she currently resides in the tote labeled “Miss - personal,” along with my Calvinette scarf, original jewelry box, and 8th grade cheerleading uniform (including bloomers).

As I stared at the fire, I thought about Fanny’s fate. When I die, she most assuredly will be in the toss pile, so should I just be a responsible owner and cremate her before she suffers the indignity of a dumpster? Then, I started thinking about other important items in my life. . .embroidered dish towels, my letter jacket, Great Aunt Siena’s wedding ring (she never had kids), my baptismal outfit (as well as other important objects in the cedar chest) and. . .well, there are some places I just cannot go. It’s just too painful to think of them meeting an untimely end.

But it’s just stuff. Right?

Yes and no.

It’s no secret that Mike and I troll thrift stores and antique stores for fun. I think THE saddest things ever that I find in either store are family photos. WHO GETS RID OF FAMILY PHOTOS?!

I know. That’s judgy-sounding.

But as Mike says, there is a sunrise and a sunset for everything. So when I die, items like Fanny, my trike, my rocking chair (with the embroidered “Melissa” across the cushion. . .and [GULP - like BIG GULP] my Barbie house will mean nothing to anyone.

Except me.

And I won’t be around anymore. So no one will know who I was, how important this gift was to me and why it was so important to me. All that goes with me when I go.

So. . .the quilts that have been made for me. . .and that I make for others. . .the crocheted items. . .the doilies that were painstakingly created. . .the hardanger. . .[I literally could go all day]. . .all of that is STUFF that ultimately becomes dog blankets or dollar box items.

[Enter stab in heart here].

So what’s the point.

I pondered this as I stared at the fire.

The point is. . .NOT the item. . .NOT the innumerable number of hours [or swearing] that went into making something. . .NOT the cost of making or earning the dollars to purchase it. . .NOT the journey it endured, or the fire it survived, or the bickering involved to get it.

It’s the love.

It’s the love that went into creating it. It’s the love that went into each stitch, each nail, each hour, each dollar.

For THAT moment in time, for THAT person, another human put forth the effort, energy, time, expense, hardship, and danger to show -in a tangible, lasting way - that

I. Love. You.

You are important to me. I want you to be happy. I want you to remember me and how much I loved you.

That’s what it’s all about. It’s not the item. That’s why my mom and dad and grandma spent all the hours they did to make my Barbie house, the furniture and all the Barbie clothes.

And I have to think that throughout history - for generations and generations before me, and for generations and generations after me - that will be a truism about life.

Love is the beginning and the end.

The rest is just. . .window dressing, the vehicle, the tangible. . .to convey that all-encompassing, all-important, ever-lasting, life- giving and sustaining cornerstone of life.

[But I’m still not throwing those items away. And Fanny is still chillin’ in the tote. Sorry, not sorry.]

P.S. Today, I made an historical decision: My Barbie house will now be open to play by the grands - a privilege that was denied to my kids. First, Barbie’s house is a toy, and toys are meant to be played with, and second, if they play with it, maybe one of them will want it??

Less Than 100% = 0% (October 28, 2025)

 This year, I decided to really concentrate on the four books of the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The intention is to really drill down, verse by verse, to learn the nature and disposition of Christ as much as I can.

The more I read Matthew (and that’s as far as I’ve gotten), and the Bible in general, the more I see the blueprints for the same message: God. First and only. I’ve heard this over and over since I was little (e.g. 10 Commandments), but now, I have a better, deeper understanding, I think.

I read Matthew 14: 22-33 today (see below) when Jesus walked on the water. But first, a little back story to provide context. In the preceding verses, Jesus’s response to John the Baptist’s death was retreat to spend time alone. After that, he headed right into the feeding of the 5,000.

That act alone seems symbolic. John the Baptist’s message and death + Jesus’s message + death would lead to many more being “fed” and saved. The numbers are far beyond any sensible human accounting: Millions and millions for the price of two.

After that, Jesus’s response was once again to retreat - alone. He sent the disciplines away in a boat, during which encountered rough seas, Jesus met them, Peter walked on water, and then he sank.

The parable is a snapshot of the cycle humans are in throughout their earthly lives: Valley to mountaintop, over and over. To explain, Jesus went off by Himself. Did He go to re-group? Did He go to think through a Plan? More than likely, He went off to spend time - like all of us - glorifying and cultivating a personal relationship with His Father. It’s confusing, but I get it. He is three in One, but still, Jesus was the Son, and He was/is setting a blueprint for all of us with regard to His expectations on how to live.

Even though Jesus went off by Himself and sent the disciples on their way in the boat, this is more about Man separating from Christ. Through decisions - whether due to overt actions or spiritual laxity, we separate ourselves from God. As a result, we perceive (in our self-centeredness) that He has left US, which is never the case. He is always near and reappears at just the right time.

While the disciplines were in the boat, the waves battered the boat, just as when we are separate from God, we are battered by difficulty, life circumstances, pain, etc. We cry out for a Savior to save us, and like I said, He is always near and reappears at just the right time.

When the disciples perceived Him, they cried, “It’s a ghost!” (v.28). Their vision of Him was skewed. Likewise, when we are separated from God, our vision is skewed. We don’t see Christ as, or for, Who He really is. Our vision makes what should be clear, distorted.

Peter was the one to speak. He saw and asked Jesus for a sign - a seemingly impossible one - to walk on water. Of the disciples, he was the first to recognize God - the first to start climbing from the valley to the mountaintop. His faith had returned, with a tiny “but” attached to it - “Command me to come to you” (v.28). Peter was almost there; he was presumably ahead of the others in his restored faith and beliefs, but not 100%. And as we know, in God’s terms, less than 100% is as good as 0%. He demands all. Jesus proved this point as Peter started to sink.

“Lord, save me!” (v. 30).

No “saving” would have been necessary if Peter - if we - had committed 100% in the first place. On the one hand, the saving of Peter is a Jesus flex, proving that He can and will save us, if and when He chooses. On the other hand, the faltering of faith is a distraction that presumably slows the growth process - for us and others. But then again, does it? God already knew what was going to happen. There are no surprises. . .

Either way, Peter, and the rest of us, are “schooled” when Jesus says, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (v.31).

Once again, Peter, the disciples (and we, as we meander through the cyclical nature of our lives) traverse the valley and scale the mountaintop. Peter’s response is “Truly, you are the Son of God” (v. 33). Once again, Peter and the disciples were equipped and renewed to go forth, pick up their crosses daily, and live lives as “captives for Christ,” which is eyes on Him 24/7, all-in, to do what He calls us to do.

Jesus Walks on the Water

²² Immediately he^[a] made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. ²³ After dismissing the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. Well into the night, he was there alone. ²⁴ Meanwhile, the boat was already some distance^[b] from land,^[c] battered by the waves, because the wind was against them. ²⁵ Jesus came toward them walking on the sea very early in the morning.^{[d] 26} When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost!” they said, and they cried out in fear.

²⁷ Immediately Jesus spoke to them. “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter answered him, “command me to come to you on the water.”

²⁹ He said, “Come.”

And climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the strength of the wind,^[e] he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me!”

³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand, caught hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

³² When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. ³³ Then those in the boat worshiped him and said, “Truly you are the Son of God.