The weakness of so many modern Christians is that they feel too much at home in this world.—A.W. Tozer
The sooner we accept that while we are in this world but not of this world, and will be home soon enough, the less likely fear and discouragement will succeed in thwarting our mission.
Still, win our battles, though losing the war is prophesied imminent.
We know how this world ends but we also know, thank God, it was never our home anyway.
“I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.”
Luke 11:8
Never be reluctant nor ashamed to ask for what you need from those who may be equipped to help.
When you work nonprofit with a deep passion for the people of your mission, make the ask of others without shame. It’s an ask, not a demand, and your love for them remains unchanged by their response.
You are merely sharing needs of others to others for others.
God alone stirs people to action according to His timing, plan and purpose.
But be audacious.
The most unfortunate truth is that the older we get, the narrower our search for purpose becomes.
Age adds experiences that begin to make deeply personal differences much later than they ought.
As years pass, my faith becomes more central to my being and the pursuit of it as the defining “meaning of life” is so much more obvious and clearer well beyond what had been present in my merely curious early years.
Urgency to let others know that time is short and decisions they make now will determine their destination later drives us old men to instruct young men from experience, love and camaraderie to make changes in themselves and in the world while they still can,
narrowing their own search for purpose and meaning.
If anything can be learned by working nonprofit it’s that you don’t always have to ask for money when you can ask for something more valuable.
This is Las Vegas with plenty of money and more people able to give more than most cities.
Shame on the notion of the ask as a “necessary evil” when a relentless fight to help those less fortunate needs to succeed.
We consider the ask as a privilege, and not the first nor the last thing we do.
Those who just ask for money may get it and while it’s a good thing, it’s a very incomplete one.
We tell real stories, show real results, and demonstrate change in our community made with a single dollar or a million and we do it in a way that requires no scrutiny but can stand up to the sharpest.
We appeal to the souls of people in ways that prick both hearts and consciences while evidencing purpose, value and integrity.
More than in most cities, Vegas people want and need to believe in something real and to be a real part of it.
Vegas proud and strong, we want to know our time and money will make verifiable change in lives of those needing it most.
Show how you use the money, vet recipients with wisdom, think long-term, and make real community change in exchange for their generosity and Las Vegas gives for all the right reasons.
Join #TeamHopeLink and let us show you the many many ways you can be the difference in our community.
I set my tolerance bar high on purpose believing I might somehow convince them otherwise and they’d eventually come around.
It took way too long for me to accept the fact that wasn’t my job.
In faith, culture, and politics, some folks are steadfast to fight and die for their convictions in the name of progress for what I consider irrational reasons impervious to arguments for change.
I suppose they believe the same of mine and they would be correct.
The difference is mine are held with vision for conserving what’s proven good for humanity, believing that history is still the wisest teacher in the room and change is only good when subject to its lessons and all are ultimately and essentially matters of life and death.
People are different but finally realizing and accepting that harsh truth remains sadly dissatisfying.
It’s not my job anymore.
Lesson learned.
Thoughts and prayers.
With all that’s going on these days, I’m not entirely convinced the question is whether we are all indeed equal, but rather, do we actually want and aspire to be?
Hear me out.
We publicly and politically abhor practices that promote differentiation between people while at the same time, behind the scenes, we’re actively differentiating ourselves from one another, climbing ladders from lower rungs onto those higher, more distinguished or better regarded by society.
Like it or not, more measures of success in American culture still lie squarely in the value of being better than, with little to no reward for being equal to. Not better intrinsically but positionally.
The drive to accomplish crosses race, sex and all other classifications.
Those less successful at the climb remain underfoot to the more accomplished climbers in society compelled to prove it with better titles, money, power and prestige afforded by the gains of distance in their earned position from where they once began.
Chances that the efforts of the two groups ever meeting are continually reduced and subsequently, lines between the two become greater and more clearly defined.
Maybe what we really need is a better means of measuring achievement not in light of being relative to that of another, then to inspire, educate, and equip people solely to be better climbers for reasons of personal growth.
Equality may be less about the height attained but more about progress made from where each begins his own journey
I write of things which are often not said
Of important dilemmas still left in my head
To wake up others left when I turn up dead
I just want to leave something behind.
A whole book of stories from over the years
of people and places and things I hold dear
in hopes some will listen and might even hear
As I try to leave something behind.
But finding good news in this day and age
When i do, I write, but it falls off the page
Far into the place where good news is caged,
When I was just trying to leave something behind.
The truth is, you get used to it.
Over time, living single and alone eventually grows on you.
You chew your food longer for lack of dinner conversation, sleep more soundly without a chatty someone stealing the covers, cuddling, or wanting something more.
You save money on silly flowers or something special for no one special for no special reason, and you learn to be self-sufficient when sick, make your own soup and get your own toilet paper.
You no longer worry about dying alone, just dying, and gradually forget the memory of a mind-blowing kiss, hug or the unexpected touch of a caring hand.
Truth is you get used to it because it grows on you as an annihilation of everything that might have been, drawing your freed and devoted heart, mind and soul closer to all the good things of this world and in your life that actually are.
Both the left and right are so deeply entrenched politically, neither side can hardly fathom how in the world the other has arrived at their voting conclusions.
Discussion and debate accomplishes zero movement which only deepens and widens the giant crevasse between them making a choice to defect to the other a nearly impossible passage to cross if desired.
Surprisingly, while both yearn for unity, neither can divest nor compromise their most deeply held convictions to get there.
Such stalemates reduce to ridicule, labeling, and name-calling like precursors to a schoolyard fight egged on by the media and leaders of causes who lack skills of honest negotiation, artful compromise, and motivation to calm the crowds now carrying clubs and pitchforks.
The solution may hinge on small concessions we are each willing to make and evaluation of our arguments and the veracity of their underpinnings from which movement begins.
While facts and truths exist, too many influencers love reporting on a good brawl, content to be on the sidelines as its sole beneficiaries.