In Kairos, Chris Brooks talked about Joshua 4 and how God commanded the Israelites to collect stones from the Jordan River to commemorate how God had parted the river so the entire nation could cross in safety. I suppose in this day and age, Moses and Aaron would simply have taken a selfie, but selfies weren’t a thing back in ancient times.

The idea was to build a monument to mark the occasion of the miracle. It was to remind the people of God every time they saw it of how God had once again provided in time of need.

Let’s face it. We are a forgetful people. At least I am. Whenever I get into trouble or face adversity, I’m prone to selective memory. I remember previous troubles but forget how it was God who guided me through. Sometimes I even forget about God altogether in the midst of my anxiety.

God knows we need reminders, both individually and collectively. We remind ourselves individually by steeping ourselves in God’s Word and prayer. We remind ourselves collectively by gathering in worship weekly and in smaller groups regularly to encourage and inspire each other to not forget what God has already done and promised yet to do.

We’re more prone to spiritual amnesia when we go it alone. When you or I try the Lone Ranger approach to faith living, we can easily lose who we are or why we’re here. All the distractions of the world and the media and life in general can derail us from our true purpose and passion.

So we gather together to remember. We intentionally set aside time not so much to remind God of our problems but to remind our problems of God and His goodness and faithfulness.

I’m thankful for all the daily reminders I see from God through fellow believers through social media and in face to face conversations. I’m grateful that more and more believers are coming together again to worship and waken each other to remember God’s goodness. I’m thankful most of all at how patient God is with me when I forget time and time again and need those reminders still.

I believe Matthew 7:1 the most quoted verse in the Bible, surpassing even John 3:16. What most people who throw this verse around mean by it is that they can do whatever they want whenever they want, regardless of the consequences to them or others, and no one can hold them accountable for their actions.

That’s not what the verse means.

On the other side, I see people who take actions that may or may not be isolated, i.e. not wearing masks, voting Republican (or Democrat), and use those to make an assessment of that person’s character, intentions, and motives.

I do not have the right to decide what kind of person you are what I see you doing. I don’t know your context. I don’t know your history. I don’t know that I might have done the same or worse if I had walked in your proverbial shoes for a day or so.

I do believe the Bible calls us to hold each other accountable for our actions, especially those that don’t line up with what we profess to believe. I don’t have the right to determine your eternal destiny based on those actions if I don’t know you.

The Bible does say that we will all have to give account for our actions some day. We will ultimately be held accountable for all the good and bad we’ve done. That’s God’s job, not mine.

The best way is always the way of compassion. That does not mean that we automatically endorse every action, but we choose to be kind even in the face of things we don’t agree with. We may disagree or rebuke, but it is in love and kindness.

The best example I learned recently is when Jesus washed the feet of Judas, the one He knew would later betray Him. Was that an endorsement of the betrayal? Of course not. Was that showing love? Absolutely.

We can dislike a person’s actions and still love the person. God does that with us all the time. Look at the supreme act of love when Jesus forgave His enemies when they were in the very act of murdering Him.

I think if we took more time to make sure our lives matched our words and our actions matched our professions of faith, we’d have way less time to judge and condemn others.

I don’t know where this cabin is, or even if it actually exists, but I want it.

I can see myself walking out on that balcony with my coffee in the morning to enjoy the view. I can also see myself with some family and/or friends around that fire on a chilly fall evening.

I am accepting all forms of cash, coins, credit cards, Venmo, and any other method of money so that I can either a) purchase this magnificent home or 2) build one just like it.

I am kidding about the money. I would like to live there, though. It looks very homey and inviting. All that’s missing is a hammock.

“Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it” (Mother Teresa).

Life is a gift, open it.
Life is a miracle, savor every moment of it.
Life is God’s gift to you, live it to the hilt.

I have learned a few lessons so far from the calendar year 2020, one of which is indeed that Bigfoot’s name is Darryl (and he prefers that to being called Hey Bigfoot.

I have also learned that having my schedule interrupted isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Before corona, I had my weekly schedule. Then a little virus came along and all my little daily routines got sidelined for a bit. The odd things was that I survived.

I learned to appreciate face-to-face interactions with people. As much as I’m thankful for the technology of Zoom, it’s not the same. There’s an energy that comes from being around actual people in the same room that no video chat could ever duplicate.

I appreciate a good meal at a restaurant more than ever. For a while, I was wondering if I’d ever get that experience again. Hopefully now I’m an even better tipper than I was before, considering how all the servers were out of work for a while.

I discovered the wild and wonderful world of podcasts. I can listen to sermons from my church and from Kairos. I also get the Wally Show and the Brant and Sherri Oddcast, both from Way-FM. Finally, I am getting into spooky supernatural podcasts like GraveYard Tales and Astonishing Legends.

Most of all, I’m a little more grateful for life in general. Sometimes it takes a pandemic to make you appreciate how precious and fleeting this life is and what a waste it is to squander that life arguing with strangers about politics over social media or judging people who sin differently than you.

What wisdom have you gained from 2020? I’d like to know. Also, if you have any life hacks or helpful time-saving hints, those would also be appreciated.de

I think all of the above applies not just for this season of COVID-19, but for all the days of all the seasons.

For me, I resonate with leaning on God, as opposed to leaning on my own understanding (which I am quite good at, sad to say). Those times when my trust is in the right place are rare, but those are the moments when peace trumps anxiety and fear.

I’m thankful that God still loves his timid, fearful children even when they run in every direction but to Him. He chooses them even when they cling to everything and anything but Him. He is faithful when we are faithless.

I still think that if you and I truly understood how much God loves us, it would change the way we speak and think and pray and live. When we grasp that we don’t have to work for God’s approval but can serve out of the abundance of the overflow of the approval that we already have, then we speak transformed words, think transformed thoughts, pray transformed prayers, and live transformed lives.

I love what Frederick Buechner says: “‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief’ is the best any of us can do really, but thank God it is enough.”

That’s a good place to start.

“I have cast my anchor in the port of peace, knowing that present and future are in nail-pierced hands” (from The Valley of Vision).

If ever we needed a port of peace, it’s now.

I can’t remember a more surreal and unsettled time than 2020 has been so far. It feels like all the constants I trusted in in this world have gone away– at least temporarily. My routine has been decidedly messed up.

Right now, I don’t know that this pandemic mess will ever end. It certainly doesn’t feel like it.

But I know that no matter what my feelings tell me, my hope is in nail-pierced hands.

That’s where my true peace lies.

2020 has been a strange year. I had a moment when I was looking around Stein-Mart expecting to see 4th of July apparel when it dawned on me that we celebrated that holiday almost a whole month ago. Oops.

Hello, August. My brain keeps trying to tell me that it’s May or June, but the weather makes it feel like late September. But it really is August.

For me, that means that fall is getting closer. It also means that we here in Tennessee have another two full months of summer and sweating left.

I’m not a fan of the Sweating, but I’ll take it so that I don’t skip over any of the days that God gives me. Who knows what I might miss?

Also, I’m ready for this pandemic to be over. I don’t want anybody else to get sick. I don’t want anybody else to die. Yes, I will wear my mask when I’m out and about (even if it increases the sweatiness). Yes, I will keep praying for God to eradicate this virus.

All that to say once more: Hello, August. Please don’t be extra weird.

I just realized this evening that it’s been a while since the last update on my quest to watch all the Doctor who episodes for the second time. I know you all have been pining away for more information, so here it is.

I am up to Doctor #12, played by Peter Capaldi. His current companion is the lovely Clara, played by Jenna Coleman (who may or may not be my new top living celebrity crush).

It’s still quirky and very British. There are still weird looking aliens and otherworldly destinations. Of course, there’s still the Tardis, that time travel ship disguised as a 50’s era police box.

It still blows my mind that Doctor Who has been around for 56 years and remained hugely popular. Even during the “wilderness” years when it was off the air, it still had a multitude of loyal fans due to books and audio adventures and fan fests.

Hopefully, it will be around a while longer. Also hopefully, it won’t take as long for my next update. Sorry about that.

For the first time in a little while, I decided to write something down that was completely original and without quoting anybody else. Since the last two posts were almost completely unoriginal, I thought it was about time.

I want to give you just one takeaway: you are enough.

You may not feel like it.

You may be feeling completely inadequate, like you’re failing at life. You may feel like you’ve permanently missed your calling in life and given up on any semblance of your dreams.

You are enough.

How do I know? God says so.

He says that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. He says that you are engraved on the palms of His hands. He says that you were worth dying for.

Yes, you. You with the million and one unfinished goals and projects. You who are still afraid to break out of the life you hate and try something new. You who are living an unfulfilled and “safe” life but who yearn for something a little more dangerous that will make you come alive.

You are enough.

God’s not done with you. The fact that you woke up today is proof. The fact that you’re not okay with status quo and the same ol’ same ol’ means that you long to live out God’s dream for you instead of your own.

You are enough.

God has promised that He will complete the very work He started in you long ago, long before you or your father or your father’s father were conceived. He calls you His masterpiece, and He never leaves masterpieces unfinished.

So remember that no matter how you feel about yourself that God thinks you are very good. He thinks you are worth loving. He thinks you are enough.

You are enough.