“Now when they saw the boldness and unfettered eloquence of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and untrained in the schools [common men with no educational advantages], they marveled; and they recognized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13, Amplified Bible).

That verse jumps out at me every single time I read it. These disciples didn’t have a lifetime of religious training in the Torah like the Pharisees and Sadducees. They didn’t have the formal education or the pedigree, but one thing that they had that stood out like a beacon– they had been with Jesus.

One thing I learned about discipleship is that it was not something to be taken lightly. Once anyone decided to become a disciple of a teacher, that essentially became their livelihood, their occupation, and their whole life. They didn’t have a job beside being a disciple– that was their job.

Disciples spent every moment with their teacher. They ate when he ate, they slept when he slept. They became so acquainted with him that his words became their words, his thoughts became their thoughts, and his life became their life.

The Jewish leaders recognized that Peter, John, and the rest of the disciples had been with Jesus because they spoke His words, thought like Him, acted like Him.

How would it be if people recognized me as having been with Jesus? How would it transform and impact your world around you if the people you met could tell that you had been with Jesus? More so than knowing your political affiliation or your denominational background, people need to see that you have spent time with Jesus. And that only comes from spending time with Jesus.

I can’t think of anything more appropriate for this crazy year that’s been flying by (at least for me). It’s funny because it’s true.

You can’t argue, attack, belittle, berate, or demean anyone into a change of heart. That goes against 90% of social media posts which apparently intend to have people change their ways by showing them just how stupid and ignorant they are.

Even if that worked (which it almost never does), that’s not the way of the Messiah. That’s not how Jesus showed us how to live. Even as He spoke with sometimes brutal honesty to the Jewish religious leaders, His final words were to forgive them even as they were in the very act of murdering Him. That is the kind of loving act that truly brings about a change of heart. That’s what changes lives and ultimately changes the world.

I’m over everything political. I’m tired of how people who are otherwise sane and rational seem to lose their everloving minds when it comes to political discussions, particularly pertaining to either Trump or Biden.

So I’m talking about something else. Like how I cleaned out my car for the first time in a really long time. It’ll be fun, they said.

What I discovered was that the job wasn’t nearly as bad as I feared it would be. I found an old work badge from a place where I temped way back in 2015. I also uncovered some unidentifiable goo in my center console.

Best of all, I can now find all my important stuff in my car for whenever I need it, like my registration and proof of insurance. Or my face mask. Or the tiny little Bible I carry around in my car.

Of course, the fact that my car is clean helps. I don’t feel dirty driving around in a dirty car. So now you know that I am OCD, but at least it’s the clean kind.

Anyway, you can go back to your CNN or FoxNews or whatever. Or you could stop the madness and read a book. Or maybe crochet something. It’s totally up to you.

Just one piece of advice going into the home stretch of Election Madness: be kind.

No matter who you are voting for (or even if you’re still undecided), remember that all those on the other side of the political aisle are still human beings created in the image of God and loved by God. To denigrate any one of these is to despise the God who created them.

Also, remember that if you are a follower of Jesus, you hold to a higher standard. You are called to live above the red versus blue madness that seems to be so prevalent. If your faith outlook fits comfortably within either the Democrat or Republican party platform, either liberal or conservative, then you have committed idolatry and sold out your spiritual birthright for human ideology.

Above all, be kind. You aren’t perfect. The person who disagrees with you isn’t perfect. No one other than Jesus can claim to be sinless enough to throw stones (and Jesus never once picked up a stone to throw at anyone at anytime ever).

Remember the standard of Jesus is to love your enemies. It’s to treat them the same way that God treated you when you were an outsider and an enemy to God. How did God treat you when you were at your worst? He loved you and sought you out and reconciled you to Himself. He sacrificed Himself for you.

After the election is over, people will still bear the image of God. Even those you currently can’t stand. Even the ones who can’t stand you. So be kind, knowing it is the kindness of God that leads to repentence, restoration, renewal, and rest.

Happy October! Welcome to the land of all things pumpkin spice and apple cider, crisp breezes and falling leaves. October is the portal to my favorite time of the year and reminds me of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas yet to come.

This year has felt more like a real fall season than any I can remember in a long, long time. In years past, the summer weather lingered on and on and I sweated through all or most of the fall festivities. This year, with all those festivities cancelled or virtual-ized, the weather has been picture perfect. Go figure.

But I’m thankful for the seasonally appropriate temperatures. I’m thankful for the fallish scent of sweet decay that reminds us all once again through the changing and falling leaves how beautiful it is to let go. I’m thankful that I am able once more to wear flannel (at least in the evenings).

Happy October! May the Great Pumpkin finally show up this year.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly” (Matthew 11:28-29, The Message).

I’ve been learning about the Sabbath lately, specifically as to how God instituted and inaugurated it way back in Genesis by resting on the seventh day after creation.

God’s people later turned it into a burdensome maze of rules and regulations, but Jesus reclaimed it as a time of refreshment and restoration, proclaiming that people weren’t made for the Sabbath of rule-keeping but that the Sabbath was made for people who sometimes need day off and a time of rest.

The key is trusting God that He can do more with your six days and one day devoted to Him than you could with seven kept all for yourself. It’s almost like tithing your time.

There will always be something that needs your attention, something that has to be done. You could literally spend every waking moment occupied with all your tasks and chores and still never get it all done.

The secret is deciding what’s really important. Is getting stuff done more important than soul-rest? Is busy-ness really a good indicator of how productive and mature you and your family are? If you don’t initiate the effort to make time for rest, your body will decide for you when to rest.

Dallas Willard once said that you must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. One way to do that is by taking one day a week for rest. Out of all the commandments God gave to Moses, He spent more time on the Sabbath than on anything else. If you get bored, you can look up how many times the Bible speaks about rest– I guarantee it’s a lot, because rest is important.

When God rested on the seventh day, He set the example for us to follow. May we learn the unforced rhythms of grace and rest that Jesus spoke about and truly find rest for our souls that all of us so desperately need.

Technically, it’s not October until Thursday, but it already feels like it. The cool temperatures plus the breezes that have just a hint of frost all add up to perfection for me.

When the sun went down, it got downright chilly. The only thing that could have improved it would have been a bonfire.

As much as I like certain aspects of summer, I don’t miss the heavy humid hot weather. I don’t miss sweating constantly. I definitely don’t miss getting overheated to the point of being sick, which thankfully is rare but still not fun.

I hope this year that autumn sticks around and shows out. I hope I don’t get so wrapped up in my own little world that I miss the changing leaves and crisp air and all the nostalgia that comes with it.

I’m ready for that Skeleton on Gelatin.

“Keep a clear eye toward life’s end. Do not forget your purpose and destiny as God’s Creature. What you are in His sight is what you are and nothing more. Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take nothing you have received . . . but only what you have given; a full heart enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage” (St Francis of Assisi).

Apparently, there’s some question about whether St. Francis actually originated the above quote, but for me it doesn’t matter. What matters is that it’s true.

When you can see yourself as God sees you, nothing less and nothing more, then you are kept from pride or self-abasement. You understand the true definition of humility, which isn’t thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less.

It’s also true that when you leave this earth, you can take nothing with you in terms of possessions or accolades or titles. I believe the old quote says that all that you can take with you is that which you’ve given away.

What you can take with you are those acts of service you’ve done for the least, the last, and the lost. What you can take with you is what you’ve invested in others through mentoring and discipleship. You can take with you those who know about Jesus and know Jesus because they saw Jesus in you and heard about Jesus from you.

I tried to think of something more substantial, but for the life of me, I couldn’t come up with anything other than another bad joke. Hopefully by tomorrow, the old brain cells and coffee will finally kick in and I will come up with something more creative and less groan-worthy.

Still, if you’re a fan of extremely corny jokes, enjoy. If not, I’m sorry. Wait until tomorrow.