The journey to the northern border of Panama was a long one… 3 planes through 4 airports (yes you read that right!) and 3 shuttle buses. Getting there wasn’t so bad, only one minor glitch a flat tire on one of the buses that was quickly swapped out. Our journey home included a 6-hour delay in the Miami airport that turned an already long day into the longest – 24 hours from start to finish!

The first day in Panama set the tone for the rest of the trip. Our hosts, the folks at Faithful Servant Missions, organized a pastor’s conference. Everyone was invited and quite a few showed up! We welcomed them with communion and a foot wash. Then we asked about their needs. So many shared, and we took notes – following up as much as possible throughout the week.

While this was my first mission trip, many of our teammates who had been on trips previously all said this was no average trip. Our routine day was a long one…

“One thing we did every morning while on missions, was to spend 30 minutes reading the Word, a chapter a day, starting in 1 Peter. We would then spend 30 minutes in small group discussing it.” Doug Powell

FSM was awesome!! Great venue for a mission trip/adventure. They’re connected in the local community and with many local churches. Bonus: their facility is on the slope of a volcano! Excellent place to pick up a few rocks and ponder God’s creation :-). And that I did…

We often felt jealous of the locals and how they were connected with the Lord. We could see it in their bright faces as they worshiped in church. How they were excited to see us and hear our stories. How they prayed, wept and talked to God. We saw the Lord working in every nook and cranny. Our ventures into the community were heartwarming. Add into the mix a few projects at FSM and we were spent. Wiped out, giving it all to God and His mission to the point of exhaustion for 8 straight days. It was so overwhelming I went to bed every night with the thought “I don’t know how to process all of this…”

William’s baptism. Photo courtesy of Clint Capps.

Thirty-five people stepped out in faith on our trip. Several were baptized, along with local legend “William,” a Ngobe Bugle Indian. There is no way we could have imagined it would have been what it was. Thirty-five people brought together from all walks of life… every conceivable past situation… for some reason people felt safe in this rural setting of a foreign country. People shared their darkest secrets and as they did we all prayed for them… wept with them… and we compassionate for each other. Transparency was the norm on our trip. People felt safe. We were safe to share about ourselves and our past. It was raw. No matter how dark, we did not feel judged or condemned. That was awesome.

“I see your heart, and I see your soul, and I know who you really are.” Daryl Jones speaking of Ed Perez.

These are people to whom I feel well connected.

I arrive home with a renewed connection with the Holy Spirit. It’s been a few years since I felt so close… I must admit I miss that. But, who’s to blame? Only me and my acceptance of the distractions that take me away on a daily basis. So many of these distractions are choices that I make. I stay encouraged by the people who went on the trip and those we met and how they are molding to be more like Jesus… one day at a time…

This was real. Our people are real. I loved seeing that and God’s love in action.

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When it’s all said and done, we walk about feeling inspired but that feeling is often lost in the daily minutia of life. I hear it all the time from people who ebb and flow. Those who are “onboard” Sunday but step off the path by mid-week. Is it just a function of putting Jesus in a box? Probably something like that.

It happens at work frequently, this notion of turning pain to gain. It’s called hard work. Whether you’re learning a new skill or maybe trying to meet a tight deadline, overcoming the learning curve or sweat equity results in a payoff. Achievement. Or advancement. When we try to take a shortcut, we often loose. The same is true when we give up.

This is also true in many sports: we advance to the next level whenever we experience pain. Pain comes along with growth and advancement in skill; we go farther. Or faster. Or score more…

There’s nothing more rewarding than running a race with painful endurance and closing the deal. Our cross country coach used to tell us everyone who participates is a winner. I like that thought.

“Some people want it to happen; some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” Michael Jordan

Jordan made it happen. He spoke of failure and not giving up. A lot. He also spoke of talent. Did MJ rely on talent to take him to the top? Certainly not. He also said, “The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle.”

We turn that pain to gain when we follow Jesus. He came for a reason: so that we could have forgiveness for our sins. And eternal life. Why? Well, it’s a basic truth of turning pain to gain: there is no other way.

If you want to learn and grow surround yourself with the best players in the game. (Click To Tweet)

But wait, there’s something over and, above all, that… Jesus did something more in His “labor of love.”

“I have come so they may have life, and have it to the full.” Jesus

What’s that all about? While most of us are probably not going to pass from this life today, eternity starts now, not somewhere over the rainbow…

“The glory of God is man fully alive.” Saint Irenaeus

That’s it. You’ve been set up. Will you convert pain to gain? Will you live out “fully alive” today?

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Man, my blog got really comfortable. Over a period of 5 years writing at I’m Just Thinkin’ I got way TOO comfortable with the place. So it was time to press on and keep moving forward. I’m still brushing off some dust here and at my other websites so please bear with me…

Jesus calls us in the book of Acts to be His witnesses and carry the good news message of the gospel to the ends of the earth. Doing so will most likely cause us to leave a comfortable place. In obedience. And as an act of faith. What will we learn along the way?

Image courtesy of Jason Priem on flickr

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Pastor Joby Martin at the MLK Breakfast

MLK Day always seems to be a day of reflection for me. I get all sentimental and then up on my soap box. You can read some of what I feel is my best material, posted on this day the past few years, like “How To Win In The Endeavor For Peace” or “Religious Freedom: What Does Jesus Really Look Like These Days.” With the history of Jacksonville, Florida as the backdrop for my experience, I just feel we have come so far, then I see the current setting of new challenges for deeply rooted thinking that seems off-key… and I head off to type another “Peace, Love and Unity” post.

Is there shelter in unity?

I think to get to the place of unity we have to embrace vulnerability. White guys have to be eager to go to the MLK breakfast here in the south. Church people need to mix and mingle better outside of their small group and congregation… not down the street with the folks in the next country club, but across town (or globally for that matter) with people who need to know we care. Conversations need to take place despite adversity. Then, unity is achieved through diversity…

“We need to reach that happy stage of our development when differences and diversity are not seen as sources of division and distrust, but of strength and inspiration.” Josefa Iloilo

Is there shelter in unity?

Yes. There is when we ALL have the love of God painted on our hearts. Then, there will be no more poverty. Or discrimination. We won’t have to worry about walking safely down a dark alley either. On that day our differences will be our strengths as we will truly be one body. We see a glimmer of that in our world today… and for this we have hope.

“A great misunderstanding in the world is that we must wait until we feel safe to be vulnerable with other people. They must earn our trust and show us they will not take our wounds and cause them to bleed more. We misconstrue the wisdom of guarding our hearts, our life’s wellspring, as a command to build a fortress around them.

We are never safe from pain, and safety has nothing to do with vulnerability.

Vulnerability will hurt… It is a paradox: once we realize being vulnerable is never safe, we are then free to be vulnerable. We guard our hearts by giving them to the Guardian. We accept the fact that hurt will come. We see wounds as gifts. When this dramatic shift in our spirit occurs, fear no longer controls us.” Anne Marie Miller

Those black men who marched in Selma and in Jacksonville some 50 years ago had unity. They we also throwing themselves out there. Their vulnerability was answered with hostility. The unity these brave men carried was in their cause. Did they find shelter in unity?

The answer to that question is that it all depends on your perspective…

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified. What, then shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:28-31

Yea, they found shelter… and hope in their situation. Because they knew the Lord. They understood the bigger picture.

Is there shelter in unity? You can share your thoughts on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin.

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To go shopping…

To be merry…

To make Figgie pudding…

Plus the standing rib roast… yes…

The 12 Scents Of Christmas…

How Do You Say Christmas? Another one to ponder that I have never written down. Well, today’s the day – here are my thoughts and Bible verses on how to explain what Christmas is about… all in one neat little package:

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Luke 1:26-35

Next up for the angels: a vision in a dream to Joseph…

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus. Matthew 1:18-25

I’m thinking the buy in from Mary and Joseph required extraordinary faith and obedience… and a little know how from the prophecy of Isaiah and Jeremiah… spoken hundreds of years earlier. The story of the coming Messiah…

And it came to pass in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Luke 2: 1-14

And so Jesus was born into mankind. Wholly man, wholly God. Love was born on that day. What? Yes, 1 John 4:8 says that God is love. But why did He come? To save all of humanity from their sins.

For the Son of man came to seek and to save what was lost. Luke 19:10

He gave us an opportunity, or choice… believe. That’s it, just believe. For the wages for sin are death, and all of humanity failed in that regard. There is no other way to the Father other than through Jesus.

And if you are interested in the perspective from heaven of the Christmas story, check it out in the book of Revelation Chapter 12. Wait what what? Yes, you can understand it from a heavenly perspective… if you find Revelation to be confusing try this video – explains it perfectly.

“From a heavenly perspective, Jesus isn’t simply a cuddly little baby born into a silent night, but God’s Almighty Son sent behind enemy lines on a rescue mission.” Joby Martin

And so on Christmas a child is born, our Savior. The story of his life continues through Easter, when we remember His death and resurrection. Continues? Yes, continues and points to Jesus… on into eternity.

How do you say Christmas? Are you prepared to share the story of what Christmas is all about?

image courtesy of Dilly Dul on G+

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It’s the 4th quarter…

It’s time to finish strong…

I have an awesome friend Carol Peterson who is a planner. I generally like to have a plan too but not quite like Carol. She makes a plan, fine tunes it, reviews it, tweaks it, lives it, modifies as needed. Oh yes, then there is the quarterly review… just when I’m nodding off Carol reminds me to review my plan. I’m sure as I consider the next few words of this post she’s already working on “the plan post” for the first of the year. I like that about Carol… one of the many things that helps to keep me on my toes.

Well I think this has been a pretty good year. I published my 4th book, The Wellspring Of Life. This was my baby from the very beginning. Not too long thereafter… everything changed. God spoke to me through a friend and… chicka boom chicka boom… new opportunities blossomed.

I picked up a part-time job at my church. Geology? No, still doing that but this is in Information Technology… yep yep yep I learned a bit of how to do I.T. along the way. And the writing? Lordy yes, I’ve been at that too… writing content at church and ghost writing on environmental issues to boot. Plus finishing up my 5th book about finding your calling…

Needless to say I’m pretty stoked to settle back into a groove. But before I do I’m going to rework my websites… just like I’ve reworked my schedule! Yep, all 3 of my URL’s. My goal is to have that done by the first of the year. I’m counting on Carol and my other writer friends to encourage me and hold me accountable. Praise God! And I’ll need prayers from all of you as I have no idea what this is going to look like at the moment… just that it is time to finish strong…

How will you be “finishing strong” this year?

Image courtesy of indegogo.com

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Bilbo B. wasn’t exactly gifted for an adventure… he simply went along with a game-changing calling.

Here’s my go at the Gospel:

God created the world. He also created man in his image. When he created man, he gave us a gift: free will, or the freedom to make choices. “The fall of man” occurred in the Garden of Eden shortly thereafter when Adam and Eve exercised their free will and sinned, following the instruction of satan disguised as a snake, and disobeying God. Therein lies the problem – the wage for disobedience or sin is death and eternal separation from God. We, as humanity, have royally messed up. Since Adam and Eve, all of humanity has fallen short… we’re all sinners in need of a Savior… there is no other way.

Fortunately, our God is a loving God. So, he sent his son, Jesus, to live a perfect, sinless life on earth in the flesh as a man and to die on a cross as a substitute for our sin, thus providing an opportunity for us. Again, there is no other way. Jesus didn’t come into our world to make bad men good. He came into our world so that dead men can live. Thankful.

Jesus reigns in heaven at this time called the church age and offers us forgiveness for our sins. When we repent from our sins and believe in him we all can have eternal life… If that is our choice. Here’s another cool part of the story: when we belong to God and are a part of His family the Holy Spirit dwells within us. Our human body actually becomes a temple where our living God dwells.

Can you dig it? Or maybe I should say can you feel Him within?

How would you explain the Gospel?

Image courtesy of Jim Pennucci on creativecommons.org

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“We ourselves feel what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” — Mother Teresa

So think about it this way: when God asks us to do something we have a choice, right? That’s where free will comes in. Let’s think about Jonah… so here’s a guy who was called on by God to go to the Assyrians and warn them that they would receive judgment if they did not repent from their evil ways. Well, Jonah didn’t really care for the Assyrians… so much so that didn’t want them to receive God’s mercy. So instead of heading over to Nineveh as God directed, Jonah headed in the opposite direction.

Surely God could have easily found another messenger, right? Right. But I can’t see that scenario happening anywhere in the Bible. Jonah’s task at hand was important… and so it was for Noah and Abraham. Even Moses had questions and doubts of his ability to lead. Just another drop in the ocean? I think we all agree the rock stars that are in the Bible are worthy, right? Wrong. They were all wretched black-hearted sinners just like you and me… sinners in need of a savior. They needed a Savior. We all do. What happened next? Well, in Jonah’s case God pursued him and turned him around. Jonah fulfills his mission.

And how about for you and me? I think God likes us to use our free will, that’s why He gave it to us. However, when it comes down to the important stuff… like following God’s will and fulfilling the decisions that He rests on for the story of humanity… I think He works on and in us when we rebel (or turn to religiosity, whatever the case may be). Who knows whether our next decision will be a catalyst for all of humanity or not. Surely we can see how some of our decisions affect not only us but our offspring and theirs as well. Does that make me want to be more obedient to following Jesus, growing to be more and more like him? Yes, indeed it does. It also makes me want to contribute to the big picture. Like Mother Teresa says, the ocean would still be the ocean but it would in fact have one less drop without me or you. Every drop counts…

What is your favorite Bible story about obedience? Are you more likely to turn to rebelling or religiosity when God wants you to do something that you don’t want to do?

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Have you ever uttered these words? Or perhaps you have been nagged for eons by the wisdom you would like to share but just don’t feel it is the right time or place. So today I thought I would lay out the why and when you should say what you need to say. Or not.

First of all, we have to carefully determine if we are in a place where sharing our thoughts or opinions is going to be helpful. Let’s just suppose you and I had a little falling out (ok, it happens). No matter how tactfully I may hand the situation, it is unlikely that I’m now in a place of admonishment.

Admonishment…

Yep, the land of sharing our opinion of a wise or proper course of action. It’s not about you, it’s about the person who desperately needs our help.

Next up: speaking the truth in love. Do you genuinely care for and want to help this person in need? Right there is the why.

“Ground wisdom in His words… not yours.” Michelle Myers lit it up with “when life is so much more complicated than uttering the dude word”

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:14-16

Always seek to build  the other person up – knowing in the short-term it may be difficult for them.

I often find I’m more likely to share my thoughts and opinions with my daughters than with a co-worker. That’s fine, I may even pull of admonishment with a relative using a quip. If the co-worker is smoking cigarettes I am probably going to be more likely to offer them encouragement to quit if we share a close friendship.

Of course, we can choose the venue…

And the when?

Remember from Ecclesiastes, there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens… a time to be silent and a time to speak…

and sometimes not… consider the nosy neighbor…

So I had a fellow blogger ask for some input recently. This friend is rather accomplished… bestselling author… tons of fans, followers and likes. I think he knows me well enough to discern that I’m not a pundit but simply an honest fan, so I shared with him that it often seems he is more interested in advancing his own kingdom than that of the Lord.

That’s the why and when you should say what you need to say…

One more thought:

Let’s say you find yourself on the other end of the stick, someone is sharing their wisdom with you this time around. Here’s some great advice:

Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22

Test everything to see if it jives with God’s word. Disregard the shower of Babel…
His word is perfect and complete. Need we say more?

What suggestions can you provide for “helping a brother out” through admonishment?

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For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

There is a common thread to our calling; we are all gifted to serve other people in the big picture of life…

Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Here’s one of the most useful and accurate tools I’ve found to identifying spiritual gifts.

Once you identify your gifts, the next step in the process is personal development. Stay tuned in to the “clues” that could provide further direction to zero in on your true identity in Christ Jesus and your work in the Lord’s name:

• The people or places we can think of as opportunity.
• Your past experiences certainly may play a key role as well.
• Take stock of the resources that you have – be it your education or assets, or maybe even your current position at work.
• Listen carefully to the folks around you that you would consider to be wise counsel.
• Focus on opportunities – they may be a very important doorway to fulfilling your mission.

These are all critical elements to identifying your calling… and they all lead to the same conclusion:

Getting to know yourself is the most relevant factor to identifying your calling. (Click To Tweet)

Our gifts are the things we do with seemingly little to no effort. I could rattle out these blog posts every morning. Writing is certainly a gift for me, and evidenced by the Holy Spirit dwelling within me as I never had that gift before I came to know Jesus and accept Him as Lord and Savior.

Why do it? It is all about fulfillment. We are an empty shell without fulfillment in the Lord, left with a void in our soul that nothing else can fill. It’s about getting to know oneself. Then, we can finish the painting of the thing called life, like an artist fills the canvas. Starting with nothing but a blank sheet, God created each of us specifically for a unique and special purpose. We are each His crowning achievement.

Will you be fulfilling yours?

Image courtesy of jandismall.wordpress.com

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