Is God lost?

I have had quite a few emails lately, asking me "what happened to God" in my posts. With a blog title that so prominently refers to Him, it appears people believe I have lost sight of the Almighty in what I write.

I can assure you... God is still on the throne.

Those who know me spiritually know that I am a relatively tolerance based moderate. Jesus is shown to have tolerated much more than he went around turning over tables, in order to show all people how He expected them to live. Believe me, God Himself tolerates much more than even I do.

This article is not about tolerance, but tolerance is exactly why I do not constantly blast The Word of God throughout each post I write. Pastor Mark Driscoll, of the Mars Hill Church in Seattle, wrote a great article on tolerance for those who want to know more.

If people saw my draft folder here on my blog site, they would see countless draft topics for articles. This is because God speaks to me about many things, and if I do not write them down I will never return to them. I always prayerfully consider if it is a subject that He is asking me to write before I write on it. Many of the ideas are for me to study, or that lead to other things.

For example, there is a draft in my folder on God's unconditional love and dogs. I love speaking on this subject, and have done so at many churches. Over the past two years, it just has not been the proper time to write on this subject. It is not that I do not believe in the message; rather it is that He gives me so many other messages that have priority.

That does not mean, however, that I always write the subjects He wants me to. As a loving God, He allows me the freedom to sometimes wander and write on subjects that resulted from my thinking about subjects He has given me, but are not quite His point in the idea. I am human, after all.

I wrote on one of my investments not too long ago. I am pretty sure God did not expect me to write on the company, but He allowed me the freedom to write about something I am passionate about and related to His thoughts about the health of the people of the world.

Do not worry. God is still in control.

He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else

I would like to start by apologizing for offending those who will read this post and be offended. I already know who you are, and quite honestly, I am not sorry that you will be offended. I would like to say that I am speaking from righteous indignation. Truth is, I am speaking from being tired and having the world dumped on my shoulders, and having people complain that I am not dealing with the world as they would have me deal with it.

I know how God feels.

Like with God, these people do not know the whole story of what I am dealing with. They do not know why I am doing what I do, and they want explanations as to why I am doing what I do. They make excuses for why they cannot be involved, or why they do not seek answers, or why they are not kept informed. They do not understand that I am not just sitting around waiting for things to do. I have commitments, time constraints, and limited resources... just like God is not sitting around playing Solitaire, waiting for us to tell Him how to fix the world (Guess what! He already has a plan!).

We, as a people, make excuses in an attempt to avoid taking responsibility for the world around us. We blame God for what happens in the world. Or we blame others. "I don't know how." "I am too busy, or too tired, or too old, or too young."

Ben Franklin wrote the title of this blog. Ayn Rand said "Rationalization is a process of not perceiving reality, but of attempting to make reality fit one's emotions." Mr. Rand's statement rings quite true in my ears lately.

"Some of us are not in a position to pick up the phone."  What does that mean, anyway? The phrase "not in a position to" is a general ambiguous clause that really means: I am not authorized to; I am unable to, even if I wanted; I am unable to NOW, but if circumstances change I could; or I don't want to. I am going to go out on a limb and assume the latter, since the one just prior really comes down to the next excuse.

"I don't have time." Are you too busy washing the dog? Or running your business? Or too busy with your own family's life? Again, this is a cop out. We daily say we do not have time for things, yet we fill unending hours of our day posting on Facebook, driving in the car (ever hear of Bluetooth?), eating lunch, watching television. Life is like a jar of rocks, and there is always time for a beer.

"It was too late." (Or too early). Prioritize. Where I am, 6am is 9am on the East coast. I find my 7am ride to work is a perfect time to call those on the East, or Central time zones. I make time to deal with people on that side of the country when I am driving and have 40 minutes that most people consider "busy." 10pm my time is 8pm Honolulu time... too late to call someone here, but not there. Lunch time here is... well, lunch time for everyone no this coast. Sorry, I just do not buy this excuse.

"I do not know what is going on!" I view this excuse as a culmination of the excuses above, and many more. If you really want to know what is going on, you will find a way to figure it out. Make time, make calls, adjust your schedule. Do not put others off because they are not available when YOU want their attention. Sometimes others are busy too - make an agreement to call or get together, and live up to that agreement. When you don't, people come to expect you will not be reliable and they will not keep you informed.

I could go on. Excuses are plentiful. Jeremiah had a pile of excuses ready when God called him to be a prophet. God says in Luke 12:48 "of he who is given much, much is expected."

Let's quit rationalizing our emotions, and do what we are called to do. I will leave this post with two things:

First, a moral story about being there when someone needs you. This is an urban legend, but the lesson is valid none-the-less. The Marine made no excuses.

And lastly, a quote from God's word:

                     The Lord has shown you what is good. 

                         He has told you what he requires of you.

                    You must treat people fairly.

                        You must love others faithfully.

                   And you must be very careful to live

                       the way your God wants you to. (Micah 6:8, NIRV)

Merry Christmas, Buon Natale & С Рождеством: A multicultural Christmas wish for you and yours

I live in a multi-cultural family. We celebrate Christmas today, and on January 7. This gives me plenty of time to reflect on the differences between Western and Orthodox celebrations of day of the birth of Jesus Christ.

I remember Christmas of my youth being filled with presents (US views), Christmas Eve mass and lots of spaghetti cooked by my father and lasagna by my sister (Italian), and extended family gathered together. As I grew older and had kids of my own, it always bothered me that it seemed the present count began to mean more to society than the birthday of Jesus.

My Russian (Ukrainian/Eastern European) family brought back the true meaning of Christmas for me. In Ukraine, I saw many of the traditions of old still being practiced, and my family still practices many of those traditions in the USA today.

My wife never had a Christmas tree. She would go to the tree lot where they sold trees, and she would gather evergreen branches to decorate the home. Evergreen was a symbol of life before the first Christmas. People either prayed outside among the evergreens, or they decorated their homes with evergreen branches during winter in order to celebrate life. What a fitting celebration of the birth of Christ. We do have a Christmas tree each year.

The angel on top of the tree is a must in our family. We have never used a star. For us, the angel symbolizes the significance of the angels who appeared above Bethlehem to announce Jesus' birth on the first Christmas. Russians, who tend to be a bit superstitious, use the angels to make a statement of faith.

Russians also do not have Santa Claus, rather they have Father Frost (Ded Moroz) and his beautiful Snegurochka (snow maiden granddaughter). Like Santa, he brings gifts, but not in secret - and they are brought on New Years in order to separate the more commercial aspect of gift giving from Christmas and the true meaning of Christmas.

On Christmas Eve, Russian families have a festive meal called "The Holy Supper." Family gathers at the table to honor the coming Christ Child. A white table cloth, symbolic of Christ's swaddling clothes, covers the table (we skip the hay) to remind the diners of Jesus in the manger. A tall white candle is placed in the center of the table, which symbolizes Christ as "the Light of the World." Bread is served, and symbolizes Christ as "the Bread of Life."

The meal starts with prayer, led by the father of the family. This is a prayer of thanksgiving for all the blessings of the past year, followed by prayers for the good things int he coming year. Usually, people visiting the home are greeted with "Christ is Born!" And the family responds "Glorify Him!" 

         (My wife, father, and daughter)

The mother usually blesses each person with honey in the form of a cross on each forehead, saying "In the Name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, may you have sweetness and many good things in life and in the new year." This is followed by everyone partaking of the bread, dipping it first in honey and then in chopped garlic. Honey is symbolic of the sweetness of life, and garlic of the bitterness.

Dishes do not get washed until presents are opened. Presents are almost always something practical: a warm winter jacket, shoes, high heel boots for women, and non-practical gifts are saved for children. I have to admit that the Italian blood in me always sees me purchasing at least one item for my wife that is not practical (in my eyes - but totally necessary in hers).

I bring this up because our country has commercialized Christmas, and removed Jesus as the center of the holiday in the name of political correctness. I want to respect other people's beliefs, which is why I wish my Jewish friends "Happy Hanukkah," (and they always wish us "Merry Christmas.)" There are a lot of religious holidays during Winter, but December 25 and January 7 are "the day of Christ" and we keep that view always.

Final thoughts on this Christmas morning, from my family to yours:

"Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Let earth receive her King!" (Musical link)

Accepting of Tolerance in the holidays

I often get called out by Christians as "promoting tolerance." In reality, yes, I am a tolerant person who believes Christians need to be tolerant of the beliefs of others.

We are going to start with a semantic lesson on what tolerance is. 

Wikipedia probably has the most commonly used definition by Christians: Tolerance is a fair, objective, and permissive attitude towards those whose opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one's own.

What most Christians get hung up on, and believe tolerance means, is in the word "permissive" - If I am tolerant of someones lifestyle, I am allowing, or encouraging, that way of living. Several dictionaries even define permissive as "being tolerant." 

I believe the word most Christians are looking for is "acceptance" - agreement with or belief in an idea, opinion, or explanation.

The actual definition of tolerance is: allow the existence, occurrence, or practice of (something that one does not necessarily like or agree with) without interference.

Acceptance is believing in something and permitting it, while tolerance is living with it even if you disagree with it. For example, I am not accepting of my 13 year old dating. I do not permit it. But I am tolerant of my dog sitting on the sofa. Though I do not agree with it, I permit it. 

What Christians argue about in the debate on "tolerance" is all about the semantics. 

Like it or not, God is tolerant of those who do not believe in him. He is tolerant of those who have different views than Him. He is tolerant of war. He is tolerant of sin. The Bible is strewn with tolerance from cover to cover. God does not, however, accept certain things. He puts up with us sinning people, and loves us regardless of his dislike for sin (tolerance), and even allows us into His kingdom (if we are repentant). But He does not allow unrepentant sinners in His kingdom (acceptance).

Even in the Christian world, we practice tolerance and acceptance daily, all while we beat people over the head with our Bibles when they do not meet our expectations of how to live. Baptists tolerate and accept those who are not baptized in water. Evangelicals tolerate and accept those who do not speak in tongues. Protestants (often) tolerate Catholics (SDAs, Mormons), even though they do not accept their ways and beliefs. 

So why do we treat non-Christians differently than we treat our own? 

Keep in mind that we are all sinners (Romans 3:23), and all sin is equal in God's eyes (James 2:10). The earthly consequences of our acts vary greatly, and although some sins are greater than others, any sin will prevent us from going to heaven without the saving grace and sacrifice of Jesus.

Essentially, any one sin is sufficient to keep us from God.

So why do I bring this up today, on Christmas Eve?

Because God sent Jesus to the world in order to forgive our sins. Jesus tolerated sinners to bring people to acceptance of His ways. He used a gentle and loving hand (in most cases) to win people from their sins and bring them into His kingdom.  God wants us to do the same as He did. Discern right from wrong. Know when to be loving of others, even if their lifestyle is not "acceptable" to us.  Apply a loving hand versus turning over the tables.

It is time to tolerate some views that are different than mainstream Christian beliefs if we want to win people to Christ. That does not mean we have to be accepting of those ways. It simply means we need to love others as God loves us. God sent his Son to us, to be sacrificed for us.

Give the world a Christmas present this year. Live a loving life as God wants you to, and do not try to impose your personal views on everyone else. Share the Gospel. Don't beat people with it.

After all, Jesus saved sinners with views that were different from His. He did not save Christians.

Think first and show respect to all

Ok. I spent a good part of last night listening to God speak to me about my offending a friend by re-posting this Matt Walsh blog. I apologize profusely to my friend. I was disrespectful by not thinking of what consequences my actions would have.

My friend is a member of the LGBTQ community, and it was not my intention to offend her. But it is an example of how people rarely think before they speak or act regarding sensitive subjects. But what God said to me what that we, as a people, need to start respecting each other in all things.

As I said to my friend, I see arguments on both sides that are valid. In fact, God showed me that there are many such dilemmas where a valid argument can be made on both sides of a sensitive situation.

Matt is not necessarily against the LGBTQ community, rather he is against applying freedom restrictions unfairly. He was correct in his statements about freedom of association and expression, but he neglected to remember that respect would say we should not refuse service to reasonable people, despite our personal views.

My friend also had a valid viewpoint that refusing to serve a member of the LGBTQ community is akin to refusing to serve an African-American or a Jew. That situation would surely cause lawsuits, and be supported by even Christians nation-wide. But these lawsuits and arrests simply polarize the sides.

Our country is divided enough already.

What happened to treating all people with respect? Is suing and having a judge force a baker to cater a gay couple's wedding really respecting his religious views? And if you were this gay couple, would you really want this baker making YOUR cake? Just go find another baker. Or look at the t-shirt company that referred a gay pride parade to another printer that could print for them, because of his religious beliefs? The t-shirt company was being respectful of the gay's right to march, so would it have hurt to show respect for the t-shirt company's right to their religious beliefs? Or was it better to sue?

People used to vote with their feet, much like was done to the florist in Washington. People simply quit going there. They patronized other businesses, and the florist went out of business very quickly.

Businesses are said to have the right to refuse service to anyone. It is obvious that is not true. If it was, businesses could refuse service to African Americans, or Catholics, or gun owners, or women.

Yes, I snuck gun free zones in there. It is not the same thing, you say? What about "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service?" Or "We Reserve the Right to Refuse Service for Any Reason?" How about a handicapped person bringing a dog to a restaurant? Believe me, I have done that with my Service Animal, and you might be surprised how many people (including business owners) think that is "unreasonable" and hassle me.

Where do we draw the line? Who gets their rights and beliefs respected, and who does not?

We have double standards in our country.

An example: My wife worked in a retail environment for a while. One of the employees she worked with came from a country where the women were not allowed to view a man in underwear. As such, she could not put packages of underwear on the shelves. The (considerable) extra work fell to my wife, who did it quietly. Could we say my wife respected the rights of this co-worker? Could we also say that the co-worker was disrespectful, by taking a job where stocking shelves was a job requirement (and the job description called out stocking shelves) and refusing to do it?

How about another example? Two people were working at a nursing home, where the job requirement was to do ADLs (activities of daily living) with seniors, including helping them bathe. But one employee called out "religious beliefs" as a reason not to help seniors bathe. Instead of having to bathe 7 seniors a shift, the other employee was left to bathe 14 people. I'm curious how somebody gets offered and accepts a job at a retirement home and then refuses to do a major part of the work. Never mind this same person would smoke, and drink at bars, both of which were against this persons religion. Respectful?

The country seems to have gotten into the realm of Lil Kim in the song "Money, Power, Respect," where she says first comes money, then power, then people respect you. It is time to let go of the power we desire over others, and go straight to respect.

I guess my point is that we as a people need to learn to respect others in all we do.

Shop where people treat you well. Sell to anyone who can afford your product. Remember that others may be having a bad day. Treat all people the same. Respect cultural differences (yes, not everyone is American, nor understands our culture). Ignore other people's sexual preference. Keep your sexual preferences to yourself. It is a two way street in everything.

Mostly, think.

Let's get back to being united, and working together.

Thanksgiving Wishes - avoiding the stress

I was asked how I avoid the stress of the holidays the other day. Simple. Keep focused on the true meanings of the holidays. 

We historically set aside this day to give thanks to God for what He has given us in life. Far too often we allow the pressures of excess and commercialization to distract us from the true meanings of holidays. Buy more, eat more, watch more is supposed to equate to loving others more. We often worry about the traditions more than the reason we celebrate. 

To this extent, my family has chosen to break "tradition" this year. We will eat a relatively modest meal together. It will consist of Russian mors, ham, potatoes, squash, fresh baked rolls, and (traditional) pumpkin pie. The focus of this meal is not football, or gorging ourselves. It is purely about the family and giving thanks to God for all He has blessed us with. 

It will be a stress free and joyful holiday for us. 

On this US Thanksgiving day, I want to express my thanks for all my family, friends, and acquaintances, past, present and future. Each one of you has blessed us and brought us to where we are in our lives today. May God bless you more than He blessed us. 

Why I invested in TellSpec (What's in your food?)

I came across TellSpec not long ago on Facebook. After looking into the company, I made an investment in the company by way of indigogo. I began recommending TellSpec to my friends, and I started to be questioned on "why such a supporter of TellSpec?"

Since then, I have been spending some time communicating with the founder and CEO of TellSpec, Isabel Hoffmann. She is pretty amazing, having started 8 companies and negotiating several investment deals and business acquisitions. Her daughter came down with a mysterious disease caused by sensitivity to gluten and other allergens. Inexact food labels made it difficult to find foods that would not contribute to her daughter’s illness. Unable to find a product to help manager her food intake, TellSpec was born. You can read more about Isabel's story in this TellSpec blog post.

Isabel and I were having a discussion the other day when she asked me to share my story with her, so here is my "Why I believe in TellSpec" story.

My medical journey has taught me a lot about how certain things react with the human body. I have gotten tired of hearing “you are an interesting case” and “there is no apparent reason” from doctors.

I also learned that for weight loss in a diabetic, calories in vs. calories out does not necessarily equate to weight loss. This is partially due to chemical reactions from food and medicines.

The observations I now keep in mind daily are:

1. Limiting medications, in favor of real food, has health benefits.
2. I am super sensitive to chemicals and additives in foods, and factors in my environment
3. You cannot totally trust a food label

The main reasons I am a fan of TellSpec relates mostly to the last 2 items on my list. I want to know what is in my food. TellSpec can tell you what is in your food and beverages, including allergens, chemicals, nutrients, calories, and ingredients. It also lets you know about inaccurately labeled foods, and has descriptions of oddball ingredients, like food dyes and what they are made of. It can relate how you feel with the foods you eat, which can help identify food allergies. 

Imagine knowing what is in your food at a restaurant. Or if "fresh foods" have chemical pesticides on them. Or environmental toxins, which have been linked to heart defects. It can even read through the packaging.

When it measures the food, using a miniature spectrometer, the data is uploaded to the Cloud and run through a proprietary analysis algorithm. The resulting analysis is then downloaded to your smartphone. It is a pretty amazing device.

There is a cool video showing the working prototype here.

I believe this device will bring new directions to the "healthy food" or "clean food" world. This, and the team behind TellSpec, is why I stand behind firmly behind the company.

Right now, TellSpec is raising funding for the development and manufacture of the device. You do not get a piece of the company, but for a couple hundred bucks you can get a device (or 2, or 4). You can also get the SDK to develop applications for iOS and Android.

(Another shameless plug: I encourage you to invest, as well, if you care about what goes in your mouth. Only $25 and up.)