The Big "If Only"

Have you or others said "if only I had" or "if only I was"? Life can be filled with "if onlys"  It seems like we are always looking for that next goal. There are a myriad of categories of "if onlys" that seem to tug at our imaginations and hearts. Let's look at a few.

If Only I Was Smart and Educated:

There are many in the quest for knowledge and education so that they could either show others or progress in a better way in today's world. While this is a good thing to want, it's a never ending journey with constant thirst for more. Many people get stuck in a cycle for more knowledge and credentials.

If Only I Was Great Looking:

There are even more folks that desire to be attractive. This is what drives a significant amount of marketing and advertising. There are whole industries that are driven by our wanting to be desirable. While this a a good thing if handled with some reason. The fact is we will all age and look worse over time makes this a bit futile.

If Only I Had Enough Money:

We all want to be debt free at some point and have enough money to buy the desires of our heart. While more riches many help, it also is a drug that addicts. If you have ever watched the very rich, they always want more and contentment is elusive. The love of money is the root of all evil.

If Only I Had a Life Partner:

Everyone want to be loved. Sometimes it's hard to admit, but we need others. If it is a close loved one or a circle of good friends, we want and need close interaction. Some hop from person to person seeking that perfect match, but many prefer to settle in on a deep and stable partnership.

If Only I Had Health and Energy:

We all wish to be well at a minimum level to function without pain and sorrow.  Many seek to have that perfectly cut body, but most of us want to enjoy ourselves and stay in a good body tone zone. We want to feel good about ourselves and our ability to enjoy our physical world greatly. If might be great journeys (a nice walk for me now) or great adventures (free climbing in my younger years) enjoying our bodies to the fullest. We don't want our bodies to betray us, but eventually bodies die.

THE BIG IF ONLY:

The most important, in my mind is to know what happens when we are done on this earth?  Will God approve of my life. I have chosen the free Grace that God gives to forgive the fact that I am not perfect nor will I ever be perfect. God loves me no matter what I say or do. I have put my faith in His grace and mercy to help me have a time for eternity with Him when my body finally gives out. I wouldn't want to say "If only I would have trusted God for his grace and mercy?"

We all like free and God gives this mercy to all of us for free. We certainly like free especially if it is from God. He gave us our lives and gifts, now he offers eternity with him. It won't be boring. Only If we all had eternity with God. That's my big "If Only"

Fear the Mirror

We all have expectations that we do not meet. It might be something we want that we can't get. Maybe we want to accomplish something, but have been frustrated in making it happen. The real test question is "Are we what we want to be? Maybe it's bravery, tenderness or truthfulness. All these self imposed expectations add so much pressure to our lives on top of everything else that comes our way. It makes me want to run away from self introspection at times, because it might hurt.

Character Goals:

We all want to be the best we can be, but we often stumble and become disappointed in ourselves. For many, it's that sports hero, performer or wonderful leader that we want to emulate. It might be that you want to be the best child, sibling or parent you can be. It might be emulating values you look up to on a consistent basis. We all fall short when we look in the mirror, but there is hope.

Competence Goals:

We all want to be capable in the things we do, so we are looking to add value in our thoughts, advice and actions. We want to be reliable and faithful to others and ourselves, so we can look into the mirror with no regret. We really want to be valued as competent to ourselves and others, but often we don't exercise our gifts like we should.

Bottom Line:

You are not a failure in God's eyes, but our disappointment is meant to draw us closer to Him. The God who loves us despite our inability to even please ourselves. He is always open to us when we look in the mirror and come clean that we really need Him.

Rogue One: Life or War?

The hype on Rogue One has settled down and the reviews have been recorded. Most agree that the story line was solid, the new characters were compelling, the effects were spectacular, the war scenes were filled with excitement and it can be a base to build on for the future. I really enjoyed having a sarcastic droid in K-2SO that keep things light in the midst of danger. The burning questions for me is  "Was the movie about war that happened to occur in space or was it about life in general?"

The Case for War:

Throughout history there has always been a struggle for power and the dominance of ideas. Many times the ideas and the quest for power blur, but there is usually both lust drunk power figures and ideals that are fought over. Since the rebels were trying to resist an overwhelmingly powerful and growing dark segment, war seems the dominant story. The power hungry draw on the dark side of "The Force"

The Case for Life:

Life is a struggle and challenges us to overcome many circumstances, emotions and people with bad intentions. We have to draw on our family, close friends and our God given gifts to survive and thrive in life. We are all surrounded by dangers and opportunities and our decisions as free willed people make a big difference in our life outcomes.  Hopefully we all draw inspiration from the light side of "The Force"

Bottom Line:

It's really about both. In every day life we are at war with our fears. situations, oppressors and bullies. The dark side appeals to our quest for vengeance or a cowardly surrender. The light side of the force appeals to our desire to love, to be kind and quest for acceptance from the very God who wonderfully made us. We all have free will to chose the light or dark side. There is a spiritual battle going on around us to draw us to one side or the other. What is your choice or are you still deciding?

Other Rogue One Articles of Interest:

Fear or Faith
Extraordinary People
Imminent Destruction
One with the Force

The Perfect Gift for Christmas

At Christmas, we are always looking for the right gift for others and frankly sometimes ourselves. I know I struggle trying to pick out the right gift that says "I love you"  or in some cases "I like you". Picking a gift can be really personal. Imagine if someone knew you so well that they could get the perfect gift for you. Let's say that perfect gift didn't come in a fancy box that was gift wrapped but was given in a humble way. Would you accept it? 

Well the good news is someone did find the perfect gift for you. That someone knows you better than anyone else. The gift is perfect and personal, but it's non-traditional. It's the gift of mercy and forgiveness from God through Jesus Christ. All we have to do is humbly accept it and agree with God that we need him. In turn, He will allow us to be with him for ever. Jesus was the perfect gift for me and that's why I celebrate Christmas. Will you accept Him too? 

Rogue One: Is Destruction Imminent?

There are several threads of the destruction theme through out all of the Star Wars movies. Rogue One is no different. There is the every day threat of being captured because of being a rebel. There is the "big threat" of the Death Star. This is a strong parallel to our lives today. There are the daily threats of survival all around us and this drives both a conscious and unconscious threat in our minds. There is the threat of feeding and housing ourselves at a base level and a threat of poor health that accelerates as we age leading to death.

In a time of conflict, a group of unlikely heroes band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire's ultimate weapon of destruction. This key event in the Star Wars timeline brings together ordinary people who choose to do extraordinary things, and in doing so, become part of something greater than themselves.

The Threat of Not Thriving Well:

Every day we work to keep food in our tummies and some kind of shelter over our head. We may be in a bad job with the pressure of performance or "see the door".  Even if our job or role as a student is going well, things can upset the balance and worry can consume our minds. These daily pressures can cause some to crack, even if its a temporary moment of rage when someone cuts us off while we are driving. We face daily threats of succumbing to life itself.


The Threat of Not Being Understood and Accepted:

We all try hard to be accepted by family, friends, associates and sometimes strangers we meet. While it generally is not imminent destruction, a constant felling of rejection can whittle away at our self worth and encourage us to self destruct. We think everyone else is doing well and being accepted and it is just us. We face daily threats of succumbing to life itself.

The Threat of War and Death:

Today there are wars and rumors of wars that make us uneasy. All of this is in our face at the same time we know that our health will eventually decline leading to death.  Enough on this depressing thought.

Bottom Line:

Destruction seems imminent to us all at some point in time. Are you like me that just ignores it an carries on? Are you like others I know that get gripped by the fact that destruction is in our future like the rebels in Rogue One. In Rouge One, the power of community and with a crafty plan executed by the brave souls wins out. Is destruction our fate too or is there a peace that passes all understanding in the face of destruction?  Our answer is God providing a way out through his son Jesus Christs death and atonement for us. All we need to do is let go of our pride and humbly accept Gods solution to our ultimate destruction.

Other Rogue One Articles: Click on Links

Extraordinary People
Fear vs Faith