A Blessing and A Curse

Many people who know me know that the Lord has blessed me with thinking outside the box.  Part of the blessing is that ideas and things come to my mind long before others imagine the an idea or a new way of doing something.  Often I thank God for this blessing.

One such event took place over a year and one half ago.  I was on the Board of Directors of a major corporation and brought a suggestion for action on program before someone else came up with the idea.  I was given the head nod and a table action by the then President.   A new president took over nine months later and I mentioned the idea as I was leaving the Board.  Before she could bring it up before the new Board for action, she copied me on an email and guess what?  An individual had the very same idea and acted upon that idea to create an application that did exactly what I mentioned to the corporation.    I was happy for the person who created the application and will make a lot of money but sad that so many cannot see potential and act on that potential.

Some strangers, family and friends try to "change me" rather than accept who I am so I become someone they want me to be.  I need to act and do things which do not make them uncomfortable.

A wise friend many years ago said that if 34% of my ideas are accepted then I will be successful.  I want 100%  because it has been revealed to me in depth the development of an idea but he reminded me that a professional baseball player who hits a 340 average during his life is in the hall of fame.  So don’t worry about those who cannot understand, it’s just that they have not received the Lord’s gift of perceiving and understanding a vision.

Then another event recently did not make me angry but quite hurt and sad.  I was having a conversation with a person and had previously told him about a marketing idea that is outside the box.  But this conversation with this senior staff person was one of appreciation for some work that the individual had done.   Within a minute, another staff member came up to this man and said, “I need you over here.”  As they walked away, I heard the staff person saying, “I had to get you away from him.”  I was quite hurt but did not show it and thought maybe I did not hear correctly.  As I looked over my shoulder from across the room, this senior staff person I had been talking to was making coffee.  I keep thinking, I was just imagining things but this is not the first time I have been dismissed for thinking outside the box.  Makes me believe that maybe this my reputation?

I’m tired of hurting being in tears, and in being hurt. 

The Lord continues to give me ideas beyond day to day activities, but these recent events have me withholding the sharing of anything anymore.  Instead I have begun a private listing of what God places in my heart and mind.  Once the Lord has called me home, then someone else will know what God had placed on my mind and I hope that something can be used.  My focus then will be on a wonderful Heaven and not what people here might have missed.

Even though you may not undersatnd a person, please do not just avoid them but try to see what they are really trying to say and not dismiss them and try and make them to what YOU want them to be.  

I encourage you to appreciate your blessings that God gives you but realize that a gift or blessing can be misconceived by others and it becomes a curse.   Persevere and try to focus on what the Lord is doing and not what people may be saying.  Trust me that the Lord will comfort.   Psalms 23:4

Bringing Back Rough Memories

Everyone is talking about the situation at Penn State and the events that took place years ago.   As they discuss the mindset of the coach during that time it has quickly brought back some rough memories of my daughter's experiences.

Her uncle was an elder in the church, high up in the Masonic Lodge, police officer and respected in the community.  But it was a program on TV that gave my daughter the courage to say something and come forward.  During the seven plus years of sexual abuse beginning at age 4 he would tell her that it was their secret and that if she told no one would believe her.  When confronted by the Sheriff's office he immediately denied everything and said it was her imagination.

For me too many "small" things that I felt were not right years before came to the surface and so we pursued legal action.  You don't want to believe it because it was family but I never doubted my daughter's tears and fears.

Then one week later, I got a phone call from him to simply say, "I'm sorry for what I did, but you see I was abused as a child and did not think I was doing anything wrong." At that moment, I did not pray or ask God for his or my forgiveness but just wanted to kill him right then.  He stole my daughter's innocence and damaged her spirit.

My daughter testified before the grand jury and to our surprise over 33 girls and women  over the past 35 years came forward to say they had experienced his approaches.  Each one told my daughter thank you because they had held in in during their lives as well and now could move on.

It took years before I could forgive him and one thing that has stuck with me for years is that my daughter said, "Unless I forgive him, he will have control over my life the rest of my life".  I am so proud of my daughter but events that were brought to life this past week can make me recall the rough memories.

Pray for the victims of abuse so they may grow to forgive their abusers so they will not have control over their life.  Trust me it is easier said than done, but necessary.  Is there someone you need to forgive?

What has This World Become?

As a Dreamer you are drawn to events and thoughts that many "normal" people may not think about.  For me I stumbled across a 4:00 a.m. morning radio show on the way to the airport where the host was talking to a book writer that we are involved in a Cosmic Chess Match (The name of his book).  Quoting the Old Testament he talked of the fallen angels and the need for God to Destroy the entire world. 

Not really believing everything that was being said, I looked up details on fallen angels and their interaction on the earth.  Click on the link and see how the scripture fits so well.  Fallen Angels having sex with women  

Once I read this I recalled what this man was saying on the radio.  Quoting the New Testament, "The coming of the Son of Man will be like what happened in the time of Noah.³⁸ In the days before the flood people ate and drank, men and women married, up to the very day Noah went into the boat;³⁹ yet they did not realize what was happening until the flood came and swept them all away. That is how it will be when the Son of Man comes.  Matthew 24:37-39

He noted that  when the UFO aliens show themselves to the entire world, the end is near.  In the Chess Match between God and Satan, the fallen angels will show themselves like they did in Genesis 6 and be so smooth in their approach to "Save the Earth"so that most people will follow them because of their abilities and power.  This may happen in our lifetime or the lifetime of your children.

Reading Matthew 24 can develop a pattern between Genesis 6 and End Times. 

The focus from this Dreamer is that you just go forward with your eyes wide open.  It may be a Dream thinking or it may not.  Just read further and be prepared. 

Dunamis - From which we get Dynamite

I found this article recently and it explains a lot.   See if this makes any sense to you.

In 1864, a nitroglycerine factory in Stockholm belonging to Dr. Alfred Nobel exploded, killing his younger brother Emil.  In an attempt to make his factories safer, Dr. Nobel stumbled upon an invention that would allow nitroglycerine to be used for explosive purposes in a controlled environment.  While searching for a word to his new discovery, he came upon a Greek word called dunamis from which translates to our English word of dynamite.

In Romans 1:16 the Bible uses the term "dunamis" to refer to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  This the phrase "The gospel is God's power (dunamis) unto salvation".

Humm. . . The gospel of Jesus demonstrates God's dynamite for salvation.  Image that kind of power.   Yet most people today either try to water down the dynamite, put it out of their minds, deny it ever existed, try to dictate it to others from yelling sermons or making it a cure all for any ills.  But they miss the real power (dunamis).

When you think about what the writer in Romans was saying this dynamite was being seen in the world at that time.  Jesus's journey set off an explosion that is still going on today.  As much as people want to water down the message, when you take it into your heart, an explosion of love, compassion, and desire comes into you.  You do not find this explosion in Religion but in that one on one relationship with the Creator.

Do you have a case of dynamite within you?  Has it exploded yet.  Take out a stick by reading or listening to some on line messages.  You will feel the dynamite exploding in your heart.  click here:  BRB

Love Ya!

Harness the Abuse

 Often we are quick to criticize or we hold in all our frustration from work in until we get home.  We feel comfortable to vent or release the frustration that builds up from work or a boss or a customer.

When we get home from a rough day it does not take long for anyone in the home to say something that gets on your nerves and wow you release on them when they are innocent bystanders.  If you know that you are tired and frustrated from work, stop at the front door and take a deep breath.  You are entering your safe environment but that does not give you the right to take out your frustrations on them.  Yet this is one of the main actions that becomes part of spousal abuse.

If you know that raising you voice quickly puts everyone in the home on alert, figure a way to relax for any conversation.   Drinking or finding an out of the home outlet is no method to help.  I have known co-workers who went to a friend's house to have sex before heading home so, "They can relax".  Funny how they never take out their frustrations while in an affair.  Yet when they get home and might be approached on the after work events the abuse is terrible.  Most of of the time, if approached on such abuse, they will blame the spouse.  Funny how people justify their abuse yet  I know that experience first hand.

Stop taking advantage of your home environment but instead understand that you are going to be frustrated after a long day or events of the day.  Work out with your partner a method that both of you can accept where you can unwind.

If the two of you can not talk calmly, get help from a professional.  My recommendation is a mental professional and not a spiritual professional.  One helps your mind think clearly and the other helps your soul to understand the grace, forgiveness, and love of the Creator who is passionately in Love with you.

NO more excuses - harness the abuse.

Honor the Family

Each year we have the honor of our mother, Mom Saladin, (there is no mother-in-law in my vocabulary) coming to the mountains to watch the leaves turn and spend some time with us.  This lady has experienced so much from her childhood in upstate New York to the years in Florida.  Those years have not been easy and she became a great nurse and nurse supervisor.  More importantly is to see how her children serve the Lord  only comes from her strong efforts and should give her the highest praise.

It is great to spend time with her and hear her history.  To her I give honor. 

Yet I hear so many people talk about their elderly family members with dis-stain and hate the idea of taking care of them in the future.  They just want to put them away in a home and live their life.  Where is the Honor in that? 

I understand that many people do not have the facilities to take care of a senior family member but I think of my grandmother and grandfather.  My grandmother had a brother who was deaf from age 3.  So took care of him because in the 1930's and 40's the deaf did not get an education so Frank never received any education because he could not speak more than a grunt.  When she got married to my grandfather and her parents passed away, Frank moved in with them.  He worked hard on the farm but took a lot of grief from my dad and his brother.  They would tease him and sneak around him just to make him mad.

Yet my grandmother never took him to a deaf home because she felt that being family meant that you took care of your own.  Frank lived for 78 years and was one of the hardest working farmers' I knew.  As a young man I recall my dad talking to him in a simple sign language about Jesus.  He learned that Jesus loved Frank and died for him.  I remember Frank's baptism as he came out of the water, Frank let out a loud grunt and smiled. 

So I learned to give Honor to family members who help hold families together and those who serve as an example of the Love of the Creator.

I only have memories now of my parents and honor what they taught me and the direction they give me in life.  Today as Mom Saladin heads tomorrow it has been a pleasure and honor to spend time with her.

Who do you need to give honor?  Do it while they are alive?  Is there someone you want to give  honor to today.  Give them a call or go see them.  Tomorrow may be to late.

Words bulid up - Words break down

I was told years ago that "A dozen atta boys for great work will all be canceled by one aww sh___!"  It was until I was in college that I realized that this was true.

Growing up in a stern household, it was thought by my father and grandfather that you will try harder if you do not measure up to their desires for your life.  One of the favorite sayings was, "You'll never amount to a hill of beans."  Working on the farm, I knew what a hill of beans meant.  Six beans can only give limited results when compared to a whole field.  Next was the comment, "You don't have enough sense to pound sand down a rat hole".    Enough said about that saying.

Over the years these comments hardened me to "Prove them wrong." Now as I get into my twilight years, I look back and realize that some of the things I did was for that reason only.  My serving to others in being a youth minister, moving up the corporate ladder, being a city mayor,  a court judge, directing a Christian Camp and Resort, and the list goes on and on was not as much serving as proving my family wrong.

One pain that stuck with me for years was to hear a conversation by my Dad and a close family member.  I was taking a shower and overheard them say, "Gary can not be a Mayor because he is over his head and dreams more than he can do."  I stood in the shower and cried as memories of words said years earlier flooded my head and that my own fa.    Instead of giving up, it just made me more determined to work harder.  We won all precincts in the elections.

I did serve to help others but my motives were not all pure.  My knowledge of this motive has made me leery of most politicians and those working in serving areas.

Therefore I am more sensitive to the words I chose and the words I hear others blurt out.  Often words can cut deeper than any knife as many people do not  realize the damage they are causing.  Tearing people down does not make you a better person but instead has the opposite effect.

Pointing fingers at others is not a great accomplishment.    Right now, point your finger at the screen.  One finger is pointing at the screen but three fingers are pointing back at you.  Realize that every time you point out others failures there are three times as many pointing back at you.  The same is in tearing someone down with your words.



The choice is yours, build up others with words of kindness, favor, and love or tear them down to make you think you look better.  The reality is those words may come back to haunt you.