"Where he leads me...I will follow...!?"

I am fresh back from a weekend spent with a rag-tag bunch of guys in the mountains of Colorado's front range. Wow, what a weekend! Suffice it to say it was a challenge to me--body, soul, spirit, and mind--exactly as it was designed to have been. 

Shortly after my return I wrote a response to some of them: "My experience this past weekend surpassed my expectations too. It's interesting because what I thought I needed to happen did, but not in the way I expected. I'm still processing that and I expect I probably will continue that effort for some time...and I may need more help with that effort(?). For sure, and among so many other things, I came away with a renewed sense and appreciation for the power and support of a "band of brothers." It was and is profoundly appreciated. Thanks so much for your part in that! And yes, those early AM events were indeed tall punctuation marks in the poem about an amazing weekend."

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood and being one traveler long I stood and looked..."

 Actually, the big reason I chose to attend that highly attested men's event was about a goal. I wanted to get some timely, personal, and providential insight. With Judi's support I have been weighing the idea of my returning--re-applying--to the organization that brought us to Denver in the first place. In that instance, in February of 1980, we moved from the Pacific Northwest to start a ministry on the University of Denver campus.

 The weekend's outcome--as I intimated quoting myself, above--is affirmative: I am now officially in the application process to return to Campus Ministry(!) under the auspices of Missions Door (click on that). At this point I...we...have no absolutely clear idea what the future holds for me re., application acceptance, immediate time investment, and talents to be employed. So, I covet your prayers and your input/discussion as we genuinely seek God's quiet and wise leadership. 

If you have something on your heart that you believe He wants you to tell me, please call, text, email. For such gestures of friendship I offer my preemptive thanks!

So, I close this blog update with this quote from The Book of Proverbs (16:9) : "The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps."

Dick 
720-350-2992
rkbrandow@msn.com

"Say it isn't so!"

"It was a big marshmallow bunny...with a shot gun?!"

There are terrible injustices in life...terrible ones. Car bomb kills 17 in Afghanistan...Local hiker plunges to her death...22 slaughtered in New Towne shooting!...15 year-old high school junior diagnosed with brain cancer...LA plane skids, kills 5...46% first USA marriages end in divorce...Tribal prejudices predict famine...Detroit blight... 

Untimely frustration and disappointment and the pain of injustice assumes many forms....it's never humorous to those experiencing it. I don't need to give you more examples--it's all around us, close and distant. And how should we qualify or compare one tragic injustice to or against another? Can't...they're all BAD. 

Something deep inside us argues that life just shouldn't be unjust; it shouldn't be this way. Bad things, people, circumstances, happenings,...bad stuff shouldn't exist; and if it happens, it should get fixed! Someone should make life different. Someone should promise or guarantee different outcomes than tragedies--injustices--or someone should pay! Right?!

Exactomundo. It's why Jesus Christ came...and wept (John 11:35)....then, summarily, he proceeded to do "the fixing deed." He gave himself up to die, in part to fix the ultimate "injustice," forever separation from God and from one another (Romans 3:23; 6:23; John 3:14-16).

OK, so why do we still see and experience injustices...why are they still happening all around us, right here in our lives, near by, and far away in the lives of other people? Didn't the fixing deed work?

Consider this. 85% of my original family members still live in Pacific Northwest. Consequently, I experience some predictable, growing discomfort the longer it's been between visits. When I make arrangements to visit (purchase a plane ticket, make arrangements for transportation, etc.) I realize a visceral decrease in my  discomfort--because I know I will soon, at the scheduled time, be there and be with them. Tangibly, that promise is represented by the ticket in my hand. In the meantime, I'm still here and they're still in the Northwest.    

OK, so what? Here's a two-piece very simplistic answer to that comparatively more complicated question, "Didn't the fixing deed work?" Jesus Christ--the GOD-MAN (John 1:1-4)--purchased a ticket for each of us that promises our being re-united with both God and our friends and loved ones. It's for a future scheduled flight. In the meantime, yes, there's some living and dealing with everyday life to do (I Peter 1:3-7)--waiting for the flight. You're waiting; everybody's waiting...living and waiting.

So yes, the injustices will continue to happen...for a while. 

Do you...do your friends...have their tickets in hand!? Then let's make sure everyone knows about em...

 ...the Good News.

Dick 

Of Lions and Pussy Cats...

Perspective. It's amazing to me how much difference just 24 hours can make. Why am I saying that? Because only yesterday I was "looking at" the same things I'm seeing very differently today--just 24 hours later.

No, I don't mean I saw a LION yesterday that's a pussy cat today--but that's how it feels sometimes. Right!? So, I've learned to respond to my own situations and, perhaps, to a tense deliberating friend with words like, "Give it some time; go get some exercise, eat a great meal and talk to another friend before you make that important decision." In a stressful and sticky situation, however, I'm so aware how immediacy's demands can drive a quick decision.

Now...I'm great with decisiveness, but there's a big difference between informed decisiveness and often repeated or just plain untimely mistakes. (Of course, that's an awareness that drives the thinking behind Smarter Romance.) Consider becoming an expert at these "Four Life Axioms"--well, that's what I call them. I discovered how personally constructive they can be when it comes to making really important decisions.

Ax1: Passion and idolatry are kissing cousins.
Being passionate about stuff can be good and it really can help to distinguish us from one another. But my passion can run rough shod over people and even my other priorities. For example, focusing intently and perhaps insensitively on a career goal or a dating relationship, at the expense of my family responsibilities or close friends, is a tragedy in the making. Saying the axiom in another way, "Don't let your passions become idols."

Ax2: Moderation is a person's oldest and best friend.
Spring boarding from Axiom 1, the Apostle Paul's injunction, "Let your moderation be known to all men" (Philippians 4:5) continues its theme, but strategically twists it. Moderation keeps us from going overboard, from "gettin our underwear in a wad," from letting the excesses we find in even good disciplines cloud our vision.

Ax3: Fear is helpful--not directive!
This is particularly true when it comes to goal achievement. Fear is necessary and protective, but it's strength and forcefulness can prevent our pursuit of important, valuable, and even necessary achievements. So, I challenge myself to use my fear response as an appropriate, timely reminder of possible danger. Then I explore the situation from a safe distance with inputs from other wise people before I make my move--whatever that will be. And that doesn't mean I have to do what they say, but I benefit greatly from their perspective and insight. "In the multitude of counselors there is safety" (Proverbs 11:14). 

Ax4: People take priority over things.
A biblical focused life puts people first (John 13:35), so the needs of other people must be in our life-goal's "cross hairs." And believe me because I'm no extrovert--rather a social introvert, so this is a hard one for me, and perhaps you too? But it's the way we're supposed to live life, growing this acquired skill "muscle." Yes, it comes easier for some people than for others, and that's OK...just more challenging sometimes.

So, do you have any LIONS staring you down? 

Godspeed,

Dick

A Celebratory Pain

A wonderful old friend...a morning of anguish!

Our recent pain around the loss of our beloved dog, Gandalf, was a not so gentle reminder. The Apostle Paul (prompted by the Spirit of God), challenged Christ followers to carry one anothers' burdens. In the process we would help fulfill the responsibility we have toward
one another as fellow believers (Galatians 6:2).

But, aside from some of the more obvious empathy in "burden-lifting," what's the rest of that code really about?

Before the Fall (Genesis 3:1-6ff), as best we can understand it and at the least, the concept of human death, dying, and destruction didn't exist. Creation was "good" (Genesis 1:10, 25, etc.). But then, no thanks to the Tempter's deception (Genesis 3:1-6) and the first couple's good-intentioned disobedience, CRASH!, everything changed. Before that noisy and confusing moment, expectations for life were justifiably and understandably high; life was really good. Now, of course, life's joys quite often come confusingly post-scripted with emotional chaos and pain. From that wreck forward there's been a dis-connect between our great expectations of life and then all the stuff that does or can go wrong. "Stuff" happens to us and around as we live our lives in a very broken world.

"What goes wrong" is about a whole lot of really bad and painful stuff. Following a spiritual disconnect from Creator God, Spirituality goes completely downhill. Consider a couple obvious (?) examples:

• Our Spiritual disconnect finds us, on our own, incorrigibly inclined to explain life, assign a purpose to it, and then "do it" all wrong. Unwittingly, we distance ourselves from its intended meaning and purpose. It's like my stumbling across an honest-to-goodness real magic wand.  But because I don't know what it really is, and being a coffee fan, I  decide to wash it off and cut it into shorter, discard-able stick pieces for stirring my morning brew. Ha.
• Given our chronological distance from the crash....We hear that maybe there is a God somewhere "out there"  or "up there" in Heaven. We also hear it reported that He is said to be good, loving and kind, benevolent, and all-knowing, etc. So when someone close to us, or maybe when we ourselves, experience the tragedy of some great disappointment, injustice and pain, "this good, loving and kind God" predictably becomes a target of our anger and contempt. 

OK. Enough of that for now.

Mercifully, God's compassion toward his fallen creation promised a rescue--at great personal cost to Him. His own precious Son sacrificed his own life, inside our time and space continuum, to dramatically change the outcome of it all. But between the final, full realization of that hope there lies a temporal distance--a lag. It's like the momentary pause between depressing the accelerator on a turbocharged engine and then experiencing the turbo boost. 

Here's where the pain in Gandalf's loss fits into all of this. This big, fluffy, smart, "talking" DOG became a really good friend to us. We had the privilege to know him for 11 years. Then, suddenly the morning of Sunday, February 3rd, he was taken from us. "Aargh...it's just not fair!"  

As a Christ-follower I ask, "What am I to do with the loss of this great friend...this pain. Didn't Jesus give his life so I wouldn't have to experience such awfulness any more? Actually the answer to that is both, "Yes," and, "No." Yes, he did, but, no, the complete realization of Jesus precious gift will not be our experience until I--we--step away from this still broken earth, or until He returns, whichever event comes first. In the meantime...tragedies happen.

So, how are we to deal with the pain and disappointment of loss in this meantime? Two ways: 1) We resolutely hope in (anticipate!) that future "turbo" burst (1Peter 1:3-7), WHILE, 2) we tenderly and self-sacrificially stand in the gap to support one another, and for one another, and grow that hope in our hearts. The losses are still painful...but we remember...that promised turbo-burst is coming!!

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35)

Dick

Our Gandalf is Gone

Zack with Gandalf...a happy moment

Yesterday, quite suddenly, Judi and I were forced to do the unthinkable. We had to put-down our beloved dog-friend, Gandalf. We are all grieving this huge loss...his absence. 

So today, for me, is occupied with many mini-discoveries--realizations about how much our Dog has filled even some simple places of my--and our-- life.

I headed out the door for my early morning ride, 
But he wasn't in the room as I moved to step outside. 
Nope, he wasn't there to raise that handsome, fuzzy head
And bless me on my way 
Into darkness as I sped...
Or wish my haste return 


When later, stepping up the walk,
I caught my eyes reaching, reaching, reaching...
Toward just inside the glass,
Wanting to see his happy form, 
But alas, and of course, he was not there 
As I approached the stoop this sober morn. 

Of course he was not there.
Re-opening the door,
I peered into an empty room
With second-guessing thoughts
That do not stop my heart's eyes looking, blinking...
Just wanting him to share.

Then as I stepped up my pace, 
Out back to feed our birds,
 (A favorite romp for Gandalf,)
 I missed his friendly behind-me scolding,  "Woof!," 
If I closed the door upon his face. 

But I thought I saw him, once or twice,
Cuz he'd chase around the yard. 
But no, my imagination is just hoping, hoping, hoping all to hard.

You get the idea. It's another one of our Gracious God's reminders about how it is all too easy to take our family and ALL our friends for granted. Yes, we are going to be OK...it'll just take a little while.  

I saw a fun little phrase in the vet's office yesterday morning. It read, "Dog's are miracles on four paws." Hmmm, ponder that.
And here's another:
 "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." Prov. 18:24, KJV

Dick






 

A Timely and Humbling Reunion

In 1980 we drove to Denver in a U-Haul truck....to start a new ministry. Consequently, through the 1980's and 90's, I had the esteemed privilege to direct two evangelical Christian ministries at the University of Denver. As it happened, the original ministry's sponsorship (i.e., Campus Ambassadors) changed in the late 80's (i.e., Dayspring Ministries at DU), but the efforts, under my leadership, remained effectively and seamlessly the same. During those 15 years, that ministry was a team effort. It was recognized and honored twice for it's "...outstanding contribution to the students, faculty and staff..." at the University of Denver. But I'm not reporting that because I want to toot a horn of recognition. I merely want to provide a brief context for what I'm about to say next.

In the years since then, I have wrestled. Candidly, I've been increasingly disappointed in the sameness, the stuck-ness and the tameness of my/our life's situation and experiences after those so comparatively rich 15-years at DU. I've thought "nothing's happening anymore." The excitement I/we knew in that part of my/our lives has been very difficult to replicate--and I'm still STUCK in Denver! So I've quietly wondered, "OK, where's God?"...in our present stuff (compared to what I/we have experienced so routinely in those many unmistakable, evidential events that wrote HIS unmistakable signature into our past?  

Through a good friend..."God speaking!"

The ministry's design was one that developed and then enlisted student leaders. So, today Judi and I have many friends who were students, then, involved in that ministry effort. These men and women are now spread across the globe. Some of them variously stayed with us in our home through holidays that were, for them, collegiate years, very much away from their families and homes. Having purchased a home near DU, we established an onto-the-campus spring board. So, for example, we hosted a twice-monthly all-comers and all-you-can-eat dinner in our home for students, staff, and faculty. It quickly became an a highly anticipated event. It was one that our student leaders had little difficulty encouraging hungry student friends to visit for a real home-cooked meal.

Sunday through Tuesday of this week, Judi and I again hosted one of our then student leaders from that era--Gerardo Silva. Today this remarkable man lives in Venezuela with his extended family, his wife Maria and his three children. Gerardo is now 50 YEARS OLD, and during his visit with us in our home he reported about how much our lives impacted his own. On Monday (it was really c-c-c-cold!--5 degrees F) we walked around the DU campus together. He reported how grateful he has been to God for the kind of content, personal relationship and life insights he gleaned through his experiences as a beloved student, and as a member of our leadership team at DU in the early and late '80's.

God was talking to me, through Gerardo: "Dick, quit your silly whining....be still...Quiet your impatient and angry heart! Right now recommit yourself to patient perseverance and to forward movement...because I'm neither asleep nor are you 'lost.' Time and eternity are MINE to do with--and with you--as and how I please. Trust me!!" 

Wow.

"Therefore...as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only in my presence but much more because I am absent, work out your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling....Not in your own strength, since it is God Who is all the while effectively at work in you--energizing and creating in you the power and desire--both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight." Philippians 2:12,13. (Amplified Version)

OK. Give that some thought...if it "speaks" to you.

Godspeed,

Dick

A Friendly New Year's Challenge

Fun family warmth at home

I'm admittedly uncomfortable with what's happened and is still happening to marriage--and to families. Actually, the concept of marriage, itself, is in fine shape; people still love the idea and want what it has historically provided. But it's the people: We just can't seem to do it anymore. 

Yes, I mean us, and people just like us, "You-n-me, baby," and our kids, who are struggling. And I routinely hear a not so secret (never unique) and very characteristic set of rationalizing themes. In the disillusionment, discouragement, and what I'll call dissolution-ment, partners verbally re-write their story: "Oh, we never should have got married"..."We got sucked into it"..."We're just so different"..."We just 'fell out' of love"..."We changed"..."We realize now that we were too young and stupid"..."We just never REALLY loved each other....and more yada, yada, yada. You get the idea.

Why? What's happening here!

It's a variety of things---and something quite nefarious. In reference to the "lot of things" category let me refer you to Daniel Cere's absolutely marvelous article. I challenge you to read through it. It's prophetic! You'll see what I mean.

Then, under the category of "it's something," I refer you to a Biblical perspective illustrated in 1 Timothy 4:1 and again in 2 Timothy 4:3ff.  The Apostle Paul refers to A SPIRIT-- not to be mistaken for the Holy Third Person of the Trinity, either! Yes, we're talking about spiritual deception, seduction, confusion, and self-alienation, etc. All of it bad stuff for sure!

So, read through Cere's article, and if you find yourself struggling with any of this stuff...give me a call (720-350-2992). You need some support. Promise yourself you'll get that support for this New Year 2013. We've gotta hang together because this short sojourn we refer to as "life" isn't the whole story...IT'S JUST THE PRELUDE!!

Dick