Tag Archives: Faith

Since I didn’t have to be at work until later that day, Alfred and I continued discussing the dream until 9:30. He found it encouraging too. Through our conversation, we established some daily routines:

As much as possible, begin each day with unhurried time with God
Talk with Him about who we know we’ll be encountering that day and ask Him to allow us, through His Sprit, to love each person, planned or not, with the same quality of love He loves us
Be prayerfully intentional about loving and leading our families, especially our wives
Be deliberate about being present during the moments of the day
Don’t look past people in order to return to duties
Continually cast each responsibility and care upon the Lord and trust Him to weed out what’s unnecessary
Orient our lives from the fact that we’ve been raised with Christ and are, even now, seated in heavenly places with Him
Find our joy and satisfaction in the Lord, not our circumstances and accomplishments
See each moment from an eternal perspective, being bold to explain our hope in Christ and to announce the Lord’s great mercy towards us

A Hundred Days Later

As much as I wanted it, the dream on the packages never returned, but the impression it made has grown stronger.

Alfred and I agreed to meet weekly to support each other in our daily routines. We weren’t perfect, but we managed to have unhurried times of solitude with Father God at least five times during most weeks.

We began our times along with God by praising Him, acknowledging His presence, and listening for His guidance. Although we didn’t follow the same Bible reading plan, due to different programs in our churches, we always shared at least one impactful truth from God’s word to uplift each other during our weekly breakfasts.

Aware of whom we might encounter each day, we established a rhythm of morning prayers and spontaneous prayers throughout the day. We sought to remain in Jesus’ love, relying on the Holy Spirit to help us love others with the same depth of love He has for us.

Additionally, we encouraged one another to create margin in our lives for unforeseen chances to show God’s lovingkindness.

We extended grace to each other when we fell short and ended each time in prayer.

Alfred excelled in the practice of being present throughout the day. He endeavored to employ all his senses while performing his duties as an administrative assistant at a large law firm. Whenever someone entered his office space, be it in person or electronically via phone, text, or email, he sought divine guidance on how to fully engage and serve each “customer”. He admitted that initially, it was challenging, and there were times he went half a day without a thought of God. However, he persisted, and during those gaps He thanked God when He was brought again to an awareness of His presence. Then he resolved to concentrate on maintaining his focus on Jesus as often as he could going forward,

I was more irregular in my practice of abiding, but Alfred’s encouragement led me to increasingly and consciously surrender to the Holy Spirit of God within me multiple times a day.

Passing it On

One morning, Alfred couldn’t hide his huge grin as Tammy, our regular waitress, poured our coffee. Tammy must be the finest server in the South. Alfred and I alternate paying for our weekly breakfasts, always leaving her generous tips. As a single mother and now a grandmother, she’s familiar with our routine and usual breakfast bowls, to the extent that, by 6:30 every Wednesday morning, our table was waiting for us and our condiments already laid out.

“Tammy,” Alfred said, as she finished pouring my coffee. “Set us up for four next week.”

“Okay,” she said with a smile. “The usual?”

We both nodded. Occasionally one of us will be enticed to go with chicken fried steak, eggs, grits or hashbrowns and grilled biscuits. But that usually happened when the other was paying.

When Tammy had gone, I asked Alfred what was up with the table for four.

“Apprenticeship,” Alfred began, “What if you wanted to become a bricklayer? And you knew of a master who had been a successful bricklayer for years and years. What would you do first to learn how to follow his path?”

I thought for moment and then replied. “First, I’d want to be with him as much as possible during the workday to watch him, learning to become like him in his brick laying methods.”

“Great answer,” Alfred replied, his grin getting even larger. “Then what?”

“Eventually, I’d begin laying brick on my own doing what he did.”

“Exactly!” Alfred said, as Tammy brought our bowls and refilled our coffee. “And that’s the answer to your question.”

“What question?” I asked as I poured white pepper gravy on my bowl and passed the deliciousness to Alfred.

“Your question of why I asked Tammy to set four places next week,” Alfred answered. “You and I have been intentional about being with Jesus alone and meeting together to talk about our experiences. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we’ve sought to be like Jesus, praying for each other along the way.

“We’ve sought to follow Him as His disciples. I believe the next step in our apprenticeship is to do what He’s taught us to do to others. [2]

“I have a young man I work with who recently decided to believe in Christ’s finished work for his salvation. And I’d like to ask him to join us, if you’re okay with that.”

“Sure,” I answered. “But what about me? Who could I ask?”

“How about your son?”

[1] John 15: 9-12

Joy in the Journey is about the

gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading.

Nonfiction books by the Author:

Because joy is rooted in God and is eternal, it doesn’t ebb and flow with the waves of circumstances. In fact, as we grow in our understanding of joy, we can even experience it more acutely when life is hard. Why? Because God uses trials to conform us into the image of Christ. With this awareness, which gives us glimpses of God’s greater purposes, we rejoice because of His masterful work to free us from needing anything but Him.
For these reasons, and many others, joy in the Lord is commanded in scripture. It’s not just a good idea, it’s vital to our journey as human beings. Rhythms of Joy

Novels by the Author:

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for? Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

Please Check out the Cola City Podcast . Discussions that impact the vision of reaching every man, woman, and child in a city.

Turning the To-Do List on its Head

Packages (The Dream Ends)

August 31, 2024 robuck4@aol.com Leave a comment

Then I awoke, not on the packages, but in my own bedroom. Beside me, my wife, whose name isn’t Jill, was still sleeping. I’d experienced a lucid dream spanning a week, yet in reality, it was only a few hours.

It was predawn. I dressed, brewed a cup of Cuban coffee and proceeded to the porch, my favorite place to watch the sun rise.

I took out my journal and detailed the events and individuals from the seven days encompassed by the dream. The scenarios and characters were fictitious. However, some elements were familiar.

I don’t have a neighbor named Alice. Nevertheless, I’ve engaged in discussions with colleagues, in my field of IT, about Jesus and Him not being religious.

I don’t have a friend named Fred suffering from pancreatic cancer, but I do have several close friends who are facing serious illnesses.

I don’t have friends named Sammy and Milly with a son named Alton, but I wish I did.

I don’t have a co-worker named Kevin facing personal challenges and showing interest in my faith. However, I do work closely with someone I pray will stop believing God and science can’t co-exist.

I don’t have colleagues like Harrison and Mike who desire to inflict as much pain on me as possible, but I have a person, who is closer than a co-worker, who seems to have that agenda.

As the sun started to tint the grey sky with soft pastels, I jotted down the themes that came to me while I rested on the packages.

During the seven days of dreams, as I listened to His voice, I learned:

To love others as Christ loves me
To converse with God, who is ever-present, and to listen as I go
That He will guide me in loving each person He places in my path
To fully “see” people around me and not quickly move past people to the next obligation
To yield to His kindness as I love
That my life is brimming with the abundant grace of God
That I am appointed as an ambassador of Christ to convey His grace
To always be prepared to discuss the Hope of Christ within me
That difficulties, such as Fred’s cancer, are not surprises to God
To recall God’s love for me during tough times
Not to gauge my happiness by my circumstances
That individuals like Alton, with special needs, bring extraordinary joy
When I seek comfort from God, He endows me with joy and courage
That I possess no righteousness of my own, only the righteousness of Christ

By then the sun was in full view and I knew exactly what I needed to do. I called my spiritual mentor, Alfred. He agreed to meet me for breakfast.

After ordering our usual bowls of grits, poached eggs, crumbled bacon, and biscuits, I shared the dream with him. Confident in his wisdom, I believed he could provide some meaningful insights.

I also shared with him the notes I’d written earlier that morning.

He was patient as I recounted my story, asking a few clarifying questions. Afterwards, I asked him for his overall thoughts and possible interpretation.

Alfred paused a moment, then said, “Your times on the packages seem like a picture of our position in the heavenlies with Christ. The timeless dawn, vivid colors, and what I’m calling an ocean of love, give me a sense of what heaven must be like. I had goose bumps as I listened.

“Reminds me of verses like Colossians 3:1-4, and Ephesians 2:4-7 where it speaks of believers being raised with Christ and seated with Him in heavenly places. Your dream gave me a glimpse of being with Christ in heaven, yet still living on earth.

“This is a real gift, Bobby. You’ve been given an eternal peek into our heavenly position, an almost “real life” perspective of what Paul meant when he commanded us to set our minds on things above, not on temporal things. [1]

“What do you think the packages represent?” he asked.

“At first, I thought it was up to me to deliver them all, I responded. “That speaks to how full of duties my life feels. I can be so busy that people, and opportunities to love, can seemed like obstacles to taming the task list. But now I’m realizing much of my to-do list is from me and not God.

“Those packages are not tasks, they’re bundles of God’s love: His kindness, His peace, His joy, His presence to be given as presents to others.

“Though I’m very saddened at how I’ve been, I can hear you tell me that God’s mercies are new every morning.”

Alfred nodded.

My eyes began to sting as I continued, “Alfred, I’ve waisted so much of my life striving to fill a bottomless chasm in my heart that screams – ‘I’m not enough.’

“Though in my head, I’ve known it’s about Christ’s righteousness, my heart hasn’t caught up yet. It believed it was up to me to earn His love, to succeed, to please.

“Until now,” I said, a spark of joy rising in my heart. “Because of the gift of a dream, my whole world has been turned upside down.

“Alfred, you’ve patiently loved me and guided me all these years. You know how distracted I’ve been.”

Alfred smiled and nodded.

“This dream has turned my to-do list on its head. My duties are no longer the main thing. My goal now is to love.

“I feel so much more present. I want to truly see the Sammys God brings my way and not just pass them by to check off another task on my never-ending task list.

“No! Completing my tasks without problems is no longer my main goal. Delivering God’s daily packages of love is what I want to be about.

“I’ll trust Him to get done what needs to get done. The tasks are now simply the paths God uses to bring me to the folks He wants me to love.”

Alfred laughed with joy. I knew at that moment it’s what he’d been praying for me all these years.

Stay Tuned for The Epilogue, Walking it Out.

[1] Colossians 3:1-4

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading.

Nonfiction books by the Author:

Novels by the Author:

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for? Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

Please Check out the Cola City Podcast . Discussions that impact the vision of reaching every man, woman, and child in a city.

Rest

Packages (Part 7)

August 11, 2024 robuck4@aol.com 2 Comments

The next morning on the packages the events of the previous day swirled in my soul. I checked with Kevin after Alice’s party, and he predicted the batches would be completed by early evening.

Alice’s party was hard for me. I’m not a good chit-chatter with folks I don’t know very well. I did have a good conversation with one of Alice’s grandson’s Jeff, who’s studying Computer Science at the University of South Carolina.

His eye’s widened when I told him about carrying around punch cards for writing COBOL programs back in the late 70s. Things have changed so much Jeff wasn’t even sure what COBOL was.

“It stands for Common Business Oriented Language,” I explained. “It was developed by Admiral Grace Hopper. COBOL emerged 1959. and it’s still used a lot today in banking, insurance, and other large data industries.”

As I shared my enthusiasm about computing history with Jeff, I could see his eyes beginning to glaze over. I shifted the conversation and asked some questions about him.

Then he surprised me, “Granny says you’re a religious person, is that right?”

Simultaneously, I heard. “Be very real.”

“Actually, I’m not, Jeff.”

I could tell my answer took him back. I was ready to say more, but heard, “Wait. Give him space to process and respond.”

After a moment, he said, “But I thought you went to church a lot.”

“I do, but that doesn’t make me religious,” I replied. “Growing up, I saw religious people as judgmental, fun zapping and stuffy, so I avoided them.”

“I don’t understand,” Jeff replied. “How can you go to church and avoid religious people?”

I went on to explain that religion is following rules, Christianity is following a Person, Jesus Christ. I told him there are two ways to get to heaven; be perfect or be carried in by Someone who is.

He seemed very interested and asked a lot of questions, especially about what Christ’s crucifixion really meant.

I gave him some passages to read and showed him how to get the Bible app on his phone. He was amazed when I told him how Jesus was not a religious person either.

“In fact,” I said. “Take a look at Matthew 23:1-12. You’ll see how angry Jesus was at the religious leaders of his time. They were all about rule following, not God following.”

It was a nice conversation, but I had a restless night thinking about all that was going on.

As I continued to think about the day before, I heard Him say, “Rest. Bobby, you are worried and bothered by many things,”

Recognizing that these were the words, Jesus said to Martha in Luke 10:38-42, I responded, “But only one thing is needed.”

In the story of the two sisters, I’d always identified with the busy older sister, named Martha. But I’d longed to be like Mary, who sat at Jesus’ feet listening to His words.

Mary cared more about Jesus than accomplishments.

I wanted to be like Mary, but I was much more like Martha.

“You can be like Mary, but you must trust Me deeply,” He responded to my thoughts.

How?

“To be like Mary, thoughts of yourself must end; thoughts of doing, thoughts of pleasing, thoughts of measuring up must be replaced by trust; trust in what My Son did on the cross. He did it all for you. He brought you back from annihilation. He freed you. He completed you. He is worth all your attention.

When you do, He’ll take care of everything else.”

He said no more that morning.

Later, Sammy and Milly joined us for church. The sermon was on Psalm 27, particularly verse 4.

Again, I would hear about “one thing.”

One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord
And to meditate in His temple.

“How’d you like the sermon,” Jill asked Sammy and Milly, as we enjoyed our lunch at Lizard’s Thicket after church.

“I liked the focus on worship,” Sammy replied.

“Yes,” Milly chimed in. “Could life really be as simple as the one thing of worshipping God? What about all the things we have to do? We can’t just forget about them.”

“I’ve thought the same thing,” Jill added. “I was reading about this verse in a book about worshiping. The author mentioned that David’s one thing of desiring God above everything else was the mainspring for everything else in his life, his commanding, his ruling, his writing, everything.” [1]

“Wow, that makes a lot of sense,” said Sammy. “That softens the conflict in my head. Like the story of Mary and Martha and how Jesus told Martha that one thing is needed.”

I couldn’t believe what was happening. The very thing I heard on the packages that morning, was playing out before my eyes in a deep conversation. I was about to mention the packages for the first time to anyone, when my phone vibrated.

Glancing at my watch, I saw it was Kevin.

“Excuse me,” I said. “I need to take this.”

As I stepped outside and answered the phone, I heard, “Rest.”

“You okay,” I asked.

“Not at all,” Kevin exclaimed tersely. “I knew you were at church and wanted to be sure our process was still going. On my way in, I passed Mike driving away. I don’t think he saw me.

“When I got upstairs, the server was off. When I rebooted, I was able to restart the remaining batches. But the abrupt termination of the one which was running has corrupted a large block of data. And it was for the new client.”

I tried to console Kevin, but he came unglued. He was going to resigned on the spot, but I told to hold on until I got there

To Be Continued

[1] How to worship Jesus Christ by Joseph S. Carrol, pages 22-26

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading.

Nonfiction books by the Author:

Novels by the Author:

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for? Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

Please Check out the Cola City Podcast . Discussions that impact the vision of reaching every man, woman, and child in a city.

The Righteousness of God

Packages (Part 6)

July 11, 2024 robuck4@aol.com Leave a comment

Dear reader, Packages is an allegory. There will be roughly a dozen parts before Bobby wakes up from a very long, lifelike dream. He'll then seek an interpretation.

I found myself on the packages again on Saturday, with no body of water in sight. I sat deep in a valley, surrounded by towering piles of boxes. The rising sun remained hidden from view; its presence only hinted at by the pastel hues of dawn. The location matched my mood.

The sobering events of the previous day made me cringe as they seeped into my groggy consciousness. As troubling as the work situation was, I was more concerned about not being reconciled with Jill. Over the years, we’d learned to navigate through difficulties, particularly when one could sense the other’s reaction stemmed from unresolved past hurts. Together, with faith in God, we’d learned to reveal and dismantle the longstanding falsehoods that had troubled our lives. It was rare for us to sleep without settling our differences and kissing. The previous night was particularly challenging because we both reacted from deep-seated pain and failed to extend grace before the day’s end. I knew it was my responsibility to lead in that regard, but I hadn’t.

I recalled His words that the packages were brimming with kindness, grace, and love—qualities I desperately needed to embrace the day ahead. Accepting His grace proved particularly challenging. Especially in light of how I’d failed to lead Jill and, with my growing unforgiveness and bitterness with Mike.

Even so, I was certain nothing could separate me from God’s love, not even my own shame.

I contemplated the Hebrew word “Hesed,” which translates to lovingkindness.

And Psalm 23 verse 6: Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

I recalled that this word embodies a divine love which transcends human understanding; like how God pursues us, in spite of our disobedience. Like how Hosea pursued Gomer, his harlot wife. [1]

Immersed in a deep awareness of His lovingkindness, my heart grew tender. I longed to embrace Jill and admit my mistake. We never do well when we’re not right with each other.

“There’s something else in these boxes,” He said, again catching me off guard. “You’re absorbing more than just kindness, grace and love.”

“Read II Corinthians 5:21.”

I picked up the Bible resting on the box in front of me and read, He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

“Can you guess what else you’ve been soaking in?” He asked.

“The righteousness of Christ Jesus?”

“Very good. Can that righteousness be diminished by anything you do or don’t do?”

I paused a moment before answering. A new understanding was budding in my heart. “No. Since You chose me, by Your mercy, to be Your son before I was even born, nothing I do or don’t do can affect it. Right?”

“That’s right,” He said. “My children know this, but our enemy is relentless in seeking to hide My grace and love. His efforts are multiplied as his end draws near. Bobby, sometimes you still soak in his lies and not My truth”

“What did Paul say about righteousness in Ephesians 6?”

“He told us to put on the breastplate of righteousness, as we gird our loins with truth and take up the shield of faith.” I felt faith rising and continued. “This allows us to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. All of them!”

“Never drop your shield of faith. Believe you have My righteousness. No matter what happens, stay the course.”

Having rekindled my faith, He left me to my reflections. The shame I felt now appeared absurd. I knew my life was meant to be rooted in His righteousness, not my own. I realized that whenever I lost focus on this truth, I was on shacky ground and very vulnerable.

Unbeknownst to me, I was no longer in a valley; the mound of packages I rested on had ascended beyond the horizon. I was now in full view of a crystal blue sea, which reflected the magnificence of the eternal dawn.

Jill and I were able to have a cup of coffee together before I went to the office. I apologized for acting out of my fear of failure and need to succeed. I also told her I was sorry for not initiating forgiveness the night before.

“I forgive you on both counts,” she said, as we hugged. “I’m not sure I was ready to be resolved last night anyway. I was stewing in my own feelings of rejection. But I recognized this morning that these lies are ancient. I’m sorry too. God has used you to help me see the lies from the past I still tend to live in.”

“I’m glad,” I said. “Us honoring our covenant of marriage before God has been what’s held us together and allowed our love to grow. We’ve had some very hard stretches.”

She agreed.

As I entered the office, I heard, “Ask Me.”

I found Kevin at his desk, his head in his hands, same shirt on from the day before. “The batches of data are two large,” he said in a defeated tone when he noticed me. “I tried dividing them into smaller datasets, but they lose the associated header, footer and provider tags. I’m out of ideas.”

I’d never seen Kevin in such a state. His perseverance and determination were remarkable, but he was clearly at the end of his rope.

Remembering His message, I asked Him for guidance. Then I ran through different possibilities in my mind.

“I have an idea,” I said after a few minutes. “I think I can use Easytrieve, a mainframe programming tool, to generate smaller datasets while preserving the tags. This would mean we’d be handling smaller batches during the data transfer and the script processing.”

Kevin thought it was a good idea and assisted me in mapping the fields. In forty-five minutes, we’d successfully written a quick program and validated the theory with a batch of data which had previously abended.

“Eureka!” Kevin exclaimed. We did a computer nerd version of a high five.

We kicked off a batch of scripts, which we hoped would process all the data by early Sunday afternoon. He showed me how to check for problems in his script and how to monitor the progress remotely.

I sent him home to rest and made sure the first few batches were successful.

When I got home, Jill was wrapping Alice’s surprise birthday gift.

The plan was for us to distract Alice in the backyard while friends and family streamed into her house to surprise her.

“I can hide her present in the bottom of my purse,” Jill exclaimed.

“I knew that giant bag would come in handy for something,” I joked, earning me a playful elbow to the ribs.

I was so excited about our gift to Alice. Knowing his days on earth were winding down, her husband, Ray, had asked me to video a message to his family. Jill and I downloaded it to an electronic picture frame, which was our present to Alice and their kids.

Right before we knocked on the back door, my phone vibrated with a text. Jill heard it too and looked at me with disappointment.

“Is it work?” she exclaimed bitterly.

The extensive time and mental energy I devoted to work-related activities over the years had become a longstanding source of pain and feelings of neglect for Jill. I endeavored to understand my wife better, continually learning more about her. I was beginning to realize that some of her reactions stemmed from deep-seated pain, some of which originated in her childhood and was triggered by something I did, said, or failed to do. While I acknowledge that I have also caused her pain, I was learning not to take it personally all the time. This approach helped me to remain non-defensive, at least some of the time. Which is hard for a guy like me who thrives to succeed and please people.

“No, it’s Sammy,” I replied, also happy it wasn’t work related. “He’s asking if he and his family can join us at our church tomorrow.”

“Wow! That would be great,” Jill exclaimed. “Alton as well?”

“I’m not sure,” I replied, as I knocked on Alice’s back door. I heard, “Be bold.“

To Be Continued

[1] The book of Hosea

Please Check out the Cola City Podcast . Discussions that impact the vision of reaching every man, woman, and child in a city.

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading.

Novels by the Author:

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for? Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

Celebrating the Life of a Friend, Photo by Jesse Von Fange (JVF)

Celebrate your Faith Goals with Joy, like Touchdowns.

February 9, 2023 robuck4@aol.com 13 Comments

When asked about some key ways Steve encouraged him, Keith, a co-worker answered: “Take quiet time alone to commune with God on a daily basis. Feel comfortable about speaking faithfully at work. You never know when you might plant a seed. Set individual faith goals and make them right sized. Bigger than a first down and smaller than winning the game. Make them like a touchdown and celebrate accomplishing your faith goal with joy.”

I can’t believe my friend Steve has been gone six years now. It happened so suddenly. One morning, in January 2017, he never woke up. The news sent ripples through the faith community and at the corporate offices he’d recently retired from. We were all in shock. Fittingly, an enlarged heart contributed to his death.

A few days later, I was given the privilege of saying a few words at his life celebration. I asked the hundreds gathered for a show of hands for those who’d dined with Steve, and he’d insisted on picking up the bill. Over half the folks raised their hands.

Steve was that kind of person. If he felt like he could help you in any way towards becoming more the person God designed you to be, he’d go all out.

Even though, he was a few years younger than me, I considered him a mentor, especially in leadership and business. He had a keen mind and rose quickly in his career to the upper executive level in a large corporation. This is where I met him.

Steve excelled at work, but he never took his eye off the loftier aspects of God’s kingdom. He listened well, as he talked with you, praying for insight as to how he could add fuel to your passions and gifts.

Being careful to never cheat the company, he’d use breakfasts, lunches and breaks to meet with folks who seemed to have spiritual interests.

He and I often met at Arby’s or Cracker Barrel near the office. During one of these meals, I first experienced his touchdown signal. I don’t remember the exact circumstance, but I’ll always remember my excitement when he suddenly raised his hands and yelled “touchdown” at my answer to one of his coaching questions.

When he saw folks moving in what he felt like was their “sweet spot” and making some significant advancement in their faith goals, this was a touchdown. And he wasn’t going to pass it by without joyously celebrating it with you.

The impact Steve had on me can’t be overstated and I know I speak for countless other folks who were blessed to know him.

Six Years Later

As a tribute to him, and to mark the sixth anniversary of his homecoming, I’d like to share, in no particular order, six ways Steve positively influenced my life.

Savor and Enjoy Life

God was Steve’s highest joy. This was a belief which God developed over the course of his life, as he matured in his relationship with Jesus. Steve was always aware of how easy it is for idols to creep into our lives, but as time went on, and as his surrender deepened, his freedom in Christ grew.

With God at the center of his affections, Steve lived life with gusto. He was a gifted photographer who loved capturing adventures on film, especially with his family.

He sought to be present and to savor life’s moments. When we ate together, he loved to slather whatever he ordered with a lot of sauce. I saw this as an example of the exuberance in which he lived, savoring moments.

When he was in college, he and his racquetball partner played a joke on the rest of the competitors in a tournament. By naming their team “Bye”, they made it to the finals because teams assumed they weren’t playing and didn’t show up. He loved a good laugh.

Defer to Others

I watched Steve, time after time, live out the following two verses.

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men (Philippians 2:3-7).

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).

When you were with Steve, you could tell by the questions he’d ask, and the ways he invested in your life, that he really cared. His heart was to look for ways to love you by extending what God had entrusted to him to build you up.

Learn a Person’s Passions and Gifts

Steve was a master at asking probing questions. When he was with you, he listened intently to you and to God. Steve wanted to discover what he would call your “sweet spot”. He desired to be a catalyst for you in something which activated your passions and gifts. When he sensed your heart was coming alive about something, he would encourage you in it. In these cases, Steve partnered with you to add fuel to your flame.

When he found out my daughter was performing some songs at a downtown venue, he and his bride Sharon, showed up to encourage her passion.

And, as mentioned before, when there was a victory in an area you were passionate about, he’d give the touchdown sign with joyful exuberance.

Maximize Your Influence by Investing in Leaders

Steve was a leader of leaders. Not that he wouldn’t invest in folks who didn’t seem to be leaders, but he took the command to seek God’s kingdom first seriously. [1] He figured his contribution to advancing God’s Kingdom would be maximized if he streamlined his investment toward proven leaders.

He was involved in several leadership development programs and made a huge impact among executive teams wherever we went.

From one of the executives at Steve’s workplace when asked for one of two ways Steve encouraged him in his faith, “Take quiet time alone to commune with God on a daily basis. Feel comfortable about speaking faithfully at work. You never know when you might plant a seed. Set individual faith goals and make them right sized. Bigger than a first down and smaller than winning the game. Make them like a touchdown and celebrate accomplishing your faith goal with joy.” KEITH

Require a Hoop

Occasionally, I’d ask Steve to help folks in my life, particularly with financial issues. He was great with finances and a spreadsheet master.

Steve was always willing to help, but he would require action at the beginning of the process to be sure the person was serious.

For example, if I requested financial coaching for a person, he would require them to provide a list of monthly income, expenses, and a savings/debt picture first.

He called this a “hoop” – a task for the recipient to accomplish prior to receiving help. Steve would wait for the hoop to be jumped through before proceeding. This way he knew the person was serious about getting help. This also gave him some starting data to work with.

Be Extraordinarily Generous

Steve’s generosity is what stands out most to me. He loved to give, especially when his giving would encourage you in your “sweet spot”.

As mentioned before, he was always listening for ways to invest in a person’s passions. And he didn’t just give financially. He’d also give his time, skills, and possessions; whatever he could give to advance the kingdom or bring you joy.

He once drove across town to our house to photograph our family Christmas picture.

Steve didn’t just give in ways which would have a wide impact. I was told he carried a glove box full of meal cards for folks he’d come across who were in need.

Living Out Your Faith in the Workplace

In his later years, Steve created an excellent video series on living out your faith in the workplace.

Check them out:

Living Out Your Faith in the Workplace

Prayer

Lord, thank you so much for Steve’s life and for his friendship. You made him intelligent and generous. Thank you for using him in my life and in so many others.

Thank you for how he savored and enjoyed life.

Thank you for how he looked out for the interests of others.

Thank you for how he studied others to determine their passions and gifts.

Thank you that you made him a leader of leaders who had tremendous impact on folks at the executive level.

Thank you also that he cared about ordinary folks and loved being a blessing.

Thank you that you gave him a generous heart and that he delighted in bringing joy to others.

Amen

A verse his son Jesse often heard him quote: Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father (Colossians 3:15-17).

[1] Matthew 6:33

Please Check out the new Cola City Podcast . Discussions that impact the vision of reaching every man, woman, and child in the Midlands of South Carolina.

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading.

Novels by the Author:

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for? Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

Daily Surrender, Withholding Nothing

Our Highest Joy (Returning to Mount Moriah)

January 18, 2022 robuck4@aol.com 2 Comments

Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” (Genesis 22:1-2 NASB).

As Abraham obeyed God and made his way to Mount Moriah to sacrifice Isaac, he’d already been on quite the adventure.

The Back Story

He used to be Abram (father of many). At 75 years of age, God called him to leave his native land and travel to a unknown place. He was called to “be a blessing” and to be the father of a great nation. [1] But his wife, Sarai, was barren.

He pitched a tent between Bethel (house of bread) and Ai (house of ruin). There he built an alter to the Lord (Jehovah – the Existing One) and called upon His name. [2]

God brought a famine, leading Abram to Egypt. Out of fear, he offered up Sarai to Pharaoh, calling her his sister. [3]

From Egypt, Abram returned and pitched his tents again between Bethel and Ai. But there was strife between his herdsmen and those of his nephew Lot. He and Lot separated. Abram took a humble posture and allowed his nephew to choose his spot. So, Abram moved his tents and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre in Hebron. There he built an altar to the Lord. [4]

Next there was war. Lot was taken away. Abram fought back. He battled and defeated the kings. He rescued Lot and all his possessions. Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of the Most High God, brought out bread and wine and blessed Abram. [5]

The then Lord said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward” (Genesis 15:1b NIV). God reassured Abram that, in spite of the circumstances, a nation as numerous as the stars would be born from him. Abram believed God and his faith was credited to him as righteousness. [6]

As time went on, Abram’s trust in God’s promise waned. Sarai was still barren. Listening to his wife, Abram took matters into his own hands and fathered Ishmael. This wasn’t God’s design and there were consequences. [7]

But God remained faithful, even when Abram was not. He expanded the vision, changing Abram’s name to Abraham (father of many nations). He commanded circumcision as a sign of the covenant between them and as an assurance of God’s faithfulness. God changed Sarai’s name to Sarah and promised she would soon have a child named Isaac. Since Sarah was 99 years old, Abraham’s trust in God’s promise waivered again. He asked if Ishmael could be the child of the promise. [8]

Abraham journeyed toward the land of the Negev and settled in Gerar. Still fearful and concerned about his safety, he lied again about Sarah being his sister to King Abimelech. [9]

When Abraham was 100 years old, Isaac, son of the promise was born. As God had commanded, Abraham circumcised Isaac when he was eight days old.

Intense family strife developed because of Ishmael and his mother, Hagar. Abraham was greatly distresses, but God spoke peace to him. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba and called upon the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God. [10]

Relating to Abraham’s Story

Before we pick back up on Abraham’s journey into deeper surrender toward the heights of Mount Moriah, let’s look at how we might relate to his story so far.

Like Abraham, as believers, we’ve been called to leave our familiar ways to travel with God to unknown places.

Like Abraham, we’ve been blessed to be a blessing.

Like with Abraham, God is at work in our lives to build unwavering trust and deeper intimacy.

Abraham faced barrenness, famine, strife, separation, war, distress and family tension, some of his own doing. Like Abraham, we face loss and lack, which God uses in powerful ways to fashion and stretch our souls. The Master has unique trials for each of us in order to free us from ourselves and our own devices and give us true joy.

Like Abraham, we become afraid. Sometimes our faith is weak. We choose poorly, often even repeating our foolishness. We throw our loved ones “under the bus.” We care too much about us. We take matters into our own hands. We cling to our ways, even when God shows us a better plan.

The same God who walked with Abraham, walks with us. Nothing we go through is a surprise to Him. Like Abraham, our journeys are filled with missteps, but, through it all, God is faithful. He upholds His end of the covenant, even when we don’t.

Abraham’s Test

In Genesis 22, when God called, Abraham said, “Here I am.”

When God gave His surprising command to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham obeyed quickly. No arguments. By then, he was probably 120 years old. His faith had grown strong, forged by famine, war and strife, undergirded by God’s grace, even in the midst of Abraham’s sin.

In full faith, Abraham walked on because he considered God to be able to raise Isaac from the dead. [11] After the third day, he could see Moriah rising up in the distance. On that same mountain, Jerusalem would be built and, years later, Jesus, God’s only Son, would be sacrificed as the Perfect Lamb.

Climbing up the mountain, Isaac asked where the lamb was for the sacrifice. Abraham replied, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering my son” (Genesis 22:8b NASB).

When they came to the place for the sacrifice, Abraham built the altar, bound his son and placed him there. But in the process of slaying Isaac, an angel said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me” (Genesis 22:`12b NASB).

Our Response

Do we fear God in the ways Abraham displayed?

Are there things we withhold from God?

Do we trust God’s love for us and His plan for our lives?

Is our emotional wellbeing anchored around people or things?

Is our faith deep enough to withstand unimaginable circumstances because we know God is at work, especially in our trials?

Are we willing to surrender even the most precious parts of our hearts to God because we trust Him?

Like me, you probably find yourself somewhere along Abraham’s journey leading up to his test. We worship, we love, we seek to obey. But sometimes we stumble. Too often, we choose what we want ahead of the interests of others. We try and solve problems on our own, using our limited strengths and abilities. We fear. We fall back to familiar lies and worn out patterns of trying to make life better.

Is a better life the point?

But know this. The same loving, merciful God who kept His promises to Abraham, in spite of his weak faith and sin, keeps His promises to us.

Challenge

Thinking about your journey, have there been similar sacrifices required of you, like Abraham with Isaac?

Are there things you are withholding from God, though He’s asked you?

What is God asking of you right now?

Where do you need to trust God more in a particular area?

Are there lies you believe and even defend, creating strongholds in your life?

Talk to Him about these things.

Prayer

O Lord, I’m so amazed at Abraham’s journey. Like him, You’ve chosen to love me. You’ve blessed me with every spiritual blessing. You are Jehovah-Jireh. You see what I really need and You provide.

Thank you for the freedom and joy which awaits me, as I surrender more and more of my life to You. Only You can enable and direct my surrender. Please carry me along Your road of freedom.

May I give every one and every thing to You along the way, returning to Mount Moriah every day.

Amen.

[1] Genesis 12:2

[2] Genesis 12:4-9

[3] Genesis 12:10-20

[4] Genesis 13

[5] Genesis 14

[6] Genesis 15

[7] Genesis 16

[8] Genesis 17

[9] Genesis 20

[10] Philippians 2:7b

[11] Hebrews 11:17-19

Previous posts in the series – Our Highest Joy:

Unmasking the Lie

Dealing with sadness and disappointment

Eternal Thanksgiving

Fueled by the Joy of Jesus

.Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading.

Novels by the Author:

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for? Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family. Hope Remains

Freedom in Christ, Joy in Failure

The Joy of Complete Forgiveness

September 16, 2019 robuck4@aol.com 2 Comments

Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which You have broken rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities. (Psalm 51:7-9 NASB)

We all have stories. Imagine yours including adultery, murder and deceit. What would it be like waking up each morning with a hidden blanket of guilt and shame to drag around your day? The coverup would require you to live separated from your heart, the wellspring of your life.[1] The flow of courage would be clogged, Dis-couragement would set in. This was David’s story before he wrote the verses above.

If we’re honest, we’ve all dealt with some level of guilt and shame involving our choices. We may not have physically committed adultery and murder, but in our pursuits of personal happiness and fulfillment we’ve chosen us over God.

What do we do? Do we try really hard to do good, hoping our deeds will tip the scale and outweigh our dirty hands? Some religions suggest this path of salvation. But trying to earn a right standing with God leads to joyless self-effort and striving. We can never become clean on our own.

But there’s really good news, “holiness is not something you achieve but something you receive.”[2]

What we can’t do, God did for us through the sacrifice of His only Son. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (II Corinthians 5:21 NASB)

But to receive forgiveness, we must believe in the timeless work of Jesus. He died on our behalf, washing us clean. “Come now and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; though they are crimson, They will be like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18 NASB)

After committing adultery with Bathsheba, David tried to cover up his transgression by having her husband, Uriah, killed in battle. Psalm 51 is his confession. Though he lived before Jesus, David too was saved by grace, through faith. David trusted in God’s goodness and forgiveness, even in the midst of being responsible for a man’s death. David received complete forgiveness and it gave him great joy. How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How joyful is the man the Lord does not charge with sin and in whose spirit is no deceit! (Psalm 32:1-2 HCSB)

David’s life was not perfect after he wrote Psalm 51. He struggled. But what made him a man after God’s own heart was his quick confessions and repentance, walking in God’s forgiveness and Christ’s righteousness.

We can wake up each morning with no guilt and shame, because of what Christ has done for us. Pursuing holiness, we walk in the goodness and mercy of God. Leaving the past behind, we can experience the joy of complete forgiveness, continually giving glory to God for the grace He’s lavished on us, even when we fail.

Lord, this truth of complete forgiveness has alluded me. It’s easy to unconsciously think it’s still up to me. But You’ve made it clear. In You, my heart is wiped completely clean. Please continue to reveal idols of self that I might quickly confess and repent. Teach me the Joy of Your complete forgiveness.

[1] Proverbs 4:23

[2] Jeff Shipman in a Sermon on Isaiah 1 at Columbia Crossroads Church

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures. Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post once a week. Thank you for reading.

Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains

The Lord is my Light, The Lord is Near

Son Shine

August 26, 2018 robuck4@aol.com 2 Comments

A few Sundays ago, at the beach, a few of us woke up early to see the sunrise. I was a bit demotivated at first, especially since we were on vacation, but my son in law convinced us it would be well worth it.

“I walked out onto a sandbar about a quarter of a mile,” he said, speaking of his adventure the previous morning.

So, when my phone chimed around 6 am, I quietly dressed and headed down to our rendezvous spot. A faint tinge of light was beginning to illuminate the eastern sky as we walked the block and a half down to the beach. When we reached the sand, we slipped off our shoes and headed east.

An orange band hugged the horizon, topped by a pale yellow patch, slowing replacing the night’s darkness, already taking on a light blue hue.

After walking a few hundred yards we turned right ninety degrees and waded toward the middle of the ocean. Walking on a sand bar, we kept going until looking back, the houses on the beach were distant silhouettes. It was breath taking. My son-in-law was not exaggerating. It was truly magical.

When the first rays of the sun broke through, we were all captivated by God’s splendor.

Several weeks have passed since our early morning adventure and I determined last night to greet the sun again. I’m several hours from the ocean, but live half a mile from a large lake. Using my StarTracker app, I determined where the sun would rise over the lake and was waiting in my convertible with coffee and journal in hand. As the sun rose, I wanted to praise the Lord for His new day sun.

But I saw no sun. The sky brightened, but only with lighter shades of grey. The eastern sky was covered with clouds. I would see no sunrise, but was determined to still praise my God for His beauties.

When I returned home, I pulled out a camping chair and enjoyed the crispness of the morning air. Sipping on my coffee it occurred to me that even though I saw no sun, the Son still shines.

Sometimes my days can seem totally grey. Hard times can block the light of my Lord’s nearness. What a great reminder!

God’s light always shines, even when I can’t see it.

“I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” John 4:18

His word lights my way.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

With God, there is no darkness. “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” I John 1:5

I have been called out into the Lord’s wonderful light. “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a Holy Nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellences of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;” I Peter 2:19

When I was a young believer, we would sing a Song about the Lord being our Light, based on the following verses from Psalm 27:

The Lord is my light and my salvation;

Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the defense of my life;

Whom shall I dread?
When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh,

My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.
Though a host encamp against me,

My heart will not fear;

Though war arise against me,

In spite of this I shall be confident.

One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord
And to meditate in His temple.

Prayer: Lord, thank you. You’ve shown me, even on this cloudy day, Your light shines brightly. You are Light. In You I have no fear. Bring light into every crevice of my heart. Light my way I pray, that I might follow Your path for my life. Please give me the peace of your presence, even when all around me is dark and evil. Though I walk in the shadows, I will not fear for you are always with me.

One Thing! Lord, you are my Light. May my one overwhelming desire be to remain in Your presence and gaze upon Your beauties, even in the midst of my cloudy days.

Amen.

Joy in the Journey

Tag Archives: Faith

Packages (Epilogue, Walking it Out)

A Hundred Days Later

Passing it On

Packages (The Dream Ends)

Packages (Part 7)

Packages (Part 6)

Celebrate your Faith Goals with Joy, like Touchdowns.

Six Years Later

Savor and Enjoy Life

Defer to Others

Learn a Person’s Passions and Gifts

Maximize Your Influence by Investing in Leaders

Require a Hoop

Be Extraordinarily Generous

Living Out Your Faith in the Workplace

Prayer

Our Highest Joy (Returning to Mount Moriah)

The Back Story

Relating to Abraham’s Story

Abraham’s Test

Our Response

Challenge

Prayer

The Joy of Complete Forgiveness

Son Shine

Experiencing God in the moments of our lives