Over the past few month (maybe years) I have tried hard to see the world through the eyes of younger people (Thanks Allison and Josiah).  Watching the ebb and tide of emotions, a part of me longs for those days of feeling the energy associated with those emotions.  I find myself wondering, does that energy and passion become used up or do we just learn to “control” it?

OK, back to my geeky ( “sciency” as Dorothy put it) self for just a minute.  First Law of Thermodynamics – Energy can neither be created or destroyed, only altered in form.  If passion is energy, then it cannot be destroyed.  (I am stretching here, but bare with me) I think that as we grow older, many of us try to bottle up this energy.  What I am starting to believe is that we are not as strong as we think we are.  The energy leaks out in ways that we don’t recognize.  It reveals itself in the form sarcasm, criticism, sour looks, arrogance, depression, anxiety, and many other “mature” outlets.

In Luke 18, Jesus gives us two principles back-to-back. One is the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector and the second is the “Let the children come to me” principle.  Jesus is pretty clear that He would prefer that we be more like children than like the mature Pharisee.  As I have grown older and wiser, I seem to be getting more Pharisee-like.

David was a man after Gods own heart, but even in the Psalms, he seems like such a little kid.  Passionate…sometimes he whines, sometimes he exalts himself, sometimes he beats himself up and then other times he appears to get it.  Then in the gospels, Jesus tells us to be like a little child.  Is this I what he means? Passion, first love, childlike faith;  God gave us emotion for a purpose.  Certainly not for stability.  I think it is what drives us.  If  I could harness that emotional energy and then let God direct me, wow, I could actually make an impact!  Have I spent my entire life trying to hold back the energy God placed in me on purpose?

Now, how do I remove these self imposed fetters?

Sun’s first rays
Peeking into the room,
Song birds,
Chirping and whistling their song
Joy at the break of day
They could not speak
But I listened
And knew peace.

Sun’s first rays
Peeking into the room,
Baby girls,
Cooing and singing their song
Joy at the break of day
They could not speak
But I listened
And knew peace.

Gentle breezes
Pushing billowing clouds,
Wild flowers,
Swaying in their beautiful dresses
Dancing for joy in the sunlight
They did not know
But I watched
And knew joy.

Gentle breezes
Pushing billowing clouds,
Little girls,
Swaying in their beautiful dresses
Dancing for joy in the sunlight
They did not know
And knew joy.

The footmen are crushing me at the moment. That is OK…forward motion is always harder than it sounds. To quote a wise little fish “swimming swimming, must keep swimming”

1) Hopefully, the swelling will go down and I will be back at it tomorrow.
2) I think I will listen to that voice a little closer that says, “not today partner”
3) Once I can get it into words, I think this little detour will be the conclusion to the forward motion blog.
4) I have cleaned, inspected and re-installed the filter and will periodically inspect it for damage and replace as necessary. To keep the offensive stuff out of my communications.

When I start out on a new journey do I embrace the “newness” of the adventure or do I go into it with expectations grounded in my own previous experiences.  ”The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lam 3:18)  How cool is it that I get to take a mulligan everyday and get to take another shot at it.  So if this is such a great opportunity, why don’t I start over with new expectations for success; not based in my past failures, but reaching higher and armed with every new resource I can muster.

I read the posts…most of us hate Mondays.  But isn’t Monday supposed to be that fresh start? A new day, a new week, full of expectancy, hope, and new opportunities?  We head into that day with old expectations.  We attack it knowing with the same outlook, attitude and resources that we did last week.

How about we take the mulligan? Find a new way, be innovative, upgrade those expectations and make it a great adventure.

Have you been given a big mulligan in your life?  Have you taken advantage of it? Nicodemus didn’t understand this concept.  Jesus explained that the second birth is not the same as the first one.

“Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.2 This man came to Jesust by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”3 Jesus answered him, ”Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born againt he cannot see the kingdom of God.”4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”5 Jesus answered, ”Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.t 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘Youtmust be born again.’8 The windt blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:1-8)

If you have been born again, are you taking advantage of all of the resources available the second time?  Take advantage of your new opportunity. I think I will.

During Naval Nuclear Power School, first half….Vector Analysis.  The basis of reactor physics and radiation shielding principles.   Yuck … Not one of my favorite classes, but the ability to understand forces not only in terms of energy but also in terms of direction was key in being able to control that energy.  Blah, Blah, Blah…

Some of those forces like gravity, imperceptibly at times, continually pull us down and combined with other forces (friction) continually impede our progress.  Just overcoming these deterrences requires us to expend more of that energy that got us going in the first place and if we are not careful, we could easily grind to halt.  Take advantage of those down hills, fuel up for those uphills, and pound across those rough surfaces.  Where do I get that strength.  Food?

“And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. (Deut 8:3, ESV)”

What about all of those other vectors, those forces that drive us from that straight and narrow road.  Expending energy in the wrong direction can be disastrous?  Forward motion is more than power and vision.  We need something to keep us headed in the right direction.  Was going to include an awesome sailing story from Anthony Nelson to set up the next post, but alas, it was gone. Maybe later.  Oh…Found it

Anthony Nelson  “Years ago I owned a small sail boat, like this one http://dld.bz/ayq9K  I sold it when we moved to PHX. I learned how to sail with that boat on the Ohio River in Owensboro. One of the first/hardest lessons was to figure out how to sail it in light wind. When the wind would die down to almost nothing I learned that it took more skill to get from point A to point B. I would pick my heading, a point on the horizon, and with my ignorance – man handle the tiller (which connects to the rudder, which directs the boat) until I found some wind. And because I was impatient I would inevitably continue to make abrupt turns with the tiller and totally frustrate the progress of the boat. Eventually, I learned to handle the tiller lightly, as gently as possible, with as much skill as I could muster. And what I found was that my momentum built quickly, which gave me directional control and speed. So, maybe strength isn’t always the answer. I do think you’re strong. But I also think you’re skillful. There must be a point on the horizon that God has chosen for you. No doubt it will take some skill to get through these light winds. But like they say in sailing; light winds make the sailor. “

“15 So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision-you’ll see it yet!16 Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it.” (Phil 3, The Message)

But what about getting moving? I think the initial move is up to me.  I can’t find anywhere that God makes us move.  He can encourage us, He can teach us, He may even send people along side to prod us a bit, but I think we have to make the first move.

14 I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. (Phil 3)

I am running…with my eyes on the prize.  And now that I am moving…first law motion…an object in motion will tend to stay in the same direction….unless….

In a perfect world, forward motion would be easy once we get started.  Newton’s first law of motion tells that an object in motion will tend to stay in motion with the same velocity unless acted upon by an external force and the second law says it will go in the same direction unless moved by a vector force. (yes I paraphrased, shoot me).   Anyway, forward motion is a natural state and should be easy….enter the external forces.  We live in a world of external forces which continually change our direction, slow us down, or bring us to a screeching halt.  Even if the only force is friction, forward motion can be tough.  If we actually gt stopped…getting moving again requires even more energy and it has to be energy in the correct direction.  Yep…life can be tough.

First let’s figure out which direct is forward.

“12 I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me.13 Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward-to Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12-13, The Message)

So at least I know which way forward is?  That’s a start toward obtaining forward motion.  But what about those external forces?

I think that one of Jeremiah’s problems which brought about his grumbling Jeremiah 12 was that he was fighting the good fight alone.  Although he had a strong relationship with the Lord, he was pushing through that battle without the benefit of fellowship and that is a tough task.  Fortunately we have not been carried off into captivity and are surrounded by people of like mind with similar interests and goals.  On the other hand, we often neglect that blessing and try to walk the walk alone.  How ridiculous is that?  Oh wait, I have been doing that for years.

Last night, after another good day of training in the mirror, I found my metabolism ramping up and found I could not sleep.  I decided to watch one of my favorite movies, “Twelve O’ Clock High” with Gregory Peck.  (I may reference this movie more than once, so you may want to check it out on Netflix or something) After a plane pulled out of formation to cover for a damaged plane, the pilot was dressed down for break group integrity  “Every gun on a B-17 is designed to give the group maximum defensive firepower – that’s what I mean by group integrity. When you pull a B-17 out of a formation you reduce the defensive power of the group by ten guns.”

As brothers and sisters, how are we doing at maintaining group integrity?  Are we leaving each other vulnerable to attack by neglecting our fellowship?  Even if you are confident in your own walk (which is pretty prideful), you are leaving the rest of us in harms way.  How about we tighten up those formations so that we can carry out the plan that is set before us.

You may be able to run with the footmen alone, but to contend with the horses that are coming, we are going to need to do it together.

Watching myself run is really disconcerting, but I find that I am able to even out my strides, correct my lean, an improve my posture. Consistency…not always my long suit. Yes, it is just going through the motions which is something I detest, but when the goal is repeating the same motion over and over again, going through the motions is exactly what is needed. If I just go through the motions one time, I will gain nothing. It is consistent, repetitive, and continuous effort that brings about the strength to move forward.

“23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” (James 1:23,24 ESV)

Are you able to run with footmen? If not…try looking at your walk in the mirror each day and see if your can correct your stride. It might be boring at times, but if you want to contend with the horses, you have to run with the footmen.