He'll have His Home~ The true meaning of Christmas

~The TRUE meaninG of CHRISTmas~ John Mark Brooks

Last night at Emmanuel Lutheran's candlelight-service; I witnessed the TRUE meaning of Christmas. There, in the midst of 100+ people, was a man in jeans and a sweater. . . Unshaven and a little disheveled. But that's not what made him stand out in a small sea of people dressed to the nines.

What made him special was He had a hunger, a deep longing, for the King born in a manger, who died as a 'criminal,' a rebel and an outcast.

See, he didn't warm up a car to come to worship. Didn't take a shower, shave or pick an outfit, but he shined like that star over Bethlehem.

Why? Because this man was like our Savior was when He was born-- homeless without a place to lay his head. However, that did not stop him from being there.

I watched him; tears welled up in my eyes. When someone needed to slide in the pew, he stepped out in the aisle, as a gentleman with his hands folded behind his back. He sung his lungs out: whole-heartedly and with each word shrouded in gratitude. How could one man with so LITTLE have so MUCH joy and a beautiful response of grace and appreciation?!?

As pastor Mike Collins shared a message on how we can find God's Presence in the beautiful and ugly, wonderful and terrible, in the smooth-sailing and in the storms of life; this man listened intently. Jesus was born into our messy world, so He could take our mess and make it His~ powerful, poignant and relevant no matter where you find yourself on the spectrum of circumstances or mood. What was feared to be a 'mess,' as Mike lost his sermon notes, turned into a beautiful, timeless message straight from the heart of God.

With the service drawing to a close, with my amazing Mom beside me, there he was singing . . . "Silent Night, holy night all is calm, all is bright." My heart was filled with compassion, thankfulness and perspective.

Jesus-- the Nazerene-- died just as much for the all too easily-labeled, and looked down, homeless man as He died for me, the pastor or the CEO of the company.

I couldn't help but smile because, as I prayed for God to protect this precious man as he left, I could only think of one thing . . . For one day I know He will not only have a home~ He will be HOME (Heaven).

And that, that's the TRUE meaning of Christmas . . . That strangers can become friends . . . Orphans become sons and daughters . . . And the lost become not only found, but find true Hope, Love, Peace and Joy!

Intentional Grace

I'm filthy, misguided, disgusting and hard to love, sometimes . . . I am impatient, I am unkind, I am, at times, still an addict, but JESUS loves me wholly and completely!! People say, "you're a hypocrite"~ I sure am sometimes. People say you're not worthy of love . . . They are right! People say there is a special place in hell for me-- there would've been if not for Jesus, dying for me, otherwise they would've been right!

I am DEEPLY flawed, in one area in particular, but MUCH better than I used to be!! I am so disobedient, so rebellious, beyond stubborn, I mean stubborn upon stubborn upon stubborn, but God sees His Son when He looks at me!! He sees not only His Son, but He made me His son-- He adopted me and grafted me in to the Royal Family!!!

I am NOT just beauty that came from ashes! I am BEAUTIFUL!! I am a beaten-up, rusted trumpet . . . A RAGAMUFFIN of Grace and His intentional, unconditional Love!! I only have A chance because chance had NOTHING to do with it at all!!!

I fall short every day. I don't walk in the victory I have been so freely given-- the one that came with the ultimate price, but God, the Rock, says I ROCK!! I say what about the sin? What about the dirt? What about the times, numerous to say the least, and ways I've failed You? He says, "I don't remember!" Though you fall short . . . You NEVER fall short to me!

You are my perfect creation . . . You are fearfully and wonderfully made! While there are so many times I fail Jesus-- there is NEVER a single time He fails me!! More than the grains of sand . . . More than the drops of ocean; I LOVE YOU my child!!

People ask me, "How do you believe in God?" "Why do you believe?" Because of moments like the ones I just experienced where I feel His Love in a REALER way than the rays of sun on my skin or goose-bumps on my arm!!!

People call out and say, "I saw you with Jesus . . . You're one of His disciples!" And I say no, no that's not me, you must be mistaken, but as I get older, and grow in wisdom, I am learning how to say you're right!! I've been with God . . . I walk with God, and against ALL rationale He chooses to live in me and walk with me! When I fall down; He picks me up and if I'm too weak to walk-- He carries me! If I fall to pieces~ He mends me! HE puts me back together!! My God~ my God that humbles me and makes me grateful beyond words!!!

If you ask me why I LOVE Jesus, I can only say look at HIM-- don't look at me . . . Look at Him in the midst of the my greatest accomplishments and in the presence of my worst defeats! Look at Him! Don't look just at what He has done, or is doing, in your life~ but really look at HIM! You will see BEAUTY beyond our imagination and LOYALTY that would put all the kennels of the world to shame!

His Grace will sustain you~ His Grace will give you strength when you have none~ His Grace covers a field full of sin~ His Grace is ALL we need! If Grace is more present than the air we breathe~ then why won't we let it embrace us the same way? So, you can say all the ways I've failed Him, but I will never stop speaking of ALL the reasons I love Him!

My King 👑 my Father~ my Savior~ my Friend~ my Strong Tower~ my Refuge~ my Sanctuary past the end!!! I love YOU Jesus and I am unashamed of that Love~ ashamed of me, but infinitely PROUD of YOU!

it's OK to let people know we don't have it all together~ for without the One who gives us breath . . . It, no matter how sturdy it is, or how hard we worked for it, no matter how indestructible it is, will FALL APART! And without Jesus; we fall apart too!!

Bring the Flood

Damnit! This MADNESS is getting out of hand!! Sorry (sorry mom, dad and my pastor Mike), kind of, for the use of slang, but in the past 48 hours 6 young people, 4 black young men, one Latino and one white have been killed!! And now 11, YES ELEVEN, policemen have been SHOT (ambushed) in the back, while protecting the very ones who hate them and making sure the protests went smoothly! Five of them have passed away. How many moms and dads have to lose their children? How many wives and children must lose their husbands and dads? How many tears must be shed and eulogies said!?!

Being a policeman is a hard profession, a brave duty, and I thank you Matthew Adams, Paul Finger, Jody Harkey, Travis Jones and Trey Hayes and the city of Lincolnton and Charlotte, and the surrounding areas, for your valiant service. The reality is, these policemen leave their house every day not knowing if they will return! While many of us are insulated, when racial tensions flare up, they are right there on the front lines! They not only are on the front lines, but they automatically, especially if they're white, are looked at as the villains . . . just their mere presence causes ignorant people to view ALL of them as MONSTERS! We can't paint groups of people with such a broad stroke! Saying ALL does nothing but perpetuate ignorance and stupidity! I know this will be unpopular to some, but the majority of policemen do serve and protect . . . They do fulfill their oath! They do go beyond the call of duty to make our communities better! It's the few ROTTEN apples that make the whole orchard look bad! #BlueLivesMatter

I've been nauseas, I've cried, I've run the gamut of emotions . . . Anger, hurt, deep sadness, empathy, sympathy and I've prayed-- oh have I prayed for all the victims' family and friends and for the shooters! I'm SICK! This isn't the America I've always LOVED and been proud of!

The ONLY way for us to DO better is BE better and the only way we can become better is be guided by the BEST (Jesus) and we need some serious 'BUT God' moments right NOW!!
I'm truthfully SAD~ really sad . . . Broken! As I type this tears are flowing down my face. And I'm disappointed in whites and blacks! We have to do better and become BRIDGES not WALLS! That's how TRUE Love and Unity come to be . . . the first much-needed steps toward racial forgiveness and reconciliation will only take place once we have the courage to change-- the courage to break this all too familiar, and vicious, cycle!!

I do say ‪#‎BlackLivesMatter‬ because they DO! I grieve alongside my black brothers and sisters. They are understandably hurting!! If there was accountability in many of these cases, then wonderful, but there is NOT! Very few, a minute amount of policemen, are convicted in these shootings. There is an epidemic in our country of policemen, whom I have a GREAT deal of respect for and thank often for their service, gunning down young unarmed black men and a few women and children!! Resisting arrest, unless there is a weapon involved, should not equal your life ceasing to be!! That is a fact-- some killed are by trigger-happy cops, who should never be policemen to begin with and give the badge a bad name and some times because the victim resists arrest. I will spare harping on nobody should resist arrest because that's just common sense and respect for authority. Nothing ever comes from that!! Resisting, however, should never bring a death sentence!

But in some cases, such as Castille Philando, you don't always have to resist to be killed, so when young black men are pulled over they wonder, even if they do follow protocol, if they could be the next one lying in blood and making their trip to the morgue! Buffalo Bills' wide receiver Marquise Goodwin tweeted last night, "My biggest fear is getting pulled over by a policeman." This is the gripping fear faced by the African American community. Philando was gunned down in front of his girlfriend and her four-year old daughter! Or consider Alton Sterling . . . two policeman seemingly had him subdued, the gun in his possession not produced, yet the policeman fired four shots into his chest, treatment, that is so often the case, sub-human! Videos of these two incidents, and or Walter Scott and Tamir Rice, made me ABSOLUTELY sick!

The trust between young black men and white cops is at an all-time LOW . . . Some of the ones, who took an oath to serve and protect, are doing the killing. Now it's spilling over into our communities and adding to something that is the silent epidemic-- RACISM.
Something people don't talk about, don't address, and barely, if at all, mention!! We are going to continue to sweep racism underneath the rug, until we find the house is collapsing, which is what is happening now! So what we have is race relations in SHAMBLES and both sides are to BLAME! But blame does nothing if we aren't willing to say I'm sorry and mean it . . . Blame does nothing but really being empathetic and sympathetic, just having compassion toward a whole race, that's hurting, DOES! Or you can just bury your head in the sand and act like some of our worst nightmares aren't coming true! I call that Ostrich syndrome!!

Like it or not, blood is on our hands in the white community. The same way abortion covers us in Crimson for the past 40 years . . . Blood is on our hands due to slavery!! I don't adhere to owing black people something for having gone through it, but I damn sure do believe we owe them an apology! Just like we owe Native Americans an apology-- arguably, the most mistreated people in our country's tarnished, yet rich, history. Tens and tens of thousands Indians slaughtered. The Trail of Tears isn't just a footnote in the history books. It was the extinction of tribes and families . . . a historical tragedy of epic proportions! I'm ashamed my ancestors had their hand in these travesties!! I am sorry. Genuinely and DEEPLY although I know sorry doesn't ERASE it . . . It is a start!

I never had anything to do with slavery, and I've never treated black people, or any other minority, differently due to the color of their skin, but I still HATE it happened! At the same time as long as both races continue to cling to pre-Civil Rights era ways and the atrocities and horrific memories and scars of slavery . . . NOTHING will EVER change! A scar indicates the wound is closed, that God was faithful enough to heal us! We don't have scars-- we walk around with OPEN wounds, so there is no healing and most of the time not even Band-Aids!

Scars are meant to show us what we have come through NOT used as maps to dictate where we go next!! Ours aren't even closed! And the more we bleed, the more life exits and dead we BECOME! The more resentment builds and our hearts become numb because they are in the shackles of hurt!
I know it's not as simple as Frozen and just letting it go, but we can't cling to the past with unforgiveness! Like Buddha said, unforgiveness is drinking poison and hoping it kills the other person. How foolish and dumb are we?!?

I treat people as people, which we ALL are, as God's beloved children, but how quickly many forget or have NEVER learned that beautiful fact!! We are ALL made in the Creator's image . . . We are made of His DNA-- fearfully and wonderfully made. No matter what race, what background, religion, what sexual orientation or gender, we all bleed RED! Jesus died for ALL of us, paying a price He didn't owe and one we couldn't pay! That very fact gives each of us an unspeakable worth that many of us forget and fail to apply to our fellow neighbor.

 Racism is a LEARNED behavior, so I conjure up the lesson of Higher Learning . . . we must UNLEARN!! Not a single one of us gets to choose what race we will be, where we will live and what socio-economic background we will be born into, so let's act like it! If you walk into an elementary school, you see white kids, black kids, Latino kids, Asian kids, Native American kids . . . you see them all playing together! It's only as we grow older that beliefs are impressed upon us, but even then, we still get to choose what our OWN beliefs are! Not our parents, not our grandparents or anyone else on our family tree . . . our own!

Every day I commit myself to being a BRIDGE and not a WALL! What if we begin to see Jesus and love like Him when we look at each other? What if we see a whole bunch of Jesus' just in the form of different beautiful hues of skin?

I'm ANGRY and frustrated--it feels so HOPELESS, but I'm reminded of that Lazarus situation . . . It looked hopeLESS too! Daniel surrounded by the lions-- that wasn't a very enviable situation either! Moses approaching the Red Sea-- hopeless . . . Shadrach, Meshach n Abednego in the furnace was beyond BLEAK! Paul in the jail . . . He had NOTHING but a prayer! A hopeless situation. Dire doesn't begin to describe it!! David vs. Goliath . . . Can someone say colossal MISMATCH?!? Gideon vs. the Midianites . . . Not a CHANCE! Elijah in showdown vs. Baal? No way!! I could go on and on with situations that looked HOPELESS . . . But I'll end with this one~ Jesus! Satan had won so he thought! He was DEAD! Not just dead, but dead for three days!!

BUT GOD!

See with the One who is HOPE~ there is NO such thing as HOPELESS! Nothing too broken! Nobody too far gone!!

That's what I'm praying for a BUT GOD moment where we humble ourselves, seek His face and let Him heal our land! (2nd Cor. 7:14). We can't go on with life, as normal, when people are abused and killed and heinous acts are committed, which try to suck the color out of our world, but gray is OK if it changes our colors on the inside! If our heart is washed with Love and compassion, if our mind is painted with forgiveness, if our spirits, like mud on a tire, are cleansed from our past hurts and infinite ways we've failed each other!

I can't imagine how our Creator must GRIEVE, because if we claim He resides in us, there is NO way what we are seeing in our towns, in our cities, throughout our great, while flawed, country, shouldn't shake us to the very core of our being! It does mine.

If we can learn to not just hear with our ears, but hear the heart-breaking symphonies our hearts sing . . . Then we can take those first faith-filled steps on the invisible staircase Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of! If more of us can become bridges instead of walls . . . If we can love instead of hate . . . If we can dare to be different instead of the status quo that stands idly by doing NOTHING . . . If we can swim mountains and climb oceans then maybe we can begin to see CHANGE! Maybe then we can get a step closer to the DREAM MLK so eloquently shared!!

We've come too far to turn back now! God brought a flood, in Genesis, to DESTROY . . .
I pray He brings a flood of HEALING, not to destroy but repair and rebuild, because we need it more than ever! We need healing to pour into the steps of the Washington mall and run, like a roaring river throughout our country! Healing is possible, but we have to begin to search for it the way we cling to our pride of never saying we're sorry! Healing is possible if we try to embrace a clean slate instead carrying along our annals of wrongs committed by both sides . . . Healing can come! But we have to DO . . . Not just say . . . Not just ‪#‎Hashtag‬ but DO better, so we can BE better . . . As ONE! For liberty and JUSTICE FOR ALL!

Broken, confused and trying to make sense of the INSENSIBLE,

John Mark Brooks

BLESSINGS

They say the praises go up, the blessings come down/But if things pause do we still gather 'round?
Do we still hit our knees casting crowns/or do we start actin funny like some clowns?
...

Are we mad like I deserve it/You see me e'ryday putting work in
Do our egos Swing Low like a chariot/or does pride betray us like Iscariot?
I go hard for the Kingdom/God: No I go hard with the Grace
I go hard with the serving/You want'em to see your face
We say bring Your abundance You say it's already here/We say ride shotgun You say let me steer
But we ask for blessings like good girls want a jerK/You say I'm here but we'd rather see good girls twerK
Blessings, blessings please Father rain down/We chase blessings in a circle like a merry-go-round
Chasing the wind like one day we can catch it/walkin up into the church like we swear we ain't wretched
Steadily callin for blessings like Elijah called on the rain/ we steadily seek Him and ask Him for one more thing
All the while God is saying didn't I take death's sting/didn't I find you find you in the mud and hide you under my wing?
But keep seeking those blessings and see how empty you get/All these blessings You have given, please help me not to FORGET

Blessings,
JM

How Do I Tell You?

"Look Mom, He sees me. He sees me!"

The words echoed throughout the mall, from the upper level. . . filled with pure excitement and genuine joy! The Easter Bunny had waved at a girl no more than five and she could not contain her enthusiasm-- nor did she want to. The moment made my heart smile, but then I thought, "Why can't we be more like that with Jesus?"

He sees me! I bet many of you couldn't experience much happiness in that last statement before it was swallowed up with self-condemnation and you started beating yourself up because since He does see us . . . He sees it all. Our hidden sins, our hidden disobedience, the times we are UGLY!

Could you imagine how Zacchaeus must've felt (Luke 19)? Zacchaeus was short in stature. Have you ever felt short? Like you just didn't measure up or like you weren't good enough? I know I have. Sin often times puts us in a tree. That moment when we reflect on how we've once again messed up and missed the mark. That's our 'tree' moment and Jesus doesn't bark at us to stay in the tree! No, He says come down, so we can spend time together! See, we're never inadequate or not good enough in God's eyes. We always measure up. He is proud of YOU!

That's how much He loves us and that's what Grace does . . . it loves, it forgives, it restores.

Jesus not only KNEW how dirty he was, but He also knew of his doubt as far as Who He was as well. Still Jesus 'saw' him. He called him by name and said I'm coming to your house! Regardless of your political beliefs, if the President of the United States or your favorite athlete or movie star said they were coming to your house . . . you would flip out! Could you imagine how exciting that would be?!

This was Jesus . . . the Son of God and God in the flesh! That's who saw him, called him by name and said let's hang out. Consider who Zacchaeus was. He was a tax collector with a reputation so dirty and bad, it might make you feel better about how you perceive yourself and your failures. I know it does me. They were known for being swindlers, frauds, exploiters of the highest order. Yet, Jesus said come down out of that tree, so we can hang out. Wow.

Even though his motives may not have been pure when he climbed the tree to see Jesus, as he just wanted to see what this Messiah fuss was all about, Zacchaeus still climbed the tree. He still put forth the effort to find and see Jesus. Can we say the same in our daily lives?

As awesome as it was that day for Zacchaeus to see Jesus . . . it was equally amazing that Jesus saw Zacchaeus. Just like that Easter Bunny, He STILL SEES US! You are the apple of His eye, you are His child, you are His beloved! You are no longer an orphan. YOU are God's MOST favorite in the entire universe . . . no matter what you've done, no matter what you haven't done, no matter how disobedient you've been, trust me I know all about disobedience, you are loved and completely accepted!

Nothing can ever separate us from God's Love . . . it's a promise that is iron-clad and immune to our screw-ups! (Romans 8:38-39).

The same week, there in the mall, a little girl in our store told her Mom she wanted to give the Easter Bunny a big hug and tell him she loved him. How sweet is that?! Then she said.

"But I don't know how."

Once again, I thought of Jesus. Because that's how we feel a lot of times, isn't it? We want to tell Him we love Him, but just don't know how. What's amazing is there are so many ways we can tell Him we love Him. We can worship Him, read the Bible and pray . . . those are the obvious ones. But know how else we can tell Him we love Him-- through how we love others, through how we serve, through how we walk in humility, gratitude and kindness. Through how we elevate others over ourselves. Through obedience to the King.

We tell Jesus how much we love Him through how we love others and not just the ones who look the same as us. Race relations are just about as bad they've ever been in our country since the Civil Rights' era. It might not be as blatant and obvious, but just because it's covert, doesn't mean it's not happening. With white people, with black people, with Latino people, Asian people, Indian people. It's not limited and, sadly, not in short supply.

When we love we become a bridge instead of being a wall of division. We say, in that moment, God I love You and though this person may not have the same color of skin as I do, he or she is made in Your image. Makes you think, huh? Sometimes a person may not be too 'lovable' and that's precisely when we must remind ourselves they are Imago Dei (an image of God). That makes the lovable enough.

Yes, there are countless ways we can tell Him we love Him-- even in those honest moments where we ask, "How do I do it? I want to." The little girl didn't vocalize that she was not good enough, but I imagine that's what she was thinking. She was scared! It's not that she didn't know how. It's she wanted her gesture to be good enough! She wanted to make the Easter Bunny happy and for him to feel loved.

Some of the most powerful spiritual lessons I've learned are found in moments of simplicity, so I ask. Why can't we be more like those little girls? When is the last time you gave God a BIG hug?

HOME

“I’d like to return these.”

For anyone in sales, these are words no salesman wants to hear. . . especially on Christmas Eve. Not only is doing a return a process, but it’s money off the company’s profit and out of my pocket. But this was different.  Her tone of voice . . . the look in her eyes . . . a middle-aged woman . . . the palpable sadness.

I took the earrings and pendant from her hand. “Is there a reason you’re returning them,” I asked.

“She died,” she blurted out bluntly.

With these words, tears filled her eyes. Without asking, I knew, that I knew, it was her Mom who had passed. “What was y’alls relationship,” I asked, hoping to prompt an answer that would confirm or deny my suspicion.

“She was my Mom. She passed a couple of days ago.”

“I’m so sorry for your loss. Grieve with Hope. I will be praying for you,” I replied.

With these words, eyes, already glassy and fatigued, released tears that freely flowed down her face.

“Was it sudden or had she been sick,” I asked.

“It was a massive heart attack. I am still shocked. I miss her so much.”

“I know she’s in a better place, but it just hurts,” she candidly said.

“I could only imagine. You hang in there. Try to keep your head up. A person never dies as long as we keep their memory alive in our hearts. We carry them with us every single day,” I said, filling her in on numerous people I’ve lost in my life.

“Your Mom will live vicariously through you and you will see her again one day.”

I walked out, from behind the register, and told her, “I’m a hugger.” I asked God to impart Comfort and Peace through my arms and that Hope would begin to flicker with the soft truth that life goes on . . . that through one kind gesture the ice berg, of grief, would feel its first crack.

Sure, the process would be long and a difficult one, but one day that glacier of hurt would more closely resemble a snow man.

As I hugged her, I thought of the empty chair she would see back at home, the earrings and the pendant never worn. That made me sad as that feeling is far too familiar to me. And though I hurt for her, I felt the slightest glimmer of Hope and warmth . . . Her Mom was in Heaven. The sadness shared between a stranger and a daughter, the confusion, the hurt are all emotions she would never have to experience again.

Her Mom was Home!   

Last-Minute Shopping

“Last minute,” I asked as I purveyed the obvious question for a man standing in front of me the day before Christmas.

“Not really.”

The man, in his early forties, stood with six bags, mostly from Victoria Secret, in his two hands.

“Those for your wife,” I inquired.

“Yeah, I just got back stateside two days ago.”

“No way! You in the military,” I asked.

“Yes sir.”

“What branch.”

“Marines.”

“My uncle was in the Marines. He was in the Korean War and Vietnam. I have great respect for you. Where were you.”

“Afghanistan.”

“I really appreciate your service.”

“Thank you. It’s an honor to serve.”

I asked him if he had seen American Sniper and what his thoughts were on it. He told me it was pretty accurate, only worse, but as far as Hollywood goes, they nailed it! He continued, informing me he was a sniper like American hero Chris Kyle. “But I’m no Chris Kyle. That guy was a legend,” he assured me.

“Are you going back for another tour.”

“Yes, I’m going back the end of January or February.”  

“Well, I can’t imagine how happy you are to be home. I know your wife and girls are too. Hope you have a blessed Christmas.”

“Thank you, sir.”

With that, the chisel-faced soldier with the grizzly beard, an American hero in his own right, left the store. In that moment, I thought about the definition of home, once again thanked God for my family and how blessed I am then I pondered what Heaven would one day be.

I smiled likely to never see him again, but with the subtlety of an air horn, it struck me . . . he, like the woman just days earlier, was home.

Revelation 21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.