The Sword Smith

Thanksgiving.  As Americans, for centuries we celebrate, annually, a time to gather round festive feast with family and friends.  This Thanksgiving the entire Arii clan gathered in our home to celebrate, four generations with the addition of our near three month old grandson.  Indeed graceful gratitude permeated the days and hours we spent together. 

While what you see, may seem like just another family photograph, these eyes see and know of miraculous healing, distinctive and powerful gifting, each with a heart for people.  It is indeed humbling to be part of a family whose footprints and faith are walking the world with God, both here in America and abroad. 

Character, integrity and honor were forged into all our lives by our parents.  I am grateful and blessed to have such a wonderful mom and dad.  My brother and I are blessed to have met great ladies to  partner and continue helping us forge character, integrity and honor into the lives of our children.  Some of our children have been blessed to meet great ladies and now for the first time, one of our sons and his wife hold the same wonderful opportunity to forge character, integrity and honor into the life of their new son.

Leaving a legacy of honor is not just something that happens along the way.  A piece of iron sitting on an anvil will never become a sword unless it is subject to battering and forging, seemingly brutal at first, and then gentle and refining in the end.  The finest swords require the work of a great master sword-smith. He knows what it will take to get the iron to respond also having the completed vision for it's use and beauty at the end of the process.

What may seem like ordinary people in a portrait to you, look like swords in process to me.  Some of us are in the refining and finishing stages, and others well on their way there.  All of us gathered here in this place, in this photo with heartfelt thanksgiving and joy.  I trust that your time of celebration was filled with family and grace as a part of forging the legacy of character and honor that Godly Americans held high centuries ago.   I am thankful for the honorable character forged into my heart by my parents, I hope all Americans can continue or return to the same.  Where are you in the process of becoming a sword?

Of all the things

A More Complete Image...

It really isn't rocket science.  Trust me, I've worked with rocket scientists, yet believe that we, the people, have the means to change our economy and lives.  If we'd ALL change our mindset, doing and looking to do for others who struggle more than each of us, not just for charitable organizations, but real people around us, hope and economical recovery would grow.  If EVERYONE would sacrifice and give, choosing to live more reasonably for a time, EVERYTHING would change. 

I can only read about The Great Depression which began in 1929, and have heard many stories from a few who lived through it.  A little later in history, legal immigrants, the Japanese,  were displaced into internment camps loosing everything they worked so diligently for as part of 'The American Dream' yet quietly and diligently rose again to 'recover' and regain what was taken.  They once again found themselves with nothing and over time, rebuilt their lives, without government hand-outs.

The 'American Dream' isn't found in government provision, nor is it found in a life of sloth.  The 'Dream' is not a hand out or something we each 'deserve', an obligatory gift, but instead is designed out of diligent realistic thinking, entrepreneurial thinking combined with a willingness to for go and take less than we have been, for now, and do that which will improve our economy and community.

Can we start here?....

I donate.
I was recently approached by a friend to help her daughter's preschool by purchasing some candy.  I don't need the candy, so instead I offered a direct donation of the equal amount of money to the school.  100% of my dollars went to the preschool.  

I am willing to work.
I lost my job as a teacher, living on unemployment for over a year, while trying to make some sort of new direction for me as a career.  After a year of limited success, I sought employment at a national home improvement store, working part-time, making less than I did on unemployment, but utilizing my past contractor skills mixed with my people skills.  I am no longer on the doles of the government.

I volunteer. 
Using my skills in computers and classroom management, I volunteer as the technology lead at my church and lead a grief recovery program there as well.  I also volunteer at a local city run hospital, sharing music and encouragement to the long time patients at the facility, many with genetic disease.

I look for opportunity.
It is time to help others, not just monetarily, but educationally.  We all know the adage about catching fish for others and teaching to fish, or farming and teaching to farm.  It is time everyone start somewhere, as teachers and inspirational coaches and as workers, willing to start below where we think we deserve.  Not a hand out, but a hand up.

I dream.
Not unrealistically, but tangibly.  This little blog is a part of my dream.  I doubt I'll ever get BIG with millions of readers, but I am trying to start somewhere.  Making a small difference with a few friends and hoping, if my message is 'right', to be invited onto the computer screens of other friends of friends.  I dream of a people who finally get it, especially those with unreasonable salaries and us with reasonable salaries giving not just of money, but time to make a difference in the lives of others.

I hope.
I do believe in the goodness of man, but see that man's wisdom is very limited.  My hope is in God.  He is not my Santa Claus in heaven,  He is not impersonal or hostile.   With all the intelligence I can muster, as I examine the truth of looking for Him and seeking His wisdom.  I have found that many who claim to be His are in fact claiming it for all the wrong reasons...like owning a fire insurance policy and starting a fire in your own home.  No, there is real hope.  It doesn't have even a tinge of selfishness or deceit.  It is real.  This hope is attainable even in the deepest of struggle.  This hope will transform the way we think and do, but it isn't just a part of our natural nature and make up.

We are designed in the image of God.  An image is only a likeness.  For an image to take on the character of the 'real thing', something miraculous must occur; it must be transformed from merely an image toward having the nature and property of the real thing.  I have met and befriended many people who are moving from image to real because they serve and have a relationship with God.  Why?  Because God is real and He is interested in changing us and our world.

I wander. 
And I will continue to do so.  However, as I wander away from God, I find myself discovering that seeking selfish comfort or honor is empty.  I have also discovered that what others intend for my destruction, God can use for my good.  This kind of wisdom dramatically changes the way I choose to live.  I complain far less and spend a lot more of my days filled with joy; real joy.

I am not sure if you will be offended or enticed towards a personal relationship with God.  I am just saying that nothing, absolutely nothing has transformed my life more than seeking absolute truth, wisdom and insight that is far beyond my own.

I donate, am willing to work, volunteer, look for opportunity, dream, hope and even wander.  All of these endeavors meet a far different reality when they are placed in the hands of a God who desires to transform me into a more complete image of God Himself, for the good of all people.  Not just a picture which can be viewed with all sorts of personal baggage, but the image with the character and nature of God, in such a way that His true character cannot be misconstrued.  Will you choose to join us?  For those who claim to be His, are you really living as part of the real nature and character of The One whose image you claim?  For all of us followers, it is time to be a more complete image of our Maker, forging us into the very character and nature of Himself.  He will use us, to transform lives.

Greater Glory Unleashed by a Great God II

I wrestle with the desire to be a godly man of integrity, but find myself living in a world that seems mostly bent on leading me astray, with my propensity towards veering off in the worlds distracted direction.  We all want joy and happiness, a satisfied and fruitful life, devoid of struggle and pain.  The world has it's answer, financial security, perfect health, sexual fulfillment, intimate partnership, familial success of progeny.  If not found, the world has other answers, drugs, alcohol, promiscuous living, shopping, hoarding, vicarious living through media, and self seeking pleasure.  All empty and destructive choices when pursued to their ends.

Let's face it.  We all wrestle with desire and we will pursue that which brings pleasure to our lives because we need it.  Satisfaction, joy, thanksgiving, love, peace are all part of the bubble we want to live in, and we can, even in struggle if we get the true perspective. 

February 26th I wrote in my blog "Greater Glory Unleashed by a Great God!" that we were told by Jesus we would do greater things than He, positing the question, where are these greater things?  I requested "That He (Jesus)  take this heart of selfishness and release it to become an example of His heart of service, healing, and hope." and hoped that these words might inspire my readers to do the same. W ell, I don't know about my readers, but for me, the transformation has been slow, but it is happening, not because of me, but because of God. 

This Sunday, our church will not meet in our building, but we will meet and head out to a neighborhood apartment complex to share love and over $3,000 of Thanksgiving food purchased for them in their time of need.  We have been asked, by a non-believing facilitator of the complex, if we'd be willing to encourage these residents with some tangible and spiritual blessings, and it will happen this Sunday.  It isn't the feeding of 5,000, but it is something that could begin transforming a small part of our neighborhood with the true love of God. 

Let's face it.  Every one of us can sit at a Thanksgiving table and have plenty of 'ills' to complain about.  It could be the absence of a loved one, or even alone, no loved ones to share it with.  It could be years of financial struggle and loss due to lack of employment or under-employment.  Failing health, broken heart, empty nest, broken life; we all will gather at the table with these in the background.  Yet if we choose to focus on these, the pain would overwhelm us. 

We choose to focus on what is 'good' in life, and there is plenty to be thankful for in every life, especially if we ALL choose to give a gift beyond ourselves to others this season.  Sure, it is hard to invite someone who is not a part of your family to be a part at the table.  Sure it is not 'comfortable' to be one in need and receive gifts from others appearing 'more blessed'.  But if we all can sacrifice and share with one another out of the abundance (yes we ALL have an abundance), this season of Thanksgiving could be transformed into one of greatness.

I believe that those who receive our gifts of food and love this Sunday, will sit at their tables on Thursday, thankful for God's sending His people to them as part of His great love for every one of them.  We are not great in and of ourselves, we are great because we serve a mighty God who leads hearts toward Him, for those who choose to seek a true relationship with Him.  A true spiritual, Godly life is not about claiming to be His, it is about doing what He asks and doing it as He leads.  When God does, it is amazing!