Horcrux or Holy

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:2

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18

In the “tales of” Harry Potter, horcruxes become a foundational thread. As it is told, when one murders another accompanied by a curse, the piece of the murder’s soul is transferred into an inanimate object. The object is chosen as being valuable to the murderer; ironically, more valuable that a human life. This everyday object, while maintaining its original form and function, now holds the secret of the soul. Only the original soul, now eternally fused with an object of choice, knows of the union. By mere possession thrust into it’s being, the object is now a horcrux. Each victim death becomes another fusion between earthly and eternity. Therefore, the death of the object, becomes the death of a soul. Such an act, as it’s told, it is the darkest of all acts. Horcruxes are formed for purpose of soul immortality. Ultimate deception is it’s defense. in reality, since all earth will pass away, including the item, choosing earthen as immortality is the greatest deception.

Far less than the extreme of murder and soul fractures, is a more common union of earthly and eternal. In reality, and by the thousands, horcruxes of unholy unions abound. Yet, it doesn’t take murder to form such a horcrux of union; it’s far simpler and more dangerous. We simply choose an object to be our intimacy. Everyday objects that we hold…and take hold of us (our hearts and minds; by idolatry, our souls). We attach ourselves so intimately with the inanimate, that loss of earthly things causes us to die a thousand deaths. Items hold memories, not souls. When an object is lost or destroyed, the reminder is gone but the memory lives on. Con-fusion of the two, keeps us trapped inside a doomed fate.

When we scatter our souls into idols with inanimate union of relationship-as if they breathed from our very lungs-we place faith in the temporal as if it is eternal. Thereby, we miss the extraordinary resurrected life of a healed, though scarred, soul in the unseen. The concern is not sentimental remembering. The concern is not grieving. The concern is intimate union with the inanimate. Grieving has healing, even if over a lifetime; obsession is an open wound that refuses closure. Grieving loss of an object is natural, understandable and not to be dismissed. Please don’t misunderstand: there are things of great value, especially emotionally. A wedding band; a father’s watch; a mother’s bible; a child’s drawing. A billion other items that are irreplaceable and deeply missed when gone. A theft, fire or accident cuts deep when such are lost. There is no denial of painful grieving to be experienced with great sadness. The deeper, unseen destruction is when the object inhabits our obsessions to the point where we expect the eternal from the temporal.

Lord of the Rings. Indiana Jones and the Lost Ark. Walmart at Christmastime. None of us are exempt, but each of us are of choice. Parent/child relationships are destroyed over a phone. Marriages are destroyed over holiday trinkets or a magazine images. Siblings are destroyed over estate wills. Friendships are destroyed over video games. Soul unions murdered over an obsession, ornament or object. The most common of horcrux: that which we value over human life. All because we choose to fix our eyes on earthly over eternity. We choose to miss moments present by fixating on memories past. We choose to stay stuck in the hospitals with wounds rather than accept the freedom of healing. No, it’s not as simple as a change of mind that heals all. However, we do have a choice in our dwelling and with whom we dwell.

There will always be a lifetime of grieving and loss. The greatest acceptance is to embrace death; then let death die rather than live on. What, where, and who we obsess over, and dwell with, will either be our holy or our horcrux. That which you possess or that which possess you.

Time

Time is strange thing.

At the center of the movie “Dr. Strange” is the notion of time, eternity, and manipulation of both. The hero, at the crux of it all, opens his saga with dozens of watches to choose from to adorn his wrist. He ends the film with one broken watch, complete an inscription of forever love, adorning his wrist. Is time broken or borrowed?

Unknowingly between the bookends, Dr. Stephen Strange, is on a journey – which leads him into his destiny. This includes adorning something called the Time Stone (woven into a much larger story as time goes on). This, along with training and knowledge, allows him to manipulate and control time. The Antagonist, is eternity itself – a realm beyond time – that seeks to devour anything and anyone into the vastness of eternal nothingness.

One sees time as the enemy – bringing only death – and welcomes the realm beyond time to humanity. While individual time does end in death, lack of time all together snuffs out living. Being deceived by selfish desires of “eternity without time” as a Saviour, the antagonist who looks to cheat death ends up being consumed by eternal death. The other sees time as a gift – broken as it may be – to be soaked in each moment of living. Time isn’t to be cheated or manipulated, time is to be released into each life until time itself decides the demise and eternity is ushered in as a friend.

The one thing we fight for and against is time. More youthfulness, more relationships, more moments. This is a noble fight – as in fighting disease and death as God grants us. (Always interesting to me, how even the gravest of atheist will request prayer when a loved one is facing death). But, while living in our everyday lives, how much we waste time – or cram busyness into time – with our choices. We miss living. We miss time as a gift until we finally see that time is coming to an end. Bucket lists, as it were.

Speaking of bookends, Scripture tells of our beginning of time and beyond time (or as some call “end times” – but that term is debatable as to the actual description of Revelation). Time didn’t begin at Creation – mankind was originally created for eternity with Jehovah. Time began when an angel with a flaming sword was placed at the gate of the eternal garden. Genesis 3:24 Not as a punishment, but as a protection. If we were still in eternity in our fallen state, that’s how we would remain – eternally fallen. The angel was grace – as a lived out our given times – until we could re-enter eternity as originally designed – holy. Revelation of Jesus Christ, the last book, begins with the same words of Genesis. “You have forsaken your first Love.” Revelation 2:4. In essence, as Eternal God called out to the first man in his hiding from Love: “Where are you?” Genesis 3:9  

Revelation isn't about the end of time, it's about the revelation of Eternity. Along with time, eternity resides within us, as a great gift for those who choose to receive. By carrying eternity, death is not a threat and time can finally be a gift – lived out as we were intended to. Eternity isn’t a future; eternity is a present. Time isn’t an enemy, it’s a gift. Romans 6:23 All in between from our first breath to our last, is our time in relationship with Him (or not) and each other (or not). The glorious part is that we get to choose – not what’s done to us, but who we spend time with. Time is shorter than we know. Live well. 

Remember Me

Remember is defined as: “To have, to think of or to keep an image or idea in your mind of (something or someone from the past). To cause something to come back into your mind. To keep information in your mind: to not forget.” 

In today’s society, there is nothing more important than photos to record moments: so we remember (we are literally obsessed with recording and recounting our memories with our phones and websites). Memorials, monuments, souvenirs, greeting cards, holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, grocery lists, etc. We are constantly called to recall so we forget not. “Alexa remind me to take my medication at 10pm. Alexa find my keys. Alexa find my phone.” From moments to decades - to remember is our line to live and legacy to leave. Aside from terminal diseases, there is little more devastating to a family than one losing memory; than being forgotten. So we are always creating memories; striving for the joyful and blocking the painful! Some are beautiful. Some are horrible. Some are elating. Some are abusive. Some memories we hold constant; some we constantly hold to the wind. All in all, if we are breathing, we are memorializing.

"Christmas" is a memorial. "Easter" is a memorial. Passover and 6 other Feasts are memorials. Communion consumption (pieces of Passover) is a memorial. In fact, we read that He tells us to “do in Remembrance of Me.” A couple of years ago, a pastor in Jacksonville, Florida was holding a Passover/Good Friday service. As the bread was being broken and prayed over in Hebrew by Paul Wilbur, Pastor Stovall Weems describes being placed into a Vision. What he describes is absolutely astounding. In short, he describes a second voice speaking in Hebrew right along with Paul. Then, he describes, hearing Yeshua as the one speaking in Hebrew. He never saw His face, but he did see Yeshua, literally there on the platform, seated at the Passover table! Stovall wasn’t remembering the past; he was experiencing the present. Later, as He was processing this amazing encounter, he asked the Lord “what was the purpose of this Vision?” (Everyone I’ve read of in Scripture and personally known to see a vision has the same response: there was a purpose for others). His answer was simply His scripture: Remember Me.

The purpose of Passover is to remember an event that we never witnessed. He goes further and calls us to remember a baby in a feeding trough or a bloody man on a wood plank that we’ve never laid eyes on. So I wonder: if we never physically experienced “Me,” do we conjure images of the event to recall? He knows we weren’t there to see and certainly not of mind to recall, but His directive is clear: Remember Me. So who or what do we “remember?” Is remembering all in the mind recalling events or experiences of the past; if so, how do we remember if we never physically experienced them? Yes, through His Word, we recall the events we read of and He is His Word. But I feel that Remember ME is so much more. More like experiencing Who He IS in the present with the living, breathing Word and Spirit. To be one in mind with the One who is as Present for me now as He was them for then. He is far more than an image of a past we've never personally seen. He is part of the past, but more so, He is the Present. Albeit unseen, but not unknown.

There is difference between “recall” and “remember” – Stovall’s encounter was key for me in seeing the distinction. We are not called to “recall Him,” we are called to Remember Me: experience me in the Present moment. Breaking bread and blessing in the very air you breathe. Stovall said one of the most powerful revelations in that moment, as he stared at the bread in his hand, was that Jesus Himself served him that bread. Jesus Himself was speaking blessing over the very ears in the room who received. Jesus Himself is with us. Not as a reminder, but as He is. Reminders move us to recall; He moves us to Remember. However the moment or the season - Christmas or Crisis. Don't try to invoke an image or a memory you never experienced; remember to invite a Messiah who is already intimately in your experiences. 

Embrace

“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him." Luke 15:20 

I was late and filthy. I didn't have time to clean up, so I just came as I was. I spent the previous hours serving at the local church. I was exhausted. I contemplated resting at home or restoring in worship. I obviously chose to rise and restore. I slipped into the top, back row of the theater. The place was packed with fellow seekers of restoration...or whatever else may have drawn them to this space. 

I had heard that you were in the area, but I didn't know you were in the room until someone announced your name. Can't assume, but can always anticipate. Amidst the crowds, there you were. Blending in, eye to eye - which is always your preference. I was far removed and couldn't see your face. Wondering if again, we may meet eye to eye, voice to voice. But the gap was wide and I wasn't exactly presentable. The service ended and the gap widened. It wasn't about celebrity, it was about connection. Something said a moment was waiting; but all things seemed to move otherwise. So, I wait a few moments before being ushered out - contemplating the words of faith and communion that had just thundered into my heart and mind. These weren't merely words of inspiration; these were proclamations to something more than a few minutes of rousing emotions. Besides, I was still exhausted and needed to rest and selah before walking again. 

I wandered outside. Always a shock to re-enter the space of sacred back to the ordinary.  At the exact moment that I left the building for home, I caught sight of a detour in my path that had me turn left. "I'll just wander here until the path is clear." Then again, I was drawn by the sight ahead of me: a fellow servant standing next to a white SUV. I wandered over to chat a bit. Turns out, he was waiting for you. Again, I had stumbled onto your path.

As you emerged with your entourage, your eyes lifted to meet mine. I forgot my filth as you came right to me and exclaimed, "So good to see you!" Then, as you always do, you wrapped me up in beautiful embrace without reservation. As if, the embrace was as much for you as it was for me. You left the scent of sacred in exchange for my stench. And from that moment, I am inspired to go and do the same. For you, just being you, calmed a chaos you could not have known. In genuine joy, you chose me. 

We didn't meet in the service, but we met in the streets. Had I chosen my to be defined by filth, I would have missed my cleansing. I would have missed a moment mapped out just for me. Quiet, wait, then walk. A greater moment is just around the corner. 

Thank you for being in the moment. For calling me by name, to remind that a face is not forgotten. You left an impression of Jesus love, which all you ever, ever desire to do. You are a joy and a humble servant of both platform and park bench. Thank you, for being the channel of Living Water that flowed of His love and grace. The Creator, Saviour, Lover, and Gift of Christ - walked us both to that path to encounter Him. Conduit and child, interchangeable. Always was, is and will be Him.  The ordinary holds the Holy. If we would only seek the unseen, trust the timing, joy in the wait and walk in faith. The moments are mere reminders of the Embrace of Emmanuel. 

Clean

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. John 13:14

I recently purchased and moved into a townhome. Once I was moved and settled, I immediately noticed an issue. A fixable but important issue. The walls were completely covered in dirt and dust. Before my allergies settled in with me, I needed to clean as soon as possible before I got sick. Vaulted ceilings didn’t make this an easy task, but I washed the white walls, stroke by stroke. Along the way, lessons came with each wringing of filthy water from the cloth.

Sometimes, I willingly inherit the filth of other people’s choices. In this case, the transfer of a home. In life’s case: relationships. I have a choice: I can do nothing and settle in to the filth and justify. “It’s just part of the space. I don’t have time. Grey is in; I can live with this.” Their neglect becomes my neglect and I end up getting sick – calling it “part of life.” Or, I can move myself choose to clean what I can. My choice is to live healthier in my own dwelling. I am not responsible for other people’s homes or hearts, but I am responsible for the washing of my own.

Often we have no idea how filthy something is until we clean. But when we start to wash away the filth, the beautiful white comes through. We also have no idea the flaws that need to be fixed until we clean. If we just cover them in filth, they are never healed – only infected. But when we clean and repair – what greater living emerges!

One washing isn’t enough. The first stroke was to loosen the filth. The second was to wipe it away with a clean cloth. Rinse, repeat. Line by line, wall by wall. Then, maintain so not to gather dust again. I can’t stop the filth from settling, but I can choose to keep clean. For a home, one can hire a housekeeper. But for the heart, only I can wash away. I can have friends and loves help, but ultimately, I have to move the water and cloth myself. If not, neglect settles with the dust and I’m like the one before me: dwelling in the grey of my own heart, which is always with me as my ultimate dwelling.

Cleaning isn’t expensive. It only cost time – which is more costly than money to most. Again, someone can be hired – which can become expensive. But if my choices prioritize my health and my heart over all else, I will find life to be less expensive in repair and more rich in living. Priorities determine the life.

I also moved from one dwelling to another. How did I leave my last home for the next occupants? Granted, I wasn’t Merry Maids either, so I’m not one to judge. But, I did have the help of others to objectively examine and see what I needed to clean to present well. This spoke to how I affect other people. How I choose to live may become so normalized to me, that I forget how I affect others around me just by sharing space – for a short or extended time. How do I leave those moments as legacies? Not legalistically perfect – sometimes life is messy for all of us. But did I leave with my choice to wash proverbial feet with a smile, a thank you, a word, a light? It flows from the heart – washed or wounded.

I also learned this great truth: Mr. Clean’s Magic Eraser is one of the greatest things ever made. J

I am Clean. Click to hear Clean 

Father

...He asked. “Who do you say I am?” Matthew 15:16

I saw an interview recently of the actor who portrays Mufasa in Broadway’s The Lion King. Regarding getting into character, the actor said in essence: “At first, I looked to emulate James Earl Jones (the actor who voiced Mufasa in original Disney animation). But over time, I began to see who Mufasa really was – a father, above all. When I realized this is when he really began to come alive.” From those few words, I began to think of all of the ways we see God and who God is. He is so many different relationships to us – two being our King and our Father. His only Son, even said our “Dad.”

There are so many parallels in the story of the Lion King. The celebrated birth. Facing the Enemy. The enemy’s lies bring shame and banishment (to us) from the Paradise we were rightfully born into. Believing those lies costing us our freedom as Kingdom heirs – which was never lost, we only ran from our true home. Suffering from bondage to the enemy. Ignoring the Father's words of warning to stay out of the shadows and nearly meeting death from our pride. Only for the Father to watch over and rescue. The son’s need for and delight in friendship. Ultimate love as the motivation to return to face death and overcome the enemy’s bondage over all creatures. All for freedom – not his own, but those he fought to redeem. All turning, when he heard the Father from within to move according to his destiny and identity. “Remember who you are” is an echo for us all.

The true catalyst for the son was his love for his father. As the young lion king is reminded, “he lives in you.” So it is with the true and always Father to His children, but above all, to His only Son. Because they are One, just as we are one, in the spirit of Holy, our identity is transformed when He moves in. How quickly we forget, Who He is and who we are as His. When we begin to see who He REALLY is - Elohim as Abba – over time as He transforms us to His image in the water’s reflection - that’s when things begin to come alive.

So much of the Story – both in His Script and in our experiences – all come back to our realization of Him as Dad. He doesn’t become Dad over time – He always has, is, and will be. Our realization of Him is what changes everything: when He becomes “alive” in our stories and how we live our stories as His kids and heirs. There is a lifetime to experience Him as Dad – however clouded the lenses of life may be. But He is. And only He can meet us by the river’s edge and reveal Himself in us. Then everything changes. The wars are seen as already won. The blood spilled was for our freedom, joy, union and love with Him. And above all, we walk with Him. Immanuel Abba. Lion of Judah, Lamb of God. Dad. A father, above all.

Ashes

“He feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has turned him aside. And he cannot deliver himself, nor say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?” Isaiah 44:20

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. " 2 Corinthians 4:18

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Proverbs 4:23

There are millions of different human life experiences and life connections. And hundreds of souvenirs we collect along the way. Yet as I watch people move in experiences, or lack thereof, I wonder, however, how the connections and isolation alike, seep into the heart foundation.What becomes our constant source of knowing our worth, or our constant addiction to feel anything at all? This isn’t a question of introvert, extrovert, community or hoarding things to give us a sense of living. This is a question of making any of these our sole source of worth, value, or even joy. This isn't about personality and approaches to life; this is about the wellspring of life. 

So…what happens when the happy moments slip through the fingers like ashes? What happens in pure loss of all that we find value? Hold on tight - may be another loss upon loss. What’s left with any loss? Job loss, spouse loss, relationship loss, kids loss – all of these losses that are common to life and no one is immune. There are the memories and mementos to sustain. Does it work? Does it eradicate the sadness? How’s the foundation of knowing love, acceptance, and joy holding up when loss takes away the connections and addictions of introductions to happiness? It’s not a question of how to grieve, it’s a question of how to truly live in the moment so the heart can retain, but not rely, on all - happy and not - that we soak in. We all want joy and a painless life (which doesn't exist). What does exist is freedom, which far beyond feeling. It's not always happy, but it is freeing.

For relationships, the true heart foundations of connections are essential and bring joy. But connections themselves are not the source of joy. There is not only the seen. There is not only the felt. There is not only the spoken. There are all of these beautiful gifts of connections in life, but they are not the only places of happiness. This is spoken from a recovering co-dependent who spent decades in the “safety” and “joy” of co-dependent relationships. What perfect while in that wonderful shell. Reaching past the seen, into the internal unseen, illuminates the seen life to be lived in all of its glorious fullness of freedom. In other words, all of the seen, all of the spoken, all of the felt is forever drawn from the well of the unseen heart. The heart is the foundation of the house of life – not the other way around. 

This is so much more true today than ever before. In a world that can’t stand silence. In a world relentlessly capitalizing and marketing on pure emotions: love, happiness, even anger. How can we ever hope to treat cancer with a bandage? A bandage doesn’t ultimately heal and internal unseen disease that destroys from within, it covers. Out of sight, out of mind, and on to addictive chasing after “good feelings” or hoping our rage subsides when lashed out onto others. Many have tried internal pain management – and not just addictive substances, lest one start elevating themselves as better people. Pain management may be with more interest in someone else healing (again, horizontal) rather than our own lifelong and often painful journey of heart healing. Surmising that if only our lives were better, we'd be happier. More money. Kids to behave. Spouse to understand. Even church to give us inspiring step by step instructions to self-help with scripture back up. Meanwhile, the wound stays in the dark and we try to behave better so we are more acceptable and maybe, happier. There is no “heal thyself”. We can’t help ourselves; we just can’t. We can makes better decisions and wiser life choices, for sure and absolutely, please do!  But those are results of freedom, not sources of freedom. The greatest help on the heart can only come from Freedom who reaches the heart. We cannot do our own heart surgery. It’s impossible. But we can call a Surgeon. And we have to be willing to be operated on. Not a church. Not a pastor. They aren’t heart surgeons either; none of them. They are Physician’s Assistants, most likely needing surgery themselves, but not Surgeons. 

It’s never about having money, marriage, intelligence, or anything else. It’s about choice. Choice to let go of trying to fill a bottomless well just to escape, to stay still and let Him operate. What do we have to lose? Lies? Bondage? Control? It’s not about better, it’s about free. It’s not selfish, it’s breathing. To open the heart and heal. See the ash - put down the spoon. Always. Idols are real, deceptive, and death under the cover of ultimate living. This isn’t a call to be better. This look in your right hand and ask for a key to be free. All fades into ash. Even ourselves. What remains to blow in the wind is living free to love.

Distraction

"When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it." - Genesis 3:6

"...but few things are needed--or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Luke 10:42

Distractions are my decisions. Distractions are my directions. Distractions are my destruction.

Humanity’s very break in relationship with Love was born from falling for a distraction. Today, in this moment, is the very same break. This isn’t a revelation from a resolution to rid life of “all distractions.” The distractions themselves aren’t an “evil to be vanquished.” 1. It’s impossible to rid my life of them unless I join a Convent (event then, thoughts are the most resounding distractions of all) 2. The problem isn’t the distraction, it’s my response. For example, I love entertainment whose sole purpose is to temporarily distract from reality – be it movies, music, sports, etc. But when fiction becomes my idol, then addiction becomes my reality. Or when I value what anyone, of entertainment or otherwise, says over what God says, then I'm distracted into idolatry. Again, the garden. Always looking to what fills my desire -temporary to eternity.

YHWH created the tree and the fruit. Knowing the decision of His children and all of the consequences to follow, He could have not created the tree all together and saved us all, especially Himself, the suffering, loss, and unspeakable evil that we now endure. Even with Noah, He lamented not the tree, but creating man whom He passionately loved. But He didn’t remove the tree; He didn’t force obedience. From them and then, to me and now, He creates us to “choose the better.”

For me, distractions are points of habitual re-focusing. Decisions develop into habitual idolatry. They rob me of moments. Staring at molehills while missing majestic mountains. Staring at my phone while missing a person’s presence (this is personal, greatest distraction). Moments that rob me, rob me of you, and rob my relationship with God - the very foundation of all that is and all that I am to begin with. Not my love; my relationship. My choice and my loss. I know the consequence, yet I choose poorly.

It’s an altering in heart’s desires long before it’s choice of button pressing. Consistently and consciously. It’s not even a disobedience or condemnation; it’s a desire and a choice. Just like the Garden. The base of my motives and moving actions is this in the year of new: I don’t resolve to behave better. I resolve to choose the better. I resolve to choose Love.