letters to a modern-day Job

Just saw another YouTube influencer being accused of being sexually manipulative to young victims. After living my decades of life, I am not surprised. Same old story. When the this YouTuber was a nobody, he virtue-signaled. Many YouTubers would say tropes like “you have to be your authentic self!” I cring at this. “You have to be the best version of yourself.” I cring again. Those tropes could have been used by Hitler as excuses himself. This particular YouTuber was then getting lots of hits by criticizing other YouTubers for being sexually manipulative to young girls. Fast forward a couple of years. The nobody developed clout and became famous. In the secret of snapchat and private DMs, Dee Kosh is now alleged of doing the exact same thing as the person he criticized.

Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” goes the hackneyed trope.

This is too simple for me.  … More Sand Crowns and Sand Castles don’t satisfy (Dee Kosh allegations)

If you’re struggling with pain as a result of religious wounding – if someone misrepresented God to you through toxic actions or words – please know you are not alone.
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Just notice those feelings and be gentle with yourself as you do. It doesn’t mean you don’t love God. In fact, it’s the opposite. Pay attention when you react to toxic messaging. Hurt parts of you are showing up on need of your care. And, that right there is downright heroic.
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It can take time.
It can be messy.
Other people might not get it.
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But Grace does its work. I promise you. … More God is more than crummy representations given by misguided religious leaders.

Don’t be afraid of God. Don’t hesitate to go before Him. Don’t hesitate to ask and receive the good gifts He has intended for you. Don’t disrespect the blood, sweat and journey into the darkness of Jesus by not going before God with a positive expectation of good.
May the impact of Good Friday put a positive tremble in our souls today. … More Good Friday. Blood/Sweat/Death x All Things.

This experience of Job was exactly what I experienced as well. When I called out to God, like Job, I wasn’t on a spiritual high, I was the opposite. Sores covered my body from head to toe. Doctors gave up on me and prescribed the highest immuno-suppressant to me, meaning that my life would be cut years shorter. I gave up on church. Rather, like Job, the church gave up on me because they had their own narrative of my life and faith. My Bible was ripped in two because I kicked it across the floor. I had every reason to give up on God. God had every reason to give up on me. But it was in this place where I uttered out, “I am the righteousness of Christ. You can do exceedingly more than I can ask or imagine.”

Everything changed from that day. … More Job x Jesus

Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist, worked in Wuhan; and when he saw the new coronavirus coming on, attempted to alert the public to the dread disease; but he was quickly silenced by the Wuhan thought police. Li Wenliang, December 30, on WeChat, confirmed that seven cases from the Huanan Seafood Market were coronavirus carriers. But the police demurred… for making comments on the Internet that were absurd. Li Wenliang, on January 12, was taken to the quarantine located in the Wuhan ICU.
An ECMO had been used to rescue him. In short, they tried. But it was all in vain. On February 6, he died.
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That’s what the world knows about the hero Li Wenliang. Can I offer something less obvious but perhaps even more thought-provoking? … More A Poem on Dr. Li Wen Liang, the doctor that exposed the Corona Virus, and similarities to heroes during the Black Plague.

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.

When the Viet Nam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier.

The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands… … More The Story of a Son

RIP Kobe. Legendary NBA player Kobe Bryant has died in a California helicopter crash, reports said Sunday. He was 41. Bryant was among at least four people traveling in his private helicopter over Calabasas when a fire broke out, sending the chopper spiraling from the sky, according to TMZ Sports. I gasped when I first read … More What can we learn from Kobe Bryant’s untimely death? A Christian fan’s perspective.