Failure - a Badge of Honor

Towering guy with rumbling laughter, blue-black skin, and a temper matching his proportions, my colleague is chockfull of advice. He's the Citrix expert reciting virtual processes upside down in his sleep. His best work is designing and configuration. The strength of his character lies in his convictions which match his ability to troubleshoot systems, implement disaster recovery where no single points of failure are tolerated. When Steve makes a call, no one questions it. He personifies his technology and few people move me to compassion like he does in his problem solving quest. It drives him to seek and destroy anything that smells foul anytime, anywhere. Poor performance, slacking management, lack of character, poor judgment calls , usually culminates in a workplace meeting.

"She left me downstairs by myself." Courtney said, pointing at me in the back of the room. I shuffled in my chair when our new manager stared me down from the front. Clearing my throat, I explained the situation. But I had been sentenced. "Courtney is now the team leader." I could feel the weight of my choice translating into an unpredictable calendar. Uncomfortable silence. And then Steve's thunderclap. "That's not how we do things here!" He bellowed hard, I nearly ran out of the room again. "We're a team. We work things out together. We don't level complaints against each other. This is your first week here!" he pointed at Courtney, eyeing our boss. Courtney steadied himself. My manager paled. When she found her voice, she said, "Courtney is the stable mentor." I had to ask. "What am I, unstable?" A roomful of laughter, Steve laughed too. Calling me his favorite nickname while shaking his head, "JZ, you are Vol- a- Tile!"

It happens to the best of us, Failure. Life is filled with problems but its how we handle it that determines who we are. God never promised a life free of difficulties but he gives us strength to rise above it - the ability to learn from our mistakes. Every fall leaves a scar. Every bruise is a lesson learned, a process that marks our course for success in life. Paul learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, in good times and bad times. Its your choice. Take alarming situations, accept inevitable failures and turn it into strength. Best disaster recovery, ever.

Sunscreen for the Soul

Sometimes family feels like you're wearing pants with an extra leg. It is a strange, and sometimes odd thing. It can be an ecclectic mix mash of sub-cultures, garage mixes, trends or not. In my world, I find it at work, a playground full of power players mastering and dismantling office politics. At home, it's a boys revolution of sorts- a pride of lions staking personal property in the altered landscape of divorce and failed ambitions. Personal wars leveraged at times against the dog desperately scurrying across the room between jumping jacks and through a tsunami of socks, Tshirts and towels when its laundry time - full of tight-fitting, outgrown arguments that are never settled, just buried away for another day to surge and form the American collective consciousness.

But here's something. At home, a long bitter feud ended with 3 words.

I forgive you.

Misdirected anger. Harsh words. Effects that linger a lifetime.

Choosing the well being of others over your own? Forgiveness is a fossilized concept, but here are the benefits. The emotion behind the action of forgiveness is love. Love covers - hinders the knowledge of a thing. It slows and prevents the damage of injuries we experience on a daily basis, whether intentional or not. So think of forgiveness like medicine for your soul. It is life insurance with health benefits. "And above all things have love among yourselves: for love covers the multitude of sins." Try it, you might like it.

Seventh Word

                                                                              7

                                              "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."

He gave back to His Father His Spirit. Buried in a rich man's tomb. To have seen Him was to have seen the Father. His deeds and our deeds bear witness. Everyone reveals god by what you and I are. Alcohol. Money, Knowledge, Lust or Power. Even those who say there is no God. Look closely again. There you will find tucked in your heart, you've chosen your Master. god is where your heart is - in Thoughts, Deeds, Energy and Devotion. A dead passion to save. That's what Son of man came to seek & save.

Grace & Truth. Mercy & Justice. Peace & Righteousness, On Earth, a denial of Truth, a rejection of Heaven. Our alternate universe and concept of God, when rolling a Stone, becomes evident.
A Stone - Celebrates religious leaders silencing Truth.
A Stone - Hides Crimes of a government rejecting Justice.
A Stone - In answer to Righteousness through Violence.
A Stone - Entombs the Christ, Son of God.
For those who loved Him, A Stone - Tragic disappointment.
The Stone is the World's answer to God's efforts.

But Behold, on Sunday light shines despite the darkness. The stone is rolled away.
God removes it to heal you,
God removes it to give you life,
God removes it to supply your needs,
God removes it to show you only He is God.

A Stone, cannot hold Him back. When it is rolled away, He is Not there! Man has been redeemed.

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

Jesus shall reign, His kingdom shall come. Rejoice, He is Alive!

Sixth Word

                                                            

6

Tetelestai

"It is Finished."

Deliverance came. His earthly life, suffering in payment for sin. To buy back the world—His reason on earth. A final act of obedience. Complete. Friends in the Garden of Eden, Woman and Serpent, Breaking the bond between us.

Done. His soul for an offering - Christ begets the fruit of his work - his seed, Christ in Christians, a new day, a new race. No strangers to the promise, now Pilgrims on earth.

Done. In Death, he conquered. Therefore God rewards him a portion with the Great. Not Emperors, not Kings nor Queens but the fruit of his work. Christ shares his reward with the Strong - those who dare walk his walk. In Him we are the Strong.

Done. Quarantined Transgression - Our inbred evil, Contained and Withheld. The consequence of sin, Impaled to the cross with nails. Immediately orders Satan - Stop your accusations! The Lord of Darkness has been served, Cease and Desist. Do. Not. Touch. Them.

Done. A friendship broken with One bite of the fruit. One man fells the race. One Man restores. An Injured God Appeased. Reconciliation - Absolved from all charges, we are forgiven. When God sees us, He sees Jesus.

Done. Though we struggle, we are tempted. When we fail, He makes intercession. Defending our honor, with the Sword of his Word, He carries a shield when the enemy comes. Positioned beside us in Heavenly court, Indignant with Satan, again we've been sentenced. Over and over, Jesus trades places. In Holy Tribunal, He enters his plea. The Debt has been paid. Our case is Dismissed.

Done. Spoiled principalities and powers. Done. Made a shew of them openly. Done.Triumphed over evil. Done.

Fifth Word

                                                                              "I thirst."

Sour wine or was it Posca? The latter a drink for the common, vinegar wine, water and eggs. A strong drink for Him who is ready for death. Wine to dull the pain or prolong it. Gall, the essence of Myrrh. Bitter to the taste, invoking the bitter cup of God's Wrath. Offered on a sopping sponge, extended on a hyssop branch to God's son. A Bitter start. Three wise men bearing gifts. Gold. Frankincense. Myrrh. Rare gifts to worship the Divine King. Myrrh, the spice for his death.

Bitter Aromatics - minty too, used in purification rites. Beautiful purple blue Hyssop blooms - Lavender for Royalty, Blue for Love. Strong woody stalks to help soothe the dryness of his throat. He has yet two more words to speak, this King of Kings. Two feet long, the same hyssop branch dipped in Passover blood, applied to lintels and doorposts during Ramses reign. Used to cleanse lepers, now applied to our hearts. Same stalk King David longs for to wash his sins white as snow for breaking commandments. So, mourns the man after God's heart from a far away Past to Calvary's Present.

The blood of the Passover lamb delivered firstborns from death. On the cross, the Lamb of God sheds His blood to save us.

Fourth Word

From 12 to 3, the sun refused to light. Cloaked in Darkness, Death encroached. No full moon that passover holiday. No lunar eclipse to bid celestial exceptions. Quoting scriptures, Hebrew was Christ's choice. Psalm 22:1, but Bearing our sins - the perfect sacrifice - chose to speak the language his people spoke. In Syro Chaldaic, He loudly exclaimed.

"Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?"

His cry, a complaint to a Father withdrawn. Every dark deed we've done on the cross, Christ bears it all, but Holiness shuns our unholy folly.The Father must turn, his character requires it. This terror, much worse than all He's endured, forsaken of God, unhelped and unheard. Yet, again and again, twice Jesus calls. My God, My God...

Witnesses say, He called upon Elijah. His speech slurred from blood loss and fever. Why have you left me?

To those who were there, the answer was death, but to Christ who hears all, he received his request. His Father responded.

"In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will make you a covenant for the people, to restore the land, to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!'"

Third Word

                                                                            3

                                  Woman - To be made by miracle. Miraculously created

                                                                             

                                        γυνή:gyne

Before 9am, he'd been crowned with long thorns. Branches for fires, plaited then pressed, letting blood that marred his sight. Mocking and striking his face, soldiers drove the stick - striking his head - impaling thorns into His scalp.Yet, still he blinks... to focus his sight.

A cry so faint, but familiar at once, Weeping, she kneels by the foot of his cross. Once, in her arms she held him so dear, the babe gently watched her sing lullabyes. He responds like he did, that day he was born, at the sound of her voice, so tender and soft. Christ seeks to stare at the small huddled form, through crimson red tears. Behold, she's alone. His brothers are gone. Perceives if they're gone, she is truly alone.

He is able to see not one, but two who remain. Dear John, his good friend is praying for strength. Jesus knows what must be done.

"Woman, here is your son," and to John, "Here is your mother."

Second Word

2

                                 עדן   

Paradise ~ happiness Peace joy Contentment Rest delight Pleasure

Paradeos, in Arabic and Persian means garden, a vineyard, a place for the blessed - in Hebrew - ganan. A place of protection where you are fenced in. Sheltered from the hardships of life. Delivered from eternal death. Persian dictionary: a place made by God, out of light. A fenced place,sweet with fragrant spices Carcom, saffron, Spikenard, and calamus. Filled with trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, All the chief spices. Light scents of cinnamon and hennah. Fragranced grassy plains swirling with scents from orchards of fair fruit and flowers. Groves of cypress trees, full of clusters of berries, fruits with cypress blooms. Our garden, orchards of pomegranates. Our destiny, Pleasant and delightful, a sweet smell, rare and excellent.

"I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

Eden's Paradise, man in the presence of God. Paradise at death, restored to the Most High. In our radiant form, his gift to us, his glory for ours. A criminal crucified -who by faith, Christ forgives. Yeshua our Salvation. In him we find paradise.

First Word

1

Humiliation, ignorance, Torture, forgiveness, earnestness, Grace
Nailed to a stake. He pardons our sins.
Yeshua - the manifestation of God in human shape. Born to die.

With you and me in mind.
Sinews, bone fragments shatter on a cross.

Blood flows from open wounds, iron tears wide, Reconciling humanity.

From trembling lips, he gasps. A cry - positioned in our well deserved place.
"My Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."
Ancient manuscripts - first of seven from the cross

spoken early in the awful scene,

Nails driven, driven, driven into Hands that healed, embraced and rose the dead

And Feet that walked far seeking the lost. To set the captives free

Sublime consciousness. He who speaks

Hangs beside two thieves. A High Priest - Christ utters his first plea

Not in self defense. But for you. And for me.

My Human Shield

Ever wake up feeling vacant? Like nobody is home. Happened to me and I never felt anything like it. Woke up and I wasn't there. Had no feelings. No appetite. Didn't want to dress. That's scary. Riding the MTA in the buff. No shoes. Nothing. My alarm clock rattled time to work, but I just stared at it. Thought aliens were at work. Not body snatchers, cause all my extra poundage was there, but more like spirit and soul snatchers.

In detached silence, wondered how long would it'd last. Imagine spending your life hijacked. Lunch time. I wondered if the red peppers were local or grown out of state. They were juicier than normal. Made me think pepper juice. bleh. I felt more weird. Numb as an elephant riding my back. Told myself I am woman. I conquered the pogo stick 10 seconds before falling off once. Nothing worked.

Then I blamed yesterday. No warm water. Bills pouring out of my mailbox. My favorite childhood tree - chopped. Kids arguing outside my window at 2am about the origins of bathing.

"Bro, baths were invented by Paul Revere! He needed one the night the British were coming."

"Nah, my nigga. You dead wrong. Bathing caused the civil war. People living in the North were stealing soap from the South."

Smothering the pillow on my head was useless. They yelled nonsense that hurled me into a pseudo shock. Stuck in rock bottom. But I looked up. Some people don't look up until they're flat on their backs. They said of Jesus, a bruised reed shall he not break. Reeds - ancient yardsticks used to measure, God's tool to size us up. A man's measure is his worth. If I'd had one, I'd have used it to snap sense into those nitwits. But not God. No matter how broken we are. Or how often we fall short, Jesus. Will. Not. Cast you down. Ever.

Double Trouble with Double Speak

Here's something to think about. Stop to really listen to conversations going on around you. Most people talk double speak. They say one thing but mean another. Like for instance, "You don't need a skin care regimen." Really means they want to see your cheeks fall off your face and crows feet run marathons on your eyes before you take care of yourself.

"How's the rice?" Means there's only one right answer - good, if you want to eat.

"How do you feel about sitting at this desk?" Means open your mouth and you're fired.

"So what do you think of my friend's sexuality?" Means you will get punched in the face. Never answer this question.

"What did you say!" Means say it one more time and I'll kill you.

"Get out of my house." Means please sit down and shut up.

So context, individuals, languages and cultures all play a major part on what people are really saying. Now, if you're in the habit of calling on "God!" when you're having one of those days, and you're good with him, He's listening and says, "I will answer". This double speak means he's paying such close attention that he's going to respond as a witness and create the answer to your situation. Cause God can do things like that. Now that's something to tweet about.