fear – PASSION, PURPOSE & POOPYHEADS

Rediscovering Love this Christmas: Beyond the Grinch Mentality

December 21, 2025December 22, 2025 by Linda Russell, posted in "Christians" who hate, "Experiencing" God, a new Christmas, Do you love Me?, fear, God is LOVE, Uncategorized

At first glance, you may think the Grinch wrote this post. But, stick with me here…

As we approach another holiday season that is supposed to be filled with joy and wonder, too many families are experiencing hunger, fear, evictions, and loss of jobs. The simplicity of the Golden Rule shatters under the proliferation of breathtaking corporate greed. So many of us fail to believe in our own dignity and the dignity and worth of our brothers and sisters. Have we lost our way because we have forgotten who and Whose we are?

Here’s a fun study from Psychology Today revealing that, in general, Christians are more fearful than non-Christians. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-secular-life/202003/living-in-fear#:~:text=What%20did%20he%20find?,%5Bnon%2Dreligious%20person%5D.

Not surprising, since hell, damnation, and a vengeful God can be popular sermon topics. But, lucky you, you can buy your way out of hell with a substantial donation commensurate with your sin. Does all this fill the pews and usher in holiday cheer? Does it set the stage for a wondrous Christmas? NO. It doesn’t. But it could be different if we truly believed in and embraced the essence of God’s love for us.

It is the very mystery of God, made manifest through the Incarnation, we were born into and made a part of, that gives life meaning and defines who we are. The autonomous and secular nature of the world negates the essence of our humanity, which is love, the very core of our nature. Saint Irenaeus said, “The glory of God is man fully alive.” Being fully alive is the quintessential manifestation of Divine Love. It can be nothing less.

Which begs the question: Why would God send his beloved Son here? Why bother when he knew full well what was going to happen? Every year, we remember Jesus’ birth, life, and death. And every year, we seem to forget his greatest commandment, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31)

Saint Mother Theresa made God’s call to love quite simple, “People are unrealistic, illogical, and self-centered. Love them anyway.”

When we love so deeply, we can’t possibly keep it to ourselves; we must express it, and from that deepest place where it originated, we long for it to be shared. That is God being revealed in and through us. It is mystery declaring the essence of God – Love.

Gerald O’Collins tells us, “To be perfect, mutual love must be shared…it is the movement from self-love to mutual love, and then to shared love.”

Our sharing in the divine nature redefines our worldly understanding of self-love as Self – made in the image of God. That reality draws us to our Creator God and stirs a longing to grow in mutual love. As that Love grows within us, and we realize who and Whose we are, we are then called to act upon it.

As the Body of Christ, we are to share in its mission, the salvation of all humankind, as John Paul II reminds us, “Love is therefore the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being.” Our inherent dignity and value flourishes within the very mystery of God, revealed through the Incarnation – the proof of God’s love.

How is God’s love proven? Not through rote prayers or hollow praise, but through “experience” – our experience of Love which in turn will empower us to be imitators of Christ. Our hearts are to be directed to the Father, whose sole purpose, as Jesus’ Pascal Mystery revealed, is to manifest his gratuitous love to us so that we can proclaim that love to a hurting world.

Now, get out there and love on that crotchety neighbor, that obstinate uncle, your mother-in-law. Don’t just hand the beggar on the corner a few coins – speak to him as if he matters. Then see if your Christmas is a little brighter, even if you didn’t get that to-die-for gift on your wish list.

Merry Christmas!

Fear of “The Other”

December 13, 2025 by Linda Russell, posted in Do Something, Do you love Me?, fear, If not us, then who?, loving others

Let’s dive right into Mark 12:30-31, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” (Emphasis is mine, but it should be anyone who claims to be a person of faith.) How have we strayed so far from this commandment that God said was most important? Maybe it wasn’t before this era of social media and biased news, but it is now.

What we now have is what has been recently termed “contact bias,” which is described by Brian McLaren as a “form of prejudice or stereotyping that arises from a lack of sustained personal contact or interaction with people who are different from oneself. Without real-world, meaningful exposure, individuals’ preconceived notions and false assumptions about the “out-group” remain unchallenged and are free to flourish. In this way, the prejudice cycle spins on, unchallenged across generations. As prejudice persists, it becomes embedded in cultures and institutions, creating systems of racism and hatred, marginalizing groups who are stigmatized, dehumanized, scapegoated, exploited, oppressed, or even killed.” https://cac.org/daily-meditations/overcoming-contact-bias-2021-03-04/#:~:text=Overcoming%20Contact%20Bias-,Thursday%2C%20March%204%2C%202021,for%20who%20they%20truly%20are🙂

Today, fear and mistrust are growing and being reinforced by the news and social media. Violence against our brothers and sisters never seems to abate, and neither does discrimination, which can be cruelly subtle. We strip our fellow human beings of their dignity when they are suffering, and we refuse to involve ourselves in their lives. How easy it is not to notice the misery of others! Will we ever find our way back to God, who loves everyone, welcomes the stranger, and calls us to open our hearts to those the world casts aside?

Since I really enjoy sharing the times I have been less than loving to strangers, here is one of my favorite examples: In January of 2005, my husband and I were blessed with the opportunity to travel to Belfast, Northern Ireland, and spend a year there working for Habitat for Humanity.

We lived close enough to the City Center to walk there on occasion. One morning, I decided to go to the post office and mail some letters before continuing on to work. My time was limited that day, so I moved faster than usual.

As I walked down Falls Road, I noticed a very small woman, or girl, lying on the sidewalk. Several people had passed her by without a glance…and so did I. A few yards later, however, my conscience began slowing me down. “Go back,” it said. Although at first I tried not to respond to it, the call became more persistent. I went back.

Dropping my mail on the sidewalk, I sat down beside her. At first, I thought she was sleeping, but I soon realized that she had passed out. Nudging her, I prayed for a response so I wouldn’t feel even more guilty if she was dead. She gradually regained consciousness and sat up next to me. When I asked her what I could do for her, she pushed me away: “Leave me alone.”

“Sorry, but I can’t do that. You’re not safe lying on the street. I’ll get a cab, and we’ll find you something to eat.”

“Look at me!” she demanded. “It’s useless! Leave me alone!”

“What’s your name?”

“Karen”

“Well, Karen, I am looking at you, and I see a beautiful creation of God”. My words were firm, but my heart was aching. She continued to insist that she wasn’t worth my trouble, or God’s trouble, and I continued to insist that she was wrong.

“Do you have a fag?”

“No,” I replied. “I don’t smoke. Smoking is bad for your health.” At that, both of us laughed.

Just as I was preparing to hail a cab and take Karen to a restaurant, a minivan pulled up, and a young man got out, addressing her by name. He then gently helped her up and walked her to the van. I asked if there was a number I could call to check on her, but he said no. However, he took down my phone number so that she could call me if she wanted to.

Then, after they left, I resumed my walk to the post office, while questioning God, “Lord, what just happened? I’m certain I’ll never hear from Karen again. What was the purpose of all of this?” And as I continued to walk in silence, I could feel God speaking to my heart: “Linda, next time, don’t pass Me by.” OUCH!

Don’t Allow Fear to Destroy Your Peace

October 31, 2025 by Linda Russell, posted in Boldness in adversity, Consider trials pure joy!, fear, God's plan, Humility, life's trials, peace, Trusting God, Whining to God

“Peace is that brief, glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading.” (source unknown.)

Here she comes – Miss America! There she goes to save the Coastal California Gnatcatcher, repair a broken nail, and, of course, bring peace to the world. And how about those hippies back in the 1960s with their mantra of peace and love (not to mention sex, drugs, and rock & roll)? Maybe we shouldn’t doubt the good intentions of anyone who claims to advocate peace.

Only one Nobel Peace Prize is awarded each year,and, unless I’ve missed something, I don’t believe that world peace, or any lasting peace, has ever come with the prize. Of course, it’s a very big world. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are seven billion people worldwide, more than two billion of whom are Christians. So how can this be such a violent place when it’s home to two billion Christians? Surely, two billion Christians could’ve changed the world by now! Why aren’t we making a greater impact?

The Heart of the Matter

Where does peace begin? How about violence? Are they hatched at peace rallies, do they spring forth during the heat of battle, or are they created in our hearts? Consider how different this world would be if every one of us lived the virtue of peace within our own hearts! Matthew tells us, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things” (Luke 6:45).
We shake our fists at the injustice and violence that are out there, but deny the violence within. We cannot know peace or offer it to others until we’re able to face our own brokenness – our own need for God’s healing and grace. I was good at shaking my fist at the injustices in the world, all while inflicting my own injustices on others. Why? Because I had no peace in my heart, which was filled instead with anger, fear, and pride.

“Peace I Leave with You, My Peace I Give to You” (John 14:27)

How beautiful Jesus’ words sound, yet we find very little success in our attempts to make peace a reality in our lives. In fact, the struggle seems so daunting that we often settle for a very limited version of peace: an occasional moment of calm in the midst of our troubled lives. That was how I coped for years. Frustration would prompt me to seek God’s intervention, but I wasn’t actually interested in peace with the people in my life. I wanted to be able to inflict “justice” on those I felt were stealing my peace.

Sometimes we think we have peace. “Whew! My husband is going fishing with the guys. I’ll have two whole days of peace.” Or “My kids have stopped fighting. There’s finally peace in the house.” Maybe your controlling mother-in-law mercifully moves out of town, or that tyrannical boss may be transferred to a distant city. But those examples don’t constitute peace. They’re merely the absence of war.

Can you recognize the difference between a peaceful person and someone who’s simply stifling his emotions? That’s the kind of person who attempts to control himself enough to give the appearance of peace, but he’s not fooling anybody. I know. That was me.

I always had public and private personas. In my private life, everything was out of control, though publicly I acted as if the opposite were true. But my kids invariably gave me away – usually in church or in the middle of the grocery store. That was when my amateur ventriloquist skills would kick in. Smiling through clenched teeth and with a death grip on the offender’s arm, I would quietly threaten, “Either you knock it off, or there’ll be hell to pay when I get you home!” Obviously, “peace” was not flowing like a river. This river was a maelstrom of anger, fear, discontent, and pride.

What, then, is the key to peace? It’s humility, and I can’t wait to tell you why. This is where I get to expose my dark side to you. So let’s begin with the anger.

Anger: A Double-Edged Sword

I’ve lived with anger all my life and, since childhood, have cowered behind it when threatened by bullies. The parent bully, the teacher bully, the neighborhood bully, the checker at the grocery store bully. I’ve always considered myself a victim. But there’s no justification for lashing out with angry words that are embedded in someone’s heart.

When I was a child, my outbursts generally involved slamming doors and mumbling “I hate you!” under my breath. As I withdrew more and more into myself, I began to feel invisible. My longing for recognition became fertile soil for the anger that was festering inside me. Later, when I had outgrown parental control I gave myself the freedom to express anger without fear of punishment. With each outburst, I was essentially screaming, “Pay attention to me!” – and I was oblivious to anyone’s feelings other than my own.

Do I believe that anger is always wrong? No, I think that misplaced anger is. As people who never express their anger fail to understand, inner anger has to go somewhere. It has to be dealt with. A person may look composed, but on the inside, there could be a pressure cooker destined to explode – or to implode, in the form of ulcers, cancer, stroke, or heart attack. There’s no peace in denial, just as there’s no peace in exploding into unjustified and unrighteous anger.

Sometimes God is angry with us, and he doesn’t mince words when that happens. In many verses throughout Scripture, he admonishes his people, calling them liars, adulterers, idolaters, and self-righteous fools. As he said to Judah, “For you have kindled a fire in my anger which shall burn forever” (Jeremiah 17:4).

So what’s the difference between God’s anger and mine? It’s a case of righteous versus unrighteous anger. Unrighteous anger is the outward expression of unmet needs. When fear is the underlying emotion that sets us off, the anger is dangerous and hurtful. In the Bible, the Book of Nahum says, “He avenges his foes. He stands up against his enemies, fierce and raging. But God doesn’t lose his temper. He’s powerful, but it’s a patient power” (Nahum 1:2-3 – The Message). Anger is not permissible when it turns to aggression, and that aggression is fueled by fear, frustration, or a sense of inadequacy.

We need to accept that anger is a learned behavior, not a genetic trait. My mousy brown and grey hair, which I’m forever trying to cover up, is genetic. My behavior, which I’m forever trying to cover up, isn’t. Unrighteous anger is violence against others. It’s the suffering and death of Jesus at the hands of an angry mob. It’s a frightened child cowering in the dark. It strews victims everywhere.

When I realized God’s unconditional love for me, my anger began to subside – yet something continued to rob me of his peace. Fear was so deeply embedded in the very depths of my being that it freely manifested itself in every area of my life. Even though I was no longer railing constantly at every perceived threat, fear was still wreaking havoc in my life, albeit with greater subtlety, and of course, fear is Satan’s most powerful and creative tool.

Since we’re afraid of our own brokenness, we expend tremendous energy denying it, covering it up, or justifying it. Any time we strike out at someone else, or whenever we curse our circumstances, we’re motivated by fear – fear of losing control or of feeling invisible, unwanted, unloved. Can you name your fears? Can you admit that you have any?

Who’s Your Boogie Man?

Growing up, I was afraid of everything, yet somehow I seemed to be scared of nothing. Whenever my dad paddled me, I didn’t cry. When my teachers disciplined me, I feigned indifference. Back then, teachers were allowed to inflict corporal punishment on their students, and they did!

My first-grade teacher used to have me sit under her desk when I misbehaved, which gave me the opportunity to entertain my fan club by sticking my head out of my jail and making faces. My second-grade teacher spanked me, and my third-grade teacher regularly whacked me with a ruler. I was a class clown on the outside and a frightened child on the inside. I thought that drawing attention to myself was crucial to preserving my fragile ego.

The sixth grade presented me with an interesting means of gaining attention without enduring physical pain. By impressing my peers with my vast knowledge about sex, I developed, at the age of twelve or thirteen, my very first feelings of power and acceptance. Never mind the fact that I had no idea what I was talking about. None of us had any knowledge about sex, but we were curious. So I stepped into that gap. I became the facts-of-life expert.

My classmates were responsive and eager to learn from me, so at recess we would gather for my no-holds-barred sex-education class. When I think of all the young minds that I warped back then, I’m pretty much aghast. For instance, I wonder how many girls were too terrified to kiss boys while menstruating because I’d warned them that they’d get pregnant that way. Somewhere out there, someone is cursing the day she met me!

Fear: God’s Nemesis

God continually tells us not to fear anything.

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God” (Isaiah 41:10).

“…then, as the Lord lives, there is safety for you and no harm” (1 Samuel 20:21).

“In God I have put my trust; I will not fear” (Psalm 56:4).

The only way to live a fearless life is by forming a relationship with God. I have never felt protected by anyone in my life. It wasn’t until I learned to trust in God’s protection that the truth about fear was made manifest to me. Satan, in all his trickery and deceit, is rendered powerless by the light of God’s love.

Have you ever stayed up all night, worried and afraid? Remember how you couldn’t eat, couldn’t think? Remember how irritable and short-tempered you were? So tell me something: how much did all that agonizing help? Not much? Well, it’s not what God wants for us, as Matthew reminds us in a very familiar story:

The disciples were in a boat out in the middle of the sea, and the wind and waves were fierce. When they suddenly saw someone walking on the water, they were understandably scared out of their wits. In fact, they thought it must be a ghost, but it was Jesus, who urged them not to be afraid. Impressed, Peter decided that he’d like to do the same thing. So Jesus told him to step out of the boat, which he did, and he was fine as long as he was focused on Jesus. As soon as he looked away, though, he began to sink, crying out, “Lord, save me!” And this was the man whom Jesus would be entrusting with the keys to heaven? At that moment, though, with the ravenous water closing in around him, Peter wasn’t trying to impress anybody. He wasn’t trying to save face. He was trying to save his sorry behind. He knew who to call on when he was in trouble!

Fear has no teeth when we put our trust in God – and I don’t mean when we know the outcome. Yet we function so poorly on trust alone. Instead, we dig in our heels and refuse to budge. If we don’t know for sure what’s happening around the corner, we stay put. Fear denies us the fullness of life that God has promised.

If you’re still satisfied with your entrenched self, consider this scenario. Imagine that, when God called me to graduate school, I blabbed the news to all my friends and family members, then failed miserably and whined about my failure to everybody. Then imagine that God called one of them to do something extraordinary. Would she do it? Of course not. After witnessing my dismal failure, she’d surely decline the invitation. “No thanks. I’m good. I saw how that played out for Linda!”

However, God isn’t going to allow us to make him look bad. We can trust him to fulfill his plans for our lives in ways that we never could’ve imagined. And if Mary and Jesus didn’t need to know the eventual outcomes of their commitments to God, then neither do we.

Contentment Isn’t Out of Reach

Is it really possible to remain content in the midst of difficult circumstances? Or does your life have to be perfect before you can be happy? Do you need to run away from home and responsibilities, live in seclusion on some primitive island, eat coconuts and wild berries, soak up the sun all day, and laze in the tropical breezes at sunset? Wait. This is beginning to sound pretty good! Oops…sorry.

As far back as I can remember, I was never content. I was never satisfied with anything. I never had enough money or nice clothes. I wasn’t smart enough. I wasn’t thin enough. I wasn’t popular enough. My teeth weren’t straight enough. My hair wasn’t blonde enough.

I spent a long time in the desert just like the Isrealites, and I didn’t have any fun there. When I was in the midst of it, though, I couldn’t see it for what it was. I had to have things. I had a beautiful home, new cars, and a swimming pool; shopping was my favorite pastime. Whenever I felt down, I’d treat myself to a new outfit or two, or three. Occasionally, I’d throw in a little trinket for my husband (as a nod to my guilty conscience!), but he was never allowed to buy me clothes. I mean, he once bought himself a polyester leisure suit. Enough said?

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives” (John 14:27)

Our peace is stolen from us every time we lose sight of God, every time we allow others to define us. Only God can define us! “This is my beloved son/daughter in whom I am well pleased” (Matt 3:17). You were made in the image and likeness of God; no one and nothing on earth can rob you of your birthright.

Perfectly Imperfect

August 2, 2025August 2, 2025 by Linda Russell, posted in Does god control?, embrace change, fear, grace, Healing, life is short, life's trials, perfection

Two things (and a few additions along the way) set me on a journey that I would like to share with you: The book, “One Year to Live” by Stephen Levine, and “A Course in Miracles – Made Easy”, by Allen Cohen.

Spending each moment, each day, as though I only have this one year to live is not a stretch for me. I contemplate my death at times (come on, that’s not so crazy!) trying to realize how precious life is, how fleeting it is, and how much of it I have wasted.

The challenge of “One Year to Live” is to focus on the moment, not the past or the future. To consider what is really important and what is not, to leave a richer legacy for those I leave behind, and to have no regrets. All of which I do fairly well at times and suck at most of the time.

“The Course” promises to take me even deeper. “Mastering the journey from fear to love”. I pray to be ever present to all God has to teach me along the way.

Levine considers this process “a restoration of the heart when we confront our life and death with mercy and awareness. A year-long experiment in healing, joy, and revitalization.”

(ACIM) “Every moment offers us a choice between fear and love. Fear hurts and love heals. There are no other choices. Answer fear with love and you will find the peace you seek.”

Just this short introduction to both these books has made it so clear that I have wasted more time in the past, in the negative, and in fear than I want to admit. God has given me this precious life, meant to be beautiful, abundant, and rich, and I have tasted such a small sample of it. But I’m still here, still breathing and I can begin again, and again.

(SL) “A year to live gives a person the power to heal that which remains unloved.” I have believed the lies that I am unworthy of love since childhood. I am always on guard to protect a fragile ego that I have created myself. The truth that longs to set me free from these lies is the fact that I am a child of a loving God; made in his image. I am not a worthless, invisible mess, and neither is anyone else. I don’t need to defend an image that is not reality and I don’t need to attack others to protect it.

(SL) “There are two main elements that constitute the foundation of this life’s renewal, (1) exploration of what has gone before and a way of clearing a path for what is to come, and (2), to become more present, more mindful of the process we call life.”

(ACIM) “When you challenge God as to how the world will be changed, his answer is: Through you. You bring the presence of God to the world simply by being yourself (your true self, not the self you created). Each time you choose, your choice is your evaluation of yourself.”

Stephen Levine says that this year should empower me to finally heal that part of me that still feels unloved. The part that is often unloving. Living the lies of the past powerfully impacted the present. What are my limiting beliefs that keep me stuck there? If can recognize them I can change them to empowering and positive beliefs.

All of this work to become aware and to let go of the past, is critical to the work God would have me do. Now I realize that my negative beliefs color my life and rob me of the love, joy and peace that are my birthright.

Yes, I make mistakes (DUH!). It is fear that keeps us from living fully and joyfully in the present. Why is it so hard to believe that God wants to use me (ME!) as a witness to his love?

If all of this isn’t challenging enough, I was also introduced to Marianne Williamson’s book, “The Gift of Change” which refers often to “A Course in Miracles”. Her book is so powerful and reaches to the depth of my being.

Then, I had the blessing of meeting for lunch with a dear friend who introduced me to Christine McDonald. Her story of being sex trafficked for almost twenty years, the drugs and homelessness, physical abuse and often torture, the sense of hopelessness and then the powerful way God moved in her life is a story beyond anything we could ever imagine. And her beautiful spirit is something to behold! I have read her book, “The Same Kind of Human” (which was being considered for a movie at the time).

Sometimes I question if I read too many things at one time. But then I think of it as having several friends and each has a unique relationship with me. All the books I am reading are speaking to that same depth of my heart but in different, unique ways. All sharing one important message, “You’ve got work to do, Linda”. So, shake off your doubts, acknowledge your fears and then let them go. I have plans for you and you’re not getting any younger – just sayin’”.

These teachings have been challenging to say the least. For sure, they are helping guide me on this journey of change, renewal, awareness, and conviction. Conviction that now is the time. That whatever God has planned for me, whatever steps I have taken to this point, are all converging for a reason. I truly believe that the next adventure I sign up for, and I don’t even know what it is yet, will be my most significant. Ever!

Here is the common theme I see with these authors: meditation and contemplative practice are to be our most critical focus. Then, we focus on how that will be done. Those two things will demand more time and attention than I have ever given to anything.

To that end, I am compelled now to set all else aside and focus on God and on our relationship. That means more time sitting in his presence. Quietly. That’s huge for me! And listening – I’m so bad at listening!

Until now I could never have imagined such intensity of purpose. Fear has always kept me at a safe distance from it. But God has finally broken through this hard shell around my fragile heart. I thought I had to be perfect for him to love me. But, he has shown me that I have misunderstood what Jesus meant by” perfection” in Matthew 5:48, which has been the cause of my pain and suffering because I felt I never measured up. The wholeness God offers us has nothing to do with perfection.

If we interpret Jesus’ saying, “You must be as perfect as God” through the lense of most religious teachings that has to mean that we can never, ever, ever sin. EVER! – then there’s no hope for any of us.

But many Scripture Scholars don’t believe that was what Jesus meant. Besides, if it was, and we became that perfect human what would we need God for? God knew we would all “sin and fall short”. It’s the nature of humanity. So, let’s insert the word “strive”. Strive for perfection and when you screw up, which you will, seek God’s forgiveness, which he will, and move along.

I will end with something that will hopefully help you, as it has me: GET OVER YOURSELF! You’re welcome.

It’s to Die For: Caring for the Poor in an Age of Consumerism

July 21, 2025 by Linda Russell, posted in "Christians" who hate, Do you love Me?, dying for hope, Follow Me, hungry for hope, Love your neighbor, our homeless neighbor, serving others, the suffering need our care, white supremacy and the church

All across the country, people stand in lines three-deep for hours to be the first to plop down a few thousand dollars for the latest iPhone. As usual, the media, the gatekeeper of American values, gleefully stands watch over the frenzy.

Nearby, and unnoticed, other people stand in lines. They are the invisible poor in our midst. Statistics show that on any given day, some portion of the 14.3 million families in this country are standing in food lines (Bread for the World 2022).

And it’s getting worse. Those numbers will increase as programs like the Child Tax Credit, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) are all being cut by our current administration.

To the “haves”, the expression ‘It’s to die for” refers to our obsession with “things”. To the “have-nots”, that expression resonates from the pit of their empty stomachs. In both cases, consumerism defines who we are.

For those obsessed with self-gratification, and there are many “Christians” in their ranks, what they “have” defines who they are. For the poor, what they don’t have determines their value. The former well fed, the latter hungry, both dying spiritually. But this is nothing new. God has grieved over this fact of our humanity since the beginning of time.

He has been sending us Prophets, starting with Amos and Isaiah, to speak to this travesty. And they did not hold back! They continually called out those who believed all their riches and privilege were due to being favored by God. So, the admonishments and “woe to you” warnings of the prophets were simply laughable and annoying to them. Perhaps that’s why Jeremiah wanted to run and hide when God called him into service! But he finally went when he could no longer bear Yahweh’s grief, and he paid a hefty price for that courage.

Then, along came Jesus. Jeremiah and Jesus shared the same passion for the poor and disgust for their oppressors, and they bore the same hatred from those who didn’t want to be reminded of their sinfulness. God’s message was clear to both of them: Be willing “to die for” those who suffer.

Christ still tells us that when we care for the least of these, we care for him. Why are we still not listening? Could it be that we, too, are so enmeshed in this consumerist mentality and individualism that we simply don’t care? Or could it be that the gospel of American Express is louder and more appealing? “Woe to you, shopper, if you don’t use your REDcard for all your needless purchases.”

Do we feel a little better about it if we know that a tiny percentage of our spending goes to African Relief? That works for the barely guilty and isn’t risky because we don’t actually have to see the poor and suffering. Not so easy when hungry children are right in our midst, as are modern-day prophets.

How are today’s prophets speaking to our obsession with self? They are speaking the truth about the chasm between the rich and the poor. They scream unfair andtell us boldly and without reserve, that if we call ourselves Christians, we are charged to care for the poor.

Mother Teresa says Woe to us if we do not recognize the dignity of the poor, that they too are made in the image of God. “Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.”

Dorothy Day was a tireless advocate for the poor: “The Gospel takes away our right forever, to discriminate between the deserving and the undeserving poor.”

John Kavanaugh, S.J. “It is our consumeristic culture today that defines our values, and forms our meaning and purpose. Companies market hope and identity in commodities, not relationships.”

Walter Burghardt, S.J., said that feeding the hungry is not simply a miracle Jesus performed; it is a mandate for Christians.

Kenneth Himes tells us that the word “consume” means “devour, waste, exhaust“, and calls our obsession with consumption in America pathological. “Consumer behavior has been removed from ethical judgment”, which then allows us to become complacent about God’s call to share our resources and acknowledge our indifference toward our starving neighbor. What has been lost is the essence of who we truly are and why we exist.

Mirabai Starr, “Our encounter with the manifold losses that characterize the human experience can till the soil of our hearts so that we are more available to the suffering of other beings and the earth we share. Sorrow can be paralyzing at first, but compassion, which can sometimes take the form of anger, is a wellspring that offers infinite sustenance.”

As for me, my life changed drastically when I finally looked in the mirror and saw my own sinfulness. Woe to me! My greed and self-fulfillment came on the backs of the poor and hungry. My refusal to give up the slightest want caused children to go to bed hungry. “Thus says the Lord God, enough, Linda! Do what is just and right.” (Ezekiel 45:9)Truth be told, I still suck at it at times. But I’m getting better at self-correcting ahead of that Holy Whack!

In a country in which the majority of people profess to be Christian, our actions do not match that profession of faith. Woe to us, “Hypocrites!” Pope Paul IV spoke of rights as the right not to “have” more, but to “be” more. That is true for all human beings – the needy, and perhaps even more so, the greedy.

Only Man/Woman can Prove that God is Love

May 28, 2025 by Linda Russell, posted in A Holy Whack, Boldness in adversity, Do Something, Does god control?, For such a time as this, If not us, then who?, standing on Holy ground, the suffering need our care

We are currently in the midst of incredibly challenging times. This is a truth that some may only whisper, perhaps in the hopes that it will all fade away. However, the reality is that it won’t. So, in the face of this reality, how do we move forward with any hope for our children and grandchildren’s future?

I believe it must begin with God – and acknowledging the fact that many doubt he even cares. It conjures up an image of him sitting in his heaven, feeling rejected by humanity and giving up on the whole lot of us. All while smacking his head and rethinking that “free will” idea of his.

Archibald MacLeish, an American poet and writer, powerfully explains what God may have hoped for by refusing to control us, “Man depends on God for all things: God depends on man for one. Without man’s love, God does not exist as God…and love is the one thing no one, not even God himself, can command. It’s either a free gift, or it’s nothing. And it is most itself, most free, when it is offered in spite of suffering, of injustice, and of death.”

Do MacLeish’s words resonate with you? They certainly do with me. But believe me, I tried to deny that truth for a long time as I continuously prayed for God to “fix” this broken world and the people in my life who made me miserable. It never worked. Even though I believed my suffering was created by other people that I desperately wanted to control. Can you relate?

Well, dear ones, take heart because this broken ground we stand on is holy ground, and we are called to stay put, no matter how hard it seems. We are called to stand on that hilltop and emulate the LOVE that is God. We are to boldly and without apology declare that God has not abandoned us but is in our midst, cheering us on for the sake of his kingdom.

But the love of God will not manifest if we merely sing his praises in church to get that “I showed up every Sunday” card punched. God isn’t interested in our praises. He longs for us to show up in the midst of the brokenness that surrounds us and love those who suffer. If that seems scary, it’s understandable.

Think of the Desert Monks who went off into the wilderness and lived in caves. They prayed A LOT for the brokenness of the world, and I’m sure God loved their prayers. But I prefer to focus on why he sent Jesus into the world. It surely was meant as a wake-up call for us to come out of hiding. Just sayin’.

Yes, Jesus also went into the desert to pray when things were tough, but he didn’t stay there! He offered his prayers to God, accepted his fate, and came out swinging! Remember that whole table-tossing event?

I believe that’s what God is calling us to do now: to do what we can to care for the most innocent, those without a voice, those who suffer. This is no time to fret or worry about the outcome; there’s too much at stake.

It will likely be challenging and perhaps dangerous, but as that ever-pressing question goes, “If not us, then who?”

Like my hero, Esther, who knew she was called to a fate that would likely end her life. And her response? “WOOHOO, I will go, and, oh well, if I die, I die!” Okay, she probably wasn’t that thrilled, but she was determined to fulfill her purpose, and that should be our response to God’s call for us.

Oh, you don’t believe God has spoken to you about that? This may be where self-critical thinking is required. Is it possible you’re not listening? Is it possible you’re spending too much time whining and complaining about how others are making your life miserable, and you’re just sitting and waiting for God to take care of that first? Then you’ll consider moving beyond your own selfish longings in the comfort of your shallow existence? Sorry, I guess that was mean. But is it true?

I know it was true for me for longer than I care to admit. And here’s the sad reality of that: my being so angry and hateful toward those who hurt me over so many years was probably worse in some instances than the injustices of others toward me.

My own actions likely provoked some of that. Like the time I threw a bar stool at a wall to get my husband’s attention! Yeah, I did that, and it worked for a millisecond. But I’m not proud of it and never used it on a resume as an example of my creative leadership skills!

No, I was not innocent and denied my own sinful behavior towards them. Of course, there would never be healing in our relationships until I was able to admit that. I needed to seek and offer forgiveness before healing was possible. Not wait for someone else to take the first step.

Healing the wounds of the world must begin by first repairing our personal relationships. Because if I claim to love God but do not love my neighbor, I am a liar, a noisy, clanging symbol (1 John 4:20). Ouch.

Living in Scary and Uncertain Times: Finding Solace in Galatians 5:22-23

February 19, 2025 by Linda Russell, posted in Uncategorized

This post started out differently than what you’re seeing here. I intended to simply write about the Fruits of the Spirit and most of the content came directly from my book. Then, I received a “holy prompting” to focus it on the present reality of the violence, hatred, and fear we are daily inundated with.

Yes, we are living in scary and uncertain times, which is likely causing so many to hide behind locked doors, have the groceries delivered, skip church or any crowds, and throw up frantic prayers to God.

Which makes this a perfect opportunity to delve into Galatians 5:22-23. I have long felt it was the most poignant of all of Scripture and has so much to tell us today.

Imagine God inspiring the writer(s) of these verses and being pleased with their work. Then, sitting back crosses his fingers and hoping we choose wisely because he has no control over our decisions.

We are daily challenged to decide between:

Love or hate

Joy or misery

Peace or worry

Patience or agitation

Kindness and gentleness or malice

Self-Control or instability

So, let’s go…

LOVE

Does love have limits? Many of us carry scars of past pain and hurt that play out in our lives daily and affect how we treat others. I swore I would never be like my mother – does that sound familiar?

When love is conditional, it is worldly, shallow, and indifferent. It can easily transform into hatred. From that perspective, we watch closely for others to screw up just once, and we’re done with them.

We seem to forget that God’s immense love and grace have no expiration date. “Oops, your get-out-of-jail-free card has expired. Sorry.”

He longs to help us love those that we find humanly impossible to like—even ourselves at times. But here’s the key: I can learn to love only when I have accepted God’s love myself.

Know the Difference: worldly love wears the sheepskin of an “if it feels good” mentality over the wolf that devours childhood innocence, destroys relationships, makes compassion a burden, and muddies the pure waters of selfless love created by God (1 Cor. 13:4-8).

JOY

“Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.” (Psalm 98:4)

A common response to the idea of joy might be something like this: “News flash, dufus, joy is the noise made by fools who don’t have a clue what is going on in the world.”

All right, fair enough (no need to call me names). I actually do know about the terrible things happening in the world today: anger, violence, and hatred. I also know about a man who suffered an indescribable death at the hands of those who wrongly accused him of a crime. He was beaten, spit on, and mocked. Then, he was nailed to a cross as many watched him slowly suffocate and die.

We know the life stories of those who have and continue to follow Jesus’ example. Do you think for one moment they would sign up for that if they were following a fool? They knew that the only way to bring nonbelievers to Christ was to live joyfully because no idiot would follow someone who spewed bad news on a regular basis.

So, what about us? Suffering has a purpose, and when you discover that truth for yourself, as I finally did after many years, hopefully, you will have arrived at a place where you, too, can shout for joy and share the Good News with others.

Joy is the oasis of laughter in the desert of loneliness. It is a caring touch coming through the locked door of a broken heart. It is peering through tear-stained eyes into an empty tomb. Pain and suffering are temporary. Joy is eternal.

PEACE

If I wanted true peace in my life, I would have to let go of the anger and lashing out. I would have to recognize the part I played in my own misery, and I would have to release the people who were on the receiving end of all the pain and hurt that was bottled up inside of me. Did I turn some people away from God because there was no peace in my life?

One of Jesus’ final acts was to offer his disciples peace, and they were going to need it! “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.”

Have you known someone in your life who radiates peace? If you are wise, you will do everything, short of stalking them, to be in their company, to glimpse through them the very nature and essence of God, which is peace, and then claim it for yourself.

PATIENCE

Today, patience is a dinosaur, and if it doesn’t come in a pill form, we aren’t interested. I want it now! I don’t want to feel it. I don’t want to deal with it. Give me a pill, a distraction, or a bus ticket out of here.

A display of patience we might tolerate would be something like a gentle nudging to wait your turn, wait for your elderly grandmother to catch up, wait for a phone call. Just a small interruption in our daily routine may be okay.

The word patience literally means to suffer and endure. If that’s true, then how much would be required of us to be in a relationship with someone who is unbearable or endure intolerable circumstances? Yet that is exactly what God is asking of us when he calls us to patience, to suffer, and bear the burdens of life.

We excuse ourselves when we fail to be Christ-like to others, yet we expect God to be all-loving, all-forgiving, and all-patient with us. “Well, God’s a bigger man than I am.” So, you’re comfortable with that excuse, are you?

But hold on. I have some good news for you. God doesn’t demand anything from us that he will not give us the power—his power—to achieve. So why is God so patient with us? He knows our human frailties and longs for us to trust him. He longs to shower us with blessings and guide us through all the obstacles this world presents to us.

A question we are called to ask ourselves: is my impatience a stumbling block to others?

KINDNESS & GENTLENESS

What are the prejudices and injustices we perpetrate on others because of our pride, pious attitudes, and forgetfulness of just how imperfect we are?

If we thought about it, we could all probably recall at least one person in our lives whom we have distanced ourselves from because of struggles in our relationship. That person may be as close as our living room couch.

We are often so determined to stay focused on the hurt we endure from others that we’ll stay there as long as it takes to make that person suffer. But, you know what? That person is a child of God, just like we are. That person is likely broken, just like we are. It’s time to let them off the hook.

“Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind.” Brad Meltzer

GOODNESS

“Everyone feels benevolent if nothing happens to be annoying him at the moment.” C. S. Lewis

I learned a few tricks from my mother, who was the master of masking. She was from the old school of “What would the neighbors think?” When you walked out the door, you left the dark family secrets behind and played the game in public.

And, oh, the games we play, the lies we tell. But the real tragedy, I believe, is that we think we’re faultless, even though our sins tell a different story. Goodness doesn’t seem to be on the same scale as holiness, does it? I think I could rationalize myself into the category of good, but I would have a tough time comparing myself to Mother Theresa (don’t think I haven’t tried!).

I believe most people really want to do good, but we are constantly in a battle. That’s why Galatians 6:9 says, “Don’t grow weary doing good.”

Our true character is who we are when no one is looking.

Now comes the proverbial question, “Why should I?” The answer is that being good, especially to our enemies, can bring far greater rewards than treating them the way we think they deserve to be treated. And if you still need convincing, go back to the cross for a reminder of what loving your enemy looks like.

Now, go love that ~~jerk~~ …oops…child of God.

FAITHFULNESS

God’s faithfulness is steadfast, but what about ours? I can only relate to you what has brought me to a place where I know faithfulness means far more than I was ever willing to admit. That didn’t happen as a result of one miraculous event: No burning bush, no parting of the sea, no Lazarus-like miracle, just a journey, a very long journey, to a patient and loving God.

How do we rationalize our indifference to the horror of what took place at Calvary? Could it be that we trivialize Jesus’ suffering to make our meager sacrifices appear to be significant and our sins acceptable? Thus, Jesus becomes a warm fuzzy, and we’re off the hook.

Trivialize this…“Take up your cross and follow Me.” (Mark 8:34) Oh boy, here we go. This is where we disconnect.

We know the kind of men the apostles were before Jesus died. They were a bunch of misfits. They doubted, they questioned, and they fell asleep when he asked them to stay awake and pray with him. Then, they ran away when he was taken to be hanged. But they knew they screwed up big time!

Now, here they are in the Upper Room after Jesus is buried, eleven men lost in confusion and grappling with their weakness; their denial. Then Jesus shows up. And what are his first words? “Peace to you.” (Luke 24:36)

When Jesus said, “Anyone who wants to take up his cross and follow Me, anyone who wants to suffer the same fate as Me, step forward.” They did. All of them. There would be no turning back now. No running, no denying. The cock could crow till the cows came home, and not one would falter. Not this time.

Now it’s our turn. Certainly, most of us will not be called to martyrdom. But, we are called, though, to die in our own selfish, self-centered ways. We are called to be different, to suffer if need be. We must stop asking, “Why me, Lord?” and accept our trials with faith and trust that God is right there with us to turn our sorrows into joy.

SELF-CONTROL

Everything that Satan is behind—those worldly things that we call pleasure are really his skillfully disguised handiwork. Each time we justify the smallest sin, we become insensitive to the fact that it actually is sin.

For all those who have been deceived into believing that there is such an excusable thing as a “tiny indiscretion,” those are the lies of Satan that keep us out of a relationship with God.

While we’re on the subject, we would do well to look at all areas that we excuse but God does not. Have we been lulled into a belief that there is nothing wrong with what we are doing? What has happened to our consciences?

Leo Tolstoy, in his essay, The Lion and the Honeycomb, Why Do Men Stupefy Themselves? explains: “What people most want is not that their consciousness should work correctly; it is that their actions should appear to them to be just.”

God says in 1 John 5:3, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” Seriously? They seem awfully burdensome to us, don’t they? But as Christians, we are called to be disciplined in our lives. Until we can give everything to God; until we can come to a place where we are “seeking the Kingdom of God first” (Matthew 6:33), we will repeatedly fail. That’s why self-control is not self-alone.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Following Christ does take a great amount of discipline, and it is only possible through him. To everyone who feels battle-scarred right now, whether those battles of life have only been skirmishes or they have been “all-out, fight-to-the-death, take-no-prisoners” wars, take heed.

We don’t make a one-time – this is it – I surrender – commitment to Christ and then throw ourselves a party. If you think all your sinfulness will instantly be eradicated when you do that, you’re gonna fall hard, smack your loser head, and go join the circus.

Come back here. Don’t do that. Just fall on your bruised knees, seek forgiveness from a merciful and loving God, and start over. You can do this! God created you and equipped you to do this.

Empowering Faith in a Secular World

January 24, 2025February 19, 2025 by Linda Russell, posted in Boldness in adversity, Countering Donald Trump, Do Something, dying for hope, End of Religion, Energized by hope, For such a time as this, hope after the 2024 election, loving others, Lukewarm Christian

There are several examples in the Old and New Testament of people abandoning God and going their own way to do their own thing. Probably most notable for us is when Jesus was hauled away in the midst of his disciples – his friends – to be crucified. They instantly and collectively decided that was not something they signed up for and ran like hell.

Of course, the good news is that they came back stronger and more determined to follow Jesus’ example of God’s love for a broken world. This time they would not turn back. This time they would willingly die for him. And to that end, all but John became mortars. How do their lives compare with ours today? Well, the abandoning Jesus part lines up.

How did we get here?

Let’s start with statistics from the Pew Research Center: Today, about 28% of U.S. adults are religiously unaffiliated, describing themselves as atheists, agnostics, or “nothing in particular” when asked about their religion. In our latest data, 17% of “nones” identify as atheists, 20% say they are agnostic, and 63% choose “nothing in particular.”

Why?

When asked why they are not religious, two-thirds say they question a lot of religious teachings mainly because they don’t see those teachings lived out, or they don’t believe in God. “Many also bring up criticisms of religious institutions or people, including 47% who say that one extremely or very important reason why they are not religious is that they dislike religious organizations. And 30% say bad experiences they’ve had with religious people help explain why they are nonreligious.”

So, that doesn’t leave much more to dislike besides uncomfortable pews and bad music.

If you want to geek out on the research, here’s the link: https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2024/01/24/religious-nones-in-america-who-they-are-and-what-they-believe/

So, why does it matter?

Many researchers that have followed the attitudes of Gen Z’s, and Millennials in particular, believe it is linked decisively to Donald Trump’s election in 2016 and even more so in 2024.

I believe that if we have any chance of restoring care and compassion for each other and for those God calls us to love: the weak and vulnerable, we must open our hearts to those who have lost their way.

Matt. 5-14-16 tells us: “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.”

How do we do that?

I’m glad you asked. It’s not going to be easy because we have to start with our own understanding of God’s love and what he is calling us to, and then have the courage and conviction it will require.

Let me share a bit of my own story that might help. Thirty years ago – give or take – I was a Youth Minister. Each year, the school allowed us to speak to the seventh graders about the Youth Program and invite them to come. We would have an initial event to start the year. I knew some of the boys came because there were girls there, and visa-versa.

I didn’t care what got them there. I just hoped we could offer them something special that would keep them there. To that end, we offered two big events during the year, and they both had to do with serving others.

On Thanksgiving Day, we went to a church in the inner city and delivered meals to the poor. Then, during the summer, we went to Georgia for a week-long service project, helping paint and fix up homes in the poorer areas of a community. It was a huge endeavor that brought large numbers of kids from several states together. Every night we gathered for prayer and celebration. Our kids were blown away by all of it!

But, here’s the beautiful part: The result of those two experiences didn’t end there. The kids shared the impact on their own lives. Thanksgiving had a whole new meaning for them. When we came back from Georgia they couldn’t get enough of opportunities to serve their own community. They would come up with things to do. For example: we started what we called “Rake and Run”. We would go to the homes of the elderly, rake their leaves, bag them, and sneak away (they loved the sneaking away part!)

For years, I have watched kids sit in church bored to tears – if they actually showed up. I’ve seen some parents drop them off at church and leave. Some of those kids didn’t even go inside. Youth programs were few and far between. Like the adults, they were just expected to go for that hour to get their card punched. Like that would somehow magically convert them into lovers of Christ and become His “hands and feet” in this broken world.

Making a change will not be easy or quick

Our country is overrun by heathens who are already wreaking havoc and will continue to destroy everything in their path. God only knows where it will end and how many innocent people will suffer. But, I do know this: if we care, we must step out with courage and conviction that comes from God alone.

This is not a time for fear, anger, or timidity. It’s a time for action! It’s a time to live the Beatitudes as God intended:

Being Poor in Spirit means to act with humility not hatred.

Mourning – calls us to recognize our sins and the sins of others. Not only the sin of hatred that we harbor in our hearts but also the sin of culpability when we excuse the sins of others – to have the courage to call them out.

Meekness – does not mean weakness, but to be submissive to the will of God, who calls us to love others.

Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness – this is a call not only for us to hunger for God, but as Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, and so many others, we are called beyond a hunger and thirst for God within ourselves, but also directed out to those who suffer.

Merciful – not simply feeling compassion for others in need. True, deep, inner compassion calls us outward to service and care for the most vulnerable.

Pure in Heart – not only speaks to what we do as believers but why we do it. The why informs our motivation.

Peacemaker – bringing people back to God, not by our words, but by our example.

Persecuted for Righteousness – If I am persecuted by others for loving and serving God then I am right where He wants me.

Are you ready?

God’s waiting for our response. He’s counting on us, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the examples of those in the trenches and those who have gone before us, like John Lewis, “Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”

Finding Peace in Uncertainty: Trusting God

January 7, 2025February 19, 2025 by Linda Russell, posted in "Experiencing" God, Boldness in adversity, Does god control?, life's trials, surrender

When your family is happy and healthy, your job seems secure, and the bills are paid –When everyone is doing what you demand, and no one challenges you – you’re certain your life is under control, and you have yourself to thank.

Life is good; God is in his heaven where he belongs, and that’s where you want him to stay. You’ve got this. You’re doing just fine. Thanks.

Then the bottom falls out: someone gets out of line and upsets your “plans”. Someone you love becomes desperately ill and dies. You lose your job and your security. You watch the murder of innocent children on the daily news, and your most certain assumptions about life are shaken to the core.

Everything is suddenly out of control, even the state of the country, which wasn’t even on your radar six months ago!

How did that happen? How will you handle it? Where do you turn? My guess is that you will fall apart, like I nearly did, and probably shake your fist at God in the process. You’re certain he could fix it if he wanted to, but he hasn’t, and that’s why you don’t trust him. Never mind that you’re doing a sucky job of controlling it yourself! Just sayin’.

So, You Dig In

Because you are now certain that God hasn’t got a clue or doesn’t care about what’s happening to you, to us, or to our world, you will take it upon yourself (as usual) to tell him how to fix things. You always have your list of demands on hand, so it requires little effort or thought to whip it out and shake it at him – like Santa with his naughty list.

But, what you will not do is fall on your knees in surrender to his will because surrender means defeat. It’s too risky and makes you vulnerable to a God you don’t trust in the first place.

If the question of who’s in control has not been settled for you, then your life will be wrought with uncertainty and fear when it’s assaulted and overrun by pain and sorrow. You won’t be able to handle that because you have not dealt with it in the calmness of daily life. You can’t wait until you’re thrown overboard to learn to swim. Peter tried it, and look where it got him.

God’s Got This

No doubt you have heard on more than one occasion, usually in church, that God is in control, not you. If you thought about it at all, it would likely be in those desperate moments in life when you had to face the reality that you have no power over anything or anyone beyond yourself. If you were honest about it, you’re also failing miserably at that! Which is probably why God hasn’t reached out to you for advice. Recall his words to Job, “Stand down, buddy. I’ll let you know when I need your advice!”

How well I know this to be true in my own life, and how long I frantically tried to deny it because I believed my peace and happiness depended on me. No one had ever proven themselves to be trustworthy, so the only way I could protect my fragile heart was to deny access to it by anyone – even God – especially God. How often I cried out to him to explain to me where he was when I was a child and being abused. Then sat in silence for an answer.

Often, when we hear “God is in control,” we frame it in the context of the sadness and suffering in our lives and in the world where it’s easy enough to deny. What kind of God would allow such suffering? It’s much easier to believe that he plopped us down here and left us on our own, “There you go. Have a nice life. Good luck – you’re gonna need it!”

What is critical to look at, first of all, is our understanding of free will. Second, we have a belief that God causes pain and suffering. But God is not in control of our choices. Most people are basically good; some do evil things. It’s a choice we make. Please know that I am not saying that mental illness is not a determining factor in some people’s choices, especially choices that are beyond our comprehension. That’s not what we’re talking about here.

We cannot understand, or possibly even accept, the notion of free will if we believe that God causes bad things to happen. Often, in the midst of a tragedy, someone will ask, “Why did God allow that?” – Or “My brother died even though we prayed faithfully for God to save him.” But sickness happens, relationships fall apart, natural disasters occur, and death is inevitable.

Father Richard Rohr asks, “Do you realize with what difficulty surrender will come to a fixing, managing mentality? Nothing in that psyche is prepared to understand the spiritual wisdom of surrender. Pain teaches a most counterintuitive thing—that we must go down before we even know what up is. Suffering of some sort seems to be the only thing strong enough to destabilize our arrogance and our ignorance.”

God is Always at Work for our Good

But God will have the last word. He will use the tragedies in our lives for his glory. That truth cannot be denied when we witness the compassion of strangers on the daily news when disaster strikes somewhere in the world. Sadly, the nightly news usually only highlights extreme cases like hurricanes and mass shootings. But I assure you that every day, someone, somewhere, is quietly going out of their way to offer kindness to a stranger who will never make the news.

I love this recent story: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/boy-gets-shopping-spree-after-giving-away-one-dollar-kelvin-ellis-matt-busbice-louisiana/

I thank God daily that my peace, contentment, and joy are not dependent on me! Surrendering our certitudes and obsessive need for answers in order to live our lives fully is the great paradox of our humanity. I believe that is what Jesus came to show us!

Those who suffer deeply, parents who have lost their precious children, the poor and the destitute, and those who know they are at the end of their broken lives have much to teach us about sorrow, and joy, and surrender. You see it, don’t you? In the aftermath of a terrible tragedy, something incomprehensible and beautiful unfolds. It’s God bursting into the hearts he created. Strangers reach out in love and compassion, families and neighbors draw closer together, and someone forgives the unforgivable.

It’s a necessary reminder that it’s okay to surrender our incessant need to control because God makes all things new.

God calls us to trust him in all things. In Revelations 21:4-5 we’re assured that:

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

Death will be no more.

Mourning no more, crying no more, pain no more.

And that he will make all things new.

Blessings and Peace!

I am sharing this post in January 2025. I suppose it has been sitting quietly in a folder for some time, waiting for this moment. My hope is that it will offer you peace in these uncertain times.

This is my prayer for you and your loved ones: (Numbers 6:24-26)

The Lord bless you

and keep you;

the Lord make his face shine on you

and be gracious to you;

the Lord turn his face toward you

and give you peace.

Finding Hope in Crisis: Lessons from History

December 10, 2024February 19, 2025 by Linda Russell, posted in Boldness in adversity, Do Something, Energized by hope, fear, God's plan, hope after the 2024 election, loving others, Uncategorized

The disciples constantly nagged Jesus to tell them what was coming and what to expect, like the proverbial question from our kids: “Are we there yet?!”

Jesus’s speaking to them in parables probably frustrated them even more. Those parables spoke to their unrelenting insistence on knowing what was coming and how to prepare. In Luke 21, Jesus simply tells them to be alert and wait for God to reveal his plan and purpose to them—all in due time. He tries to assure them that God is still in control, no matter how it seems.

Now, here we are, clutching our pearls since the election, certain the apocalypse is near! And just like the disciples, God calls us to the only assurance we need: He is still in control.

So, we all need to take a collective deep breath, exhale, and consider our reality in light of the work of those who are already moving to shore up our democracy and the words of those who have gone before us who fought the powers of evil in their own time. (I share an excellent resource at the end of this post)

Dr. Barbara Holmes offered her thoughts on the necessity of contemplation when a crisis arises:

“The crisis begins without warning, shatters our assumptions about the way the world works, and changes our story and the stories of our neighbors. The reality that was so familiar to us is gone suddenly, and we don’t know what is happening….

If life, as we experience it, is a fragile crystal orb that holds our daily routines and dreams of order and stability, then sudden and catastrophic crises shatter this illusion of normalcy. The crises … are usually precipitated by circumstances beyond the ordinary. I am referring to oppression, violence, pandemics, abuses of power, natural disasters, and planetary disturbances.

Contemplation after or during crisis is a stillness in the aftermath of a primal scream, the abyss of unknowing, and the necessity of surviving the trauma together.”

So many of us are now in full crisis mode, and there is no telling how much worse it’s going to get over the coming years.

I believe people on both sides are dealing with their own life struggles. Fear and uncertainty are at the forefront of those concerns, and we can react differently to them. I get that.

The bottom line for me is that I am still called to love and care for others and to be an example of Christ in the world. How did I get here – from running around with my hair on fire to settling into acceptance of the reality we now face? How have I found hope and trust that we can overcome and end up stronger from the experience, even when we have no idea what will happen? I look to those heroes of faith who have gone before us.

There have been so many examples of those who faced seemingly impossible circumstances to make a difference in the world. I don’t pretend to be anywhere near their stature, but I hope to do what I’m called to do within my own capacity – to shine a light, even if it’s just a small candlelight, in the darkness.

As long as humans have been in existence, there has been violence and war somewhere in the world. Though we don’t know what to expect in the coming years in America, we see the innocent in Ukraine and the Middle East suffer untold horrors that we watch on our daily news feeds, and that’s frightening.

But, what we don’t see on the news is the stories of Ukrainians who courageously go about their lives in the midst of it. This is from an article by HOPE International, “Ukrainian believers continue to walk in God’s leading in times of war, just as they had done in times of peace. Despite the devastation Russia inflicts on their country, the Ukrainian spirit will not be broken. We will continue to see Ukrainian believers serving on the front lines of a courageous response, daily finding ways to love God and love their neighbors.” https://blog.hopeinternational.org/2023/06/28/the-heartbeat-of-hope-in-ukraine/

We, too, must trust in God each day to give us all we need, not to simply survive but to thrive and bring hope and care to those who suffer at the hands of evil. If not us, then who?

The following are amazing examples of that light in the darkness: Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Nelson Mandela, Anne Frank, Oscar Romero, and Jesus. Let’s not forget Jesus.

During the Vietnam War, Thomas Merton said, “We are living through the greatest crisis in the history of man….far from being irrelevant, prayer, meditation, and contemplation are of the utmost importance in America today.”

Maximilian Maria Kolbe volunteered to die in place of another man at Auschwitz during World War II. “The most deadly poison of our times is indifference.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was hanged for his resistance to Hitler. “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”

Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated during the civil rights movement “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was assassinated as he led the nonviolent resistance against British rule in India. “The day the power of love overrules the love of power, the world will know peace.”

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela spent twenty-seven years in prison because of his anti-apartheid activism. “To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.”

And let’s not forget these powerful words of Genesis 50:20, “God uses the evil perpetrated against us for His good and makes all things new”.

Lastly, I have been following Andrea Chalupa. She is an amazing Ukrainian-American Journalist and Filmmaker. Here is a link to her podcast with lots of action guides: https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/action-guide

Never, Never, Never Give Up!

November 18, 2024February 19, 2025 by Linda Russell, posted in Boldness in adversity, Energized by hope, If not us, then who?, the suffering need our care

As soon as I opened my eyes this morning I started ruminating on the negativity of our new reality since the elections. Then, I looked at my phone and realized that I missed my grandson’s concert at his school yesterday. I was devastated and felt terrible.

Am I trading enjoyment and purpose for loss and fear even when I try to convince myself that God is still present and still has a plan for me, for all of us? I’ve been so stressed about what is likely coming that it has consumed me with angst and dread, in particular for those most vulnerable. But if I continue to dwell on things that I can’t change or control, I will surely miss the beautiful parts of my life right now.

There are certain things that have not, and will not change, no matter what lies ahead: We are all called to care for those God cares most deeply for: The lost, the broken, the suffering. He is surely heartbroken when so many people refuse his call to fulfill their life’s purpose in whatever way he has gifted them. And I am also saying “no” when I want to check out of life.

Debie Thomas speaks of our interconnectedness, “We cause pain and loss when we hold ourselves apart, ….it’s especially challenging to do so now. We live in bitterly divided times. We have good reasons to be cautious and self-protective….Whether we like it or not, our lives are bound up in God’s and in each other’s. The only true life we will live in this world is the life we consent to live in relationship, messy and entangled though it might be.”  

What brought it all home for me were two readings from yesterday. First came the reading of the Prodigal Son’s brother, “then he became angry and refused to go in.” The author of this meditation asks, ”Are you angry and refusing to participate in some space in your life? Is an invitation waiting for you, too, if you can set aside your resentment and anger?”

Oops…Gulp

Next came the Benedictine mediation for that day in which I previously highlighted these words:

“Benedictine spirituality is about coming to a sense of the fullness of life. (It) never gives up on life. Why? Because every day we have gives us another chance to become the real persons we were meant to be. The point, perhaps, is to never give up on life and never doubt that every bit of kindness, every tender touch we lay upon another in life can heal what might otherwise have died, certainly in them, perhaps even in ourselves.”

So, God has spoken to me profoundly in these last few days. He couldn’t be clearer if he tried, even for a hard-head like me!

God needs us now, more than ever, to stay strong in faith, to be that beacon on the hill that he calls us to be in Matthew 5:14, 16, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

My Journey to Finding True Purpose and Self-Acceptance

August 9, 2024February 19, 2025 by Linda Russell, posted in "Experiencing" God, A Holy Whack, AHA moments, Boasting, grace, Humility, Our Imperfection, serving others

ttps://tenor.com/view/i-dont-know-how-to-put-this-im-kind-of-a-big-deal-famous-gif-17054350

Oh, the games we play. I know them well. I’ve been playing them all my life. The games that hide our suffering, that mask our own sinfulness, and help us survive.

Growing up, I was always made to believe I was not worthy of love or care. So, I tried desperately to find my worth in things and accomplishments.

I have been artificially propped up by an ego that is always on the alert for another opportunity to impress others, starting years ago as a youth minister and then at Youth-in-Need, hospice, and working with the homeless.

Being pumped up by the admiring comments of others filled a void, “Oh, I admire you for what you do. It takes a special person to do that.” I pretended to brush off the comment while secretly hoping this would be the year I would receive the Time Magazine Person of the Year award. I kinda gave up on that one. I know…shocking!

Are you impressed yet? Do you know who isn’t impressed? Who’s saddened by this litany of “accomplishments” by yours truly? GOD!

1 Cor. 7 speaks directly to the ego, ^“What are you so puffed up about? What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if all you have is from God, why act as though you are so great and as though you have accomplished something on your own?” Ouch!

In hindsight, I know God was present in all of this. He watched and waited for my AHA moments; for those moments, I could clearly see my shallow attempts to feed the hunger and loneliness of others – all while denying my own.

And those AHA moments were truly profound! Moments when my initial shallowness transformed into compassion and empathy for those I was serving. That’s how God works. He was converting my heart right in the midst of my brokenness.

So, there’s my story—the good, bad, and ugly. And this is my hope – that I am finally recognizing the person I was created to be and the purpose I am to fulfill for whatever time I have left here: to truly point others to God and not myself.

I’m not sure what tomorrow’s going to look like – but I am sure I’m in good hands! I will leave you with this beautiful song by Casting Crowns: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eQd3K2Fxp4

All You Need is Love – dootdadododo

December 13, 2022February 9, 2025 by Linda Russell, posted in "Christians" who hate, Do you love Me?, God is LOVE, life's trials

The world offers many different expressions of love: “I love mint chocolate chip ice cream!” (Actually, that’s true.) “I love your new car!” “I love shopping!” Love can be humorous, as when Miss Piggy floats across a field of flowers, heart beating wildly, feeling weak in the knees, stomach all a-flutter, shrieking, “Ohhhhhh, Kermie!”

Worldly love can come with no expectations or commitments: “I used to love you when you were thin and had more hair!” or, “Well, I could have loved you, but your ex-wife got all your money, and, well, I have needs!” or, “You didn’t tell me I had to love your kids too!”

That kind of love can be found merely by seeking our own desires, which we believe no one has a right to deny us, and it’s just as rewarding to love things as people.

Unfortunately, that mentality devours childhood innocence, destroys relationships, shrugs off compassion, and muddies the pure waters of selfless love. As long as we seek love from the things of this world, we will always come up lost and empty for our efforts.

How do so many of us get it so wrong so often? Perhaps it’s because our meager understanding of love is based on our personal, human experiences. I often ask myself, “Self, what is your problem? Why do you struggle so much? Why can’t you let go of your past? Why is it so difficult for you to trust God, to accept His love and your inherent worth?” Perhaps my ego has been too big, my fear too overwhelming, and my God too small.

But by the grace of God, I am gradually seeing my failure to truly love and my fear of accepting love. God does not fit neatly into the image I created. He refuses to patronize me when I cry out, “Lord, Lord!” It’s as though He’s saying, “Your cries are muted by your deafening indifference, Linda. Your faith is lukewarm, and, need I remind you, how I hate lukewarm?!” (Revelation 3:16)

Richard Rohr puts it into perspective for me, “It is in doing it wrong, being rejected, and experiencing pain that we are led to total reliance upon God….God has let me do just about everything wrong, so I could fully experience how God can do everything so utterly right….If we expect or need things (including ourselves) to be perfect or even “to our liking,” we have created a certain plan for a miserable life.”

Phillip Newell tells us, “Within us – as a sheer gift of God – is the capacity to bring forth what has never been before, including what has never been imagined before. Deep within us are holy, natural longings for oneness….We may live in tragic exile from those longings, or we may have spent a whole lifetime not knowing how to truly satisfy them, but they are there at the heart of our being, waiting to be born afresh….When we love, we bring the very essence of our being into relationship with the essence of the other.” (The Rebirthing of God, p. x, xvi)

There are rare moments in my life when I experience a great and mysterious intensity. Perhaps that is the longing Newell speaks of. I recall someone else calling it those thin places where we feel God’s presence most profoundly. I can’t describe the emotions except that they are overwhelming, and somehow I know God is working in this messy heart of mine.

When I start to judge others, I sense God’s tug on my heart to “see” them as He sees them; to look beyond their actions to their hearts where He resides. The peace that it brings to my own heart is beyond words!

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 tells us, “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”

There are some attributes of love I would like to focus on: “Love suffers long” and “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things”.

Love suffers long

Okay. We’re already in trouble. We don’t want to suffer; we want the antidote! We want something to fix the problem. As human beings – even Christians – we really hate to suffer. Actually, many Christians believe God should protect them from suffering.

Scripture tells us of God’s deep longing for those who turn away from Him. This is not a God who cannot wait to punish us for our sinfulness. Instead, He longs to lavish us with His love despite our sinfulness.

Just as Jesus’ suffering and dying brought many sinners to salvation, and the apostles’ suffering and martyrdom brought others to God, our willingness to suffer well, whatever comes our way, is a witness to the power of God’s love in a broken world.

I have a friend whose marriage is terribly difficult. She has often threatened divorce. But God spoke to the depth of her heart that it was within her marriage that she would grow to be more like Him. It’s easy to love a newborn baby, a tiny puppy, or the perfect mother you’ve been blessed with. But what about those imperfect people?

Do you find yourself glaring at that lump of a husband on your sofa – you know, the one who’s guzzling beer and belching show tunes – and wondering where you went wrong? Then there’s that snarky neighbor you secretly wish would fall off the face of the earth.

There always seems to be someone anxious to make messes in our lives. Can’t we do something to make him or her pay? Don’t we have the right? The answer is a simple but emphatic “No!” God will handle that person, not us. Definitely not us.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

When your wife comes home drunk…again, when your child is arrested on drug charges, when your cancer returns, when your aging parents make continual demands on you, who do you turn to? When you can’t lift your head off the pillow to face another day – how do you bear up, believe, hope, and endure all things? How do you go on when you cry out to God in despair but receive no answer?

You have to believe, truly believe, that the God of mercy loves you immeasurably. Nothing you suffer is lost to God’s watchful, loving care. No part of your life is without purpose. In the book of Genesis, God called Abraham to slay his beloved son Isaac. Could I have trusted God that much? No anonymous tipster in this story whispers, “Pssst, Abe! Just go along with it. He’ll stop you at the last minute. Trust me.” Nope, it didn’t happen that way. Abraham completely trusted God.

We can find incredible stories of people who have suffered persecution and abject loss throughout history. Yet, countless people have survived the unthinkable by believing in God’s promises and trusting in His love. From the darkness of despair comes the dawn of grace.

When we can’t see God or hear Him in the midst of our pain, we need to believe that His love for us is at the core of our being. “Blessed are those who suffer well and hope for things unseen, for theirs is the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 13:13). In suffering, we are comforted by God and, in turn, learn to comfort others.

What if Jesus’ story had been different? What if he had gone to the cross, kicking and screaming? He certainly had the right. He was being persecuted relentlessly. He had done nothing but love his Father and humankind during his life, and for that flawless behavior, he was crucified. He could have retaliated with an army of angels, but he didn’t. Instead, he was stripped, spat upon, mocked, and killed. He could have cursed his enemies to Hell. Instead, he prayed for them.

The world repaid Jesus’ love with hatred in the form of a cross. But the nails didn’t hold him there; love held him there. He chose to forgive in his final act of mercy: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34).

Jesus’ final hours speak volumes about my rejection of atonement theology. So many believe that Jesus had to die to atone for our sins. I’m sorry, I don’t buy it. I believe too many of us subscribe to the teaching that God’s anger over our sins required Jesus’ death. Doesn’t that create an image of a God bent on punishment who can’t wait for us to screw up? I keep imagining that Wack-A-Mole game. No thanks.

GOD IS LOVE…PERIOD. And because we were created in His image and loved beyond measure, we must also be that love to others. Jesus’ last command to us was to love. When did he tell us to hate, judge, and flip off that jerky neighbor? The last words out of Jesus’ mouth were to forgive, not to condemn.

My mother-in-law (God rest her beautiful soul) could offer you a perfect example of why God calls us to love. She bore the pain of losing a younger sister to cancer and the death of a beloved son. She struggled through a difficult marriage and other challenging relationships. And then I came along.

Forty-three years ago, I stood before her in a short skirt, a long wig, a seven-year-old daughter by my side, and a heathen attitude in my heart. I was self-centered and demanding. I resented the occasions when my husband would stop to see her after work. I was jealous.

For those and other reasons, she could have done what everyone else in my life had done – she could have rejected me or struck out at me. I would have understood that reaction; I was accustomed to it. But instead, she chose to love me despite my attitude.

Soon I could feel myself being drawn to her. She had something I wanted, and I didn’t even know what it was. But after being in her company and experiencing her selfless love for others – and for me – I was hooked. That was the beginning of my long (still ongoing) journey of change.

If I hadn’t experienced her love first-hand, I would most likely still be self-absorbed and wearing those dreaded short skirts (probably not a good idea for a sixty-eight-year-old grandmother!). I can imagine her reunion with God, “Come on, give us a hug, Catherine! Thank you for so brilliantly dealing with that mess of a daughter-in-law of yours! Well done, my good and faithful servant…well done!” (Matthew 25:23)

The greatest of these is love.

Scripture tells us the value that God places on love: “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). love is a verb. It’s an action word. We can’t just give lip service to God’s commandment to love one another. If the action doesn’t match the words, it’s a lie. Jesus went beyond telling us that he loved us; he showed us and expects us to do the same.

How about 1 John 4:20 for a wake-up call? “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” Of course, we all know someone like that, but could we be accused of the same shortcoming?

God never promised us that His way would be easy. The Bible depicts a love unlike the worldly version: “Greater love has no one than this than to lay down one’s life for his friend” (John 15:13). How many people would you consider dying for? Hopefully, your children, your spouse, possibly other relatives (except crazy Uncle Bill), and most likely your dearest friends. Those friends would have to be your dearest ones, though! Fair-weather friends wouldn’t make the cut. How about an enemy? How about that crotchety neighbor you’ve had to contend with for years? How about that lying sneak of a co-worker who managed to get himself promoted to a job that was rightfully yours?

Although God’s love is freely given, it longs for a response. If fear holds us back, it masks who we really are. Fear clings to the old self, refuses to relinquish control, and attempts to tie the hands of the Holy Spirit.

And lest we forget, God’s sacrificial love infuses an inherent dignity in everyone! We, as Christians, have no monopoly on God. We don’t own Him, and we don’t have exclusive rights to him. This isn’t a private club. We are to be instruments of His love or our response, and our faith is inadequate at best and sinful at worst.

I would like to end with a quote from a sermon on Job once given by Archibald MacLeish. He said, “Man depends on God for all things; God depends on man for one. Only man can prove that man loves God.”

So…what are you waiting for?

PROVE IT!

Acting ‘As If’: A Path to Healing and Growth

December 10, 2022February 9, 2025 by Linda Russell, posted in AHA moments, Boldness in adversity, Consider trials pure joy!, embrace change, God's plan

(Original post-2021)

Well, I’m still here in case you were wondering – or even if you couldn’t care less (in which case, I don’t suppose you’d be reading this). Regardless, here we go…

For over a year, I went kicking and screaming into a sudden and uncertain reality. In the process, I have slowly, often unwillingly, been discovering who I am in the midst of loss, pain, and sorrow. The world I thought would never change – changed – without any warning. NOT FAIR!

I reasoned (something my A.D.D. brain should know by now to question) that it was time for a change. So, I packed up my former self, one box, one picture, one memory at a time. I suddenly realized I had been trying to suppress the uncertainty of my future with superficial words and inadequate certitudes, “I’m fine. Really!” – even though it may appear that I’m losing my shit!

Some “experts” encourage us to act “as if” _________(fill in the blank) until it becomes our truth. So, I did – or at least I tried. But, in pretending I was already there, I believe I also denied the necessary process of change. So, does acting “as if” my life is often a total shitstorm count? Because right now it is – no acting required.

Jen Hatmaker beautifully describes the inevitable change of seasons in life, “It can be difficult to envision a new start but impossible to deny one. This is your work. No one can do it for you. Something doesn’t have to be bad to be over. That season has possibly given you everything it had to offer; it shaped and developed you, and it stretched and inspired you. We are not entirely rebranded with each new season; we simply build the next layer. As a testament to our design, we are capable of preserving the best of each season while rejecting the worst. The human heart is shockingly resilient. We need to get better at permission and grace.”

The pictures are packed up now, leaving bare walls and lots of nail holes my husband never knew about because, well, why measure when you can just eyeball distance, even if you suck at it! I didn’t take the time to count, but I’m pretty sure there were at least five or six holes behind each picture!

But I digress…

It has become clear to me that I have been stuck in the past. God tells us to stay out of there and move on, trusting Him every step of the way. The past certainly formed my identity to this point, and I am grateful for all of its lessons. But that’s not the end of my story or my journey. Hatmaker says, “You can care about new things and new beginnings and new people. Carry on, sister!” Carry on, indeed!

God wants me, wants all of us, to boldly step into each new day, believing every life experience, good or bad, will influence how we impact our world. Our loving God has created our most outlandishly gifted, magnificently designed selves for that very purpose.

It’s time to grab onto the desire of my heart that has been sitting too long and aching to be acknowledged, that one passion refusing to fade away no matter how much I have tried to ignore it.

What Are You SO Afraid of?

March 30, 2021February 6, 2025 by Linda Russell, posted in fear, God's plan, If not us, then who?, Lukewarm Christian, occasions of grace, serving others, the glory of God, Using our gifts

Did I tell you about Justin (not his real name), the kid who taught me a lesson in love? Okay, well, if so, I’m gonna tell it again because it’s freakin’ awesome!

About twenty years ago, I worked for Youth in Need, a wonderful organization that helps teens, usually wobbling vicariously between their broken world and the road to juvenile detention. This was often the last best hope for them.

I was basically a house mom and often worked the night shift in the house they lived in. It was a time in my life when I was also a broken mess, not long before my husband and I separated for a year (another God story). I’m not sure how I ended up there, thinking I had anything to offer them. It would be much later before I could see God’s hand in it.

The police often brought the kids to us. Sometimes, they were runaways or castaways by their parents or guardians. Justin came to us, a little guy for a twelve-year-old. With a huge chip on his shoulder. He was always angry and struck out at anyone who looked at him wrong.

Easter Sunday was my day off, but I decided to buy a ham and ask some of my neighbors to make some covered dishes. How nice of me! Look out, Saint Mother Teresa Linda’s vying for your spot in heaven! I can see the headlines now:

LINDA RUSSELL CANNONIZED BY POPE FRANCIS: THE PARTON SAINT OF MISFITS…

But, I digress…

The evening went unusually well. That is until we discovered that one of the Easter baskets went missing. Later, I found it under Justin’s bed. When I called him out on it he went ballistic! He started pounding on the walls and yelling obscenities. He followed me when I headed down the steps to contact our on-call therapist. Still yelling!

And then he spit on me. Okay, now I was mad! I began thinking of how very generous I was to come in on my day off. I muttered under my breath, “Kid, you’re outta here!” and I meant it. I was determined to send him away and had the power to do it. When I shut the office door and picked up the phone, I knew he was listening.

I explained to the therapist what had happened. She asked me if I felt threatened. If I would have said yes, the police would have been called. But then, at that moment, God grabbed my heart. This was Easter Sunday! On Good Friday, Jesus was spat on, mocked, and crucified. Justin was just a child, a hurting, suffering child. I assured the therapist that I did not feel threatened and would handle it.

Justin fell into me when I opened the door – still angry, “YOU GONNA CALL THE POLICE?! GO AHEAD, CALL THE POLICE. I DON’T CARE. CALL MY DAD, I DON’T CARE!” I calmly (which surprised me) said to him, “No, Justin, I’m not calling anyone. Just go upstairs, get your shower, and go to bed. Oh, and if you need a hug, I have one for you.” That offer surprised both of us, but his response didn’t. He uttered, “Yeah, right!” just before he knocked the chair against the wall and stormed out of the room.

Yeah right. What was I thinking? And now I had to fill out an incident report! Oh, joy. “I’m taking my ham back! You hear me, buddy???”

Twenty minutes later, the report finished, I headed upstairs just in time to encounter Justin coming out of the bathroom. There was something different about him when he looked at me. He was calmer and then asked something that, to this day, I still get teary-eyed thinking about it. “Can I have that hug now?” I can’t even describe the emotions that filled my heart as I hugged that little boy. I have no idea if he had ever been hugged before or since then. I hope that’s not the case, but I never saw him after he left.

Considering that for just one moment, I had the power to influence a little boy’s life – for good or bad – it’s mind-blowing! I know this for sure, if I would have followed through and had him sent away, that would have certainly been my own narcissistic doing. But, the ultimate outcome of that incident was God’s doing and took place even amid my own brokenness (a significant fact).

It wasn’t by my own strength or even care for Justin. I was not some amazing spiritual giant responding as would have been expected of the likes of Saint Mother Teresa, But, and this is huge, I was able to hear Jesus speak into the depth of my otherwise hardened heart, which in turn allowed him to speak love into the soul of another broken heart. He used me in all my messiness. Unbelievable.

When I look back on my life, it is astounding to me to consider what God can accomplish when he has so little to work with. If such incredible acts of love, mercy, and healing can occur even when we are so resistant to him, I have to wonder what America would be like today if more Christians would stop resisting God’s call. It’s breathtaking to consider the possibilities.

Sadly, so many who confess to being Christian are believers in name only – lukewarm God calls it. Revelations 3:16-17: “I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You’re not cold or hot—it’s far better to be either cold or hot! You’re stale. You’re stagnant. You make me want to vomit. You brag, ‘I’m rich, I’ve got it made, I need nothing from anyone, oblivious that, in fact, you’re a pitiful, blind beggar, threadbare and homeless.” (The Message)

How much do we hate the thought of being that person before God? – Because we don’t act like it. I don’t know if it’s as much a matter of indifference as fear.

What ARE we so afraid of? Trusting? Possibly.

Are we afraid of what God will require of us if we come out of hiding? Perhaps.

Fear of the unknown? Absolutely.

Let’s go back a ways. Many people in the Old and New Testament were afraid to trust God, fearful of the unknown, “You want me to do what?” They came up with some pretty lame excuses, considering they were arguing with God Himself.

Coming out of our comfort zones and believing we have gifts to be used for God’s kingdom is just too hard to get our heads around. But it’s true. When I had the opportunity to share my story, I heard so many people tell me they couldn’t imagine God working in their lives like that. I have to remind them of the heathen I was before God caught my attention. And when that did happen, it wasn’t a sudden thrust into a world I knew nothing about…

https://tenor.com/view/alice-falling-gif-22720120

God isn’t in the business of scaring us to death to get His point across. He knows each one of us intimately. He knows how to gently encourage our trust in Him. Just little moments of grace, then more to follow, like a child learning to crawl, then holding onto something sturdy to stand before he could trust enough to walk…and then run.

Eventually, I discovered, as I hope you will, that God gives us everything we need to be all He created and called us to be, that my past did not define my future, and that the lies I lived were Satan’s stronghold on me – not my truth.

When we doubt ourselves, Satan gets all giddy inside. When we question God’s call to us, the kingdom work He has planned for us to do never gets done. And Satan cheers. Sure, He could go find someone else, but the number of us who are never willing to step out of our comfort zones leaves Him with limited resources.

And Satan cheers again.

Our strength is limited, but we don’t need to rely on our own strength because God’s boundless, inexhaustible, immeasurable grace is just a prayer away. Not convinced? Pick one:

The Lord will give strength to His people and bless his people with peace. Psalm 29:11

Quietness and confidence shall be my strength. Isaiah 30:15

I am strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Ephesians 6:10

I have put on the complete armor of God. Ephesians 6:11

God gives power to the weak. And to those who have no might, He increases strength. Isaiah 40:29

Enough? Yeah, it seems God knew we needed lots of convincing. Has it worked? Not according to Ed Stetzer in his article titled, Too Many So-Called Christians Merely Giving Lip Service to Jesus. Below is an excerpt. If you would like to read the entire article, you can find it here.

“I suspect many churches have forgotten their primary calling: to make disciples. Instead, we believe drawing a crowd of people on Sundays is enough. We invite people to come to church or to be good people—but not to follow Jesus.

Sociologists like Christian Smith say many Americans follow something called “moralistic therapeutic deism,” a belief in God that’s mainly focused on being a good person and having a positive self-image.

That kind of religion feels good. But it doesn’t motivate people to act on their faith in areas where it costs them.”

Mediocre. Is that what you’re striving for? Is that what gets you up every morning and fills you with excitement about what life has in store for you? Are you content to sleepwalk through this life, waiting for the next (whatever that means)? Have you thought about what you’re missing when you sleepwalk through life? That’s a shame because God could put those gifts He gave you to good use. Imagine Him watching you just sitting on them…

Oh, okay, maybe you’re waiting until you get your life straightened out before you think God can use you. After all, you may reason that you’re just too broken yourself. There’s no way you could help anyone else if you can’t even help yourself. That’s true if in fact, it’s you that you’re relying on the fix yourself. It’ll never happen! Sorry. I can’t imagine you haven’t heard the expression: God doesn’t call the equipped; he equips the called. Catchy huh?

Come on. Wake up!

There’s kingdom work to be done. God’s waiting…

Here’s some food for thought: Do you realize God depends on you? That’s not a typo.

Say it to yourself, “God is dependent on ME!

“Linda, you’re crazy!”

Really? Then what does this quote by St. Irenaeus mean? “The glory of God is man fully alive.” Let that sink in a moment. You see, God needs us. It’s true. Has anyone ever told you that before?

So, you see, this broken world needs you! God needs you! Now more than ever.

You are NOT Going to Heaven

November 14, 2019February 1, 2025 by Linda Russell, posted in "Experiencing" God, AHA moments, fear, God's plan, surrender, Using our gifts, Where are heaven and hell?

Oops. Did you just spit your coffee on that new white shirt? Sorry. My bad.

While you’re cleaning up there and before I go any further, I think a disclaimer may be in order. Everything I say about God, aside from my own personal experience, is my humble opinion and has no basis in fact. What did you pay for that opinion? Nothing. So, what is it worth? That’s right. Nothing.

So let’s continue.

There are many different beliefs and opinions concerning heaven and hell. But, there is only one fact: no matter what someone tells you or what “proof” they provide, no one knows. No different than a recent conversation I had with a friend who collects clowns. She thinks they’re delightful and enchanting. However, I actually believe some satanic force created them to kill us in our sleep. So, who’s right? (I’m pretty sure I am, but I have no proof of that either.)

So, if your bubble just burst or your halo deflated, I apologize. But this is kind of important stuff to consider because if heaven and hell aren’t an actual piece of real estate, then maybe your reason for being nice, or not, to the jerk next door needs to be reevaluated. And, spoiler alert, this will not be easy or fun.

This is not heaven!

And this is not hell!

Diana Butler Bass speaks of this idea of heaven and hell as “vertical faith”. She says, “Sacred traditions replete with metaphors of God in the elements were replaced by modern theological arguments – about facts and religious texts, correct doctrine, creation versus science, the need to prove God’s existence, how to be saved, and which church offers the right way to heaven. These are the questions of vertical faith.”

So, when it is said that we make our own heaven and hell right here, where we live and move and have our being, what exactly does that mean? This is the tough part I referred to earlier because our Western brains can’t seem to grasp anything mysterious or inexplicable. Therefore, everything in existence has to be named and categorized or it gets cast aside as irrelevant.

We are very good at compartmentalizing everything in our lives. Nice people who are low-maintenance get to be a part of our club. Unpredictable, moody, or disagreeable people don’t get to join. We only converse with those who agree with us and avoid or argue with those who don’t. We even compartmentalize life and death. We separate the two with the certainty that there is no connection. Mufasa would not approve! He explained to Simba, “when we die our bodies become the grass. Then the antelope eat the grass.”

You may be too young to recall the days when wakes were held at home in a family parlor where life and death were celebrated as a continuum. That all changed with the advent of the funeral parlor. Funeral parlors sprung up so “professionals” could manage the uncomfortable aspects of death and turn bodies into pasty replicas of loved ones. Frankly, I think funeral parlors came into existence when some guy got tired of his mother-in-law hanging around in a box in his living room for a week (before the invention of formaldehyde!). But I can’t prove that either.

We keep everything in our lives separated into neat, tidy piles that we can easily manage, like peas and applesauce on our dinner plate (yuck, don’t want those to touch each other). So it’s no surprise that we stick God in heaven, so he’s separated from us by time and space.

The thought of God being right here in our midst, looking for any soft entry into our walled-up hearts is just too much to fathom. But, let’s stop for one minute, let down our guard, and imagine how different, how rich, and full our lives would be if we could comprehend that reality.

How about this uplifting thought about hell: Gian Carlo Menotti tells us, “Hell begins on the day when God grants us a clear vision of all that we might have achieved, of all the gifts which we have wasted, of all that we might have done which we did not do.”

Wait, if hell is here now, and we begin to understand our true purpose, then we have a chance to correct our pathetic, despicable, pitiful selves before we drop dead. That is Good News, right?!

So, what does all this mean? Again, I can only speak from my own experience. For most of my life, I ignored God and when I did acknowledge him it was usually in a display of anger directed at him. I too believed he was distant and could care less about me – a heathen.

If God is known as “Father” then it would stand to reason that I would view him just as I viewed my own father. In which case, he would be distant and aloof. He would be sitting on his sofa eating ice cream and mindlessly watching TV, while the world fell in around him. Or if my mother was any indication of who God was: a controlling, punishing, and unforgiving “parent”, it’s no wonder I ran like hell in the other direction. Who needs that? Either way, he would not get a “Father of the Year” award from me and there would be no Hallmark card created for him.

We seem to like the notion that God is way up there while we’re way down here We might be relieved to think he’s not watching while we try to run our own lives. “Don’t need you, God. I’ve got this!” We’re probably hoping he’s much too busy with other more important things to pay any attention to us and our antics.

In many traditional faiths, God sits in his heaven and doles out rewards and punishments to each of us according to our merits or sinfulness. Think of Job in his most distressing time and how his friends wagged their accusing fingers at him, certain that he had sinned in some terrible way to have been the recipient of God’s wrath. “It’s pretty obvious Buddy. You screwed up big time! Now, you need to fess up before God gets his second wind!”

So, what changed for me? It certainly wasn’t that God changed his ways after he read a book annominously sent to him, “How to Win Friends and Influence People”. No, I had changed. I opened myself to a relationship with him that allowed me to experience who God really was, not who I imagined him to be. Knowing about God and experiencing him is the critical difference necessary to live as fully as we are called to live, and to trust what lies ahead.

God tells us in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the“plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” We can choose to believe what we have long been told about a God whose wrath is to be feared, or we can choose to experience the God of immeasurable love and compassion.

Oh, if we could just grasp the reality of heaven and hell perhaps we would live our lives differently so that Menotti’s words would not be the end of our story.

Listen to these prophetic words of Father Richard Rohr: “When hell became falsely read as a geographical place, it stopped its decisive and descriptive function, and instead became the largely useless threats of exasperated church parents. We made (heaven and hell) into physical places instead of descriptions of states of mind and heart and calls to decisions in this world (emphasis mine). We pushed the whole thing off into the future, and took it out of the now. Jesus clearly says the kingdom of heaven is among us (Luke 17:21) or “at hand” (Matthew 3:2, 4:17). One wonders why we made it into a reward system for later, or as Brian McLaren calls it, “an evacuation plan for the next world.” Maybe it was easier to obey laws and practice rituals.”

I love the Gospel of Thomas. Yes, there really was one, but he didn’t make the cut. Neither did Mary Magdalene but don’t get me started on that one! Thomas writes, “Jesus said, “Seekers shall not stop until they find. When they find, they will be disturbed. After being disturbed, they will be astonished” (my emphasis).”Now, hold that thought a minute.

The scripture verse we are most familiar with is similar but clearly less challenging, it is Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Our shallow, non-threatening translation? Just ask and you’ll get whatever your little heart desires. This reads like a Christmas wish list: Apple AirPods? Done. Captain Marvel Legacy Hero Smartwatch? It’s yours. Chanel’s Quilted Tote bag? Because Lindsay Lohan!? Whatever. Here you go.

Okay back to Thomas. I’m guessing that his gospel was rejected by the “editors” of scripture because they were afraid they could not control us if we discovered who God really is and the power that truth gives us. Of course, I wasn’t there, so I’ll admit I’m really just pushing hot air, but I think the verse is useful for making my assertions.

Thomas tells us that we are to be seeking God and when we find him in our very hearts, it’s all over. What being “disturbed” and “astonished” means to me is that this only happens when we are in relationship with God.

Micah (6:6-9) tells us what God wants from us. In verses 6-7, these two stupid rich guys were trying to gather up all the best they had to appease God and buy their way into heaven. Somebody even threw in a firstborn child for good measure. But God rejects their attempts to buy his favor.

God: “Nope, I don’t want your stuff, I want you.” Micha lays it out succinctly, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

That last verse is the very core of who we are called to be as children of God: And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Does that sound like the demanding, controlling, cruel, never to be pleased God you learned about in Sunday School when you were six and then couldn’t sleep for weeks because you had nightmares about him finding out that it was you who dunked your sister’s doll in the toilet?!

I fully believe that we are living our heaven and hell right here on earth, in our day-in and day-out lives. Each time we make choices to love and serve others, or conversely, serve ourselves. Each time we seek out those God calls us to bring his love to, or we take care of number one. Each time our hearts break over the pain and suffering that permeates our world and then do something about it or turn our backs and cling to our fear of what it might require of us. With every choice we make to love or hate we choose our own heaven or hell right here.

Now, how does that translate to what eternity looks like for us when we take our last breath?

Wait for it….

Wait for it…

I have no idea.

But I will tell you this: I live daily as a sinner/saint. Don’t laugh, my mother-in-law thought I was a saint once for about five minutes (I screwed that up the first time I opened my mouth!). In my seventy-four years, I have known anger, pain, and bitterness. I have been hurt and I have hurt others. At one point I attempted suicide because the idea of living another moment was too unbearable (clearly I sucked at that too – thank God).

I have come to realize that I have been blessed to live the indescribable joy of a rich and full life, even in the messy parts, especially then. A life that encourages giving, serving, forgiveness, and caring for others. That calls us to be in relationship with God and everyone around us – to be Christ to a broken world.

We humans are complicated but it’s okay. I now know that I can show up for life unkempt, messy, disordered, and at times unpleasant because I am a beloved sinner. I know I serve a God of mercy and unconditional love so I am not afraid to humble myself before him and I am not afraid of what lies beyond this life.

And as for you, my friend, if you’re reading this you are still breathing, and if you’re still breathing it’s not too late. Even if you feel like your life is empty and you’re a total failure – you’re wrong! How do I know that without even meeting you? Because you were created in God’s image and he said as much when he first laid eyes on you as a tiny thought in his imagination, “Yep, I did good, real good! You’re a work of art, even if I do say so myself!”

(I have to throw this in because I’m still laughing) My all-time favorite book is “Holy Rascals”, by Rami Shapiro. I have read it so many times it’s falling apart. It is ridiculously poignant and hysterically funny! He says that we are all children of God. Every last one of us. That includes Saint Mother Theresa right alongside Jeffrey Dahmer. The only difference, he says, is “if Jeffrey Dahmer invites you to dinner, you should decline!”

You always have another chance to get life right, to erase regrets, heal broken relationships, seek forgiveness, serve others, and be all you were created and gifted to be! God is your biggest cheerleader (don’t try to visualize that!). And, dear ones, this is not something you want to put off till Monday, like that diet!

I will leave you with this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson “You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.”

May God bless and keep you. May God’s face shine upon you and give you peace.

Love,

Linda

Search

Tag: fear

Rediscovering Love this Christmas: Beyond the Grinch Mentality

Fear of “The Other”

Don’t Allow Fear to Destroy Your Peace

Perfectly Imperfect

It’s to Die For: Caring for the Poor in an Age of Consumerism

Only Man/Woman can Prove that God is Love

Living in Scary and Uncertain Times: Finding Solace in Galatians 5:22-23

Empowering Faith in a Secular World

Finding Peace in Uncertainty: Trusting God

Finding Hope in Crisis: Lessons from History

Never, Never, Never Give Up!

My Journey to Finding True Purpose and Self-Acceptance

All You Need is Love – dootdadododo

Acting ‘As If’: A Path to Healing and Growth

What Are You SO Afraid of?

You are NOT Going to Heaven

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: