#backtogod

  Tuesday night was the finale for the 25th season of The Voice. Reba McEntire’s soulful sinner Asher took first place. But she also had the runner up with country artist Josh Sanders. Leading up the announcement of the winner, the coaches sang with each of their team members who had advanced. Reba and Josh performed their special rendition of Randy Houser’s song “Back to God.” Continue reading…

I’ve waited a bit before I wrote a new blog. I supposed that for most people, things seems weird, off balance, but most of all, we all feel uncertainty. 

I’ve actually been sick, tbh. I had the flu and then bronchitis. Stuff like that happens when you have a compromised immune system like I do. And then the entire World as we know it got shook to the core. Yes, I’m talking about Covid-19. Yes, I’m talking about the Chinese Government. And ya know, I’m not even going to take the ‘political’ route on this. I have my opinions and speculations, but I want to take a look at the ‘spiritual’ side of this whole pandemic we find ourselves in.

I know many people are asking, why? Why did God let this happen? If you want my opinion, it’s our wake-up call. This is our “Come to Jesus” meeting with God.

Settle yourself in solitude and you will come upon Him in yourself. ~ Teresa of Avila

Are you a Christian? I know I am. My Faith is pretty darn strong. There is a difference between being lonely and being in solitude. The fear of being alone petrifies a lot of people. I’ve seen people, more men than women, go from one relationship straight into another because of the fear of being alone, because of their loneliness.

Several years ago, I spent almost a year in counseling. I learned during that process that I must love myself and love being alone before I can even love someone correctly or have them love me. There is so much truth to that! I see someone of you shaking your heads claiming that I’m wrong. (LOL) Trust me, I’m right on this.

Our fear of being alone drives us to noise and crowds. We keep up a constant stream of words even if they’re inane. T.S. Eliot analyzed our culture well when he wrote, “Where shall the world be found, where will the word resound? Not here, there is not enough silence.” 

Have you ever noticed the “celebrities” of our culture? 8 out of 10 of those people are lonely people. Why do I say that? They’re celebrities because they want to be noticed! They want to be heard. They want to matter. But, here’s where they screw up, imo... They want that attention because their human side, their flesh needs the applause, the i love yous, the desire to feel the emptiness they really feel inside. Most of the Hollywood crowd are lonely people because they have an inner emptiness because it’s not filled with the Spirit of God.

Take this whole Covid-19, China Virus, whatever you want to call it. How are we trying to get rid of it? QUARANTINING OURSELVES! Why are we doing that? The obvious answer is because it’s the best way to eradicate the disease. Social distancing is actually a good thing! Did you hear me? Social distancing is a good thing!! Now is the time to learn the difference between loneliness and solitude. 

Solitude is more of a state of mind and heart than it is a place. There is a solitude of the heart that can be maintained at all times. Crowds have little to do with this inward attentiveness. I’m currently reading Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster for my Discipleship Class. Over two million copies of this book have been sold and it’s been around since the 1970′s. 

Even though what Foster writes about, he was writing about today’s society more than the one of the 70′s. We are worse now than how it was back then. I was born in the late 70′s, so I’m an 80′s kid. I’ve been doing a lot of reading, research and listening to moderate journalism in the past month and a half (my sick time). It truly astounds me how ignorant we are to the situation we are currently in.

Take this time of social distancing to get back to your roots, grow closer to God, meditate, figure out what your solitude is. When is the last time you meditated? Thomas Merton wrote, “Meditation has no point and no reality unless it is firmly rooted in life.” Yeah, I get that life is hard right now. We as a collective are confused, hurt, sick, and uncertain. 

When we take the time to discern and desire the Living Voice of God, I think the more clarity we will receive about what we and our World are going through. 

Only to sit and think of God, Oh what a joy it is!

To think the thought, the breathe the Name

Earth has no higher bliss.

~Frederick W. Faber

We must take this time to get back to God, strengthen the roots of our families, to find the real meaning of LOVE!

A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject of all. ~Martin Luther