Of Jell-O, Locomotives and Libraries

Peter Cooper might not be a household name, but our lives would not be the same without him.  He lived during the heart of the industrial revolution and was an inventor, business man, politician and philanthropist.  He is best know for his Tom Thumb steam locomotive, but he also patented the first gelatin dessert which became Jell-O.

What I admire most about Mr. Cooper is that, even after he amassed a vast amount of wealth, he always saw it as an opportunity to give back.  he was quoted as saying, "I have endeavored to remember that the object of life is to do good." 

He started Cooper's Union, an arts and science college that, to this day, is tuition free.  His charitable activities and generosity had such a great impact that men the likes of Andrew Carnegie,  Matthew Vassar and Ezra Cornell credit their philanthropy to his influence on them.

Peter truly loved his neighbor as himself.  He lived well below his means so others could have the means to live well.

We are not on earth to attain, but to adorn.  We do not live to get, but to give.  If everyone gave, everyone would get.  If we love God and love people, guess what?  We will be loved by God and loved by people.

God really started it all.  He was the first "pay it forward" one to risk.

We are in this world together.  Let's make the most of it.  Let's give it up for good.

Love Yourself as Your Neighbor

Sounds funny, doesn't it?  But is it wrong to reverse the phrase?  Christ's call is to equally love our neighbors as ourselves.  So it seems logical that we should equally love ourselves as we do our neighbors.  But are we loving our neighbors?  And if not, are we then not truly loving ourselves?

I have been reading Thomas Merton's book, "No Man is an Island," and I am struck with his assertion that  "...(man) cannot find himself in himself alone, bu that he must find himself in and through others."  In a world of self help consumerism and people trying to "find" themselves, we realize that the answer is in God's two simple commands that sum up, in toto, His purpose for us all:  Love God, love people.

We cannot divorce our love of self from our love of others, nor can we separate either from our love of God and His love of us.  It is all linked.  And until we live this out, I don't think our economic and social decline with recover.

(more to follow...and the answer lies in Jello, railroads and libraries)

When Mountains Move.

A mountain moved today. It wasn’t one you’ve heard of and it didn’t cause any damage. In fact, it did a world of good. My soul shook as God changed the landscape of my heart. It surprised me, as any tremor would, but you would think I would be used to it by now; especially living in Southern California and especially with the history I have watching God work.

Why am I so surprised when I say “yes” to God and things start happening? It never fails. For 40 years, when I walk in obedience to His voice, stuff begins to move. Not always quickly or easily, but definitely shifting occurs.

This morning a friend and I were having breakfast, talking about life, ministry and wanting to be in alignment with God’s movement. We both made the commitment to not just say we wanted to make a difference in people’s lives, but we vowed to put it to action; something we had talked far too long about and didn’t do.

So, I got home and wrote an email to a business acquaintance and asked if he would be interested in using his resources to assist us in making a difference. It took me longer to write the email than to get a response of enthusiastic support.

Why am I surprised? Maybe it’s the disciple’s syndrome. “Oh me of little faith.” Maybe it’s the other times that I do ask and get no response. Sometimes what I ask for and what God asks for are completely different. That is when static energy takes effect. But when what I ask for and what God asks for are in alignment, mountains move.

A mountain moved today. Did you feel it? I did. Maybe it was in me. Maybe it was in the spiritual realm. Maybe both. You may not have felt it, but you will see the result of the global shift. How do I know? Because when God moves mountains, things change.